Warco 290V comments n feedback

[LathejackParticipant @lathejack]

Hello Mark.

A very nice lathe you've got yourself there, the 290 & 280 type machines are very good model engineering lathes. I must say that Warco's new version did look very impressive with its new posh stand when I saw it at Harrogate.

If shims are needed to adjust a lathe, they do not go under the actual headstock or tailstock. They are placed under the mounting foot of the lathe bed at the tailstock end of the machine, or under the base of the stand.

But if you are going to fit adjustable feet under the cabinate then you simply adjust these to make any fine adjustments needed, this will twist the cabinate and the lathe bed if needed. But don't worry about it too much just yet, just get your new machine set up and reasonably level without rock and use it and see what it's like.

A few years ago I bought some of the mounting feet from Warco that were supposed to be adjustable. But again these had just one nut fitted but with a hexagon formed integral with the thread, so they were really designed for threaded holes. But with the plain holes in the bottom of Warco stands you can simply fit a second nut, as has already been mentioned by Martin, which is what I also did for my much heavier 1330 lathe. To make adjustments to my lathes accuracy I simply tweak the feet under the stand at the tailstock end.

I hope you enjoy your new machine.

Edited By Lathejack on 11/10/2014 07:54:59

Edited By Lathejack on 11/10/2014 07:55:26

[Mark TyldesleyParticipant @marktyldesley75376]

Thanks Martin, I shall get some nuts n washers and do as you mentioned, and as you say there's plenty of information on site regarding lathe leveling ect, but before all that iv aweek in Tenerife to get through! this Monday coming!

many thanks guys for your valuable feedback,

cheers Mark

[Mark TyldesleyParticipant @marktyldesley75376]

Thanks Lathejack, ok so using the stand adjustable feet to cancel out twist if any, that certainly makes things a lot easier! Don't fancy lifting the lathe around poppin in shims if at all possible! Well once I return off my hols! I shall set about installing said item! Many thanks again

cheers Mark

[Mark TyldesleyParticipant @marktyldesley75376]

Hi All,

Just back from hols, and set about setting up the lathe with the adjustable mounting feet, managed to get it all leveled out, but lathe wobbles on the stand if pushed slightly, which in turn is going to effect lathe bed ect,Something tells me this is unacceptable and maybe I should bolt the the stand to floor and do all adjusting from tail stock end, or can I get away with this slight wobble? Suggestions very welcome!

Edited By Mark Tyldesley on 27/10/2014 10:23:15

[JoeTParticipant @joet]

Posted by Mark Tyldesley on 27/10/2014 10:21:43:

Hi All,

Just back from hols, and set about setting up the lathe with the adjustable mounting feet, managed to get it all leveled out, but lathe wobbles on the stand if pushed slightly, which in turn is going to effect lathe bed ect,Something tells me this is unacceptable and maybe I should bolt the the stand to floor and do all adjusting from tail stock end, or can I get away with this slight wobble? Suggestions very welcome!

Edited By Mark Tyldesley on 27/10/2014 10:23:15

Do you mean that there is movement between the lathe and the stand or that the stand and machine are wobbling together? If it's the latter, I'd be worried about the whole heavy thing tipping over on you!

BTW having been to see one myself at the Midlands show, I have ordered a WM290V – and hopefully it'll arrive this week. I will be sure to share any setup issues/secret-suss I discover with all you guys.

Cheers,

Joe.

[Mark TyldesleyParticipant @marktyldesley75376]

Hi Joe

yea it's a nice lathe! Regarding this wobble, iv come to the conclusion it's the stand, not ridged enough,plus some slight movement in feet fixtures, bolting to floor direct would solve it, just having to move the lathe again is a nightmare!

