# Angle iron lathe stand - UPDATE (stand made)



## Maplehead (Apr 18, 2021)

Hi All
A lot of you guys are leaning me towards building my own lathe stand for my ShopFox M1112 1000lb lathe.
Would box store angle iron, 2" x 2" x 1/8" thick be sufficient to build the stand from? I'd prefer square tubing but the box stores only have 16 gauge. That seems too thin to me.
UPDATE: I made an iron stand using 2"x 2" square tubing. Forgive my not-so-pretty welds. Anyways, I'll put some plywood on top and then I think this will be an awesome and sturdy stand. Way better than the one that goes with the lathe.


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## Radials (Apr 18, 2021)

Is there not a steel supplier in your area? The stuff you buy at the box store is grossly overpriced compared to a steel yard who also have a much wider selection.


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## Maplehead (Apr 18, 2021)

Radials said:


> Is there not a steel supplier in your area? The stuff you buy at the box store is grossly overpriced compared to a steel yard who also have a much wider selection.


I'm looking now and I do see some in the area. However, would they sell such a small amount to an individual?


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## jwmelvin (Apr 18, 2021)

Maplehead said:


> I'm looking now and I do see some in the area. However, would they sell such a small amount to an individual?



You’ll buy full sticks around 20’ but it’s well worth it. A few years ago I paid $20 for a stick of 2x2x1/8” angle. Steel is expensive right now though.


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## rabler (Apr 18, 2021)

jwmelvin said:


> You’ll buy full sticks around 20’ but it’s well worth it. A few years ago I paid $20 for a stick of 2x2x1/8” angle. Steel is expensive right now though.


Most suppliers will do non-precision cuts for a small fee, so you can get it cut in half to make it reasonable to carry in a pickup truck. They’re going to adjust prices on a frequent basis t reflect market costs so don’t be surprised by changes.

I’ve never had problems buying small qty, and still MUCH cheaper than big box stores. I try to think ahead and buy as much as I can lump in a single order.  For example, it may be worth thinking about getting a 2” round bar to have some stock to use in the lathe. My local supplier gives a discount on large orders.  Free delivery if it is over about $500, I’m 25 miles away but not too far from one of their major customer, a local Toyota plant.


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## NC Rick (Apr 18, 2021)

I would use 2x2x0.90 rectangular tubing.  20 ft goes quick.  That will be a fun project.


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## rabler (Apr 18, 2021)

Maplehead said:


> Hi All
> A lot of you guys are leaning me towards building my own lathe stand for my ShopFox M1112 1000lb lathe.
> Would box store angle iron, 2" x 2" x 1/8" thick be sufficient to build the stand from? I'd prefer square tubing but the box stores only have 16 gauge. That seems too thin to me.


Also, think big for a lathe stand.  It’s not just holding up the weight, you want rigidity.  I’d suggest using 2” x 2” 12ga sq tube or heavier.


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## SLK001 (Apr 18, 2021)

Look for an Alro Metal Outlet branch near you.  They are my go-to metal supplier.

Are you able to weld steel so that it will sit flat (or weld the feet planar so there is no twist in the stand)?  If it is a twist and you use a heavy gauge steel, you'll probably have difficulty leveling the lathe.


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## Bi11Hudson (Apr 18, 2021)

I agree that 1/8th is too light unless some serious bracing were done. My machine is an older Atlas (Craftsman) that I have moved by myself. So I know it isn't as heavy as your's. My stand is 3/16 wall and 1-3/4(m/l) web with multiple braces. Big box steel is soft, mine is structural steel, somewhat harder. I don't know the grade, it is from a steel supplier and I had a commercial shop do the welding. I can weld, sort of, but wanted the stand sturdy enough to park my pick-up on. (Ford W-353) Home Depot and Lowes in my area have an angle that has been folded, it is not true "angle iron". just sheet metal that has been folded. This is a steel town, they don't need real steel, just something to sell to a casual user.


jwmelvin said:


> You’ll buy full sticks around 20’ but it’s well worth it. A few years ago I paid $20 for a stick of 2x2x1/8” angle. Steel is expensive right now though.


My supplier has 50' sticks. They will cut (for a charge) or the buyer can cut for transport. Your call there. . . Just be sure to carry a hacksaw or torch in the trunk. You are looking to not only support the weight, but rigidity as well. If the lathe moves, the stand moves with it, as one piece, no flexing. Commercial stands are the absolute minimum weight to look good in a showroom, build something strong.

