Another lathe stand question

[Pete Staehling]

I am pondering a new stand for my little 10 x 18 lathe. I started out with a quick open stand made with 2x4s and splayed legs. It works okay as far as supporting the lathe, but falls short in tool storage (there is none), chip management (a plastic tub under it), and a place for my vacuum pump (it sits on the floor right now).

In addition to my hobby turning, my shop is a low production shop for a hobby luthier business and right now my table saw out feed table is covered with lathe tools. Not an acceptable situation. So storage for lathe tools in the stand would be a big plus.

I am toying with various options. Including the following:

• A used kitchen cabinet maybe from the Habitat for Humanity Re Store. Thoughts on that.
• A metal mechanics tool chest. Has anyone here done that? How did it work out?
• A shop built stand with open shelving. My concern here is chip management. It seems like the shelves would be constantly buried in chips. Is it possible to avoid that?
• A shop built closed cabinet. This seems like a good way to get exactly what I want, but also would take a lot of time that could be used doing either more fun projects or more lucrative ones. Also I suspect materials would wind up costing as much or more than other options.

[John K Jordan]

One thing I like in a stand is room for my feet so I can stand as close to the lathe as I want. If using a cabinet I'd probably make a top that let the mini late hang over the front the cabinet a little. If you build one with shelves or a tool rack under you might make a sloped "roof" just under the bed to deflect chips forward or back. I personally like an open stand and put bins under to catch chips. I keep the tools on nearby walls, in a low rack under a work bench behind me, in shallow drawers also in the work bench, and flat on shallow shelves on a roll-around cabinet to the right of the lathe. Everything is within two or three steps.

JKJ

I am pondering a new stand for my little 10 x 18 lathe. I started out with a quick open stand made with 2x4s and splayed legs. It works okay as far as supporting the lathe, but falls short in tool storage (there is none), chip management (a plastic tub under it), and a place for my vacuum pump (it sits on the floor right now).

In addition to my hobby turning, my shop is a low production shop for a hobby luthier business and right now my table saw out feed table is covered with lathe tools. Not an acceptable situation. So storage for lathe tools in the stand would be a big plus.

I am toying with various options. Including the following:

• A used kitchen cabinet maybe from the Habitat for Humanity Re Store. Thoughts on that.
• A metal mechanics tool chest. Has anyone here done that? How did it work out?
• A shop built stand with open shelving. My concern here is chip management. It seems like the shelves would be constantly buried in chips. Is it possible to avoid that?
• A shop built closed cabinet. This seems like a good way to get exactly what I want, but also would take a lot of time that could be used doing either more fun projects or more lucrative ones. Also I suspect materials would wind up costing as much or more than other options.

[Alex Zeller]

My lathe is on legs so I didn't need a table to put it on. But I did want a cabinet of some sort to put the various stuff that's been building up as I buy more and more tools and supplies. I thought about making something but finding time is always an issue and the scrap pile of hardwood that I would of used I've been saving for making segmented bowls. So on Monday I stopped by Harbor Freight and picked up a "mechanics cart". I was debating between it and the 46" Yukon mobile workbench. It has a wooden top, one large drawer, and shelves behind a pair of doors. I looked at it but it was locked so I could open the doors to look at the shelves. It's 18" deep and 37" high. Not sure if that would be too high (you could remove the wheels to make it lower but loose being able to roll it across your shop). The 46" width may be too long for you as well.

I went with the mechanic's cart so I could add the side tray. I got the larger one, I think they call it the '5 drawer' because the side tray was beefier and larger. I put my Tormek clone grinder on the stand at 30" (the cart is 42" with the lid closed. The side tray is pretty strong but the design has the support leg just resting in a shallow pocket. I ended up putting a couple tack welds so now it's no longer folding. You probably could do the same thing and put your lathe on the side tray. It's 17" by 18" but you could easily add a wood top to it. It has no problem holding the 40lb grinder with no flex. I'm not a big fan of harbor freight but their tools have a place.

box.jpg

[Pete Staehling]

Thanks for the suggestions. The Yukon box looks interesting. I think I will go have a look at it.

[Pete Staehling]

I pulled the trigger on the Yukon. I am not sure how the height will work out. I wanted to try going quite a bit higher than my current stand any way but It may be a little too high with the wheels on. I guess I will see. Worst case the wheels will come off.

[Alex Zeller]

Let us know what you think once you have it set up. I bought a articulating arm for a TV that mounts to the wall. I plan on putting a box on it to hold 5 or 6 turning tools. I'm thinking that I can use a hole saw to cut half circles into a board that can keep the tools from rolling around. I can move the arm all around so it's close enough to what I'm doing without being in the way. I rarely need more than 4 tools while turning and I end up setting them on the ways right now but that's not a good practice. If I had gotten Yukon box I was going to get a slightly different arm and mount it to the box.

[Pete Staehling]

Let us know what you think once you have it set up. I bought a articulating arm for a TV that mounts to the wall. I plan on putting a box on it to hold 5 or 6 turning tools. I'm thinking that I can use a hole saw to cut half circles into a board that can keep the tools from rolling around. I can move the arm all around so it's close enough to what I'm doing without being in the way. I rarely need more than 4 tools while turning and I end up setting them on the ways right now but that's not a good practice. If I had gotten Yukon box I was going to get a slightly different arm and mount it to the box.

I had been thinking that I needed to have a lot more tools than that available, but realized that yes I have and use more occasionally, but the vast majority of the time it is just a few that need to be quickly at hand. The others can be nearby, but a little less accessible.

I am getting ready to set up the Yukon this morning. My first reaction upon taking the packing off and seeing it in the shop is that it is a very big box and will store a lot of stuff. The top will easily fit my lathe and vacuum pump and could probably take a grinding/sharpening station as well if I don't want to add the bed extension to the lathe.

[Pete Staehling]

Okay, so it is all set up. I don't have time to do any turning right now, so that will have to wait.

It is bigger on the inside than it seemed at first and the top is smaller than I thought. Once everything is on it, it seems just right. The height... It seems really nice to see the work so close, but it remains to be seen if it is awkward to handle the tools that high. I will have to see whether I wind up wanting to remove the wheels. I may wind up putting some low skids on in their place if I decide the lathe is too high. I think that may be likely.

[John K Jordan]

...it remains to be seen if it is awkward to handle the tools that high.

Most people are comfortable and have the most control of tools when the spindle of the lathe is about elbow height. Too high or too low can sacrifice both the quality of the turning and comfort, causing back and neck pain.

JKJ

[Pete Staehling]

I have also read that some recommend elbow height when your hand is on top of your shoulder, which for me is at least two or three inches higher. I tend to think that I might prefer about that height, but I am still working out exactly what height I prefer. I think I will experiment with standing on a platform that I can raise and lower until I get my preference dialed in a bit better. I have been turning with the spindle at elbow height and am pretty sure I want it at least a little higher. I am guessing that anything extreme is probably a bad idea though.