Never thought I'd be sore from hobby machining...

[WobblyHand]

Can't believe how sore I am. My quads are burning. Must of done over 50 squats yesterday afternoon messing around trying to level my lathe. Down on hands and knees, adjust with wrench, mess up the rotation, get back up, read the level, back down to the floor, lather, rinse and repeat. Couldn't make much progress, so was adjusting away, more or less oscillating about the true 0 twist point. Really hurting today. Especially when going down stairs. Going up stairs isn't as bad. Didn't think hobby machining activities would seize up the muscles this way!

Of course, it will get better in a few days. Nonetheless, pretty astonished at how tender the quads are today. Haven't felt this in 25 years. Last time was after telemark skiing after a 10 year hiatus.

 

[Aukai]

Sounds like you may not be 25 anymore

 

[mikey]

Can't believe how sore I am. My quads are burning. Must of done over 50 squats yesterday afternoon messing around trying to level my lathe. Down on hands and knees, adjust with wrench, mess up the rotation, get back up, read the level, back down to the floor, lather, rinse and repeat. Couldn't make much progress, so was adjusting away, more or less oscillating about the true 0 twist point. Really hurting today. Especially when going down stairs. Going up stairs isn't as bad. Didn't think hobby machining activities would seize up the muscles this way!

Of course, it will get better in a few days. Nonetheless, pretty astonished at how tender the quads are today. Haven't felt this in 25 years. Last time was after telemark skiing after a 10 year hiatus.

I'm pretty sure God has a sense of humor. Some days you'll level the lathe in 10 minutes and some days it will take hours, and there is no rhyme or reason for it. And don't forget that after you finally get it level, you need to check it again in a week or two to make sure it is stable. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. Fun, isn't it?

 

[graham-xrf]

I'm pretty sure God has a sense of humor. Some days you'll level the lathe in 10 minutes and some days it will take hours, and there is no rhyme or reason for it. And don't forget that after you finally get it level, you need to check it again in a week or two to make sure it is stable. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't. Fun, isn't it?

The saying "God does not subtract from a man's life those hours spent in .. fishing".
I don't think the same applies to lathe leveling, but it should!

How big and heavy is the lathe? What is the nature of the floor under it? How many support points are there?
Level is, of course, the convenient reference for us to able to tell if all parts of the lathe are straight and lined up relative to each other, but the whole heavy structure can be hard to keep stable if it needs more than three supports, and heavy lathes inevitably do. It's OK to check it regularly, but I would not think it need tax your back regularly - unless something is moving/changing.

 

[FOMOGO]

Good to stretch during, and after a day like that. If I didn't stretch regularly, I know I wouldn't be in the fairly decent shape that I am. This is evidenced by the way I feel when I forget to do it. Seems it is usually the second day after the abuse that I feel it the most. Mike

 

[addertooth]

Ease of leveling is often proportional to the stiffness of the surface under the machine. I had to work more on a lathe which was on a wooden table, than a machine that was on a heavily built welded steel table with a 3/8ths steel top-plate. They sit next to each other on the same floor.

The second time I levelled the lathe, I had put a thick stone plate under it first, and it levelled much easier.

 

[Suzuki4evr]

Can't believe how sore I am. My quads are burning. Must of done over 50 squats yesterday afternoon messing around trying to level my lathe. Down on hands and knees, adjust with wrench, mess up the rotation, get back up, read the level, back down to the floor, lather, rinse and repeat. Couldn't make much progress, so was adjusting away, more or less oscillating about the true 0 twist point. Really hurting today. Especially when going down stairs. Going up stairs isn't as bad. Didn't think hobby machining activities would seize up the muscles this way!

Of course, it will get better in a few days. Nonetheless, pretty astonished at how tender the quads are today. Haven't felt this in 25 years. Last time was after telemark skiing after a 10 year hiatus.

Been there, it's quite a workout,but necessary.

 

[tjb]

We feel your pain.

 

[WobblyHand]

The saying "God does not subtract from a man's life those hours spent in .. fishing".
I don't think the same applies to lathe leveling, but it should!

How big and heavy is the lathe? What is the nature of the floor under it? How many support points are there?
Level is, of course, the convenient reference for us to able to tell if all parts of the lathe are straight and lined up relative to each other, but the whole heavy structure can be hard to keep stable if it needs more than three supports, and heavy lathes inevitably do. It's OK to check it regularly, but I would not think it need tax your back regularly - unless something is moving/changing.

Not a heavy lathe in the scheme of things, it's rather a light weight only 320 lbs. This is really first set up for it. So nothing is really known. It's just a procedure to go thorough, but it has been frustrating. The frame is probably a little too light weight and flexible, the floor is circa 1875 lime cement of unknown characteristics, and of course there are 4 feet on the stand. It's also hard to get heavier equipment in and out of the basement, the space is cozy, and the electrical infrastructure is slightly lacking. It has been a challenge.

You know you are in trouble when in order to do A, you need to do B first. But B requires C, and C requires D, and D requires E. So I'm fiddling about with D or E feeling further away from getting something done on A. May just be the effect of short days in the northern hemisphere, but have to say it's been a lot longer haul to cut a square un-tapered cylinder than I had anticipated. But, nothing gets better unless you work at it, so that's what I am doing.

Next project, is it D or E? - make a small adjustable stand for a toolmakers granite flat. I have to get the flat (230 x 304 x 76 mm) level enough to that it is possible to calibrate the level. There's exists a line on the flat that is level. The hard part is finding it when your level is totally whacked and un-calibrated. If anyone has some good ideas on how to proceed I have a thread at Lathe leveling - do you do it with the lathe fully dressed or just the headstock and ways?

Oh, the old quadriceps are a little better, but they are still very tight. I feel about 5 years younger than yesterday!

 

[mmcmdl]

Always wallet sore ! It's a deeeeeep hole .