I don't care for box tube, you cannot look inside for rust, etc. Just my opinion, if you build it with heavy wall tubing, it should outlive your grandchildren. I much prefer good heavy angle, doubled up.

.


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## Asm109 (Apr 18, 2021)

You would be surprised how long a piece of metal fits in a VW Jetta with the back seat folded down.  Close to 11 feet.  Just take a bunch of rags to rag the sticks where they touch the car.


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## mickri (Apr 18, 2021)

The strength is easy to achieve.  Mass and rigidity is why you want big and heavy.  The majority of the weight is at the headstock end.  So you need additional support/mass at that end of the stand.  If I was building a stand for a 1000 lb lathe it would look something like this.  I know some/most will scoff at this but you could even make it out of wood.  4x4 posts, 2x6 runners, 3/4 plywood for the sides and back and 2 layers of 3/4 plywood for the top.  The plywood glued and screwed with the posts and runners held together with bolts.  Wood absorbs vibration better than steel.  Make leveling feet for the posts.  Something to thing about.



As an aside.  As I look at stuff online invariably people who work in metal always seem to want to make everything out of metal and people who work with wood always want to make things out of wood.  I try to think more along the lines as to what is the best material for the project at hand.  I tend to favor wood for things like stands and benches because it is easier for me to work with.


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## sdelivery (Apr 18, 2021)

I have been in this business over 30 years
and many of the small lathes were mounted to a wood top on a metal stand....
I never liked it when I saw it but several old timers in the business explained how smooth the lathes ran.


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## rabler (Apr 18, 2021)

SLK001 said:


> Are you able to weld steel so that it will sit flat (or weld the feet planar so there is no twist in the stand)?  If it is a twist and you use a heavy gauge steel, you'll probably have difficulty leveling the lathe.



When I did this, I put four leveling feet on the floor.  The little lathe 10x22" I was mounting only had two hold down bolts.  I bolted these into a  2x3 x 3/16" tube, and put about 8" of 2x2x1/4" angle iron T'd across that at the ends.  (Very wide flattened H shape).  I set the angle to just overlap downward on the outside of the box frame.  Then two bolts with adjusting nuts through the frame into each angle iron, one at each end.  That way I could level the frame to the floor, and use the four bolts with adjusting nuts to level the lathe bed.

A did read a WWII article on another forum that basically talked about casting a concrete base for a lathe to turn a light duty lathe into a rigid setup.  While it made a lot of sense to me, I didn't want to challenge myself that much if I needed to move it for some reason or other.


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## DavidR8 (Apr 18, 2021)

sdelivery said:


> I have been in this business over 30 years
> and many of the small lathes were mounted to a wood top on a metal stand....
> I never liked it when I saw it but several old timers in the business explained how smooth the lathes ran.


My South Bend 10K sits on a 3.5" inch thick wooden top made from a laminated architectural beam. Probably weighs 100 lbs alone.


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## Weldingrod1 (Apr 18, 2021)

Make sure you either incorporate sides and at least a partial back (sheet metal or plywood), or cross brace it. The typical perimeter frame design with no sides or angle braces ends up being quite flexible, especially if made of angle iron!
Plus, sides make drawers/shelves much easier to put in!
A heavy duty door on the headstock end with dummy spindles or pins to store your chucks on is nice, but only for smaller chucks. As they get bigger you want them waist level and up.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk


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## EVMiller (Apr 20, 2021)

If you have any welding/fab shops in your area give them a call. A custom weld shop near me will sell steel at their cost with a minimal mark up and no penalty for small orders.


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## Maplehead (Apr 28, 2021)

Finally got my stand completed and the lathe seated. Now on to leveling. Thanks all for your advice and guidance.
.


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## Christianstark (Apr 28, 2021)

Stand looks great!


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## DavidR8 (Apr 28, 2021)

That looks excellent @Maplehead!


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## mickri (Apr 28, 2021)

The big open area on the right side is the perfect place for drawers to store stuff.  I would also try to fit some drawers on the left side too.


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## Flyinfool (Apr 28, 2021)

Since there are no corner gussets, I would add frame work for drawers to store stuff, the frame work will also help to stiffen the frame up.


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## Shotgun (May 4, 2021)

An easy way to get drawers is an old portable tool box with a tired handle or latches.  One like:









						20 in. 3 Drawer Steel Toolbox
					

Amazing deals on this 3 Drawer Steel Toolbox at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.




					www.harborfreight.com
				




I've got one that I plan to bolt down to the shelf under my mill.


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