Lathe placement, how far from wall?

[Lyndon Bartels]

Hello,

My work on my lathe restoration continues. I have all the electrical parts I need.

Some of the parts for the Reeve's drive, mainly the handle, was so rusted in place my neighbor and I needed a cutting torch, turned it cherry red, before it finally moved. Mangled a pin pretty bad, I'll have to make a new one. Shouldn't be a problem.

The base is about half painted. I used "stripper wheels" in my side wheel grinder, and that really works a treat.

But that's not why I'm here. My question is, when I finish this, and set it up. I wonder how far from the wall I should place it? I know this may sound like a simple question, but I'll be drilling holes in my concrete floor to anchor it. I don't want to do that more than once.

I'm thinking about a foot should be plenty.

Enough space I can get behind it to clean. When I add dust collection, there will be space. But those should be about the only reasons to get behind it.

Did I miss something?

Thanks in advance.

[John Keeton]

My lathe is at least two feet from the wall as I want to be able to walk behind it to sweep.

[Earl McLain]

Mine is about a foot, and two would be better. Maybe try a foot for a while and see how it works before drilling. Might need to keep blank size smaller, but better than drilling twice.

[Bob Borzelleri]

Another vote for 2 feet. Mine is at an angle positioned near a window for eyeballing wildlife and one corner is about a foot from the wall. I am constantly thinking I need to move it farther away in order to easily pass behind it.

[Brice Rogers]

I may be the odd one out, but I positioned my lathe so that I could work from either side. When I am hollowing, especially under the top, it is easier to work from the backside. When you work from the backside, you can tuck in your tool and your arms. When hollowing from the front, your arms are extended and you have less control. Alternatively, a person could remove the tailstock and slide the headstock and work from the end.

But "each to his own".

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mine is about 2 1/2 feet.

[John K Jordan]

…I wonder how far from the wall I should place it?…

My opinion: it depends on what you like to turn and how you work. Some who like to turn hollow forms or large bowls may move a sliding headstock down to the end and work from there. Some like to work at times from both sides of the lathe. These people want space at the end and around the back of lathe. (Note the putting it out away from the wall can be a problem where shop space is limited.)

I prefer to put my lathes as close to the wall as possible. I use the wall behind the lathe to hang the most often reached for things within arms reach, things like tool rests, dividers, chuck keys, rulers, pencils, sandpaper, task lights, and more. I’ve used lathes out in the middle of the floor but against the wall has worked well for me for 20 years. (The flare of the legs puts the bed out some from the wall but I’ve never measured how much.)



I turn a wide variety of things but I usually prefer to turn smaller things with detail (such as lidded boxes, thin spindles, etc) more often than large. I don’t have any problem turning large bowls, platters, and hollow forms from one side of the lathe. (I do on rare occasion turn part of the inside of a deeper bowl with the lathe in reverse.)

I have a drop from the cyclone behind the lathe and a large rectangular plastic tub underneath and tight against the wall catches shavings that would otherwise land on the floor.

My advice: if you are unsure of where to place the lathe you might delay mounting it permanently to the floor until you use it a while and experiment with different placements. With some use you will discover what works best for you. Some people devise a way to easily move the lathe if needed.

The biggest reason for bolting a lathe to the floor might be to control vibration with heavy out-of-balance blanks. However, there are several arguably better ways to deal with that. In fact reducing the imbalance of the blank can reduce damaging stress on the lathe and be safer as well.

JKJ

[Tim Elett]

My 1524 is small but sort of heavy, but have you thought about using a mobile base at least until you have the chance to turn some projects,I have moved my lathe at times in the middle of something just to get at a safer angle, if I may ask what is the reason why you want to bolt it to the floor?

[Tim Elett]

My 1524 is small but sort of heavy, but have you thought about using a mobile base at least until you have the chance to turn some projects,I have moved my lathe at times in the middle of something just to get at a safer angle, if I may ask what is the reason why you want to bolt it to the floor?

By the way, John I love the sand paper holder behind the lathe, where do you get rolls of paper like that?

[John K Jordan]

By the way, John I love the sand paper holder behind the lathe, where do you get rolls of paper like that?

I do too! I buy the sandpaper rom Klingspor, Klingspor Gold paper in 1" and 2” rolls 400 to 100 grit. Each grit is separated by an 1/8” plywood disk.
600 and finer grit strips of Rhynowet Redline wet/dry paper are in the little plastic bins below. Almost everything I use is within arms’ reach with the rest within just a few steps or in shallow drawers just behind me.

I made the wooden dispenser about 15 years ago. I also slice up a roll of shop towels with a fillet knife- most of the time I just need a small piece.

lathe_wall_papertowel_IMG_5.jpg

JKJ

[Peter Blair]

My Oneway is close to the wall, the feet are about 12". I do have some tooling on the way and in that area as well as a switch for some of my tools and a vacuum pump. I wish Had room to have it further away as I now like to film a little of my turning and it is most difficult to get a good camera set-up with it this close to the wall.

[John Kananis]

This is my "corner". I have to accommodate an entire shop so I stay close to the wall. The lathe does have wheels though so I can pull it out if necessary. I think I'd rather do a shelf with sandbags before bolting it down.

[Prashun Patel]

A foot would be way too tight for me. Can't get back there to sweep. I also have a dust shroud back there. I'd keep mine as close to the middle of the room as possible. Not sure it needs to be bolted to the floor anyway. Mine's on a mobile base which I think is (as Ferris Buehler would say) "so choice".

[Reed Gray]

Mine was far enough from the wall so that the tilt away tailstock wouldn't hit the wall. Not quite 2 feet.

robo hippy

[tom lucas]

Anyone work with a wall close behind them, say 3 feet or so? Just wondering how that would be???

For me right now, where I have my lathe, I cannot turn off the end. When I relocate to a new shop in a couple of years, that will be of paramount importance for me. Using the sliding headstock and being able to turn of the end is something that would greatly reduce my fatigue from leaning over the lathe. Thinking, I'll stick the head stock in a "left" corner of the room so the end is open to turn from. Likely 3' off the wall, if I can.