show your lathe cabinets

[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.

[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.

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.

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.