show your lathe cabinets

[Kevin Groenke]

I've been contemplating on-board storage for our Jet 1642 for months. It's time to stop thinking and start building, but first I thought I should see what others have come up with.

I'm thinking of something along the lines of the cabinet featured in the Sept08 issue of American Woodworker (rests on the integral 2x4 "cleats" tapered to match the legs, easy access for frequently used tools and enclosed storage for chucks and less frequently used stuff, maybe space for sandbags beneath).

I was surprised that there weren't several threads on the topic, what gives?
-kg

[Jim Underwood]

Kevin,
It's usually considered quite bad form to mention the "F" word on a turning forum. ;)

We make stuff that's round, not... dare I say it?.... Sssshhhh! I'll whisper: .... flat.


:D

That being said, I hung a few cabinets and shelving this evening myself. Once in a while it's necessary to break out the table saw and jointer just so we can make stuff for our spinny habit.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jim,

You can say the "F" word FLAT because the cabinet is to promote better spinning!:D

Kevin,

I'll post a photo of my turning cabinet right below this sentence.










Yup don't have one but am seriously considering it. I just am getting my shop into working order and started turning again recently. I'm considering something on rollers so I can move it when I need too.

I can't wait to see some input from other turners!

[Bill Bolen]

Don’t know about everyone else, but I’ve never been asked. This is my jet 1442 with the tool cabinet I made to hold all the lathe related tooling. Plus the area under the lower most drawer is a shelf holding 4to 6 seventy pound bags of play sand. The 3 widest drawers hold all my chisels and bit holders. The other drawers are for chucks, measuring equipment, centers, sandpaper ect. Ect. I used white melamine from the borg for all the parts. Easy clean up. I left some space between the lathe and the tool chest to hold chisels in-use and enable access for mounting things like spindle steadies and such. This seems to work well for me and I have seen many others posted here from time to time…Bill…

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks Bill. That looks like a idea worth stealing.

[Richard Madison]

Kevin,
First reaction to your title was that nobody keeps their lathe in a cabinet. But I could be wrong about that too.

Bill's cabinet looks great and am sure it works very well for him, but the top two or three drawers would get in the way of my knees at times. Might want to check your usual body positions when turning, maybe sometimes right against the bed, and design accordingly. Different strokes for different folks.

[Bob Opsitos]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/ropsitos/Tools/1-8-06andXmas048.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v705/ropsitos/Tools/1-8-06andXmas049.jpg

These are old pictures, it's overflowing with tools now. That's the only bad thing is the storage is not expandableand I have pretty much filled it up. I must need to upgrade my lathe to something larger to increase my storage. :D

Bob

[Paul Douglass]

One thing wrong with cabinets below the lathe and you see it in that last picture. They are full of chips because you forget to close the drawers. I was going to put my lathe on a cabinet I have, but after turning a while with a tool box under the lathe, I soon decided it would not work for me. I always forgot to close the tool box. So, my lathe is mounted on the legs that came with it and my cabinet is just to the side in easy reach,

[tim mathis]

Hi Kevin,

here is one that i made and it works out good for me.

the top box is open for large items and it has a removable tray. the front is maple. the top of the box has laminate on it and is 14" at the front and slants to 9" at the back so what my cyclone does not get ( when i forget to turn it on ) will fall onto the floor ( sometimes).
the bottom box is 15 seperate maple dovetailed boxes.
the lathe is bolted to the stand. the stand and the boxes and contence add about 200 # of weight.
tool rests are stored by the sides of the boxes.
when i turn i use a mobile table with tool holder to hold the tools in use and sharpener, buffer, ect .
tim in ohio.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x84/powermatic3520/lathedrawer006.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x84/powermatic3520/lathedrawer009-1.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x84/powermatic3520/lathedrawer011-1.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x84/powermatic3520/lathedrawer012-1.jpg
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x84/powermatic3520/lathedrawer002-1.jpg

[Rob Platt]

I'm almost finished building the lathe cabinet from AW. I added an extra row of tool holders, and now wish I had thought about adding a third row - can you have enough?

I also angled the top at 90 degrees to the front. This way it slopes down toward the back, and I can access under the bed if I ever need. Hoping this will clean off easier as well.

(This is my first post, so hope i'm attaching these pics ok...)

[Bill Bolen]

Welcome Rob! Looks like you have alredy made a fine contribution to the site! I saw those plans in the mag. and really liked what I saw. You did a fine job on yours. Enjoy...Bill..
Oh as a ps...these under lathe cabinets provide a fine place to lean into the lathe. Give a lot of support to an old body...

[Kevin Groenke]

Thanks for all the ideas folks, I guess turners can make stuff that isn't round.