[Mark TyldesleyParticipant @marktyldesley75376]

If you have any thoughts on bolting stand to floor and ways to level the lathe, be pleased to hear from you

mark

[Mark TyldesleyParticipant @marktyldesley75376]

If you have any thoughts on bolting stand to floor and ways to level the lathe, be pleased to hear from you

mark

[Rik ShawParticipant @rikshaw]

Mark – Just my three halfpence for what its worth. My Warco 250sits on a bench made from a bit of kitchen worktop. To avoid distortion of the bed the two securing bolts and lock nuts are merely "nipped" and NOT tightened. So far I have had no issues with the lathes accuracy. Neither have there been problems with stability whilst operating the lathe.

Rik

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

My 280 stand just rests on a leveled ply floor and is bolted to the stand no other adjustments, works fine for me.

J

[Thor 🇳🇴Participant @thor]

Mark – when I mounted my 290 lathe on a (homemade) stand I first mounted the lathe on a 15mm steel plate with some threaded holes. The holes at the front and rear end with MF 14 x 1. In these holes I have hollow heightadjusting bolts to level the lathe (see photo below).

When the lathe bed was free of any twist I tightened the M8 bolts going through a hole in the M14 height adjustment or levelling screws.

Thor

[Mark TyldesleyParticipant @marktyldesley75376]

Hi Thor Jason

iv studied your pics, and it looks an excellent way to solve the problem, I'm sure the problem I have is theses stupid machine stands, there's just to much movement in them, and the stand does need to be screwed to the floor to aid stiffness, I phoned warco up and they insisted the stand should be bolted down, so bolted it will be! May pour some concrete to form a platform and sink the bolts into concrete while wet save on drilling, cause I'm going to lose some height if directly bolted to floor. Once that's done with stand secured and lathe bolted to stand, I'm still left with alittle shimming to correct any twist, I know the advice is shim under stand, but no chance of lifting all that, so shall be shimming under tail stock, was thinking of using alittle jack once bolts loosened to give enough gap to place shim! Someone going to tell me don't do that I know!

mark

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

The problem is if you start trying to twist the casting to get it level with shims all that will happen is the more flexible stand will get pushed down rather than lifting the bed casting up.

J

[Mark TyldesleyParticipant @marktyldesley75376]

J

so realy I need to shim from the bottom of stand? That still leaves how to raise the stand to shim from there,

[Martin CottrellParticipant @martincottrell21329]

Mark,

I have a Warco 1232 lathe which is quite a bit heavier than yours. I started by cementing four concrete blocks (2 for each cabinet stand) onto my concrete garage floor. This gave me a nice level surface and raised the height of the lathe by approx another 4.5". I like the bed set quite high as I suffer from back problems if I'm bent over while standing for any length of time. A few days later I then fitted the adjustable feet to the cabinets and set them on their respective block plinths and then spent some time getting them level both individually and as a pair. I then placed the steel drip tray across the cabinets and lowered the lathe onto the tray with an engine hoist lining the bolt holes up then inserted and tightened the bolts fully. Then using my engineers level placed on the lathe bed, I adjusted the lathe level end to end & fore & aft using the adjustable feet under the cabinets. It took some time to get nicely level but it sits solidly with no wobbles and no shims! I haven't done a parallel turning test yet as I haven't needed to turn any long lengths but it is turning parallel within about 0.001" over 4-5 inches which is ok for my needs at the moment as I'm building a traction engine, not bits for the Mclaren F1 team!!

Regards Martin.

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

.

This was my solution to securing the base cabinet of my lathe.

Obviously I made 4 of these.

100 x 100 x 12 steel plate was drilled in the center and tapped to 12mm. The length of 12mm threaded rod was locktighted into the base and additionally secured with a half height lock nut. This is then secured down to the floor through 2 extra holes in the plate.

The height is then adjusted up or pulled down via 2 more nuts either side of the base mounting point. When level nip everything up both sides of the cabinet feet and recheck level. "Rinse and repeat" !!!

