Plans for folding mini-lathe stand?

[Jim Underwood]

I've made some stands for mini-lathes in the past couple of years, but I just had a request for a folding mini-lathe stand for a guy who takes his Jet mini to craft shows.

He remembers seeing the stand in one of the woodworking magazines like Wood mag or Woodturning Design several years ago.

He described the stand as having shelves that fold down and ends that fold out on piano hinges, and the whole thing folds up in a flat package about 3 or 4 inches thick.

If you remember such a thing or have one, or have plans, or know where I can find 'em, I'd love to have a peek.

thanks,

Jim

[Jim Underwood]

Anybody? Anything?:confused:

[Bernie Weishapl]

Well Jim it is time to start the "Underwood Line".:D Sorry I can't remember seeing any plans for a folding bench. I saw a couple that guys have built but wasn't impressed with the stability of theirs anyway.

[Brian George]

I'm going to watch this thread because our club is just purchasing a Rikon mini and we want to be able to do demos ourselves outside of our meeting place.

[Mike Golka]

Maybe something like this? Slow day at work today so I played with Sketchup. I figure piano hinges at all pivot points and some kind of pin style lock where the legs meet the shelf. If anyone wants to carry this forward I can send them the Sketchup file.

[David Epperson]

Not what you described, but the first thing I thought of when I read the title of this thread was a Rockwell Jawhorse.
http://www.rockwelltoolsdirect.com/?source=gg-branded&gclid=CJmh6-r7zZoCFQLixgodVGVLlg

[Thom Sturgill]

If I were to build such a beast -
* Trapazoidal back with the top attached with a piano hinge such that it can flip over against the back.
* 1x2s (or better) on each edge of the back to give offset to the sides so they can fold over the shelf.
* Trapazoidal legs so they splay out side to side and front to back. Legs have mortice to receive pinned through tenon on ends of shelf at the front. Trapazoidal shape of back allows the wider front of shelf (mortice) to fold down within the width of the back.
* Also lock the top for additional rigidity. Pinned through mortices probably not optimum there. It should probably be double thickness.

Here's a quick sketch

[Jim Underwood]

Great ideas here guys, keep 'em coming. Thom I'm envisioning what you wrote, do you have a sketch? I like the pinned tennon idea.

How about locking mechanisms Mike? I had similar ideas to yours, but didn't have the gumption to draw it out yet. (Took a nap at lunch instead of playing with the idea.):o

Wow. I'd never seen the JawHorse. It looks like the next WorkMate idea. On steroids.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Jawhorse is on sale now at W/C...... Kinda pricey. Don't know how "portable" it is. It's pretty beefy. Just happened to take a look at one earlier this week. Probably work very well.

What about just taking the Jet (or whatever name brand you have) Lathe stand? It's not that hard to take apart and assemble.

[Mike Golka]

How about some bolt on angle iron?

[Bill Noce]

Here's a picture from Western New York Woodturners using a portable stand at a Woodworking Show

[David Walser]

Jim,

When Bonnie Klein came to our local club to demo, she brought her own lathe -- complete with a folding stand. As you might expect from her, the stand was ingenious. It was sturdy, yet very compact when broken down for transportation. In addition to the stand, she showed us a grinding wheel she could attach to the lathe's spindle. This allowed her to travel to demos (or for any other reason) without needing to take along a grinder for sharpening her tools.

I just checked, but I could not find any reference to her folding stand on her webpage. She's a reputation for being very helpful, so you might email her to see if she's able to share the design with you.

Good luck.

Here's her website: http://www.bonnieklein.com/

[Jim Underwood]

Wow. Lot's of great ideas...
Thanks for the sketch Thom, I like the trapezoid idea..

Boy that stand in the picture is interesting. Looks like folding table legs under there, I wonder how sturdy that is? The shield ain't a bad idea.... Looks a tad bulky though...

I've written to Bonnie, so we'll see what comes of that.

Just for your information, here is a picture of the stand I currently make:
http://classiccitywoodturners.com/Lathe%20Stand%20Large.htm

[Jim Underwood]

I just heard back from Bonnie on the stand. Apparently she uses this:

Delta Universal Miter Saw Stand 36-136

She says this about it:


I don't think you could build anything as cool as this stand is. It is so GREAT !!
You can leave the lathe on the stand, move it around, stand it on end for storage, & slide it into the back of a PT Cruiser! Two different heights and very sturdy! I wouldn't be without it!
It is very, very convenient.


Is this the stand you remember?

[JerHall]

I mounted my mini on a piece of plywood that overhangs a bit, drilled some holes for tools, and used the regular workmate dogs to clamp it. If you don't have dogs just use 3/4" dowels with a square 1-1/2 square on top. Or if you know a wood turner you could just get some dogs turned out of ebony from 2x2 stock. By old I mean the large ones with the cast aluminum frame.

All that said Bonnie's is a slick system, but the workmate setup breaks down into smaller elements I believe. I saw Bonnie's at the 2008 Utah Symposium.

