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View Full Version : Bolt down?


geneb
11-16-2006, 05:22 PM
Have any of you bolted your ShopBot to the floor? Is this recommended or does it even matter?

tnx!

g. (patiently waiting for his PRT96A to ship...)
pete
11-16-2006, 05:30 PM
Gene, I have not bolted mine to the floor, I don’t think it is necessary as I have not seen any indication of movement. But I have often wondered if I should use some of those industrial strength isolation foot pads that are used for heavy equipment in a machine shop, etc. The industrial catalogs, such as Grainger, McMaster-Carr, etc carry them - seems like it would reduce vibrations through the floor and may reduce vibrations fed back to the ShopBot as well. Pete
geneb
11-16-2006, 05:40 PM
I'm not that worried about vibration. My primary concern is the stiffness of the machine and whether or not it needed to be bolted to the floor for other than earthquake reasons.

Thanks for the quick reply Peter.

g.
jamesgilliam
11-16-2006, 07:04 PM
Gene, We have had ours not bolted for the last five years and it has not moved, James
myxpykalix
11-16-2006, 09:04 PM
If you are in a region where you have earthquakes, when one hits the LAST thing i'd be worried about is the shopbot! lol. I have mine in a shop that is built on 4x4's and 2 layers of 3/4 plywood I don't see or feel any movement. I have some nice footpads also.
geneb
11-17-2006, 10:51 AM
...then I won't worry about it. Thanks folks!

g.
handh
11-17-2006, 06:11 PM
I didn't bolt my to the floor but I did pocket screw a board to the floor just so that nothing did move since I too am own a wooden floor. The board doesn't attach to the bot just fits tight against the angle iron at the base of the machine. Probally doesn't need it I just didn't want it walking around. You can go to my blog and check out a couple of pics of what I am talking about.

http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3252/1596/320/IMG_0793.jpg

www.handhwoodworking.blogspot.com (http://www.handhwoodworking.blogspot.com)
harryball
11-17-2006, 06:44 PM
Wood floor... reminds me of the best shop I've ever seen. It was the loft of an old barn on a hill. One the one side it was ground level for the main entrance. On the back it was down at the lower level. It was an old barn and the floor had huge joists and the guy and added supports every 10'. All the noisy dust collection was underneath. It was a quiet shop.

Robert