Lathe stand

[gerti]

Ages ago I built this one:

http://www.sawdustzone.org/showthread.php?45984-Adding-lathe-ballast-to-reduce-vibration&p=415431#post415431

So far it has served me quite well, rock solid and no vibrations. Unfortunately there has not been much turning in the last couple years :-( Hope to get back to it eventually.

[dbhost]

Man you guys are making me look like a slacker! I've got a month of double shifts, some auto work, LOTS of shop cleanup, a trip to Rockler, and about 6 "State Park" camp site signs I need to fab up before I can even think about my lathe...

Looking at your designs you give me ideas, I hope you don't mind if I make some of my own mistakes though. I like your M&T idea for the legs, but not crazy about the design of the spreaders. I have my own ideas (no loose tenon, M&T with likely mechanical fasteners just to give it some added squeeze). I will probably mess it up....

[poolhound]

To be honest I have a feeling that my temporary solution may end up having more life than I anticipate. Construction was simple glue and screws. I will see in a while how well it stands up to vibrations etc. I think my biggest issue is my floor which is not that flat/level so I will end up having to shim the stand anyways and no matter how well its constructed I could still get vibrations. We will see...

[dbhost]

The legs coming slightly apart from the stretchers is completely my fault. If I had gone belt and suspenders with a screw or two in addition to the Dominos, it wouldn't have leaked at all. But yes, keeping the sand in the bag would be optimal. Even if I did furniture movers when I moved it, I would have come out better.

No worries there. I don't own a Domino, and unless they come WAY down in price, it's not likely I ever will. Love Festool, but something about their price tags makes me gag. Perhaps a lucky find at an estate sale maybe....

There is enough room there for the grinder(s), however that's also where I keep my metal tool chest, and I can't open the lid with the current clearance.

Yeah, my only plan for space use under the stand between the legs is going to specifically for direct lathe related stuff. Turning tools, calipers and the like, The grinder already lives close by and is super easy to access so no need to move it. My tool box is on the other side of the shop. So really not a problem for me. I am tempted to take a different approach to the "sandbox" though, and possibly do a thin fiberglass / resin coat on the inside to give it more strength and insure it won't leak.

I must admit I am pretty fond of the idea of storage underneath the lathe for things like my turning tools, chucks, knockout tool, spanners etc... I also admit I haven't had great success sizing up and building good drawers yet. Shop projects though, they are for figuring these things out, and I will need to know how to do a good dovetail drawer. Once I get that figured out, I can start running some production in here and start getting the cabinets, drawers, drawer fronts and door fronts for my kitchen rebuild done! But I digress, at the rate I have been able to get shop time in, the kitchen will likely be done 3 years after I am dead.

Yup, going to be completely user preference. The stand for me was at a decent height, so I used that as a benchmark. I think I ended up about an inch higher. Elbows at the spindle is a good starting point.

As I previously mentioned, spindle at elbow height means up 3" from where it is now. So good opportunity to get there.

Yes, per usual. I kept the slightest bit of bevel on the 2x4s I used for the top purely out of convenience, and it's a great visual. Not enough of a vee to be a nusiance when getting it clean.

I would think removing 1/8" if stock from each face of the 2x4 stock would net you a square 3.25" x 1.25" however long piece you want to work with. That I can manage!

I'd steer you toward a traditional M&T over the dowels, just on a hunch. Perhaps a combo. Or drawbore dowels from the sides. I laminated the 2x4s for the legs and then cut off the top portion of one of them to make my tenon. Many different ways to arrive there. I'd also save yourself time my doing a trench cut dado on one of the boards for your top lamination before you glue it together. Instant mortise when you glue it together. Slight bit of planning on how wide and long your base is in proportion to your top and it will be a breeze. Size your lower stretchers to fit.

Okay, I am a bit thick, but just figured out what you are talking about, so figure if each piece is 1.25x3.25", on the top lamination, have the outer piece full size, then the next one in say has a 1.75" x 3.25" trough dadoed into it at each end, starting say 3.25" from each end, and so on until the top lamination is done. Then arrange your leg laminations to allow that much for a tenon, and perhaps the same so that I can butt joint the stretchers on that side. Glue up the stretchers to the legs, make the mortises for the stretchers on the side, cut the tenons, glue them up, and while still wet, glue the base to the top, get it all in band clamps and square, let it all dry....