Elevated mill

[astjp2]

Your accuracy will be affected by the the stability and stiffness of the base you choose. If you can accept a little inconsistency or lack of accuracy, wood will work, if not, you want anchors and grout.

 

[ptsmith]

There seems to be disagreement about that. There's a PM thread were some like anti vibration pads and some hate them. Joe Pie commented in one of his videos that he had them on his lathe and that he gets a better finish because of it.

I didn't want to drill in my garage floor and wanted to widen the mills stance in case I swung the ram way out or did something stupid that might cause it to tilt over. So vibration was not my reason for doing it, although I thought it might be a poor man's version or anti vibration feet.

I haven't noticed any negative effects although there may be and I haven't noticed them yet.

 

[MrWhoopee]

A mill is a rigid, monolithic casting and is not sensitive to level and stability like a lathe. It is a good idea to make it level in order to be able to use a level for certain set-ups, and it's definitely nice if it doesn't rock, but neither of these will affect the accuracy or repeatability.

 

[Flyinfool]

The factory where I work is near a RR track, when the big coal train goes by with 150 identical max load cars it gets the whole shop rocking and rolling. None of the machines in the shop can hold a tight tolerance while a train is going by.

A lathe does not need to be level, it does need to be straight. It is just that level is the easiest way to measure straight, and as you mentioned, there are some setups that will benefit from having the machine as close to perfect level as you can get it.

 

[ptsmith]

There seems to be disagreement about that. There's a PM thread were some like anti vibration pads and some hate them. Joe Pie commented in one of his videos that he had them on his lathe and that he gets a better finish because of it.

I didn't want to drill in my garage floor and wanted to widen the mills stance in case I swung the ram way out or did something stupid that might cause it to tilt over. So vibration was not my reason for doing it, although I thought it might be a poor man's version or anti vibration feet.

I haven't noticed any negative effects although there may be and I haven't noticed them yet.

Apologies for digging up this old thread, but I happened to be watching the Joe Pie video where he mentions the anti vibration pads on his lathe. I linked to where he talks about them. He likes them and he's a very credible machinist.

 

[Cobra]

Raised mine - much more comfortable.
Adjustable leveling feet sitting on hockey pucks.

 

[Ed ke6bnl]

raised mine as well and I can get a pallet jack under it and move it if needed. and it is easier to work with unless I put a riser block on the column

 

[RJSakowski]

A mill is a rigid, monolithic casting and is not sensitive to level and stability like a lathe. It is a good idea to make it level in order to be able to use a level for certain set-ups, and it's definitely nice if it doesn't rock, but neither of these will affect the accuracy or repeatability.

I trust that you a referring to a knee mill. The smaller mills and mill/drills are neither rigid nor stable.

 

[ptsmith]

Raised mine - much more comfortable.
Adjustable leveling feet sitting on hockey pucks.

Hockey pucks sounds like a great idea. I may give that a go on my lathe.

 

[Cobra]

Hockey pucks sounds like a great idea. I may give that a go on my lathe.

I used threaded rod with a pair of lock nuts for adjustment.
The rod was turned with a 60 degree point and fitted to disks about 2 inches by 3/8 inch thick.
The steel disks then sit on the hockey pucks.
Used the same system for the lathe and both have worked fine and very stable. Haven't had to adjust the level since they were put in.