Lathe Stand

[SteveF]

not sure this belongs in the woodturning forum

I need to make a stand
I have several 8" x 8" x 8' lengths of sycamore

i would like quite a sturdy stand and feel these may be suitable

just need some ideas on joining\ building the bench

I am thinking of leaving the top as full size and reducing the legs\ feet to a more sensible size
I will mount my bench grinder on the end as only need about 5' for the lathe
maybe with a perspex divider to keep the grinding swarf away from lathe

 

[-Matt-]

As usual, every persons needs are different. I built mine from lengths of steel angle as Record Powers own stand was £70 for essentially four bits of steel tube. My bench grinder is at the other end of the garage so I didn't need extra bits for attachments.
I would post pictures but I cannot link them as of yet with my post count being low.

I would assume you would be incorporating a cupboard underneath (would seem to be wasted space otherwise) and the benchtop could maybe have some sort of removable tray under the lathe that could slide out to bin shavings quickly and easily.

 

[SteveF]

i was not planning on cupboards \ drawers

i was more concerned how to join an 8 x 8 timber on the legs \ trestle
what angle to make the trestle or should i attempt a cantilever design?
or i could try a stonehenge approach

i never like to go for the easiest option..it is a hobby so i prefer a challenge
i am sure i will bodge something together
i need to use the timbers up as no where to store them
i will make a workbench from the rest of them..again 8 x 8 as i cant see a way of easily cutting them to thinner planks

maybe a pull out tray with chisels and sandpapers

 

[Benchwayze]

Have a look at Jacob's design:

http://www.owdman.co.uk/howto/howto2.htm

I prefer straight up and down undercarriages, but this design is appealing and is a good load-spreader, which should increase stability. It's all about mass and weight in the end though.
HTH

 

[Tony Spear]

not sure this belongs in the woodturning forum

I need to make a stand
I have several 8" x 8" x 8' lengths of sycamore

Good God - are you mad? All that wonderful turning wood to make a stand for a lathe? Build the stand in decent softwood and cut the Sycamore up for turning and chopping boards etc.....................

BTW - where on Earth did you find Sycamore at that size?

 

[SteveF]

sycamore came from local sawmill

it may be maple ...they wasn't 100%

i Know its heavy, I can just pick one end up :shock:

I have 8 lengths at 8 foot and 5 lengths at 4 foot

so I think I may get a few blanks left over

I cant store it all ...it is taking up floor space for my lathe and workbench

 

[Nick Gibbs]

I think 8x8in sycamore (or maple) sounds a bit like overkill. It will be hard work jointing I expect, and I'm not sure how easy it will be to level 8x8in legs. I'd reduce them to a bit less than 4x4in. Depending on speed v quality, you may want to consider simply screwing some form of sheet material to the legs to produce a quick stand. It is such a fast way to make machine stands, and what many professionals would do. Splaying the legs will give you more stability without inhibiting access to the lathe. A cupboard is a good idea, because lathes produce tons of dust, and anything on a shelf will soon be covered by shavings.

 

[SteveF]

that sounds a good plan
I could keep the solid top and have thinner legs
I grabbed some pics that might work...what u think ?
I like this tray \ drawer

 

[Nick Gibbs]

The torsion box style construction in Lathe 2 is a good idea as you can build machine stands quickly. I've used 2x1in softwood batten and 5mm thick ply to make lightweight, but for a lathe the extra weight of 15mm or 18mm ply is a good idea. Anything on the open shelf will soon get lost in shavings, however the bottomless trays are a genius idea.

 

[Rhossydd]

the bottomless trays are a genius idea.

Really ? One moment of inattention and they fall on the floor and wreck the edge, or worse stab your foot.
Not convinced.

 

[Nick Gibbs]

the bottomless trays are a genius idea.

Really ? One moment of inattention and they fall on the floor and wreck the edge, or worse stab your foot.
Not convinced.

Hadn't thought of that. The racks look pretty tight together. Perhaps a mesh then as a safety net, or thicker boots. I just hate a build-up of dust in tool trays.

 

[SteveF]

how about a deep bottomless tray with them standing up in a hole?

 

[Nick Gibbs]

how about a deep bottomless tray with them standing up in a hole?

Sounds even better as the handles would be easier to select (with ID markings on the top), and there would be less risk of clasping the end of a sharp tool. Only problem is that some of my turning tools have a tendency to drop out of their tangs from time to time!!!!!! That's another story.

Not sure how a bottomless tray full of holes would work!!! Presumably the tray would be so deep you wouldn't see all the dust collecting between the holes!!!!?

 

[SteveF]

i was hoping to see loads of pictures of your handmade lathe stands by now :shock:

 

[heatherw]

That quickly?

I'd post a photo of mine, but a) the workshop isn't here and b) the stand is covered with shavings, as mentioned. May have time to dust it off tomorrow for visibility and photos.

 

[monkeybiter]

My lathe sits on a pre-existing bench but with tool storage added.

An overhang above would prevent dust buildup.

I have thought about labelling but you soon get to know what's where.

 

[Nick Gibbs]

Looks fantastic, but don't the handles catch you where it hurts boys most?

 

[monkeybiter]

Not quite, but I do tend to knock them into the holes just out of reach. :roll:

An overhanging dust guard would stop that as well.

 

[-Matt-]

I'll play.
Old pic. Garage/workshop has had a much needed overhaul since this picture was taken with many things moved around.
Will be modifying the stand over Christmas to incorporate a cupboard underneath (currently has a sloped piece of hardboard under the bedbars)

 

[wellywood]

I'm no lathe expert but don't you need mass to dampen any vibration? I'm thinking of the lathes we had at school which sat on damn great cast-iron beds.
I have seen some local turners with frame type stands using sand bags or even bags of ready-mix concrete draped over their frames to reduce vibration.