New workshop

[Elaine]

Hello to everyone, good to be back nearly
My elbow replacement was a success and I am recouping nicely.. In the meantime I have moved house (more stressful than my op) and I am having a workshop made (wooden) what would be the best base to put down so my lathe is as solid as can be?? I will await for all your knowledge to come in. \/

Thank you
Elaine

 

[Doug B]

Hi Elaine, good to hear you`re op was a success.

As for a shop base, i saw a thread recently which IIRC the chap had concreted a 2 foot strip around the perimeter of his workshop, but the middle was sheet material on an insulated preserved timber frame base.

So he had the best of both worlds, concrete for solid standing of his machines, & timber for him to stand on which is more pleasant than concrete any day, DAMHIKT

I`ll see if i can find his thread for you.


Cheers,


Doug.


Edit, here you go :- http://thewoodhaven.co.uk/phpBB3/viewto ... f=9&t=1895

 

[boysie39]

Glad your op. was successful Elain, just be careful for a while,
In my case I put in a complete concrete base, it worked out for the best.
I had no plans of where anything was going to be ,it was and still is after four yrs.a trial and error system.
I dont know what the cost factor would be but I can move the lathe around where ever I fancy.
I bought some interlocking rubber mats in Argos which are great even if you go for timber.
So good luck with your shop and lets know what you settled for

REgards Boysie

 

[Andycase]

Hi Elaine
I too have had a 20ft x 10ft workshop built in the garden. I made a base from 6x2, filled it with compacted hardcore, then levelled with sand/dry slablayer, then council slabs. Onto that has gone the shed on bearers.
The shed base is actual flooboards, not chipboard. But i then overboarded the floor with chipboard, about 15mm i think which has protected the flooboards and given more stability to the floor. In there i have a solid workbench, mitre saw and stand, table saw, all hand power tools, router table and a load of timber (too much, i can hardly move).
Have just purchased a lathe that weighs 80kg and it doesnt seem to affect the floor at all.
All my tools are solid, and i have screwed them down where possible into the chipboard, so everything is stable.

 

[jumps]

glad to hear the progress report Elaine.

with regards to your lathe and floor/base you have the two extremes of a rock solid 3ft thick base with the lathe either directly bolted to this, or through a solid flooring overlay..........or any form of suspended flooring sufficient to handle the weight (in practice most flooring will handle all but the largest 'pro' lathes).

if you are looking to mount reasonably sized blanks, even slightly unbalanced, then a solid floor will be a key safety element - if you know where you will mount the lathe you can provide localised support (with appropriate DPM etc) such as stacked slabs, but you should bear in mind that vibration from the lathe will bed these in to most surfaces, even through floorboards.

otoh if you are using balanced blanks, spindles, pens etc you can even have the lathe on a wooden support and wheels (fully lockable) - as mine is - and use it on well supported decking outside in the sunshine

so the real issue becomes the nature of your lathe, and the nature of your turning. obviously it will be easier to include an element of future proofing in your arrangements, but full future proofing might be a very expensive and extreme option.

 

[nev]

Hi Elaine,
as regards the workshop base, i built mine from concrete - a six to eight inch slab and seems solid enough. BUT i made two slight errors that i shall not repeat again (write out 100 times on the blackboard!) which seem obvious to avoid after the event!

firstly--- i ran out of damp proof membrane (thick polythene sheet) and thinking i didnt really need it anyway, didnt go and buy some more. MISTAKE. cos i am at the bottom of a hill my floor now becomes damp after heavy rain and oddly on very hot days (something to do with capillary action i think?)

and my second booboo was building the base bigger than my workshop. this meant that again when it rained the water on the walls of the shop ran down onto the slab and then under the timber frame #-o . this was sorted by taking a chisel to the edges of the slab so now the water runs down and off the slab not under the frame.
so bl***dy obvious but we live and learn

more power to your elbow!

 

[Wood spoiler]

Hi Elaine

Glad to hear the op went well

I am a vote for the concrete floor. In front of my lathe I have a thick rubber mat bought from flea bay which solved the what to stand on issue. Prior to that it was not so pleasant in the cold with feet like ice blocks

If you line the inside of your shutter with a dpc sheet it will limit the damp that rises

 

[Blister]

Hi Elaine

Pleased it went well and you are on the road to recovery :mrgreen:

Regarding the lathe and the floor , If you do the cement floor you can put your lathe on a piece of ply / hardboard mark the fixing holes , then when laying the floor cement in some fixing studs , then when the cement is dry , drop the lathe onto the studs and bolt it down

Jobs a gooden :wink:

Don't forget next months entry , A item of jewelery so a small project :mrgreen:

 

[nev]

and my mrs says you mustn't forget the window box

 

[Elaine]

As always thanks to everyone who took time to reply. As ever I have gleaned alot of info from this especially from everyone elses trial and errors, hope I can avoid those, would be silly of me now that I have the info to go and get it wrong wouldn't it.
Nev, I want your workshop, window box and all, very impressed. Can't wait to get going on this but need to get someone in to level the ground as i am not allowed at the moment to do that sort of work. Guess I will just have to supervise then. :lol:
i will keep updating as my workshop takes shape.

Cheers all

 

[Benchwayze]

Hello to everyone, good to be back nearly
My elbow replacement was a success and I am recouping nicely.. In the meantime I have moved house (more stressful than my op) and I am having a workshop made (wooden) what would be the best base to put down so my lathe is as solid as can be?? I will await for all your knowledge to come in. \/

Thank you
Elaine

Great! I wasn't quite so lucky with the replaced knee, but I hope everything goes fine for you from now on. Also hope that when you left hospital, they prescribed you some elbow grease?

Sorry! Hat-Coat, Door >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> :mrgreen:

John

 

[Benchwayze]

Most will know I am not really a turner.
But I have a Coronet Lathe, and that is bolted to a hefty bench, and is on good, lockable castors. Fine on a concrete floor, and of course moveable. (A boon when sweeping up) . But I think the consensus will be for a concrete floor. You could set in some treated 2 x 2 (50mm square) on 16" centres and then put floorboards down.
I fancy that idea in my garage, but it's too late now!

Hope the build goes well all the same.
regards
John

 

[dennisk]

As a home builder and due to the fact that we nearly always heat our concrete slabs with hot water in pipes, I would recommend installing some sort of rigid insulation under the concrete, with a moisture barrier as well. Even if you dont use slab heat it will make a difference in how much easier it is keep the shop warm in heating situations and dryer as well. I would also bolt the lathe base to the floor.
If the lathe needs to be raised for your working height, you could always pour a couple of smaller bases with bolts in them to fasten the lathe down.