Cinder block lathe bench

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Svdharma

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I just picked up my first lathe, a 1943 Montgomery-Ward Logan 200 I found on craigslist. I'll probably post pics of it in another thread because I think it is in remarkably good condition, but the lighting in my basement is abysmal right now so I'll save that for later.

Anyway, I need some kind of a bench to put this lathe on and the cheapest and most stable thing I can think of is to use cinder-blocks. Cost is my primary motivation for using concrete, but I figure while I am at it I ought to maximize the rigidity/damping characteristics as much as I can. I also want this thing to be movable, so my constraints are to keep the materials under ~$200 and keep the weight of each component under 150lbs.

My current plan is to use 12" x 16" x 8" cinder blocks. In order to keep the whole thing movable, I am thinking I will fill each block with concrete individually and then use PUR adhesive instead of mortar to glue them together. This way I can use a windshield removal tool to cut them apart if I need to move them in the future. What do you guys think about this arrangement? Obviously the adhesive will not be very stiff, but on the other hand it should be very good for damping vibrations. Which do you think is more important?

The other thing I am thinking about is the top surface of the bench. There are three or four options I am considering. The first is to just use a solid plate of 5/8" steel, which I could get for about $100. Alternatively, I could use countertop granite, but the span between the cinder-block pillars will be about 40" so I think I would need to laminate two layers and that might put me over budget. The third option is concrete. I could cast a concrete slab the way people do to make countertops. If I make the slab 12" x 48" I could make it about 3" thick and still meet my weight requirement. Finally, the last option I am thinking about is a sandwich of two thinner steel plates with some kind of damping material like concrete, epoxy granite, or plastic between them.

Right now I am leaning towards the steel plate / epoxy granite laminate as the most rigid and most highly damped option, but it would also be the most work and I am not sure about thermal expansion. Anybody have any ideas? I am planning to do the pillars this week so I'll definitely post pics when that happens.
 
Ok, If you are going with block piers why not purchase 4" solid cap blocks to save yourself some work and not have to move all that weight later when you remove it. I would go with the steel top. It will be easier to drill holes to fasten down the lathe. Al.
 
Welcome to the group Svdharma. It's not clear which lathe you have: is it a Logan 200, or a Wards lathe, built by Logan?
They are similar, but not the same machine, though either one is a good choice. :)

I would think a heavily built workbench with a 1" ply top capped with some sheet steel would be fine. Just overbuild
it, and put some heavy stuff on a shelf below the lathe. That would be just as rigid (or better) as the cast legs that Logan
sold the small lathes with.

Doing it with cinder block can certainly be done, but it sounds kind of complicated, and a Logan in good shape doesn't vibrate much to begin with. Mine has the cast legs, and a 3 phase motor/VFD combo and it runs smoothly and quietly.
 
Hi and welcome,

I also wouldn't go with cinder block, do you have a welder or know someone that does? If so you best bet is to make a steel workbench for your machine.

Another possibility is getting an old tanker style desk, you know the steel ones made in the 50's thru 80's that weigh a ton. You can often get them free off Craigslist if you have the muscle to move them. I've gotten some great stuff off Craigslist free and if you can find something there you will have extra cash for tooling.

Check this out, might be perfect and I bet they will deal....

boston.craigslist.org

Industrial Steel Work Bench / Workbenches (updated pricing) - tools...

For sale: industrial heavy duty workbenches. These are from decommissioned sorters. They are all...
boston.craigslist.org

Throw a nice steel top on one of those and you'll be in business.

John
 
Sorry for the confusion, my lathe is a Ward lathe made by Logan - similar to a Logan 200.

Al - Do you mean leaving the piers hollow and putting cap blocks at the top, or using all cap blocks to avoid having to fill the blocks with concrete? Both thoughts have crossed my mind. I also agree that steel for the top is definitely the "easy" option. There is a good chance I'll use steel just out of convenience, but I think I could make it a lot stiffer and more highly damped for the same money if I wanted to put the work in on something different. On a side note, do you know of any easy way to counterbore holes in steel with a hand drill? Standard counterbore cutters don't look like they would be happy in a hand drill.

