$5.00 Bed Extension

[Rod Dilyard]

I've learned so much from reading these forums I thought I'd share my solution to a problem. I'm building this:

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and completed the base several years ago (more like 4 years):

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I have finally arrived at point where my wife said no more projects for other people until you finish my cabinet. Fair enough - she's been more than patient waiting for me to get back to it. So as you can see in the first pic above, the upper cabinet features four turned columns that measure 47 1/2" long. Easy enough if you've got a lathe with a 48" capacity which mine doesn't. I know there is a bed extension available for my lathe (a Jet 1642) but at nearly $1000 it was out of the question for a one-time project. My original plan was to just adapt the design to include a bead that would line up with the mullions in the doors and just make the columns in two pieces with the bead hiding the joint. I was never really happy with that solution though.

I searched the interwebs for other options and came across a YouTube video of someone who made a short wooden bed extension for his lathe and decided to give it a try. Below are some pictures of my homemade extension built for under $5 including the paint. The all-thread in the first two photos was cut shorter once I determined the final length and the rest is all oak.

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I prepared the blanks on Saturday and hope to get them turned this week. Thanks for looking!

[John Keeton]

Great job on the bed extension.....but, FANTASTIC job on the hutch base!!!

[Steve Peterson]

I agree with John. Great looking bed extension and fantastic hutch base.

You may not need it anymore, but I see 20" bed extensions listed online at several places for around $240 including the shipping.

Steve

[Robert Henrickson]

Good work on the extension. That ought to do the job nicely. It would go well with my $2 second (wooden) 1642 banjo.

[John K Jordan]

Nice job. I need to make one - when I turn a new shovel handle I always have to make it a little shorter than desired.

That looks like an adjustable leveling/support bolt in the 4th photo at the bottom. Is that another one on the other side about 1/3rd of the way up from the bottom? If so, why is it not across from the first one at the bottom?

JKJ

[Rod Dilyard]

Thanks, John. I'm not sure why it looks that way in the photo. There are just two leveling bolts, the one on the far side is just like the one on the near side.

[John K Jordan]

Thanks, it must be the perspective then! I wondered about that but it seemed too far away at first glance. Maybe it was a wide angle lens.

[Steve Mawson]

Looks like it will work fine. Now don't forget to show us the finished columns or if you desire the whole new upper cabinet. If it is anything like the base I do believe it will be very nice. Hopefully the wife will think it was worth the wait.

[Ed Aumiller]

Have been searching for a bed extension for a Powermatic 45 lathe... don't think they ever made one...

This is a good idea and intend to make one to fit it...

Thanks for the info & inspiration...