A 'Hidden' Lathe in a Bench?

Not really too bad, but.....

Dominic Greco in Richboro PA

>Aaron,

Don't you just love those old "how to" texts? But being a mechanical engineer, I can't just leave well design enough alone. :>)

While technically the set up shown in that old book is a very neat storage solution, I'd be a bit leary of the consequences after chucking in a big, out of round bowl blank! Imagine having the lathe bounce, and the support come loose. Yikes!

Rather than have the lathe pivot up from below as shown, I would have the lathe mounted upside down on that plywood slab (actually a torsion box based around [2] 3/4" slabs). The pivot point (say, a 3/4" threaded rod or piece of black pipe) would be located in the middle of the slab. You'd reach under the bench, pivot the lathe 180 degrees. This would actually be an easer operation and would not require the 2x4 "cheater bar" shown in the old photos. Locking it into place would be a matter of inserting a long pin on either side of the bench (or something like that). The concept is a lot like the tilt top tool stands made popular by WOOD and Woodsmith Magazine.

With this set up however, I believe that vibration while turning may still present be a problem. A stand alone bench for a lathe, with appropriate ballast is still the best solution.

Perhaps thinking about this problem from the other way around would help. Would making it so that the lathe is on it's own compact stand, with a mobile base help? When you want to use it, pull it out of it's cubby. When done, slide it back in. It's just a thought.

Good luck with whatever approach you take.

See ya around,

Dominic

Re: A 'Hidden' Lathe in a Bench?

EagleS.C.

>I don't know about any one else but it has me thinking about storage/space/use problem I have for with my JET mini and DELTA 13&1.2" planer.

Re: Not really too bad, but.....

Fred in NC

>Dominic:

When I bought my first lathe, a Chinese Lightweight Cheapo brand from HF, I did a lot of thinking about how to conserve space in my shop.

Your suggestion makes a lot more sense. There are a couple considerations in this type of arrangement:

First, a lot of the space under the bench will be unusable because the lathe needs the room to swing around.

Second, the pivot point will probably need to be off center because the headstock end is heavier.

Third, any kind of pivot or hinged mount lends itself to a lot of vibration when turning larger bowl blanks. It is not a solid mount.

I built, and still have and use, a pivoting base for this lathe. It is stand alone, not part of a bench. When folded, it takes a little less than half of the floor space. And most important, when the lathe is in use, it does not depend on the hinges for support. It rests solidly on both ends !

I designed it so I could add some sandbags to the base at the headstock end, however, I am aware of the limitations because of the lathe itself and the mount.

I never got around taking a pic, but if there is enough interest, I will take a pic in the next day or so, and post it.

Fred in NC ... tinkerer at heart !

Re: A 'Hidden' Lathe in a Bench?

Stuart Johnson

>Something like this would never work for me. In my shop things grow on horizontal spaces. It would take about 15 minutes for the the bench to be stacked high with stuff. There would then be an hour chore to move it all and open up the lathe. If I was to close it up after use new stuff would start growing and the old stuff would still be stacked on top the tablesaw and jointer.

Re: A 'Hidden' Lathe in a Bench?

Andy in Raleigh

>I currently mount my lathe (a mini clone) on my bench with C clamps and just unclamp and move it (I have a place to store it very nearby). It only takes a couple of minutes and I am usually using it or not in exclusion to other things, so it isn't all that impractical. BTW, my storage spot for it is on my "pounding bench" - a little bench like you would sit on made of 2"x12" with a metal working vise on one end. I straddle the bench to beat on things that require that kind of effort or cut/grind things in the vise. Most of the time I just keep it slid under some shelves with the lathe sitting on it. One time when I just needed a short dowel I decided to just clamp it there and sit on a tool box to turn it in that cramped space rather than mess with clearing my workbench and moving it. It wasn't that bad. So I sometimes use it like that for small amounts of spindle work.

Anyway, I have considered doing something like you suggest, but I really don't think it would be much, if any, more convenient than moving and doing the temporary mount with clamps.

Re: A 'Hidden' Lathe in a Bench?

Peter Teubel

>This design looks like its for someone who is only using the lathe occasionally and only for spindle work. If that is your forte, it looks like a novel concept. Personally, the lathe is the center of all my work, so there's no point in hiding it since its just about the only tool used in the shop. In fact, my main shop contains a bandsaw, DC, 2 grinders, and 4 lathes. That's it.

Thanks All..

Aaron Cunningham - Bothell, WA

>Thanks very much for your comments everyone.

I'll have to give it some more thought, both practicality of the 'hidden' lathe and specific implementation if I do that.

As Peter points out, the design is probably for occasional spidle turners, which at this point is what I have in mind.

Stuart's point about coverage of horizontal space is valid too. I need the horizontal space as a bench though...

Moving and clamping the lathe is probably not an option. Hauling around a 36" lathe isn't my idea of a good time. The center pivot is worth considering, and if I really like the idea of just putting a good solid bench on wheels and sliding it out of the way, but there's no place 'out of the way'

Dominic, old "how-to" books are the best. The one I got just before this. "Working with Tools for Fun and Profit", from 1929, has some great stuff too. He also uses the phrase "mechanical contrivances" to describe some of his projects, and I just like the sound of that.

Actually, he has a fairly complete set of instructions on how to make your own motor powered lathe. When you make it past the ice yacht and the indoor shooting range, he also has plans for a scooter, a wagon ("ready to run for fun or profit"), some furniture and a printing press.

Sorry for the OT, but people at work think I'm nuts. :)

Aaron