I ended up making a couple of cabinets along the lines of the AmWW cabinet. One of the cabinets has a multiple tubes for tools, the way the tubes fit into the box results in them being rows of different lengths which should tend to organize them somewhat naturally. The second cabinet is a set of graduated drawers. All the drawers but the bottom one simply slide on hardwood runners in dados on the sides of the drawers, so it's really simple to pull out a drawer if you want it's contents on the lathe bed, a bench, wherever (those drawers can be opened from either side of the cabinet). The bottom drawer will has a few chucks in it, so it's on full extension slides. The drawers are 1/2" baltic birch with drawer-lock routed corners. The drawers will likely get a Krenovian pull (Grenadillo to match the runners) dovetailed into the top of the drawer front/back.

The cabinets simply rest on 2x stock which sits in the sockets cast into the legs. The cabinets do not fill the entire length between the legs, so we can make a knee hole if we find that the cabinets interfere when turning. There's just cleats attached to the bottom of the cabinets which fit between the stringers, so the cabinets can also simply be lifted out if necessary.

-kg

[Steve Busey]

Nice job, Kevin! What's at the bottom of your tool tubes? Just wondering if a piece of foam vs a wood bottom might preserve tool sharpness.

[Nathan Hawkes]

Nice job, Kevin! What's at the bottom of your tool tubes? Just wondering if a piece of foam vs a wood bottom might preserve tool sharpness.


I was wondering that too. I'm not posting my stand b/c it is embarassing. I used 1.5" pvc pipe for my tools, and a 3" screw at the bottom to stop the handle; the tool pokes out the bottom. Thing is, they all fill up with shavings eventually; big curlies like to clog the hole with little curlies on top.

[jason lambert]

Tim what type of mobial base is that on your powermatic.

[Ron Bontz]

Hmmm. Several good ideas here. I still have to build one this winter. Yet another project on the list. Hey Kevin, I hope you don't mind but I will probably build a variation of what you have. I was curious if you had considered using UHMW for the runners instead of hardwood. Should slide easier and last longer. I think. Now if I could just win that lottery so I could buy the tools and accessories I need.:D

[Kevin Groenke]

Tim what type of mobial base is that on your powermatic.

Ditto. and how much does it raise the lathe?

[Kevin Groenke]

Nice job, Kevin! What's at the bottom of your tool tubes? Just wondering if a piece of foam vs a wood bottom might preserve tool sharpness.
Thanks, just a 3/4" piece of ethafoam in the bottom of the tube, we'll see about chips. I may try to make rubber dentist's dam type cover for the tubes.



Hmmm. Several good ideas here. I still have to build one this winter. Yet another project on the list. Hey Kevin, I hope you don't mind but I will probably build a variation of what you have. I was curious if you had considered using UHMW for the runners instead of hardwood. Should slide easier and last longer. I think. Now if I could just win that lottery so I could buy the tools and accessories I need.:D

Hey Ron, imitation is the highest form of flattery, obviously you'll site the precedent. The runners inside the stringers actually are a nylon or uhmw that I had lying about. At the moment the bottoms of the cases are just wax on the ply, but I have thought of applying some uhmw tape. They slide quite easily as is and I'm not sure it's a good thing. If they walk while turning it may get annoying.

-kg

[tim mathis]

Jason & Kevin ,
hi ,
i made it , i am a welder by day. it is made mostly from 3/16 " rectangular steel tube. the stand gives the lathe a longer and wider footprint. the lathe is bolted to the stand and it is adjustable ( to the stand ).
the zambus casters are quick to level and lock.
the bottom of the leg is 1 1/2 inches off the floor but i stand on a 3/4 " mat , so it is only 3/4 " higher. the legs set in pockets in the stand so to lower them so you could make it any height you would want to. i made it the day after i assembled the lathe and turned a bowl, i kept track of where my feet were. i set the stand back at the front 8 inches so my boots would not touch the front of the stand when i am using it.
tim mathis

[Jim Kountz]

Heres my current setup. The cabinet I made to fit my old Delta lathe, looks tiny inside the 1642. I might have to design a new one. I cant ever seem to remember to close the darn drawers when Im in the middle of turning something and so they get full of chips and shavings all the time. I thought about cleaning everything up real good before taking these pictures but I said what the heck I'll show it in all its glory!

[George Morris]

This is my first attempt at uploading pictures? My storage box is one found on Mustard Monster site by Ray Lanham this is the early version before FW article. Also made Rays swing tail stock unit this works great and is not in your way when you hollow bowls out!! George

[Lars Thomas]

I'll jump in here and share mine. 80llb sand tube in cross member. All MDF.

