Adding some ballast to the HF #34706

[David Hostetler]

Looking for suggestions... My thought process is to bolt down a piece of 3/4 ply to the bottoms of the legs. (or is that bolt the legs to the ply? Eh whataver...) and fill the void between the ply, and the spreaders with bags of sand. This isn't a space waster as it might sound. I live in a flood prone area, and I kind of need sand bags in the shop to try to keep water out sometimes... I am pretty sure I can get about 10 80lb bags down there... I am planning on using the space over the spreaders to mount storage for turning and measuring tools. So I don't really want to waste that space...

Long range plan is to build a proper bench, I am talking short term ideas here...

[David Walser]

David,

I attached a plywood shelf on top of the lathe stand's spreaders. My thought, at the time, was to put a number of sand bags on top of the shelf to give the lathe more weight. When I moved the lathe from my garage to the shop, I removed the sand bags and never put them back on. By then, my HF lathe had been relegated to spindle work -- bowls are turned on my "real" lathe -- and I've found the shelf more useful for temporarily storing the tools I'm using for a particular project. The lathe doesn't need any additional ballast for spindles.

YMMV.

[robert hainstock]

I too use the shelf for a kinof catchall storage area. (Mostly wood shavings and dust). :eek::)
Bob

[David Hostetler]

My idea was to keep that shelf above the spreaders open for tools, and have plywood mounted on the bottoms of the legs, between the legs and shop floor, with sandbags for ballast... For now, this is my only lathe as I am getting started... I may eventually want to go bigger, but for now this thing goes round & round predictably. Even with badly out of round stock, I can stop the shaking with a foot on the spreader, but would rather have ballast there to do it for me...

[robert hainstock]

My idea was to keep that shelf above the spreaders open for tools, and have plywood mounted on the bottoms of the legs, between the legs and shop floor, with sandbags for ballast... For now, this is my only lathe as I am getting started... I may eventually want to go bigger, but for now this thing goes round & round predictably. Even with badly out of round stock, I can stop the shaking with a foot on the spreader, but would rather have ballast there to do it for me...

another thing to be aware of with this model, is if the speed control gets erattic; remove the belt cover (4screws) and check the spring loaded pulley for sticking on the shaft. HF was selling replacement belts for less than 2 bucks. I like my lathe,and still use it though I now also have a "mayo" model. :)
Bob

[Mark Norman]

I dont think you need 800# ballast but if ya need someplace to store the sand bags anyways its as good as any I guess..

[David Hostetler]

I dont think you need 800# ballast but if ya need someplace to store the sand bags anyways its as good as any I guess..

I never thought of it that way.

[Jake Helmboldt]

Looking for suggestions... My thought process is to bolt down a piece of 3/4 ply to the bottoms of the legs. (or is that bolt the legs to the ply? Eh whataver...) and fill the void between the ply, and the spreaders with bags of sand. This isn't a space waster as it might sound. I live in a flood prone area, and I kind of need sand bags in the shop to try to keep water out sometimes... I am pretty sure I can get about 10 80lb bags down there... I am planning on using the space over the spreaders to mount storage for turning and measuring tools. So I don't really want to waste that space...

Long range plan is to build a proper bench, I am talking short term ideas here...

David, I've got the Jet 1236 which is essentially the same lathe. Adding ballast at the bottom as you are thinking has two primary problems:

1. the shelf and ballast will get in the way of your feet. When turning you are up close to the bed and you will find that shelf keeps you from having a proper stance.

2. Ballast should be higher up. A lot of people say to put it as low as possible to get a lower center of gravity. COG isn't what we are concerned with (unless you are actually worried about the thing tipping over). Dampening vibration is the aim and the ballast should be closer to the actual bed. Someone here drew up a schematic demonstrating the principle some time back.

I made a balast box of 2x6 and MDF and bolted it in place of the stretchers. It has 2 50lb bags of sand in it and serves as a shelf. I then added a 6-jug milk crate with jugs filled with sand which takes up about half the shelf space. You can remove it easily if you want more space.

The most important thing is to level the lathe and shim the feet if needed. My garage floor has pretty uneven concrete and once I shimmed the feet it made a HUGE difference in vibration with bowl blanks. Much more than the ballast itself. I also added feet to raise it several inches and they tie the legs together (front to back)to further stiffen up the structure. Which raises another thought. You could do that, add a shelf at the bottom for the sand bags, and add a shelf on top of the stretchers for your storage. The feet would give you the ability to arrange it so your feet (the two you stand on) can be under the shelf and you avoid problem #1 that I noted.

[David Hostetler]

Jake,

Do you have any pics of your ballast box? I just got home with the plywood to handle the initially proposed project, but if there is a better way to handle this I am all ears...

I have yet to turn a bowl (no chuck yet) but have turned spindles that started pretty unbalanced... I have had to rest my right foot on the spreader to keep the lathe still. Not applying too much pressure mind you...

I am simply trying to figure out the best way to get this working as smoothly as possible... While not interfering too much with shop / garage storage...

I know the owners manual instructions are simply unfeasable, they want me to bolt the lathe directly to the floor...

[David Hostetler]

A little bit of an update on my temporary ballast project....

I finally decided that I would risk the spreaders as I know I can replicate them if I need to, and I am already working on polishing plans for a 2x laminated leg stand similar to I think it was David Brum's (Sorry didn't catch the last name).

For now, I have a simple plywood shelf, drilled to accept all of the accessories that do NOT have cases. The turning tools, and chuck get taken off of the shelf and placed on the table saw behind me when I go to turn... Easy reach, always know where they are... I was only able to fit 4 80lb sand bags, but that seems to have cured the out of round dance pretty well...

I have a pile of fairly clear SYP 2x10s that came from a reasonably careful demolition project that will get picked through, metal checked, planer face jointed (on a sled) planed and laminated. With this stuff, and some 3/4" B/C yellow pine ply I have in the shop I might just be able to get into a good, sturdy ballast / stand for the cost of glue and lag bolts...

My local Ace Hardware carries Hillman Fastener which has if I recall some allen cap headed lag bolts, I might just want to go that way just for cosmetic purposes...

[david brum]

That sounds great David. Please post some photos when you get the stand together. Nice score on the 2 x 10s. Hard to go wrong for free.

[David Hostetler]

That sounds great David. Please post some photos when you get the stand together. Nice score on the 2 x 10s. Hard to go wrong for free.

You gotta love Craigslist....

I am feeling like Death on a soda cracker right now. Doc made me get off Claritin D due to BP problems, now I my allergies went pretty much uncontrolled, got the junk in my chest... Not quite pnuemonia with no fever, chills etc... But breathing is a PITA... Doc prescribed some OTC that I can't recall offhand. Feel a teeny bit better, but don't want to mess with the shop right now...