Boxford VSL

[Roy BirchParticipant @roybirch29994]

Hello

I have a Boxford VSL that I am looking to install this weekend but on another forum the subject of bed twist came up, I was planning to set this lathe up on machinery levelling pads the same way as my Myford Tri-Leva is set up, the forum suggests that this lathe should be bolted down, in my experience it is sometimes the bolting down that causes the twist. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what is correct?

[Roy BirchParticipant @roybirch29994]

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

If you think about it with 4 feet you should only need one to be adjustable to achieve levelling – normally the front tailstock one. If you want to stop the lathe walking across the floor under vibration make one or more of the headstock ones a firm fixing into a solid foundation.

[Clive Brown 1Participant @clivebrown1]

My Boxford ME10 is on a fairly stiff steel bench. sitting on a concrete floor, ie fairly rigid. As standard, the 4 lathe foot positions each have screwed jacks through which pass the holding-down bolts. The jacks can be adjusted individually in conjunction with tightening the bolts. I've found this arrangement very necessary to ensure that the lathe turns parallel.

The effect of minor adjustment of the jacks is very marked, reflecting the bed twist that is occurring. I think that you need to take this into account with your bolting down arrangements, it can't be taken for granted.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

The almost standard method of removing twist from a lathe bed, if a sensitive level is not used, is that advocated by Myford, and by Ian Bradley in "The Amateurs Workshop" and his "Myford 7 Series Manual".

Having turned and measured the collars, it says where to adjust , front or back, at the Tailstock end.

I think that it is also known as "Rollie's Dad's Method"

But tome well spent

Howard

[Ex contributorParticipant @mgnbuk]

Boxford underdrive machines are, in effect, integral with their cabinets – the cabinet was "levelled" at the factory, then the bed was sat on pads of Isopon-type putty & the holding down bolts tweaked while checking the bed for twist with a precision level. The squeezed-out putty was trimmed off before it fully cured. Bolting down & shimming the cabinet with a level on the bed should get back to how it was set at the factory and, unlike a Myford, the tops of the bed shears are not a wearing face so should not be affected by localised bed wear. Boxford cabinets are a lot heavier built than Myfords.

Somewhere in my photo collection I have a picture of the Fitting shop foreman doing this – the first film I put through my 21st Birthday present Praktica MTL3 SLR camera included some shots around Boxfords (where I was working at the time) circa. April/May 1981.

Nigel B.

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