If you have a 115mm angle grinder Toolstation do a diamond facing disc that will flatten your floor.

like you my "workshop" is the single garage; as with all garages there is a tendency for some fall off toward the garage door for drainage. As with you I have ended up with my lathe across the top end of the garage next to the entry door & the mill along the adjoining wall. Before installing the lathe / mill I made up frames for ea. machine & laid a pad for ea.with self levelling compound & followed up with a 1/4" rubber mat under ea. machine stand foot.

I don't claim total lack of vibration, mainly due to the flimsy fabricated stands provided for ea. machine, but that's another issue so I have added a stiffener between the feet of the lathe stand & stacked a few heavy bits 'n' bobs on to further reduce any vibration, I will later on add another shelf higher up as another stiffener. So far any residual vibration is minimal & doesn't show up on any machining that I do.

George.

Lift with engine crane, spread weak sloppy sand cement grout under feet about half inch thick, lower lathe, don't touch until set. It won't cure a weak and wobbly stand but will cure the specific problem you have.

If the stands are wobbly, and you have definitely decided on the position just build two piers of breeze blocks under the feet instead of the metal stands.

Hi Dave, had same problem recently when I bought my new Warco 280V lathe.

I bought some self leveling compound from Wickes, stuck down some temporary battens to form a retaining perimeter and poured in compound (it was about 10mm thick) . My fears that it might crumble away proved unfounded (it is not just cement, it has other compounds in it) and it has proved to be a nice flat base.

Bill D.

Hi Mr Duffer

Most builders plant hire companies have concrete wet grinders on hire, I would get one and use it to take off the lumps, there will be a lot lest dust than dry grinding. If there are any holes I would fill them with cement first and let it cure for a week before grinding. Ideally before patching holes they should be painted with concrete bonding agent "Bondcrete" or the like, sometimes patches do not stick well.

Many concrete leveling compounds are not designed to be a wearing surface. They have to be covered with another surface, for example tiles or epoxy.

Regards
John

I'd use a floor Scabbler to remove high spots.

Ed.

I don't understand the problem re positioning the lathe where you originally intended. It cannot be so big if you were using an engine crane (assuming here we are talking car engines rather than marine!).

However, wherever installed it should be shimmed to be level and vibration free. Better to bolt the lathe to the floor when shimmed level, unless the base is sufficiently rigid (not the usual case these days?).

One other option, depending on the design of the stand, would be to lift the machine and fit it with adjustable vibration dampening mounts. As per the description, these will make height adjustment very easy and account for any variation in floor level, and also provide some isolation between the machine base and the floor reducing noise and vibration.

For moving machines around in tight spaces (found in all home workshops) I use a goose neck bar rather than a pry bar. It works in small spaces and is good for swivelling machines around. A bit expensive to buy for a one off move but should be available from a local hire shop.

Pero

Dave, The screed that is most often specified by Engineers / Architects for your purpose is Fosroc CEMTOP XD, I use it quite often, it can be applied in a thickness from approx 5 mm to around 40 mm. It has a very high compressive strength and is very abrasion resistant. It is designed to be used when no floor coverings are on top, or it can be covered it makes no difference, It is expensive, but it is designed to do just what you require. If you want to "fit and forget "

I have no knowledge / experience of any of the diy types. ie Wickes, B&Q ect.

Cheers.

Goose neck bar?

Normal crow bars are fairly cheap, try welding a piece of say 50mm heavy pipe about 150 mm long across the crow bar about 150mm from the end. this gives you a stable nicely rounded levering point.

If you wrap the pipe in duct tape it will give a better grip and protect your floor too.

Regards
John

Hi John

Yes, but not a goose neck wrecking bar. The item in question is about 6 ft (1800 mm) in length and used by waterside workers and those involved in moving heavy machinery, which is how I learned about them. Unfortunately they seem to be known by different names in different jurisdictions.

On the subject of grinding I have found a piece of concrete breeze block (the heavy variety) plus water is very good for flattening small irregularities in a concrete floor. Dipped in water regularities to remove the cuttings they seem to be very efficient (and cheap).

Pero

Surely the most important principle mentioned so far is to get the machine feet/stands lowered onto beds of slightly compliant material of a type which after a time sets hard. During this stage the machine should not be jacked or interefered with in any way. This allows the whole assembly to adopt its natural stress-free stance, in which it is then rigidly supported. Ideally the feet should then be firmly bolted down through their beds, in effect making the floor slab a structural member, and imparting enormous additional rigidity. Any remaining vibration can then only be due to flexing within the upper structure of the machine or tooling, a completely different problem stemming from the basic design, or setup and maintenance issues.

Ken