Southbend 13" Heavy 13 Gearhead lathe SB - Manual (Page 25)

For Machines Mfg. Since 5/11 13" Heavy 13 ® Gearhead Lathe
-23-
P R E P A R A T I O N
8. Raise the lathe a couple of inches and check
the balance of the load.
— If the load is not safely balanced,
immediately lower the lathe and resolve
the issue before attempting to lift it
again.
9. Raise the lathe enough to clear the shipping
pallet, carefully remove the pallet, then
lower the lathe into position.
Leveling & Mounting
You must level your machine and either use
the included foot pads and leveling hardware or
bolt and shim your lathe to the floor. Because
mounting your lathe to the floor with permanent
hardware is an optional step and floor materials
may vary, floor mounting hardware is not
included.
Leveling
Leveling machinery helps precision components,
such as bedways, remain straight and flat during
the lifespan of the machine. Components on a
machine that is not level may slowly twist due to
the dynamic loads placed on the machine during
operation.
For best results, use a precision level that
is at least 12" long and sensitive enough to
show a distinct movement when a 0.003" shim
(approximately the thickness of one sheet of
standard newspaper) is placed under one end of
the level.
See the figure below for an example of a high
precision level.
Figure 16. Example of a precision level.
For accurate turning results and to prevent
warping the cast iron bed and ways, the lathe
bedways MUST be leveled from side-to-side
and from front-to-back on both ends.
Re-check the bedways 24 hours after
installation, two weeks after that, and then
annually to make sure they remain level.
When lifting the lathe with straps, the load
will be top heavy. Take extra care to keep the
load balanced vertically and only lift the lathe
far enough to remove the shipping pallet.
6. Attach the lifting straps to the power lifting
equipment (see Figure 15 for an example).
Figure 15. Example of lathe setup for lifting.
Power Lifting
Equipment
Lifting
Straps
Use Blocks as Necessary
to Space Straps Away
from Control Rod,
Feed Rod, and Leadscrew
to Prevent Bending when
the Lathe is Lifted
Hardwood
Blocking
Hardwood
Blocking
7. At each end of the lathe, have assistants
connect guide rods to safely keep the lathe
from swaying or tipping during lifting.