[Bob Wolfe]

A few months ago when I started turning I used my workmate as a makeshift stand for my 1220. Instead of building a rig that would clamp into the workmate, I bolted 3 pieces of 3/4 MDF slightly larger than the workmate's top to raise the spindle height to a comfortable level for me. I planned to mount the lathe to the top with bolts and wingnuts or put some router pad on the top to keep the lathe from sliding around, but I never needed to because the weight of the lathe held it in place. I turned a few green logs that were way out of balance and I never experienced any problems. The workmate folds up nice and tidy for travel and even with the addition of the MDF platform it is still lighter than the jet stand.

[David Walser]

I just heard back from Bonnie on the stand. Apparently she uses this:

Delta Universal Miter Saw Stand 36-136

She says this about it:


Is this the stand you remember?

No. The stand she had a couple years ago was made out of wood. The one she has now may be better, because the wooden one required assembly and did not have wheels.

[JerHall]

stand to her setup and was wheeling it around at the Utah Symposium in 2008. It looked just like your photo as I recall, Jim

[Jim Underwood]

Hey all. I know this is an old thread, but I've finally gotten past the planning stages of this project, and have a prototype.

I didn't think it would be very heavy, so I didn't design the cutouts in the CAD drawings. Once I cut it out on the CNC router, and then assembled it with the fancy (but light duty) hinges from Rockler, it was very heavy as well as unwieldy and floppy...

Something HAD to be done. As all the hinges and latches were already installed, I couldn't just pop the parts back on the router, so out came the forstner bit and jigsaw for the weight reduction plan.... Lots of sweat, sawdust, and several evenings later, I finally have this stand at a reasonable weight.

I couldn't help but think it would have been worth it to buy another sheet of plywood, re-design with cutouts, and cut it out again on the router...

Anyway, it's a work in progress, and I need some ideas on how to latch it in the closed position...

[David Epperson]

Anyway, it's a work in progress, and I need some ideas on how to latch it in the closed position...
Just inset some magnets into the legs, and some steel "towers" to connect to on the top and base strut. When in the closed position the magnet holds to the steel. I'm thinking some pretty stout magnets though - like from computer hard drives - though some of the Harbor freight welding helper magnets might work.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Looks pretty need Jim, but too much work for me, I use the Black&Decker workmate for mine, I have used quite a few times, even my new Delta fits on it, well the lips on the feet stick out 1 inch on each end.
I have a Power-bar screwed under one board and two places for a desk light and lighted magnifier to stick into.
A filler strip makes all board tight when I clamp the lathe down with the dogs that came with the stand, also opened two holes so my chuck wrench and MT accessories sit close at hand.
Now I don't know how tall you are (I'm not) but the height is just right for me and it is good for 550 ponds of weight, so plenty on that end ;-))

[Guy Bratt]

Hi There

Check out Shop Notes back issues Volumn 9 issue52 "knock down work bench" If you can't find that try detroitareawoodturners.org in the resources section. I know 2 turners that use a form of this bench regularly they seem to like it. One even has tall sides to enclose the mini during transport.

[Tony Pridmore]

Leo, I'm with you on using the workmate. Very convenient and height is right. When I fold in the legs, it puts the lathe at the perfect height for my son.

[Bart Leetch]

I use the Black & Decker workmate for mine I have a banded MDF board mounted to my Jet mini & it fastens down to a board with a cleat across the bottom in the middle that clamps in the WM's jaw. I use Rockler knobs with all thread in the knob with a jamb nut to lock it in.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=122873&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1247544356

[Jim Underwood]

"Looks pretty need Jim, but too much work for me..."


Well... If I'd a thought of the cutouts in time, the CNC Router could have done it all in less than 10 minutes...:D

But doing it by hand is murder...:eek:

Still looking for ideas on how to latch this closed. The magnets were a good idea, any others?

My ideas were hook latches, t-nuts and bolts with knobs, or somehow use the barrel latches again...

[Greg Ketell]

Personally, in the vein of KISS, I would use a bungee horizontally from front to back around the inside arm of the two legs and around the vertical-arm of the lower shelf and keep the hooks between the side legs. The top shelf will stay closed by weight.

http://sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=159527&stc=1&d=1282838450

[Bob Wolfe]

I'd go with the threaded knobs and T-nuts option. You trade a little in take down time for more security and stability once it's fully assembled. Post more pics of it when you decide and it's all complete.

[Jim Underwood]

Well, I took it to my buddy last night for a look-see... He liked the idea of the T-nuts and knobs.

We came up with placement ideas, so perhaps next week I'll be able to finish it all off, and put a coat of laquer on it.

I even got paid for the thing! I'm closer than ever to the shop addition! :D

[Thom Sturgill]

Go low tech and use two bungie cords, one across the legs and another holding the top and shelf. Or use about eight rare earth magnets and some small steel plates. Your CNC router should work for insetting them, right?

[Mike Willeson]

Neat looking stand Jim.

I like the idea of T-nuts with a bolted knob. Gives you complete control of tension. Guaranteed tight every time.