Anyone have a metal shop in their basement.? Lathe stand ideas?

[woodchucker]

I have a lathe, mill, and surface grinder down there.
When using oil I have an exhaust fan that I put by a window in my other shop, I piped some 4" pvc up in the 1st floor joists, and turn it on when needed, it's a bathroom exhaust fan that I modified to fit in the window and connect to the pvc. It really helps keep the smell down, my wife hates it.. and before I installed it I had her wrath. Now not as much. I use a mister more on the mill, less so on the lathe, but I do have one, same with the surface grinder.

I made ramps that go up the stairs and use a harbor freight 120v winch at the top to raise and lower things on a dolly with big 5" wheels. It helps with some of the castings. I originally was carrying stuff down, but the surface grinder castings were way more than I could handle.

Sometimes I wear sneakers, but they are soft and pick up more swarf. I now mostly wear my ARIAT boots with flat bottoms, they seem to pick up less swarf.. I think the harder surface makes it less prone to minor chip infiltration. I also keep a good door mat at the shop entrance so I can wipe.
it's the bristle type.

Being downstairs is way more comfortable in the heat and cold... but on those nice days, I would love to be in the garage with the doors open... But you have to pick, and the machines like the basement better too, way less rust.. Actually hardly any.

 

[OTmachine]

Basement and garage shops for me. Two SB9's, a Rockwell mill, Surface Grinder, a 140A Mig and wood working tools in the basement. Only use the Mig for assembly spot welds. Been meaning to add a vent but have not got around to it. Wood working stinks the house up more than my metal machines. But, about the only coolant I use down there is an acid brush with cutting oil for parting off. All of the basement machine tools each weigh less than 700 lb. and can be knocked down to be moved on stairs trolley. Running the house A/C in the basement keeps from having to run a dehumidifier, and is cheaper. Warm in the winter and cool in the summer and No Bugs. Bigger machines upstairs.

 

[RJSakowski]

My biggest concern was the smell of the oil soaked lathe. I couldn't run a vent 24/7 so I'm wondering if the house would start smelling like oil. My machinist buddy thinks it's a terrible idea,,,lol.

I love the smell of way oil in the morning.

Seriously, unless you are smoking lots of oil turning steel, it isn't much of a problem. We keep the house,including the basement sealed fairly tightly summer and winter. Summer to control humidity and winter to conserve heat.

 

[Quick Cal]

I wonder if one of those free standing hepa type filters would be any good? My only vent option is out the tilting basement window. Same as my cloths dryer.

And I don't think I'll be putting a bridgeport down there,,,lol. All though I would like a mill drill. I have took the stairs completely out before to get a pool table out. There was a wall added and couldn't make the turn now. Stairs came out.

I dunno. My lathe may be junk. I have some worn ways. Don't know how to fix it,,,lol. Do you guys want to see a video?

 

[B2]

free standing hepa type filters

hepa and paper filters are meant to remove particles, not smaller molecules that create many of the smells. It is really hard to filter smell molecules so we activated carbon mask filters were created. The Carbon reacts with the molecules to collect them. So most of us just vent or don't breath much. Of course some small amount of the oils etc will collect on the hepa surfaces and ruin them eventually. Save the hepa for your wood working!

 

[cathead]

There's nothing like one olfactory affecting another olfactory.

Seriously, a lathe doesn't give off unpleasant odors unless one gets into heavy machining, cutting oil
and a pall of smoke. I do some of my turning without oil which generates no odors that I can detect.

 

[rabler]

Certain cutting oils involve sulfur and other chemicals which have a pretty serious smell. There are a lot of choices in recent years, so with some willingness to try out different lubricants, you are very likely to find solutions that are less offensive. Add ventilation of some type to that and you should be able to resolve any issues. I'm sure if you ask for suggestions on low odor cutting lubricants/coolants for use in the basement, you'll get plenty of help here.

 

[projectnut]

I wonder if one of those free standing hepa type filters would be any good? My only vent option is out the tilting basement window. Same as my cloths dryer.

