Lee Alkureishi
02-28-2013, 6:55 PM
Hi all,
I'm in the process of designing a bowl lathe and stand, and had a couple of questions for the folks in the know. The Basis for the lathe will be a Powermatic 90 headstock and spindle, and a very nice short section of ways made by Jeff Nicol (by way of Mike Cruz). It'll be hooked up to a 3ph motor and VFD. I'm still deciding whether to include the reeves drive mechanism or just a simple jackshaft, but that's a different thread!
Anyhow, I was planning to build the stand from a combination of 1/4" thick 2" square steel tube, and 2" and 3" angle iron. However, if I do that, my design would necessitate at least a 13" "riser" under the headstock. I'm wondering what the best/most economical material would be for the riser? I was thinking maybe a 16" concrete block, but wanted to check if there are any concerns with using concrete in the design? I know there are concrete lathes and concrete stands out there, so I'm thinking it would be ok.
If I do combine steel and concrete in the design, what would be the best way of securing them to one another? I have no shortage of angle brackets - can I bolt directly into the concrete, and weld the other side? Would a sleeve anchor be a reasonable way to do that? Would it provide a secure enough connection?
On the other hand, probably the cheapest (and heaviest) option would be to ditch the steel altogether, and make the stand entirely from concrete blocks. I'd actually love to do it this way, but I'm not sure how best to secure the blocks to one another. I'm guessing that regular mortar wouldn't hold up? Or is that plenty strong for this purpose?
Of course, I know someone is going to suggest I pour my own concrete stand. Unfortunately, that's not an option for me at the moment.
I look forward to hearing your suggestions!
Lee
I'm in the process of designing a bowl lathe and stand, and had a couple of questions for the folks in the know. The Basis for the lathe will be a Powermatic 90 headstock and spindle, and a very nice short section of ways made by Jeff Nicol (by way of Mike Cruz). It'll be hooked up to a 3ph motor and VFD. I'm still deciding whether to include the reeves drive mechanism or just a simple jackshaft, but that's a different thread!
Anyhow, I was planning to build the stand from a combination of 1/4" thick 2" square steel tube, and 2" and 3" angle iron. However, if I do that, my design would necessitate at least a 13" "riser" under the headstock. I'm wondering what the best/most economical material would be for the riser? I was thinking maybe a 16" concrete block, but wanted to check if there are any concerns with using concrete in the design? I know there are concrete lathes and concrete stands out there, so I'm thinking it would be ok.
If I do combine steel and concrete in the design, what would be the best way of securing them to one another? I have no shortage of angle brackets - can I bolt directly into the concrete, and weld the other side? Would a sleeve anchor be a reasonable way to do that? Would it provide a secure enough connection?
On the other hand, probably the cheapest (and heaviest) option would be to ditch the steel altogether, and make the stand entirely from concrete blocks. I'd actually love to do it this way, but I'm not sure how best to secure the blocks to one another. I'm guessing that regular mortar wouldn't hold up? Or is that plenty strong for this purpose?
Of course, I know someone is going to suggest I pour my own concrete stand. Unfortunately, that's not an option for me at the moment.
I look forward to hearing your suggestions!
Lee