Lathe Bench Base Configurations Question

Well, considering the physics, you're 180 out.

The lathe rotates objects toward you, so an accelerating heavy spot wants to drive the front of the stand down and lift the rear. That's why you want to slant the ends out in front to take the thrust. Unless you're in the habit of working from behind the headstock, you'll never notice. Snug the lathe - mounted _above_ the board by a comfortable cleanout distance - toward the front of the board, then go swing plus about 25% from lathe centerline on the ends to take the thrust. I say ends, because sheet goods are easier to fabricate and more rigid than anything made with fasteners and solid lumber.

I made mine with a cabinet and drawers underneath to store turning paraphernalia. The bottom of the cabinet is actually a hollow box which can be weighted. Once again, considering that the rear wants to lift as that heavy spot comes over the top, mounting weight low and aft makes it count for more. I have a hundred pounds in mine, but never turned an out-of-balance chunk without, so can't be sure its required. If you don't have the rigidity, you might want to get the weight closer to the lathe, and rely on inertia. I don't favor it.

Hi Charlie

I have one of those midi minis Delta midi, just to be able to take it along and turn mini stuff. Rotational forces on those gutless little motors are not present, or I should say disregard that, and you know that if you take off on a bike the front wheel wants to come up not the back, anyway the biggest problem I think especially on the variable speed motor is heat and burning out the motor, fans run slow while turning larger chunks usually, so try to keep the bench open under your motor, to have more ventilation but also to keep the wood chips from collecting there. I would make it a what you call a delta design and use 2 runs of 2x something on top with the opening in between, and then 4 legs down and out, cover with some ply or oriented strand board. Well I don't have to tell you how, saw your flat work bench, if you run out of space, I will gladly store all my stuff on it, here in my shop .

I guess my bias towards solid wood furniture and traditional joinery got me going towars draw pegged mortise and tenons in beefy stock (4x4s) and floating panels. The idea of bolting things together just sort of creeps me out.

But the idea of 2x4s and half inch ply "torsion box" construction for the ends has a great deal of merit. I can extend the outside ply over the outside edges of the 4x4s at the top and bottom and through peg them together I need the 4x4 as the foot and extended beyond the ply front and back to permit using the leg levelers with the allen head on the top of the "bolt" so they can be adjusted from above with an allen wrench. Worked great on my woodworking bench and, since there was a minimum order requirement when I bought them, I have an extra set of 4.

Still want to use through tenons on the stretchers- my bias.

If I go with the ply torsion box, I WILL have to edge band the ply where it'd be visible. The edges of baltic birch 7 ply isn't all that hard on the eye, but solid wood would just look nicer. Hmmm - padouk edge banding might be nice, maybe with a couple of inlayed strings - of silver perhaps. And ball and claw feet - that'd be interesting, as would a shell carving in the middle of the bottom stretcher. And half fluted columns on the front "legs" - that's the ticket. Perhaps a hidden drawer, with a hidden magnet actuated locking mechanism. A french polish to finish things off nicely.

(K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid - is one of my woodworking goals - so far not attained)

charlie b

That's funny!

(only because I know exactly what you mean)