Designing a wood bench for a lathe

[richl]

You will be fine, one of my lathes is on fine threads, the other on coarse threads. The coarser thread machine is a bit more problematic to adjust in, very tiny movements of wrench and bolt have a bigger effect on movement of the machine. Just takes more time to dial it in...
Glad to see the guy rowing your machine across the Pacific is getting closer

 

[ttabbal]

Thanks! I want to feel sorry for him, but I really want to make some chips!

 

[ttabbal]

Well, I got the shipping notice! I should be getting the machine Wednesday. To celebrate, I turned about 2 pounds of the workbench into sawdust sanding some rough spots etc..

 

[mikey]

Looking forward to some pics ... Congratulations!!!

 

[blue_luke]

I have been there and here is my toughts on the subject...
- You DO need adjustable feet, wood will shrink and expand with humidity changes. Here in Québec this is quite major as in summer we can hit 100% RH and in winter with heating system everything becomes bone dry and you get static shock with every door knobs, cat, dog or girlfriend you touch!
- adjustable feet are very easy to make with hockey pucks, threaded rod, large washers and a fisful of nuts
- I would not use a wood base for a lathe. Lathe beds can become twisted if everything is not perfectly straight
- Epoxy, paint, spar varnish, or any coating agent is OK with wood but it will eventualy crack, peel, get scratched and you will have humidity swelling problems
- MDF reacts and swell a lot with RH variations!
- Baltic birch plywood is the best material for shop furniture!
- For a lathe base i would definitely prefer steel as basic material. Even if you don't have a welder, you can devise some simple way to build a very sturdy bench using nothing but a zip cut tool, a drill and some files. And metal is easy to buy locally anywhere. Get 1X2 for reenforcement, 2X2 for structure and 2X4 for footing and you can build a base where a tank can go over! The trick is to design the structure where the pressure is always on top of the piece underneath. For exemple, a piece of 2X4 is used as footing to spread the weight on the floor. A 2X2 leg is held in place with some reinforcement plates and screws on top of that footing. The top cross member rest on top of the leg and so forth. This way, the screwed or bolted on gussets, angle brackets and what nots never bear any structural load, they are there just as 'glue' so things don't fly apart. Believe me, I have built structures that can support a few tons this way!

- Mehhh! don't use wood for machine tool bases!

 

[ttabbal]

Just thought I'd share a picture of the bench with the chip tray on top for scale. According to the can, the polyurethane has a few days left for full cure...

 

[middle.road]

If that is standard dimensional lumber recently purchased from a yard and wasn't sitting up in an attic somewhere for ages, I would seriously consider adding some steel angles or straps to the length of it. It's going to move on you.
Kiln dried lumber is fine for framing - not so much for cabinets and such.

 

[ttabbal]

Then something like this for leveling... 1/4 x 1.5 bar stock, 2 bolts for adjustment, one for holding the lathe down. Hold down bolts are about 1/2". Might make sense to go the same size all around.

There are 4 feet on this one, 2 per end. Tailstock is pictured. Headstock is longer and has 2 hold down bolt holes.

 

[ttabbal]

If that is standard dimensional lumber recently purchased from a yard and wasn't sitting up in an attic somewhere for ages, I would seriously consider adding some steel angles or straps to the length of it. It's going to move on you.
Kiln dried lumber is fine for framing - not so much for cabinets and such.

Where do you see it moving? It is standard dimensional lumber recently purchased. I'm not opposed to adding metal supports, but I'm not sure where it makes sense to do so. Every joint is glued and screwed with multiple screws, and every board is trapped by at least one other board in addition to the plywood sides and top.

 

[mikey]

Wood, the material itself, will expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. We all know this. However, your bench is solidly built and I would use it as is. If it changes enough to affect your level I would be very surprised but if it does you can address it then.