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  1. #1
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    Default Wooden Stand for Vicmarc Lathe?

    So i've just bought a Vicmarc lathe (very excited!), a VL200 Swivel Head with bed extension, which was a small-batch prototype run prior to increasing the swing and going into full production with the VL240. I am buying it without a stand and so will need to make one.

    My question is; has anyone had success in making a wooden stand for their wood lathe that is sufficiently robust, heavy and stiff enough to perform well / as well as a metal stand?

    I am thinking if I make what would be effectively a roubo style bench, large sections, full mortise and tenon drawbored joins, maybe even a 130mm solid laminated top (think Roubo) that it should be heavy and rigid enough to do the job right? Maybe bolt the lathe down to elongated holes through the solid wood top to ensure some expansion/contraction doesn't cause any issues etc. I reckon I could easily get the stand to 120kg+ before and drawers or ballast etc.

    What do you guys think?

    Cheers, Dom

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  3. #2
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    This is my stand. been going for over 10 years. Based on the stand in a Keith Rowley book. Keith's theory is that a wood stand is better than metal as it dampens the vibrations. Legs are 100x100m to give an idea of dimensions and it is quite solid enough. Your proposed construction will be more than up to the task.
    Regards
    John
    Attached Images Attached Images

  4. #3
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    I have two lathes, one on a timber bench the other a tilting table, adjustable height (stand or sit) metal bench. The timber bench mounted lathe is an old Record and the metal bench carries a Nover. The Record runs quieter than the Nover due to the dampening effect of the base. Mind you, I would not like to try and get the same mount of versatility out of a wood structure as can be engineered into a metal fabrication.
    The timber is only Radiata 100x100 legs, 150x45 top rails, 90x45 cross rails , 90x45 foot rails, 32mm thick HMR MDF top.

  5. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by DomAU View Post
    .....My question is; has anyone had success in making a wooden stand for their wood lathe that is sufficiently robust, heavy and stiff enough to perform well / as well as a metal stand? ....
    Most certainly - wood is a better medium for a lathe stand, imo, it's better than steel at dampening vibration, pound for pound, and the best part is you should be able to find some old heavy hardwood discards that'll do the job for little or no outlay!

    Every lathe I've had has sat on a wooden bench/stand. The first couple were just heavy trestles made from demolition material. For my current lathe I decided to make it into a storage space as well, so it's a very basic heavy bench frame with some drawers and cupboard space. It's braced by a sheet of 1/2" ply screwed to the back of the frame. Bench for lathe b.jpg

    I'm pretty sure the only cost (apart from time) was for bolts & screws, the wood was all scroungedl, the drawers were thrown out from my workplace when they modified a workshop, the top is a discarded kitchen bench top (Tas. Oak, I think). Even the ply was from a monster packing crate that I managed to grab before it was smashed up & chucked in a skip...

    The pic was taken 14 years ago & I've changed the old Woodfast for a larger, variable speed Laguna since, but a lot of stuff has been turned on that bench, including these 1.3M 100 x 100 bead posts, Bed2.jpg
    With no problems whatsoever.

    If turning great big unbalanced chunks for bowls was my thing, I would've left out the cupboards and loaded the bottom shelf with concrete blocks or similar. But it isn't, making furniture parts is what I do....

    Wood is good....
    Cheers

    Edit: Actually, there is a problem I should've mentioned, & something worth noting if you sit your lathe on a solid benchtop. The old Woodfast, for which I made the bench, had a bigger gap under the bed which made it easy to clean out the shavings that fall down between the ways. The Laguna has a very small gap, so I can't just sweep the shavings out with a stick like I used to. Been meaning to stick some 25mm thick boards under the feet of the lathe bed, but it's already too high, & I need to chop about 60mm off the legs. Just haven't got around to it yet - no rush, I've only had the new lathe for 3 years..
    IW

  6. #5
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    Thanks guys,

    John and IanW your benches both look great. It's good to hear that they are performing well. I'd initially planned on a wooden base but did a bit of web-browsing and 1. I couldn't find any good examples of heavy-duty stands just light weight stands for small mini/midi-style lathes and 2. found some advice that indicated steel was the better way to go - which made me doubt my initial thoughts!

