shoptask adjustable feet

[leeharrysouth]

Has anyone installed adjustible feet on a shoptask eldorado bridgemill. Feet under the lathe bed and not the table. If so what type were used.


leeharrysouth

[sharpshooter90]

If you are still concerned about the bed levelling issue, reach up under the bed and feel for the cross ribs. If you ever look at the bottom side of the base casting, you will find that it is about 3/4" thick and has big cross ribs about every 6" along its length. If the bench top is not level, its most likely that it will conform to the bed when you tighten the bolts rather than the other way around. The threads in the base are 10mm, the same as the bench feet, so you could use them, but then the machine would be free to slide around on the feet.

[leeharrysouth]

Thanks sharpsooter. I did not know how the bed is constructed underneathe. I did think it was a good and strong design. As far as adjustible feet are concerned I was thinking about a type that would match up to the lathe bed and then threwbolt to the table. The more I think of it its probably more trouble than needed. Your right about the table. It does not have a strong cross beam installation. My lathe did come with a one inch steal plaate under each end of the bed. The table has surely settled by now( about a year since leveling) and it is fairly level. I figure the cross beams underside and the one inch plate will give me good enough mounting. The bed is within .001 or lell level all the way around. I do still cut a .002 taper over ten inches so I am going to take hufungdungs advise and try and adjust the level of the bed with shims to get the taper out. At first I did not quite see the logic in this but, since them have read an old home shop machinist article giving the same direction. It was then that the light bulb came on and I began to understand what he was telling me about adjusting the bed in line with the head. At any rate my next shoptask project will be just that. I feel as though things will work out. Thanks for your input.

leeharrysouth

[sharpshooter90]

Lee-
On my new patriot machine I decided to leave it out from the wall for ease of maintenance. Just for piece of mind I wanted it somehow secured in place, so I made some plates that fit over the leg levelling studs onto the swivel portion of the foot. Once the machine was levelled, I bolted the plates to the floor- now the machine is level and secured in place. if I need to adjust the level in the future, I can just loosen the bolts holding the plates to the floor and turn the adjusters up or down.