badgaz
14th November 2008, 10:07 PM
Well here it is folks, my basic lathe and new rustic stand.
It's funny, when I add it all up, the stand cost more than the lathe cost me in the end.:U
I have my Father-in-Law (FIL) to thank for his assistance and over-engineering.
This thing took the two of us to lift, all the joints are rebated and we settled on a mix of long 5/16" coach screws and coach bolts to fasten the whole thing together. The FIL talked me out of the through-hole design saying "do you wanna turn wood tomorrow, or do you still wanna be building this bl**dy bench?" I took his advice..he's been a mechanical engineer for 40 years... who am I to argue?:;
I had planned to dress the lumber before construction and apply a durable finish, but with my FIL's voice still ringing in my ears I ran a sander over it to take out some of the rough edges and left it at that. I kinda like the utilitarian, farm-shed look of it as is. By the time I can afford a quality lathe, all the splinters and bad language it took to throw this thing together will be a fond memory.
The bench is firmly bolted to the floor and has proven steady as a rock for the small stock I'm learning on. I still have the option of adding A frame supports to the structure if it proves less firm on the bigger stuff.
I haven't given thought to a finish, maybe a few coats of linseed oil and turps will be the most appropriate.
Anyway this is just post to say thanks to all the chaps who offered advice and encouragement.
All the best
Gazza
It's funny, when I add it all up, the stand cost more than the lathe cost me in the end.:U
I have my Father-in-Law (FIL) to thank for his assistance and over-engineering.
This thing took the two of us to lift, all the joints are rebated and we settled on a mix of long 5/16" coach screws and coach bolts to fasten the whole thing together. The FIL talked me out of the through-hole design saying "do you wanna turn wood tomorrow, or do you still wanna be building this bl**dy bench?" I took his advice..he's been a mechanical engineer for 40 years... who am I to argue?:;
I had planned to dress the lumber before construction and apply a durable finish, but with my FIL's voice still ringing in my ears I ran a sander over it to take out some of the rough edges and left it at that. I kinda like the utilitarian, farm-shed look of it as is. By the time I can afford a quality lathe, all the splinters and bad language it took to throw this thing together will be a fond memory.
The bench is firmly bolted to the floor and has proven steady as a rock for the small stock I'm learning on. I still have the option of adding A frame supports to the structure if it proves less firm on the bigger stuff.
I haven't given thought to a finish, maybe a few coats of linseed oil and turps will be the most appropriate.
Anyway this is just post to say thanks to all the chaps who offered advice and encouragement.
All the best
Gazza