And I don't think I'll be putting a bridgeport down there,,,lol. All though I would like a mill drill. I have took the stairs completely out before to get a pool table out. There was a wall added and couldn't make the turn now. Stairs came out.

I dunno. My lathe may be junk. I have some worn ways. Don't know how to fix it,,,lol. Do you guys want to see a video?

I do have a Bridgeport in the shop, and it gets used regularly. A few years ago, when I had some big projects, it was running 40 or more hours a week. I use Oatey Dark Thread Cutting Oil on the mills and the lathes. It does smoke a bit on heavy cuts, but the exhaust fan takes care of it. As mentioned in an earlier post there are several more machines that use cutting oil or coolant. With adequate ventilation there shouldn't be any smell. I make sure the exhaust fan is on when any of the machines using cutting oil are being used.

For the record our basement doesn't have any windows. The house was built when I was traveling 200 or more days a year for work. The wife didn't want to have to worry that someone might try to break in through a basement window. We also installed a security system with smoke, heat, carbon monoxide, motion, and break in sensors. Even the furnace and water heater have sensors for combustible vapors. None of the sensors have ever been tripped by odors or fumes.

Here are pictures of some of the machines in the shop. There are more, but these are the ones with the greatest potential to use cutting oil or coolants. Note there are no oil or coolant slicks on the floor, or excessive deposits on the machines. The wife is very sensitive to foul smells and rarely thinks the shop smell is obtrusive. If there ever is any odor, it never gets out of the shop to the upper levels.

 

[woodchucker]

I do have a Bridgeport in the shop, and it gets used regularly. A few years ago, when I had some big projects, it was running 40 or more hours a week. I use Oatey Dark Thread Cutting Oil on the mills and the lathes. It does smoke a bit on heavy cuts, but the exhaust fan takes care of it. As mentioned in an earlier post there are several more machines that use cutting oil or coolant. With adequate ventilation there shouldn't be any smell. I make sure the exhaust fan is on when any of the machines using cutting oil are being used.

For the record our basement doesn't have any windows. The house was built when I was traveling 200 or more days a year for work. The wife didn't want to have to worry that someone might try to break in through a basement window. We also installed a security system with smoke, heat, carbon monoxide, motion, and break in sensors. Even the furnace and water heater have sensors for combustible vapors. None of the sensors have ever been tripped by odors or fumes.

Here are pictures of some of the machines in the shop. There are more, but these are the ones with the greatest potential to use cutting oil or coolants. Note there are no oil or coolant slicks on the floor, or excessive deposits on the machines. The wife is very sensitive to foul smells and rarely thinks the shop smell is obtrusive. If there ever is any odor, it never gets out of the shop to the upper levels.

Easy enough to put a fan in a windowless basement . Just use typical exhaust port for the side of a building with flappers. As added protection from cold intrusion you can install a double flapper, one on the inside too.

 

[woodchucker]

I do have a Bridgeport in the shop, and it gets used regularly. A few years ago, when I had some big projects, it was running 40 or more hours a week. I use Oatey Dark Thread Cutting Oil on the mills and the lathes. It does smoke a bit on heavy cuts, but the exhaust fan takes care of it. As mentioned in an earlier post there are several more machines that use cutting oil or coolant. With adequate ventilation there shouldn't be any smell. I make sure the exhaust fan is on when any of the machines using cutting oil are being used.

For the record our basement doesn't have any windows. The house was built when I was traveling 200 or more days a year for work. The wife didn't want to have to worry that someone might try to break in through a basement window. We also installed a security system with smoke, heat, carbon monoxide, motion, and break in sensors. Even the furnace and water heater have sensors for combustible vapors. None of the sensors have ever been tripped by odors or fumes.

Here are pictures of some of the machines in the shop. There are more, but these are the ones with the greatest potential to use cutting oil or coolants. Note there are no oil or coolant slicks on the floor, or excessive deposits on the machines. The wife is very sensitive to foul smells and rarely thinks the shop smell is obtrusive. If there ever is any odor, it never gets out of the shop to the upper levels.

Everytime I see your shop I think how nice and comfortable it looks. Not ostentatious, just a nice usable space, where one can work, veg, or just tinker.