Lathe height advice needed

[Rich Pearson]

I just bought a Jet 1236 wood lathe so I can learn to turn.

What is the proper height above the floor for the dead-centers?

It is on the factory sheet metal stand (which I will replace ) and the centers are now 40.5 inches above the floor. This seems low to me, as I would have to hunch down to see well and get a comfortable position with the chisels.

I am 6" tall and any advice is gladly welcomed.

[Andy Hoyt]

Rich - We had this discussion just yesterday!

Suggest you read this (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=27811), see if it helps, and then report back with another round of questions.

[Rich Pearson]

I 'm new to this forum and I have a new lathe. Your reply answers my question.

Very helpful!

[Wolf Kiessling]

When I bought my new Jet 1642, I elevated the machine so that the spindle was level with my elbow. Can't remember the inches off hand. My previous lathe was way too low and I used to have to hunch over it. Now I can usually stand up straight and it is a lot easier. Just measure your bent elbow from the floor and then transfer it to the lathe.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Rich I did like Wolf said to do. I had my wife measure from the floor to my bent elbow and then measured the height of the lathe to the center of the headstock. Before it was sitting at 48 1/2" which was very uncomfortable. I lowered my bench by 3 1/2" which is 45". That is what my wife measured. I think it will be a lot more comfortable turning. Now to let the glue dry on the bench. Tomorrow will get the lathe extension put on and should be ready to go.

[John Hart]

My brother-in-law turns pens and he has his lathe set up so that he is working down around his midsection. His shop is too cold so he asked if he could use my lathe to finish up some Christmas presents. He came over and the first words out of his mouth were, "How can you work with your lathe so high???!!!" (maybe 6" higher than his)

By the time he was done for the evening, he decided to raise his lathe. He said that it's easier to see what he's doing.

[Kent Cori]

Rich,

I am about your height and had a Harbor Freight clone of your 1236. I mounted the legs to two lengths of 4"x4" running front to back. That raised it about 3" which was about perfect for me. I also attached an MDF shelf on top of the leg braces. I then added 3-50# sand bags to give it some more ballast which also worked great.

[Jim Becker]

All the advise in the world just makes for a starting point or three...ultimately, it's your personal comfort and turning style that will set the actual spindle height of your machine. 'Just keep that in mind and don't be afraid to change it as often as you must until you find that "spot" where everything is in sync.