# Bench for a SB 9"



## Glenn Brooks (Oct 12, 2017)

hello all,

I need to make a bench to mount my SB 9x 48" lathe. 

Iam thinking about making a free standing wood bench out of some old growth, tight grain 3x5 timbers and 100 year old 5/4" fir T &G tight grain flooring.

Alternative is to weld up a steel frame (for rigidity and lack of movement etc)

So, I wonder if a wood bench move move and twist to much as it absorbs moisture over the winter? 

What are the pros and cons?  And what thicknesses of the table top are best??

Thanks
Glenn


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## Laytonnz (Oct 12, 2017)

I used heavy box section and angle iron, and an 18mm plywood top sealed with varnish..  and the lathe is mounted to a 13mm steel plate screwed to the ply.
I added jacking bolts to level everything aswell.
Seems to work well. 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


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## Groundhog (Oct 12, 2017)

If you decide on steel, I have detailed plans that I drew (Fusion 360) for the stand I built for my 12 x 36 Asian lathe. Very sturdy and I'm happy with it. You (or I would if you want) could easily re-scale these plans to fit your needs. Made mostly from some 2.5 x 2.5 x.125 square tube. I would be glad to send the plans to you.


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## 4GSR (Oct 12, 2017)

Glenn,

I like the idea of using wood for a bench for your lathe.  My 9" SBL has been on junky wooden benches ever since it was born.  Never had any issues with it.  The trick is, leave the bolts snug on the tailstock end of the bed.  This allows movement in the bench without affecting the lathe bed.  It's been working for me for the last 68 years and still cuts true. 

Ken


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## pineyfolks (Oct 12, 2017)

My 9" south bend lathe is still on al stand from the 40's. It's a 2x2 angle iron frame with a wooden top covered with 1/8" metal.  Still seems to be holding up fine after all those years.


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## Glenn Brooks (Oct 12, 2017)

4gsr said:


> Glenn,
> 
> I like the idea of using wood for a bench for your lathe.  My 9" SBL has been on junky wooden benches ever since it was born.  Never had any issues with it.  The trick is, leave the bolts snug on the tailstock end of the bed.  This allows movement in the bench without affecting the lathe bed.  It's been working for me for the last 68 years and still cuts true.
> 
> Ken



Ken, 

Thanks for the tip on snugging down the tailstock bolts.  One question - if the headstock feet are not bolted down to,the bench,  how does one level the lathe?

Thanks
Glenn


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## Charles Spencer (Oct 13, 2017)

I built a version of a wooden bench from plans I got from an old Popular Mechanics.  I used 1" planks for the top with 2"x4" braces centered every 12".  It's worked fine for me.


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## 4GSR (Oct 13, 2017)

Glenn Brooks said:


> Ken,
> 
> Thanks for the tip on snugging down the tailstock bolts.  One question - if the headstock feet are not bolted down to,the bench,  how does one level the lathe?
> 
> ...



I've never leveled it.  The bench/ cabinet it's on is somewhat leveled and that's as close as it has ever been leveled.   That's why I leave the bolt loose on the tailstock end of the bed, so no twist is induced into the bed that would cause alignment problems.  Look at some of the old South Bend Lathe catalogs, virtually every one of them show the 9" lathe on some type of wooden bench.  I love to get my hands on a old SBL wooden cabinet they offered back in the late 1930's.  Anyone who mounts a lathe on a rigid metal stand will have to level it, or at least level the stand and leave the tailstock bolts loose.  May have to shim up under the tailstock end of the bed if any gap exists.   Now, the 9" lathes that had the cast iron bases with the underneath motor countershaft setup, those lathes have to be leveled.  
Glen, you don't have to listen to me, build the bench as you like to have it.  There is no right or wrong way to do it as long as it is sturdy enough to support and handle your lathe, rather it's wood or metal.  Some of these sheet metal stands that come with some of the Asian made lathes scare the crap out of me!

Ken


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## 4GSR (Oct 13, 2017)

Charles Spencer said:


> I built a version of a wooden bench from plans I got from an old Popular Mechanics.  I used 1" planks for the top with 2"x4" braces centered every 12".  It;s worked fine for me.
> 
> View attachment 244078
> View attachment 244077


Charles,

That is an excellent set of plans to follow by for a wooden bench!