[Gary Herrmann]

This is my first attempt at uploading pictures? My storage box is one found on Mustard Monster site by Ray Lanham this is the early version before FW article. Also made Rays swing tail stock unit this works great and is not in your way when you hollow bowls out!! George

Very nice homemade swing away, George. Nice cabinet too. I ever get the time, I'll build a cabinet for my 3520b. 'Course, soccer season starts for my son on Wed, so it ain't gonna be soon...

[David Eppler]

I was concerned about chips filling the tool holes. I also didn't like the idea of giving up so much storage room by angling the back (I understand angling the front but don't expect to stand behind my lathe doing any turning).

I added the 150 lbs of sand from the article - haven't tried the lathe yet to see how that changed the stability. Whole thing took me a 1.5 days and $50 as I already had the oak and some scrap 1/2" ply - just bought a 3/4" sheet of ply, sand, and 2x6.

My version has a square back and has 3 drawers instead of the tool tubes. I could not decide if I wanted the drawers to be flush with the front (looks best but would have shaving more easily falling into the drawers) or flush with the ways. I solved that by making the drawers separate from the bottom storage and putting dowels in the bottom of the drawer section and multiple holes in the top of the storage area - I can move the drawers around until I determine the best location for the least amount of shavings in the drawer.

I also did not like the drop down door - seemed like a shin buster and chip collector to me. These were my first rail/stile doors. I expect that I will put a shelf in the lower section for those clear storage boxes.

David

[Bernie Weishapl]

Here what I did on my Nova. Below is bags of sand and the other door swings down for all my accessories.

[Derek Hansen]

Took some inspiration from Kevin Groenke (who posted earlier in this thread) and completed some storage for my Jet 1642 last weekend.

The tool holders are 1.5" PVC pipe. I drilled through each one and installed a bolt with clear vinyl hose over it to protect the tool and allow shavings to fall through. I varied the placement of the bolt depending on the length of the tool handle so they all would line up nicely and look uniform when inserted. All of the tubes are loose so they can be rearranged if I decide I don't like the placement.

For the drawer/shelf unit, I made the top slanted so that shavings will (hopefully) not build up on top of the unit.

It's really great to have everything organized now - the top of my radial arm saw was home to all of this stuff before now.

Oh yeah and here is a pic of my wall-mounted sharpening center as well. I basically made 2 trusses out of 2x4s, lag bolted them to the studs, and mounted the plywood and grinder on top.

[Rich Boehlke]

Not pretty, just a quick and dirty tool storage rack made up of PVC tubes and a couple pieces of 1/4" MDF. Would love to have one of those nice cabinets but building one of those would cut into turning time. This will have to do for now.

[Dan Forman]

I was concerned about chips filling the tool holes. I also didn't like the idea of giving up so much storage room by angling the back (I understand angling the front but don't expect to stand behind my lathe doing any turning).

I added the 150 lbs of sand from the article - haven't tried the lathe yet to see how that changed the stability. Whole thing took me a 1.5 days and $50 as I already had the oak and some scrap 1/2" ply - just bought a 3/4" sheet of ply, sand, and 2x6.

My version has a square back and has 3 drawers instead of the tool tubes. I could not decide if I wanted the drawers to be flush with the front (looks best but would have shaving more easily falling into the drawers) or flush with the ways. I solved that by making the drawers separate from the bottom storage and putting dowels in the bottom of the drawer section and multiple holes in the top of the storage area - I can move the drawers around until I determine the best location for the least amount of shavings in the drawer.

I also did not like the drop down door - seemed like a shin buster and chip collector to me. These were my first rail/stile doors. I expect that I will put a shelf in the lower section for those clear storage boxes.

David

David---I like your take on this, and intend to do something similar. Just finished the ballast box, this will be my first cabinet with rail and stile doors too, figure it's a good thing to practice on before attempting the kitchen cabs. I'm going to make a wall rack for tools, I can just imagine what wet green shavings would do to a tool if they got into some of those tubes. :eek:

Dan

[Rich Boehlke]

Dan, You may want to think about placement of a wall mounted rack. I just took mine down after realizing that reaching over a spinning object might not be the best thing to do.

[Dan Forman]

Good point, though the wall space I have is well to the left, not behind the lathe.

[Roger Alexander]

Hello, Here are the photos of my storage under my jet. Under the storage you see there is room for my feet with sand bags in front of my feet. As you can see I have two sides and each side has three shelfs that can be pulled out for different things to store. On the top there is good lighting and a shelf that I put the tools in that I'm going to use. Aslo at he end of the behind tray is a hole for the dust system . I can push the shavings from under the tool rest to the back of the dust tray. On each end of the the lathe I also have put in some storage space. Hate to see that area go to waste. Roger