    Any tips with regard to any features to include or leave out? I'm completely new to turning so don't want to do inadvertently do something silly that will later impede comfort or functionality.

    Do you think that trying to design in some-sort of mobile base/castors is worthwhile (I guess that depends on if I intend on moving it tho!)? I have mobile bases on all my machine tools, however for the lathe I'd really want a system that has the stand sitting on it's own feet and the castors only engaging when required as no castor locks ever work that well and there is always slop in the bearings etc. I suppose I could always buy a mobile base from something like the Laguna 1836 - but that costs about $800+ on it's own. Pretty spicy.

    Drawers a good or bad idea? I've hear they'll inevitably fill with wood-shaving dust.

    In terms of dimensions, particularly centre-height, I've read that elbow height is a good place to start? I'm primarily planning on spindle turning for furniture parts.

    Thanks again guys. If anyone else has a timber stand I'd be keen to see it too.

    Cheers,

    Dom

  7. #6
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    Cant say more than what works for me. Most of my machines are on wheels that lock. But the lathe and workbench sit on the floor. I dont need to move my lathe so it stays put and the bench can have wheels put under it if it has to move. I feel if wood legs are direct on the floor it's best. Design a way wheels can move the lathe but when in use direct contact of the bench legs to the floor is best.
    Regards
    john

  8. #7
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    The less complicated the better, I'd say. The reasons I built-in under my bench are 1) I needed all the storage space I could get & 2) it walls off the area from shavings & dust. I'm very slack with dust control and lathes generate loads of dust & spew shavings all over the shop (literally!)

    Can't see the need for mobility with a lathe, unless you have to share limited space with other stuff/people. A lathe has a small and defined footprint, not like a saw or a thicknesser where you need gobs of infeed & outfeed room.

    Work height is an individual thing, you'll get various recommendations, but you have to find what's comfortable for you. I used to prefer my work lower, but as the decades have gone by, the distance at which I can clearly see what I'm doing has shrunk, so I now have the turning axis about 150mm higher than when I started. The best I can offer is find a height where the tool is cutting & you can comfortably tuck the handle of the tool into your side somewhere between your belt & the lower part of your rib cage, you'll have best control.

    Spindle & bowl turning have some commonalities, but are also quite different activities in significant ways. If you haven't already done so, seek out a competent spindle turner, watch their technique, particularly how they manipulate a skew chisel to plane & turn beads, then it's just a matter of chewing up bits of scrap 'til you feel confident enough to tackle a table-leg or similar.

    My first lathe was a rather lightweight cast-off from a work colleague - I spent as much time trying too get the chisels on the work as knocking any wood off. I was also blundering along teaching myself from an ancient book, that did more to mystify than enlighten, but one day, the skew suddenly worked for me, and a continuous ribbon peeled off and streamed over my shoulder - joy of joys! I decided the time had come to risk some real wood and make a copy of a friend's cedar side-table that I admired. I chose Walnut because I'd turned a bit & found it so easy to work with, but it meant I had an awful lot invested in the table already! By about the 4th weekend, I was just finishing the last leg & had a really nasty catch with the skew (hadn't quite mastered it, it seems ) that sheared off a large chunk in a very prominent part of the leg. I had to "re-design" my leg, then put the others back one by one & modify them, too.

    I was pretty happy with the result, until my turning got a bit better, and every time I looked at that table, I cringed. My "copy" was about as close to the original as I am to Abraham Lincoln: Walnut copy of cedar side-t b.jpg

    Some years later, I pulled it apart, re-turning the legs, and re-making the skirt & drawer. Even though I no longer had the original to compare, I think Vers.2 ended up a lot more like it: Walnut copy f cedar side-t d.jpg (apologies for the poor pics, but I had to scan them off old photos - digital not having been invented at the time.)