Ken


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## pineyfolks (Oct 13, 2017)

The only thing I added was a backsplash and chip tray. The drawers and shelf underneath are wooden also.


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## rock_breaker (Oct 13, 2017)

My father mounted my Clausing MKlll on a home-made wooden bench very similar to Charles Spencer's photo.
He added 2 drawers under the 2 x 8 frame around the top. I have increased the table leg dimensions to 4 x 4 and added a 0.5" sheet of plywood on top which is sealed with polyurethane. I have leveled it on the frame shop floor and it IMHO is quite stable.
Have a good day
Ray


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## Glenn Brooks (Oct 13, 2017)

Thanks all, for great replies and photos. Photos are worth a 1000 words, as the old saying goes. Glad so many people have had positive responses about wood tables. 

And particularily Thanks to Mike P. for sending a very nice set of Fusion 360 table frame drawings. I think I will use Mikes drawing  to make a tooling cart and a build table for some 1/4 scale railway cars I want/need to construct later this winter.

So thinking inside the box, this afternoon went out into the shop to measure the SB. Low and behold it fits perfectly on a wood carpenters table that I have had covered in junk, chucks, and tool boxes for  years. It's near perfect in size @ 24" x60".  Hadn't even thought of it till I went over to pick up a measuring tape out of the tool box! Lo and behold there it was! This will be a big time saver as I should be receiving a used countershaft this week off eBay, and want to get busy putting the lathe back into service ASAP.





Even has provision for a couple of drawers - although I don't have the drawers. I think I will add cross beams and a lateral support near the bottom of the legs, and maybe a shelf or two on each end.  Maybe some angle iron brackets at the feet with provision for bolting to the floor, so the whole thing doesn't tip over - it is fairly narrow. And the lathe and countershaft will be bolted near the outside edges.

Only other thing is I now need to make a cart or two to hold the stuff that must come off and under the table, to fit the lathe.  So the standard progression of one step forward and two back.  Which is where Mikes great drawings will come in really handy. 

Thanks again!

Glenn


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## Indy_328 (Oct 31, 2017)

Wanted to raise my Logan up a bit.  Glued 2 x 4's and a little all thread.............doesn't move a bit.  Kinda like a tough butcher block.  Inexpensive and easy.  Re mounted the legs to the table


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## rock_breaker (Oct 31, 2017)

That looks as solid as they come. The large open  area  is a plus  IMHO.
Have a good day
Ray


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## Bob Korves (Oct 31, 2017)

Glenn Brooks said:


> Maybe some angle iron brackets at the feet with provision for bolting to the floor, so the whole thing doesn't tip over - it is fairly narrow.


I would not bolt the 9" SB to the floor.  Instead, I would mount some wooden board braces to the far left and right outside (or inside) sides of the legs at floor level, long enough to project beyond the legs to the front and rear enough to help prevent tipping.  Then you can move your lathe around easily...


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## Glenn Brooks (Oct 31, 2017)

Thanks Bob, I need to add some stiffeners to the legs of the table, anyway.  Might as well extend them a bit to add stability. Iam thinking about adding rollers to be able to move the lathe if needed. Don't know how that will work out as the concrete floor is slanted towards the center, as befitting drainage in  a garage.  Don't want to continually chase the lathe down hill.

Glenn


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## woodchucker (Nov 1, 2017)

Glenn Brooks said:


> Ken,
> 
> Thanks for the tip on snugging down the tailstock bolts.  One question - if the headstock feet are not bolted down to,the bench,  how does one level the lathe?
> 
> ...


He said snug. Not no bolts. The snug will allow movement, but won't cause an issue to the wood. Anyway you shim from below, so your not pulling it down and locking it into the wood., you just don't want it moving around.  

BTW if you do use a wood top, I picked up a pan for underneath the car (oil drip pan) 48" model and it's a great oil drip pan. then I use a removeable baking pan for the chips which I can pull out. My SB 9a is a wet mess  from plenty of oil. The gear box really leaks like crazy even with new wicks.  So the pan keeps chips that don't make the baking pan, and keeps the oil...


