Set Up Question

[mickey cassiba]

I'm still playing around with the set up on my Delta Midi. I have decided to mount the bed extension, but it seems a bit flexy.
Portability is my main issue, as my shop space won't be built for some time yet and currently work on my porch.
We got some 12/4 ash in the other day and I snagged a peice about 16" wide. Any one know why I couldn't bolt the machine down on the ash(planed of course) and fix an axle to one end, handle on the other, and store it vertically?
Sure would help with my space problem.
Fixed my computer, should be posting a few pics soon.
Thanks for all the advice and encouragement
Mickey

[Harlan Coverdale]

Seems to me that hanging it would work just fine. If I had the wall space, I might consider the idea myself for my mini.

[Jeff Nicol]

Mick, If you bolt it to the plank and make some sort of a rolling storage unit under it you would be able to bring the whole thing to the new work area when you are ready and do some minor changes to make it a permanent unit or still leave it on the wheels. I think it might get kind of awkward and not fun to tip up and down each time, and maybe put unneeded stress on the castings. I was thinking you could make folding legs and hinge it to the house of porch some how and get a small pulley block and tackle and lift it up out of the way and fold the leg up and secure it out of the way. I think once you get going on the turnig you will want it ready to go at a moments notice and will not want to do anything but get turning! I can envision lots of things but hard to help when I am lots of miles away! How far do you live from Austin? We might be coming down in late december, it I have time and the wifes approval maybe could meet up and see what is going on. I like to help out the fellow creekers!

Good luck,

Jeff

[mickey cassiba]

Hey Jeff!
I'm quite a ways from Austin...about 60 miles from the Gulf and about 6 miles North of Mexico.
Securing anything outside here is not an option...Thievery is rampant here, and you can't shoot anyone over "stuff". I've been hit twice already, it served to thin out the collection pretty good, and I can't risk any of the big stuff. All of it was bought on employee discount and on a much higher wage. Replacement would be difficult. Lost my SCMS, when I went on a beer run...gone 15 minutes! I was thinking about the ash plank because of the thickness, still 2 1/2" after planing. Getting it up on the bench wouldn't be a problem either, i mastered the arts of leverage and balance a long time ago I'm just wondering if the normal expansion and contraction of the plank might cause the ways to bow and sag. May have to use a more stable material, but i hope not,,,steel is heavy! Any thoughts about reinforcing the plank to account for it's movement?

[Michael Mills]

Just my opinion but I think plywood or mdf, laminated and screwed together would be much more stable as far as warping. Or, you could use just one sheet of either and run 2 or 3 sections of angle iron bolted underneath to provide additional rigidity. The angle iron would not have to be heavy duty to provide a lot of rigidity.
I have never turned ash but if it is good for turning you have a lot of bowl blanks or spindles there. :)
Mike

[Chris Stolicky]

Congrats on the lathe.

As far as mobility, I would think that lugging 100 pounds around would get tiring after a while. I know I have a lunch box planer that weighs about 100 pounds and I dread lugging that thing out to use it.

It might be worth looking into whether you could build a beefy stand with some good casters if your situation allows it to be able to roll inside/outside. Sure, you sacrifice a bit of stability with casters, but that may happen with any mobile setup. The double locking caters are pretty nice and sturdy.

Let us know what you decide.

Good luck.

[mickey cassiba]

Just my opinion but I think plywood or mdf, laminated and screwed together would be much more stable as far as warping. Or, you could use just one sheet of either and run 2 or 3 sections of angle iron bolted underneath to provide additional rigidity. The angle iron would not have to be heavy duty to provide a lot of rigidity.
I have never turned ash but if it is good for turning you have a lot of bowl blanks or spindles there. :)
Mike
Agree with you about the ash, when I bought it the first thing that came to mind was "MANTLE" It's got nice grain and just a hint of mineral staining in it.
MDF , as I understand, is very stable, but how to protect against humidity. The valley is quite tropical. Some of my shipping crates were made from standard OSB, and disintegrated in a matter of months. Would have made good mulch, except for all the glue.
Thought about billet aluminum as well but the electrolytic action between dis-similar metals is a factor there. This is my first and last lathe, I'm thinking.
This is all in the planning stage so keep the ideas coming.
Thanks,
Mickey