    The moral of the story is that turning is a skill that takes a bit of time to master. You can blugeon wood into vague shapes with gouges & abrasives, but to get those nice crisp beads & coves & vase shapes that are the hallmark of great furniture, you need to develop some competency with the skew. It's a marvellous but treacherous tool, but keep at it & it will bend to your will eventually...

    Cheers,
    IW

  9. #8
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    I built this triangulated stand for a mini lathe, however it was a battleship which could carry a full size vicmarc ...



    Built from a 8" x 4" pine beam ...





    Lots of support, and taut .. no wracking .. Big legs ...




    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Visit www.inthewoodshop.com for tutorials on constructing handtools, handtool reviews, and my trials and tribulations with furniture builds.

  10. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by IanW View Post
    I'm very slack with dust control and lathes generate loads of dust & spew shavings all over the shop (literally!)

    Cheers,
    The lathe is the dirtiest thing in the shed by far and that includes the toilet, wash basin and the playboy calendar. For that reason I move my lathe out of the shed to turn. Still get some dust and shavings blowing back into the shed but nothing like when turning in the shed. I have a Clearvue Max set up in the shed which would get a fair portion of the fine dust but shavings shoot all over the place and few end up in the dustie. Even with the dustie running I found I needed to turn wearing a respirator.
    Like Ian I am largely self taught, no turning clubs around here, I had a poor teacher but was a diligent student. You will save a lot of pain if you are able to get some instruction during the learning phase.

    Tony
    You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have. ~Oscar Wilde

  11. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by tony_A View Post
    ....... I had a poor teacher but was a diligent student......
    Well-put, Tony, must remember that one! Not so sure I was ever what you'd call a "diligent" student, "persistent" was possibly more appropriate in my case.

    Yes, even a half-hour watching someone who has mastered the basics whip up a couple of table-legs would give you a big kick-start, I reckon...

    Cheers,
    IW

  12. #11
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    The most useless lathe stand of all is a pressed metal creation. If you do decide to go metal use box section.

  13. #12
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    Thanks guys,

    The side-table looks great Ian

    Nice stand also Derek.

    Great. Seems like I don't need to worry about the adequacy of a timber stand. Also it seems there's no need to go crazy on section sizes / weight etc.

    Now I just need to get through a few projects that are ahead in the queue! Good motivation for me knowing there is a nice Vicmarc lathe waiting at the end of the tunnel. So excited to start turning! Can't wait!!

    Sound like I should maybe locate the lathe in my new little side-garage after all if the shavings/dust are impossible to control even with a Clearvue. I was going to locate it amongst/near my workbench etc but maybe it's smarter to place it somewhere that is easier to clean up / get good airflow.

    Cheers, Dom

  14. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by IanW View Post
    While the table is beautiful Ian, the legs are simply stunning!

  15. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by LanceC View Post
    ...... the legs are simply stunning!....
    Well, I thought the original table was pretty spiffy, too, which was why I copied it. But it's funny how our tastes can change. When I look at it now, it seems a bit ott, just a few too many decorative flourishes. It was the style of the time it was made (mid 1800s??), and 40 years ago, I was totally ignorant of furniture styles & history, but keen as mustard to dive in & try my hand at making anything that caught my eye. If I were to make that table now, I'd simplify those legs a bit, & probably fine them down even more.

    A few years ago I made this little sewing table for LOML. Partly because the legs are shorter, but also because I now think less can be more, I kept the turning a lot simpler: Sewing table complete.jpg There is also enough going on with the bird's-eye Maple drawer fronts without the legs competing for attention, I think.

    Design, I've slowly come to realise, is a thoughtful process, and one needs to remain conscious of overall effect. The trouble with the lathe is that it's such a fun tool, and too easy to "design on the go". You can easily get carried away rolling a bead here, cutting a reel there, putting a nice shapely vase somewhere, etc. It might look ok as it sits horizontally between centres, but then you take it off & stand it up, &, "Oh dear!"

    All part of the learning process (which never ends...)

    Cheers,
    IW

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