Sheldon Sebastian A5 (13") Backsplash

[wcunning]

Guys,

I've had a Sheldon Sebastian A5 for about a year of functional use now, and I'm starting to think seriously about some additions to it. Specifically, I really want to put a backsplash on it to keep chips contained and give me a place to hang quick change tooling. I've attached a picture of my lathe and some of my restrictions below.

I haven't seen many backsplash builds for older lathes out there, and the few I have seen seemed to just skip all the sheet metal work, or use other materials, so I'm hoping that the fellow owners and people on this forum will be able to help me brainstorm a bit. The first bit of simple inspiration I had was Tom Lipton's plywood backsplash from several years ago -- http://oxtool.blogspot.com/2012/12/lathe-ergonomic-improvements.html. I like that general design, particularly the corner near the headstock that really seals everything up. The other main design I've been looking at is the peripheral reinforcement I see on all the Asian import modern lathes -- some piece of box attached at the top and tailstock end to give the sheet metal structure.

I will be forced to bend up my backsplash in 2+ pieces, since I only have a 24" box and pan brake (capacity is 16 gauge, though I'll probably go 18 gauge for safety margin). I basically plan to use the brake to bend the slant down into the chip tray, weld/rivet/interlock the center seam, and then attach the "back" of the backsplash to the headstock mating piece. I'm not sure how I want to attach it to the chip tray, nor am I sure how I want to reinforce things up at the top and on the tailstock end. Does anyone here have any suggestions? Anyone see any obvious pitfalls I'm missing? @4gsr -- have you ever thought about how you'd build one of those for your 13" Sebastian?

Thanks,
Will

 

[benmychree]

Here is what I did on my 19" Regal lathe; I did not make it full length, because I don't work that much at the far end, and I did not worry about filling in between the guard and the headstock, because it does not seem to be much of a problem; as can be seen in the pics, I have angle iron legs at both ends to hold it up and pieces of flat bar riveted on to keep it engaged with the chip pan. Also note that the lowest part of the backsplash is bent to drop vertically on the inside face of the chip pan.

 

[wcunning]

@benmychree I really like that method of attaching it to the chip tray. I might bolt those pieces of flat bar on so that I can suck it up tight with the bolts. I also have one of those mediocre HF copies of the Hossfeld bender, so I can get some of the spare flat bar I have bent to match the angles of the tray. Thanks!

 

[benmychree]

@benmychree I really like that method of attaching it to the chip tray. I might bolt those pieces of flat bar on so that I can suck it up tight with the bolts. I also have one of those mediocre HF copies of the Hossfeld bender, so I can get some of the spare flat bar I have bent to match the angles of the tray. Thanks!

Another thing that I did was to fold a 1/2" hem on top, bent over the backside to strengthen it, mine is 16 ga black iron; happy to be of help!
I have never had a problem with the brackets being loose, the weight of it all keeps it in place. I think I bent the brackets hot. All this was about 35 years ago, so pardon the lack of sharp details ---

 

[wcunning]

My hope is to avoid the extra vertical supports. I don't know that it's possible, but that would be my preference. I'm thinking that if I have the the backsplash tied in at the headstock and the tailstock and supported by some brackets in the middle, I should be able to avoid them.

My current intention is to do a bit of bead rolling to get get increased stiffness in the panels, but I may also rivet on some flat bar bracing. I'm intending to mount something on the top lip to hang tool holders from, so that can provide a bit of reinforcement up there.

Thanks,
Will

 

[4GSR]

Will,

My 13" Sheldon Sebastian lathe came with a factory back splash. When we went to pickup the lathe, dad didn't tie down the backsplash on the trailer and lost it on I-45 in North Houston. We did salvage it, with a few bad dents, and it laid out in the outside storage for over twenty years at the family homestead. Went to retrieve it to save for the move, a fairly large pine tree fell on it on edge and put a permanent bend in it that made it unsalvageable. Sad to say the junkyard got it. Fast forward, I built a new one out of a piece of 1/4" plywood that worked fairly good. I kept it for my newer Sheldon lathe when I sold the 13". I can drag it out and take pictures if you interested.

Ken

 

[wcunning]

Ken, I would absolutely love to see your backsplash, but this is a planning discussion, so I doubt I'll get metal bent up until sometime in late May/early June. No rush at all, particularly if it's buried. I know that feeling, as you might be able to tell from those pictures...

Thanks,
Will

 

[wcunning]

And the local scrap yard has provided the answer to all of my construction dilemmas -- pallets of large 80/20 extrusion for >50% off. I think I'll be doing something with it and building myself some kind of tool holder hanging space in the process since it should make that kind of hang on accessory very very easy. I'll still use the sheet metal brake to bend up some matching aluminum, but doing it in multiple panels will be dead easy. The only one that will be at all complicated will be the one that fits up to the ways and in front of the headstock, but I can sneak up on fit with a file since it'll only be 18 gauge aluminum.

Does anyone have particular thoughts/suggestions/experience with 80/20 for that kind of construction?

Thanks,
Will