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Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998

"backstop" for lathe?

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"backstop" for lathe?

#1

"backstop" for lathe?

Andy in Raleigh

>I have a small shop area in my garage and I share the garage with my wife's car and my kids' toys. The best layout I have come up with is to have the lathe freestanding with some open shelves behind it (that are accessed from the other side). The problem with this is that I don't want to send chips flying behind the lathe. The lathe is mounted on a stand, but the stand is longer than my lathe, so I actually have my lathe bolted down to an oak plank and the plank is mounted to the stand. One thought I have is to mount a piece of ply to the edge of the plank (I would add a beam under the plank and secure it to that also) that would serve as something of a backstop to catch chips. I know they would mount up quick, but I am okay with that. In my limited space I have to clean up chips often anyway. But would this be very effective at all anyway? I would hate to go to the trouble of setting it up and still have a bunch of chips flying over into the toys every time I turn. An occasional one is okay. How tall would it need to be? I suspect that would be relative to center height, which is maybe 10" (probably a little less) above the plank. I would prefer not to mount anything to the walls or ceiling (I thought about the shower curtain arrangement) if I can get away with it.

Re: "backstop" for lathe?

#2

Low tech solution

Dave Smith, Longview, WA

>Hi Andy,

I use old sheet to block off areas when I spray. They work great. Could you hang an old sheet on the back side of the shelf behind the lathe? Spring clamps are handy for attaching sheets.

Dave Smith

Well dear, it is an old sheet now in Longview, WA.

Re: "backstop" for lathe?

#3

they are really low shelves

Andy in Raleigh

>The top shelf is below the level of the lathe, so that would not work.

Re: "backstop" for lathe?

#4

Richard Allen

Re: "backstop" for lathe?

Richard Allen

>One of the things we like to do is take pictures of our work. Having a way to hold background paper helps make the picture thing lot better. Well if you make a stand to hold background paper you could use that to hold a shower curtain when turning.

Something like what is pictured. Mind you these things are very pricey. But you should be able to make something like it to hold a shower curtain or a roll of background paper.


img

Re: "backstop" for lathe?

#5

Yep, pricy but...

BubbaBob

>...that is store bought, foldable, portable. Why not use 3" pvc pipe and pvc fittings to make a "shadetree engineering" version for about 20-30 bucks?

BubbaBob

cheap in the mountains of N GA

Re: "backstop" for lathe?

#6

Bubba, you got it right

Fred in NC

>PVC pipe is most useful... and easy to work with.

And you don't have to glue every joint, which makes it more portable.

Re: "backstop" for lathe?

#7

Re: Low tech solution

Lloyd

>You might try a cheap shower curtain. Shavings might not stick to it like a sheet. My wife picks them up at Dollar stores if you have them where you are.

Re: "backstop" for lathe?

#8

Re: "backstop" for lathe?

Dick Parr

>What about pull down window shades. Attach to the ceiling and pull them down when needed. Put back up when not in use. You should be able to surround the lathe area for about $25 or less.

Re: "backstop" for lathe?

#9

Re: "backstop" for lathe?

John Lucas

>Bobby Clemons has plastic mounted on pipe that can be pulled down from the ceiling. It works much like the window shades but you can make it any size you want.

The Appalachian Center for Crafts has a piece of chip board. about 4 x 6 hanging on chains between each lathe. This not only stops a lot of the shavings, some of the students have bounced bowls off the board so it protected the other students in the class.

Re: "backstop" for lathe?

#10

Plastic sheets

Dominic Greco in Richboro, PA

>Sometimes called "Visqueen" (sp). You can get it in rolls. Cut yourself a nice long (about as long as your ceiling is high) and wide piece and hang it from some electrical conduit that is in turn attached to your ceiling. At the bottom of the plastic sheet, attach another run of electrical conduit. This will weigh the end down a bit, and allow you to have something to roll the plastic back up on.

You can enclose yourself to a point where 90% of the chips will be contained within the boundaries of the "curtained area".

When not in use, just roll it up like a blind.

I use a version of this. But mine is "el cheapo" shower curtains. I have since switched to some blue "packing" plastic they had here at work. Works just as well.

See ya around,

Dominic