Lathe Storage Cabinet

[Greg Just]

I have not done much turning lately, but rather organizing and building some storage for my shop. Here is my version of a cabinet under my Jet 1642. I used full extension drawer slides. You can never have too much storage space.

[Jeff Fagen]

Beautiful cabinet,I gave up trying to unload the flat work tools to do anything like that.:)

[Doug W Swanson]

Nice cabinet Greg! And here I just thought you did spinny things!

[Dan Forman]

Looks great, and should give you some ballast too!

Dan

[John Keeton]

Nice idea, Greg! I have a couple of drawers below mine - great storage.

[Greg Just]

Nice cabinet Greg! And here I just thought you did spinny things!

Thanks Doug:

I still do some flatwork with my 30 year old tablesaw. I have mainly been turning the past 6+ years, but every once in a while I do some flatwork. I plan to build another cabinet for the work table to the right of the lathe

[Michelle Rich]

now that is one fine cabinet. You must be tall..i could not bend over that with my feet that far away from the bed..my knees would be banging into the drawers & I'd throw my back out..

[Bill Bulloch]

Nice looking cabinet there Greg. I bought the plywood to make one under my lathe, almost a year ago, but have never gotten around to it. Maybe looking at yours will motivate me.

[Roger Chandler]

Good work on that lathe cabinet, Greg............super idea on the full extension slides. It looks like you are pressed for space, just as I am in my "studio" :rolleyes:;) and space is a luxury, so you have created some for yourself..........

I still love flat work, so I like to see things like this that help our turning endeavors........those drawers should give you space for turning tools, chucks, etc and make it convenient to get to all them when needed. Good work!

[Larry Lilly]

You must be a younger man, a much taller one, or all your turnings are 16 inch diameter cause I would have to get a third back operation or get me some 6 inch lifts to my flip flops to turn that far away from the bed. (no flip flops were harmed in this thread)

I love full extension slides, if your going to make a drawer, may as well make it long enough to get to the very back.

[Jon McElwain]

You might give some thought to putting another layer of plywood over the top such that it overhangs over the top of the drawers. I had some drawers similar to that, but they always filled with chips and shavings. I ended up rebuilding it so that the face of the draw was overhung by the top - helped A LOT.

+1 on the previous comments about full extension drawer glides. I hate drawers that do not open all the way!

[James Combs]

You might give some thought to putting another layer of plywood over the top such that it overhangs over the top of the drawers. I had some drawers similar to that, but they always filled with chips and shavings.

Exactly my thoughts.

[Tony De Masi]

That is a great piece of work Greg. It may work for you but it wouldn't work well for me because when I work the inside of a bowl I lean into the lathe and this just wouldn't allow me to do that. BUT, I hope it works for you the way you envisioned it.

[Greg Just]

I did have concerns over the drawers sticking out too far and limiting the ability to lean over the bed. I am 6ft-2 so I don't think it will be a problem and I tested it when I was attaching the cabinet to the bottom frame which is attached to the lathe. I could push it back a few inches if I had to.

Jon - that is a good idea about another piece of plywood being an overhang. I was actually thinking about a piece of plywood with some formica glued to it for when I turn really wet wood.

Full extension drawers were a must as normally whatever I'm looking for ends up at the back of the drawer!

Thanks for the comments.

[Mike Cruz]

Funny you said that, Tony, I was thinking the same thing. But a few inches back and it would be perfect (for me). What a great space saver! That is awesome.

[Cory Norgart]

Well Greg, sometimes it takes a little organizing to get some turning done, I am in the same boat:) Looks like a great idea. The only issue I would have with it is it looks like you may not have room to follow the Grumbine 45,45,45, rule with the bowl gouge, it may be an optical illusion:) Looks nice, I may have to try something like that.

[Chris Studley]

Hey Greg,

I just made something similar myself (only two big drawers, not quite as refined as yours, very nice BTW)

As far as the mentioned "Top overhanging the drawers" issue...

I thought of the issue before I made mine and have the overhang. Chips and things still get in, BTW, so do fret too much.

Given that I had some very wet wood to turn right right after makingthe cabinet, I wanted to cover the top. I had a piece of hardboard, about the size of the top of the cabinet and I simply set it on top/slid it in.

It turns out that the hardboard is also useful to have to remove the chips from the top of the storage cabinet, by simply pulling it out and dumping the chips off. You seem to not have too much room for them to accumulate there but also not much room to get anything in there to brush it off either.

[Bill Wyko]

After looking at what you've got there, I was thinking you could put a slot across the back that went up to the bottom of the lathe and all the way across then hook it up to your dust collection . A great cabinet you've done there for sure.

[Greg Just]

After looking at what you've got there, I was thinking you could put a slot across the back that went up to the bottom of the lathe and all the way across then hook it up to your dust collection . A great cabinet you've done there for sure.

Bill - I was working last night on attaching my dust collecting system to the back of the cabinet. I'll post more pics when I get that done.

[jeff nist]

very nice!! I wish I had one of those!!! Looks like lots of storage space!!

[Chris Studley]

Greg, was thinkingh the same thing myself. I was thinking, something like a downdraft table in the vertical position mounted to the back of the cabinet.