Grizzly G4003Gm floor mount, or not?

[Steve 1]

Hello Folks:

I'm a newbie to this forum, looking to pick your brains on a question relating to how best to mount my new shiny G4003G lathe, vis. hard floor mount, or adjustable feet? I have a well used G9072Z lathe, nice but not quite enough, I have that on 4" wooden beams (more height) and that's bolted to my shop concrete floor.
That lathe works fine, it's about 500 lbs... but again it's just not enough. The new G4003G is about 1200lbs, so more rigid and much heavier.

I have a mild concern about the front / back narrowness of the G4003G's lathe stands, and have seen a few postings from years ago about bolting it to the floor, or some form of extended sled... permitting it to move around.... One gent had pictures of what looked like 2x4" box section steel, to extend the footings 6" out from the stands.

My basement shop is currently being sound proofed (for my wife's sanity) and I'll remove the old G9072Z, and replace it with the G4003G... But wanted some input from those with the same or similar machines. It may be OCD, or am I just overthinking this?

I'd appreciate any suggestions, I'm a retired engineer / avid basement tinkerer, living in darkest Florence, MT.

Best Wishes for a better 2024!

Steve 1

 

[Aukai]

Welcome Steve
I had the PM 1340GT version of that lathe, and used the adjusting bolts for leveling the lathe with "extension" pads to raise the height of the bed. I did not detect any type of instability once it was in place. One thing I did not care for was the 100% loss lube system for the Norton style gears.
If you are a tinkerer your 1236 is similar to the 1340GT, then you will then love David P Best's upgrades to his 1340GT, his work is awesome, and will keep you busy for awhile
The full build log is here: https://flic.kr/s/aHskYxDKzN
There is also a long earlier thread on this build here on H-M you can find here: https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/pm1340-the-best-jacobs-full-custom-edition.58507/
My "extensions"

 

[Steve 1]

Thanks for the fast response: Hawaii, a bit different from Montana, but a shop is a shop, and lathe a lathe!
I consider myself a tinkerer, repairing old firearms, making tooling, even to fabricating parts for 1930 era antique radios!
Your PM 1340 is the bigger cousin to my G4003G, (12 x 36") but close enough. I see your "feet" are bolts riding on a metal cylinder.
I had an idea of using ice hockey pucks, and the cushioned foot from a ATV snow blade.... like a big metal mushroom.
As I mentioned on the G4003G Grizzly, the lathe bed rests on the two tooling cabinet / stands... those each have 4 holes for feet, or floor mounts.
It's not that much different to those of your photo, so that make me feel a little easier!

Thanks for the link to David's site, that's a LOT of work, my plan was to use the standard Grizzly stands, and anchor or float as best.
On my older 9972Z ( 11 x 26"), over the 15 years I have used the lathe, I have added mods or fixes... they are always a work in progress!
It's done me well, but no reverse threading, belt changes for speed, and no cross slide power feed... It's going to a good home.

I have a week or two before my shop ceiling is finished, and then I'll move the 4003G down from the garage, that gives enough time to explore options, and start making decisions, and if needed some mounts.

Appreciate the input!

Steve 1

 

[Gnpenning]

Welcome Steve from Kalispell Montana. This is a great site.

While I can't tell you what will be best for you I would suggest getting it set up and making a few test cuts before deciding.

 

[Steve 1]

Hi: That actually sounds like a sensible approach, and once under test I'll know if its a bit wobbly, or needs to be hard mounted.
I'm not cutting drive shafts for aircraft carriers, but stability and rigidity is important.
My next task is to find a rental shop for anti-gravity powered skyhooks to assemble the darned thing in my shop!

;-)

Cheers!
Steve 1

 

[benmychree]

Sometimes vibration from an unbalanced workpiece can cause a lathe to move around on the floor if not bolted down, this can be helped by inserting a piece of tar paper under each foot, it will bond to the floor and the feet and keep things from moving around and throwing off the leveling/alignment of the machine.

 

[keeena]

I have a G4003G on metal leveling feet. I think its generally sufficient. But the feet distance front/back is too shallow from the factory IMO and does make the lathe a bit wobbly.

One owner cut about ~3-4" from the bottom of the base cabinets (right at the start of the taper) and then welded on heavy gauge angle to set the feet apart farther. (I did a quick search but couldn't find a picture). This also had the benefit of lowering the lathe a bit if that's an issue for you.

 

[Steve 1]

Hi Keeena, that’s interesting and echoes my concern. I did some searching on this forum, and found the post I think you’re referring to.
The user had box section piping extending out front and back. That was a clue to me that it was either necessary, or at least prudent.
Apart from old gun parts, tooling, I tinker with old clocks…accuracy there is 104% required!

Thanks to all for the help and advice.

Steve 1

 

[jwmay]

I had a Grizzly G4002 for a few years. It sat wherever I put it.

It was on leveling feet.

I love those square tube frames folks build with the leveling feet under them.

If you have the gumption to do that, I think it’s a benefit. But personally, the effort outweighed the benefit in my imagination.

Finally, I admire the forethought regarding potential tip over mitigation. But with several hundred thousand of these lathes in use, I don’t think you’ll find a hundred people who tipped their lathe over while they were operating it. And congratulations for being the first person in my lifetime to make me regret not learning physics, so that I could math it out for you. Lol

 

[Steve 1]

I’m in a quandary, I Google “lathe footings” , and I get a link to OCD, I google OCD and I see my photo

Engineers, even retired, err on the side of lawyer induced caution… it’s a habit….

Eons ago, working for RCA at their Zurich R&D labs… circa 1980… working on laser test beds, where ground motion / activity isolation was critical, we’d float a 2 ton granite optical test bench on a huge rubber balloon…. Maybe that’s a little extreme… must take my OCD pills!
Montana bed rock is fairly stable, the odd earthquake aside… I think I might survive.

Thanks for the feedback and advice.

S1