My version of a Outboard Turning Setup

[Greg Bender]

I had some time off for the holidays so I got a chance to finish my version of a outboard turning setup for my Jet 16/42. I have about $80 in it which was the cost of the 3520A banjo. I did all the machining and had just about all the material needed. I plasma cut the flat plate out of a 50" by 50" piece of 1/2" steel plate so I picked up some ballast weight to boot.249563249564249565249566
This is my first attempt at a post like this so it is kind of jumbled but you can get the basic premise of the idea. If you have any questions I can answer them with alot more finesse. Comments are always welcome .Greg

[Greg Just]

Nice set up and something the average person couldn't do, but you have the right tools. I can't tell from the picture, but are those wood legs helping with support? I would think you might get some vibration without legs. Nice job.

[Greg Bender]

Greg,
they are some temporary maple legs. Now that I know the dimensions I will weld some square tubing with adjustable feet and that will be the final step. The end of the lathe was not perpendicular to the floor so I had to shim behind the attachment points and at that point had to have legs to support it.
Thanx,
Greg

[Marc Himes]

Looks Like it should work especially when you have the legs attached. Have you used it yet?

[Steve Schlumpf]

Looks like it should work just fine! You will have to let us know - once you try it out!! Good luck!

[Bob Bergstrom]

Having built one for my old Delta 450 I would suggest bolting or welding channel iron under the steel banjo plate and then run the support legs on a diagonal to a cross bracket on the legs of lathe. I used angle iron and found it was too susceptible to vibrations. Square tubing wold be better. By attaching it to the legs rather than the legs setting on the floor when the lathe starts to walk the supports will be will move with the lathe. Over billed everything because vibrating will be amplified with this type of outbound setup. If the lathe were bolted down, then I would put the supports into the floor. Mobility vs. rigidity.

[Greg Bender]

Bob,
I have some 1/2" by 4" coldrolled that I was going to weld on the underside, parallel to the slot for the banjo but the more I moved that 1/2" plate around I could not decide if that would be overkill. I also thought about the legs being tied into the lathe legs but wanted to avoid drilling holes in the cast iron. I will have to take another look at that.
Thanx to everybody else and now I need to find some bigger blanks to push the envelope alittle.As it is ,I like the ability to work off the tail end of the lathe.
Greg

[Jamie Donaldson]

The most dangerous aspect of an outboard turning rig is not having the tool rest and support anchored to the lathe, allowing the tool rest to lean into the spinning wood. Of course the other problem is overloading the capacity of the lathe and bearings, but that's an occupational hazard with most turners that always want a bigger lathe!

[Bob Bergstrom]

The most dangerous aspect of an outboard turning rig is not having the tool rest and support anchored to the lathe, allowing the tool rest to lean into the spinning wood. Of course the other problem is overloading the capacity of the lathe and bearings, but that's an occupational hazard with most turners that always want a bigger lathe!
I always wondered about beating up the bearings on the outbound side of the headstock. They are usually only single row bearings. I replaced them twice on my old Delta, but that didn't deter me much. They weren't hard to change out.
Greg you can't overbuild the platform I'll guarantee you that that plate will vibrate if you turn a large blank. Just take a hammer and pound on it a little. Listen to the sound and feel the table vibrate. Now amplify that up through the tool rest and to the end of it and you'll begin to think overkill. When turning bowls over 20" the bowl becomes like the skin on a drum. It vibrates and causes ripples in the wood. Go to Leo Van Der Loo web site and look at his lathe. He turns a lot of big ones. It is very stout

[Greg Bender]

Bob,
Do you think that the banjo platform/bed needs to be thicker or just needs to be better supported. What do you think about the 1/2" coldrolled attached to the bottom. If I ever move the lathe I will need to remove it without the services of a crane. I have more 1/2" plate and can weld in some gussets at the 90 degree joint in the two pieces. Any comments and improvements will be appreciated.
Greg

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Looked at your pictures Greg, looks like you have quite a swing there, so the question arrises as to What are you intending to turn in that size ???

As you have the swing from the spindle down, you also need to be able to reach the outside of a bowl blank horizontally out, if that's the purpose here, using a longer toolrest isn't going to do it, as that only gives you the reach on the face side, not the bowl side, a platter/tabletop you could access.

If you get/build a longer banjo you are going to strain that plate pretty hard and I say you need at least 4 ribs under that plate and of course bracing to the lathe as well, I don't see a problem with drilling a couple 1/2" holes in the legs and bolt some heavy bracing with supporting plates on the backside of the legs.

On my large lathe the outboard plate is 1" thick, it is welded with ribs to a 10" I beam that is welded onto a couple of 12" high pressure pipes, which are bolted to the concrete.

And I still had to weld ribs into the I beam as it was too flexible, it is quite rigid but there are a bunch of other challenges besides getting large blanks :eek: :)

[Greg Bender]

Leo,
You are right in that I did end up with a lot of swing, maybe too much swing. The main reason I built the setup was to allow me to stand straight onto the turning and not be bent over the bed of the lathe especially on hollow forms. The more that I use it and look at it the more I consider shrinking the swing dimension. That will also give me a better angle to mount angled supports going from the tip of the horizontal plate down to the base of the Jet legs. I also cut my 1/2" by 4" coldrolled plates to reinforce the 1/2" plate bed. Thanx for the info and recommendations.
Greg

[Bernie Weishapl]

Nice setup and looks like it works good.

[mark ravensdale]

Greg, if it works, it works !!!
well done, great thinking !!!!!!!