[Michael Mills]

Hi,
MDF is pretty durable, very much different from strand board or particleboard. A couple of coats of you choice of finish like poly should do, or if you are really concerned use spar varnish.
MDF is used often to make outdoor signs and the signs hold up for years and years in all kinds of weather.

For mobility, if you go with a full base, I have flip out casters on my table saw and I have no problem lifting one end at the time to flip them under or back out.
It seems you want to save all the storage space you can and plan setting it up on sawhorses or something else.
If you add a 2X4 underneath one end (width wise) you can just attach two casters and not have them flip at all. They will just stick straight out from the end of the bed when you are using the lathe. I would put them on the headstock end to decrease the possibility of tipping while stored.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Mike

[mickey cassiba]

Hi,
MDF is pretty durable, very much different from strand board or particleboard. A couple of coats of you choice of finish like poly should do, or if you are really concerned use spar varnish.
MDF is used often to make outdoor signs and the signs hold up for years and years in all kinds of weather.

For mobility, if you go with a full base, I have flip out casters on my table saw and I have no problem lifting one end at the time to flip them under or back out.
It seems you want to save all the storage space you can and plan setting it up on sawhorses or something else.
If you add a 2X4 underneath one end (width wise) you can just attach two casters and not have them flip at all. They will just stick straight out from the end of the bed when you are using the lathe. I would put them on the headstock end to decrease the possibility of tipping while stored.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Mike
Mike, You and I are on the same sheet of music...I like the fixed caster idea, sounds a lot better than the recycled lawnmower wheels I was considering. As to the mdf, 1 ply, or two? I had to make a tension bar between the end of the lathe proper and the end of the extension. It was slightly bowed and the bar kicks the end feet out enough to pull the bow out. I'm thinking that the tension might pull the base up resulting in a rocking lathe. Need ideas, 'cause I'm not an engineeer, nor do I play one on TV.
Headstock down in storage was also in the plan as it is fixed. I can slide the rest and tail stock down to lower the center of gravity, making it a little more stable when stored against the wall of the shed.

[Michael Mills]

Either one or two ply should work (¾"). Two plys would give you more weight to dampen vibration; but more weight to lift and move also. In my opinion the key to not flexing is the angle iron (1 ½"?) underneath. I don’t know if your lathe have has two mounting holes at each end or only one at the tail stock end. If 2, then just run them straight, if 1, angel them in (V shape). Bolt the lathe through the plywood or mdf AND the angle iron. Three more bolts along the length of the angle iron and it should never flex. You would need to run a 2x2 trim around the frame underneath to keep the lathe from rocking on the angle iron. I’m not and engineer either so beware.:)
Mike

[mickey cassiba]

Either one or two ply should work (¾"). Two plys would give you more weight to dampen vibration; but more weight to lift and move also. In my opinion the key to not flexing is the angle iron (1 ½"?) underneath. I don’t know if your lathe have has two mounting holes at each end or only one at the tail stock end. If 2, then just run them straight, if 1, angel them in (V shape). Bolt the lathe through the plywood or mdf AND the angle iron. Three more bolts along the length of the angle iron and it should never flex. You would need to run a 2x2 trim around the frame underneath to keep the lathe from rocking on the angle iron. I’m not and engineer either so beware.:)
Mike
I like the way you think...The lathe, with extension mounted has 6 bolt holes. drilling through to the angle would indeed keep my tension(or torsion) bar from warping the base.
This project is definitely going from the dream stage to design and construction.
I will post pics as it comes along...got the 'puter working again.
Mickey