Nick

[Mark TyldesleyParticipant @marktyldesley75376]

Hi Martin,

The concrete blocks are a great idea, but this stand that came with lathe just doesn't like been on adjustable feet, have to say the machine feet do have play in between bolt and foot, no matter how much you adjust them the lathe wobbles at a slight touch, hence the stand needs bolting down directly to floor, I'm still debating to attempt to add two nuts to studs concreted in for stand,and use them as away to adjust lathe, that's if it doesn't wobble, otherwise I will bolt directly to floor and shim tail stock either under stand or under tail stock mounts

mark

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

Posted by Martin Cottrell on 27/10/2014 20:24:39:

not bits for the Mclaren F1 team!!

Regards Martin.

They have not done too well these last few years. Perhaps this is their problem.

Nick

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

Posted by Mark Tyldesley on 27/10/2014 21:08:31:

and shim tail stock either under stand or under tail stock mounts

mark

If you do similar to that photo I posted on the last page you will not need to.

Nick

[Mark TyldesleyParticipant @marktyldesley75376]

Hi Nick

i shall be trying that out, although my thread studs will be embedded in concrete base, if I can get stand to be rigid enough with adjustment nuts tightened , problem solved! If not it's will be bolted down directly

mark

[Martin CottrellParticipant @martincottrell21329]

Nick,

Funnily enough Mclarens namesake did actually make very good traction engines back in the day. Perhaps I'll give Ron Dennis a call in the morning and see if he needs any advice on frictional reduction via sloppy fits!!!

Mark,

Sorry, got dragged off topic by that naughty Nick for a moment there……

I'm puzzled as to how you are getting a wobble on your lathe if the lathe is firmly bolted to the cabinet and the cabinet feet are all touching the floor and also tightened to the underside of the cabinet. I can only assume that perhaps the cabinet is not stiff enough and is distorting under the weight of the lathe? I understand what you are saying about play between the foot and its bolt but that play will automatically be reduced to zero when screwing each individual bolt down until each is supporting the weight of the lathe on its foot. At this point, disregarding the actual level of the lathe for the moment, you should be able to give the lathe a gentle shake with no discernible rock or movement from the lathe or the cabinet. I assume you are not getting any flexing of your flooring surface which could cause the rocking?

Martin.

[Mark TyldesleyParticipant @marktyldesley75376]

Martin,

iv tried everything in the book! No matter what i do the lathe rocks, it could well be the stand is not sturdy enough, and theres defo movement in those machine stands,on concrete floor ,but i will give it one last go with concreting the studs down and using the nuts to adjust stand

So your building a traction engine! I have a 3" Burrell !

Mark

Edited By Mark Tyldesley on 27/10/2014 22:04:11

[Martin CottrellParticipant @martincottrell21329]

Mmmm very puzzling Mark, just a thought, you're not installing your lathe aboard a ship are you??!! Sorry, flippancy won't help but a video might perhaps. Have you got someone who could give the lathe a poke whilst you wander around it with a video recorder (one of the many uses for a modern "Smart" phone!)? It might just help to actually see the problem as it occurs.

Yes, Ive just started construction of a 4" Little Samson, taking my new lathe to the limit at the moment machining the 17 3/4" diameter rear wheel castings in the 18" swing with the gap piece removed!

Martin.

[Mark TyldesleyParticipant @marktyldesley75376]

I will attempt to take a video if possible! Just had another thought the spacing between each foot is not that big, maybe the spread isn't wide enough, its like balancing an inverted triangle! You know what i mean!

mark

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Posted by Martin Cottrell on 27/10/2014 22:29:24:

Yes, Ive just started construction of a 4" Little Samson, taking my new lathe to the limit at the moment machining the 17 3/4" diameter rear wheel castings in the 18" swing with the gap piece removed!

Martin.

Have you read the small print, I know that one of the suppliers of these lathes has a clause that invalidates the warantee if teh gap piece is removed. May notbe the case with your green & yellow one though

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