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## hman (Nov 4, 2017)

Glenn Brooks said:


> I am thinking about adding rollers to be able to move the lathe if needed. Don't know how that will work out as the concrete floor is slanted towards the center, as befitting drainage in  a garage.  Don't want to continually chase the lathe down hill.


Glenn -
A couple years ago I came up with a knee/toggle action mechanism to raise/lower a set of casters.  I've since used it for a number of tools, including one that weighs about 350 lbs.  The basic idea is to put a pair of swivel casters on a plate at each end of the tool.  The plates pivot on a pair of heavy door hinges, both plates mounted to a crossbar under the center of the tool.  The knee/toggle action lets you raise the tool onto the casters (be sure the caster plates are set up to be level when you do this), so the tool can be moved around.  The flat ends of the toggle bars keep things very stable.  Raising the casters sets the tool down on its feet, so it won't move around.  I'm working on an article for one of the machinist magazines.  Meanwhile, here are some preview/sneak peek photos of the lift on my homemade my 9x20 lathe table.  PS - the table top is two thicknesses of ¾" MDF glued together.  There's now a set of fluorescent lights over the lathe bed, attached atop the uprights.


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## larry4406 (Nov 5, 2017)

Hman - very clever knee linkage!  Been thinking along similar lines for my future lathe bench.


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## kgill (Sep 2, 2018)

HMAN,  Really clever with the casters. Can you show a few more pics?


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## kgill (Sep 2, 2018)

pineyfolks said:


> View attachment 244093
> 
> The only thing I added was a backsplash and chip tray. The drawers and shelf underneath are wooden also.



Pineyfolks, I'm curious what you use the Kardex file for?


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## pineyfolks (Sep 2, 2018)

kgill said:


> Pineyfolks, I'm curious what you use the Kardex file for?


I have everything from drill bits, lathe bits, micrometers, inside and outside calipers and my hand files. Basically anything I use at this lathe.


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## hman (Sep 3, 2018)

kgill said:


> HMAN,  Really clever with the casters. Can you show a few more pics?


OK.  Here are a few, plus some CAD screen shots.  As you can see, lots of configurations are possible.  I've even gone so far as to weld up a pair of caster plates to go _around_ the legs of the green bandsaw frame shown in the first photo.  All the others I've done have used a double thickness of ¾" plywood for the caster plate.  Weight capacity of the lift is probably a maximum of around 500 lbs. (250 per caster plate) if made of wood.  My table saw weighs in at 350 lbs, and it's pretty easy to raise and lower.

A couple things I've found to be important:  1. Be sure the casters clear the feet and other features of the machine.  The "halos" around the casters in the CAD screen shots represent the full rotation space of the casters.  2. Be sure the plate the casters are mounted on is stiff.  You don't want it to tilt or flex under load.  I space the hinges as far apart as possible.  My go-to caster plate is a double thickness of ¾" plywood.  I'll cut the lower plate away around the casters, to reduce overall height.  3. The knee pivots on a good, strong bolt at the top.  I usually use ½".  4. There are several ways to orient the lifting bar.  I've tried several over the years (as shown in various photos).  Experience has shown that the *best* place is on the upper knee section, on the same side as the hinge.  5. You can get increased leverge by making the upper section of the knee shorter than the lower.  6. The knee itself is 3 thicknesses of ¾" plywood glued together.  The mating surfaces of the knee sections should be flat and square.  When the tool is raised onto the casters, it's these surfaces that keep the knee upright.  7. The joint between the bottom of knee and the pivot pin on the caster plate needs to "flex" in two directions.  My simple joint consists of an eyebolt inserted in the bottom of the knee and a stack of washers (or short length of pipe) between fender washers on a pin (⅜" handy rod or bolt) that extends out of the caster plate.  8. Final adjustment of the knee length is provided by epoxying a nut inside the knee.  This allows the eyebolt to be run in or out as needed.  9. Be sure the pivot pin is securely anchored on the caster plate.  If the caster plate is wood, I'll face it with a piece of steel bar to keep the wood from splitting under load.

Kgill & larry4406, your request for photos (and info) is very timely.  I'm currently in the process of writing an article for Home Shop Machinist/Machinist's Workshop.  Writing up this post has helped me organize my thoughts!


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