Good idea/bad idea for flip cart?

[atgcpaul]

I think it was this year that I made a flip cart for my Ridgid lunchbox planer and Ridgid OSS. I think it's the best shop improvement I have EVER made. Both tools share one footprint, can be easily accessed, and the cart has storage.

I also have a drum sander on a cart and a mini lathe still in the box. They are comparable in size and weight so they should balance each other.

I don't think having the drum sander upside down will be an issue. How about the lathe? Don't think so, right?

I know people weigh down their lathes to make them stable. My other flip cart isn't unstable when the wheels are locked but also not completely immobile. Do mini lathes have to be completely locked down?

Any negatives to this plan? If I don't do this, the lathe is going to be in the box even longer.

Thanks
Paul

[Bill in Buena Park]

Paul,
I can't think of any reason why you can't put a mini-lathe on a flip cart. The lathe itself would have no issues being upside down when not in use. Also, you'll get the benefit of mounting the lathe to the flip-top surface, providing stability, and the weight of the sander could provide added stability against vibration, as long as the locks keep the flip-top immobile.

[capncarl]

I really like the flip carts! Craftsman offered one with 3 tools, and still can be found online.
capncarl

[mpc]

Three little issues with flipping a lathe:
1: they catch lots of sawdust/shavings that are hard to clean out with a vacuum... lots of nooks and crannies on typical mini lathes. So expect it to dump out a bit of sawdust when you flip it upside-down.

2: the tool rest may want to fall out. And break.

3: You won't be able to add a bed extension. Depends on what direction your turning interests go. You may decide that a new full-size lathe is a better idea than a bed extension if you find yourself addicted to turning.

#1 and 2 just mean you need to pay attention when flipping the tool. Other than dropping the tool rest, I can't see any risk for flipping a mini lathe. However... there are a lot of extras that go with using a lathe: the turning chisels themselves, various head and tailstock pieces (live centers, 4-jaw grips, the "knockout" tool for the tailstock, etc.) and accessories you'll want handy while using the lathe. A dedicated cabinet, with a drawer or two, makes a lot of sense. Kinda like a router: the router itself is small, but the wrenches, bits, and add-on accessories accumulate.

Make sure your locking mechanism is secure. A lot of raw stock for lathe work is anything but balanced so some shaking is expected until you get the stock roughly round. You don't want that shaking to unlock the flip mechanism! Most folks find they need to securely clamp or bolt mini lathes to something heavy to minimize vibrations. Even when the workpiece is more or less round, some vibration is normal for lathe work. Some large lathes are sand filled to add mass & damping, other folks add sand bags or bricks on the lathe stand. My mini lathe wanted to wander like player pieces in the electric football games/toys until I bolted it to a roll-around cabinet.

What type of wheels/casters do you use? I use the double-locking style; they prevent the wheel from rolling and they lock the castering axis eliminating that "wobble" from the cabinet. Locking just 2 of the 4 casters makes my roll-around cabinets quite stable.

mpc