Notgoingback - The reason I don't want to use wood is that wood changes dimension a LOT with humidity, and because it is pretty hard to build a wood table that doesn't rack (I loathe tables that rack at all, especially work tables).

John - I saw that mail sorting equipment on craigslist and definitely thought about it. I also thought about a tanker desk. I actually have a tanker desk in the basement right now that I could probably use. The problem with it is that it is way too low (I am 6' 1"). The wooden bench the lathe came with is about the same height as my tanker desk, and my back and neck where not happy after less than an hour of playing with the lathe last night. One of a 54" x 19" x 35" cabinets on craigslist would be pretty much ideal, but I am pretty sure I wouldn't be able to get one into my basement. I looked closely at the pictures and they look to be fully welded. IDK how much they weight, but the tables where supported at 6 points with ~2" metal hex stock, so I am guessing they are stupid heavy. I just emailed the guy to find out but I haven't heard back yet.


Unfortunately I don't have a welder, and living in the city there are not a lot of folks with welders in their garage. I'm not 100% set of using concrete, but out of all the options I see (wood, steel, cement, roll-away toolbox, etc.) it seems like the cheapest best solution. I know I am making it a lot more complicated than it needs to be, but I'm going to do that no matter what kind of bench I use haha. I just figure I am only going to build this thing once, so I might as well spend some time to make it as good as it can be.

Anybody got any ergonomic design considerations for a lathe bench that I ought to consider? Are there any features you would add if you where going to make a custom bench or that you would look for if you where going to buy one? One of the things I was thinking was that if I make the top out of concrete I could mold a lip around the outside for coolant, but I've also heard people say that it makes it harder to clean the chips out if you aren't using coolant.
 
I made a base out of 3 layers of 1/2" plywood, and a top layer of sheet aluminum. Then set that on four cinder blocks, on top of a tankers desk, with long bolts going from the lathe tray, through the top of the tankers desk. Gave plenty of storage room, and could be easily disassembled for moving. The other thought I had was to mount the tray right on the desk, and put the cinder blocks under the desk feet. I sold that one before I moved out west. But my Atlas/ Craftsman is mounted to 2 layers of plywood, and then a oil drip pan from an auto parts store Its like 2 by 3 feet. I like the raised edges over the flat ones the old setup had.
 
For ergonomics, the main thing for me would be table height. I'm too tall for most stock benches (but not that tall, 6') so I want an extra inch or three. I have a prosthetic disc in my back, so I don't like to bend at all, especially if I have to hold a stooping position for a period of time. Time flies when you're turning parts, so if you have any ailments at all, you'll feel it.
 
The most important thing a lathe stand needs to be is rigid and level. I would either build an all wood stand or one with metal legs and a wood top. For the top, personally I would build a torsion box using plywood topped with sheet steel, or at least 3 layers of 3/4 plywood glued and screwed together topped with sheet metal. To add weight and help dampen vibration, make usual shelf spans the stretchers between the legs with a bottom, fill this space with a couple bags of play sand then screw on the plywood top.
 
My 210 spent years on a 4x4 post table with a double layer of 2x6's for the top surface, on the ends, and then a couple down on the bottom and on the rear. It was solid.
Like @pontiac428 I needed it a bit higher.
IMO that's all you really need to mount it. Plus you get some space to put in some simple drawers and such.
 
I have a bad back as well, and I raised my Logan about 4" higher on a welded steel stand. The bed is now about
43" above the floor. It works for me, but a touch higher wouldn't hurt. I'm 5' 11" tall.

My suggestion of using wood was in part because you want to limit cost. I don't know how much humidity changes would move your lathe, but if it's in a basement I would think the temps would be stable enough. As far as racking,
the solution is to box in the table on the back and sides with plywood. If it's build solidly, it shouldn't move at all.

Having said that, the desk or steel table sounds like an easy option, even if you need to raise the lathe up a bit.
A couple of long (big) rectangular tubes bolted to the bench might raise the lathe up enough, and they certainly would provide rigidity. Around here, the steel yards sell their leftovers by the pound, and I've picked up stuff like that cheaply.
 
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