Stands are quite flexible so any shimming of adjusting of feet is more likely to move the stand than the stiffer cast lathe bed.

You would be better using tailstock support for long shafts which is likely to give a different reading to a long bar that possibly deflects when held at one end.

My 280 has given good service just stood on a wooden floor leveled with a builders spirit level and for that length I would be using the tailstock for support

Looking at the website I think that is a machine that is not intended to be twisted, its feet are too close together at the tailstock end.

That said its just a matter of elasticity, so if you put enough steel in the top of the stand to pull and push the bed against the stand it should move the fraction you want.

Nice feet. I need to do similar with my 1942 South Bend.

Your test bar is a bit long. Usual recommendation is 25mm diameter and 100 to maybe 150 long. At 200mm you are probably getting some flex adding to your taper when taking a test cut. Try it with 100mm sticking out for a more accurate reading.

That said, if you want to turn a long shaft, you will need to support it at the end with the tailstock centre, which will need aligning to turn parallel, separate from getting the bed parallel.

If twisting the bed to get it to turn parallel, I would shim under the tailstock mounting feet on the lathe bed, not the cabinet base. But the cabinet feet could work too so you could give it a try.

Edited By Hopper on 04/02/2023 23:25:53

Do you have a travelling steady? This is the type of job they are for.

Martin C

IMO adjusting the feet of the stand is unlikely to be very effective in taking any twist out of the bed.

My 300Kg monster is mounted on six 1/2 UNF setscrews, with nuts above and below the mounting feet to provide adjustment to remove twist.

This is effectively the same means of "levelling" adjustment provided by the Myford riser blocks.

Howard