New lathe - Legs or wheeled trolly ?

[Grahamshed]

Still deciding on which lathe I want but the one thing I do know is that there would be advantages in being able to move it about fairly easily. Is buying a bench mountable version and putting it on a castered cupboard viable or a vibration no no ?
( it will be a reasonably heavy one. Maybe a wivamac 801, killinger, jet 1642 type size )

 

[jumps]

depends on what you are turning

given that the normal recomendation is to bolt the lathe to a solid concrete base............

I have mine on 6" lockable castors - the frame being 4 x 3 timber and for larger, or offcentre/unbalanced pieces, I add 50kg of sand (or more )

I don't have a choice as I work outside (on a covered deck that's gradually getting walls added....) but if I didn't I would prefer it bolted down.

 

[woodyturner]

As said it depends on what you want to turn small items will be OK but if you want to turn larger unbalanced lumps of wood then no it would be better bolted down on a concrete slab the vibration could shatter your castors or you could end up dancing all around your workshop with your lathe

 

[Grahamshed]

Mmm. Drat.

 

[CHJ]

I have a small workbench that also acts as my router table that has Wheel-barrow type action, extending handles one end castors the other. When in use the castors are lifted clear on two kick wedges.
The bench was used for the first ever UKW turning bash we had here for a small lathe with no problems, depends upon what you intend to turn.

 

[John. B]

I think the heavier it is the better. I have an AX AWVSWL 1200 which is all thick cast iron,

fitted with a full width shelf which holds tool boxes (full), portable machines such as a bobbin sander,

a big saw, drills, wood samples etc. and it's bolted to the floor.

It doesn't move.

john. B

 

[woodturnerEric]

if you have the lathe at the right speed for the job ie; heavy out of balance piece=low speed, you should not need it bolted to a concrete slab,as their won`t be any vibration if the speed is right,but you will need lockable casters,the first club I belonged to had this setup on 2/3rds of their lathes,angle iron frame with castors at either end,but a cabinet would do the same job,if sturdy enough,regards,

Eric.

 

[myturn]

I have mobilised my lathe (Killinger 1400SE) in such a way as it stands on its own feet whilst in use and is lifted onto the castors when I want to move it.

I tried it on some heavy-duty jacking castors but they were still not solid enough when turning out-of-balance pieces so I came up with this solution using hinged castors from Rutlands which I reinforced and modified to suit.

To move the lathe I use a bottle jack to raise it then manually lock down the castors. The lathe is too heavy to lift using the levers built in to the castors but once jacked up the levers can be locked in place and the lathe then moves around effortlessly.

 

[Grahamshed]

That looks like a solution Myturn. It is not as if it would need to be moved very often.