Thread: Lathe Spindle Height

Elbow height +- for personal preference.
Remember it is easier to put a board on the floor, than dig up concrete.

Elbow height is good Also for bench vices, top of jaws at elbow height ?) I remember when I started my apprentice ship all those yrs ago ,I was 14. and 5 ft nothing .they had to build me 6" high 1 metre square wooden platform so my elbow was level with the top of the bench vices, also had to use when working on machines ,so I was "Duckboard will travel " hehe . Cheers ~ John

This is one I have to address myself. After spending a few days at the lathe I have decided two things

1)It is too low
2)Bench encroaches on standing space

My MC900 I believe with my elbow bent my arm and chisel is about horizontal when resting chiles on the rest aligned with spindle centre

I think I will be aiming for this again

Add to that I want to be able to give lessons when I have the skills to do so and I am a little short one end. Likely I will make my lathe higher and then have a platform for myself or an easy way to raise it

Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

Hey Mik,
my lathe from floor to centre height is actually 1500mm
because it is on a bench that is sitting over a bar fridge on a concrete step. Now that height is not really workable but it was the only place I have to put it,
but then I found that my 900w x 300d x 250h metal tool box (that I don't use that much of any more)is perfect for me to stand on and bring my centre height up to about 1250mm,
lim 6"2' and 1200 is about even with my elbows and I actually find for doing pens that the little bit of extra height is great so I don't need to lean too far to check out the pen/blank, if I was doing a lot of bigger turning I would probably have it a bit lower so I had more control over my tools,

Nice new lathe btw, can't go wrong with a Vicmarc. Our turning club has 12+ of them! I have started saving for mine, I want to get a VL300

cheers Ben

i have set the new lathe up even with my elbow, but for small turnings i think it is a bit on the low side, i plan to get some 90X45 pine and raise it 45mm just to see if that makes it better, elbow height is definitely a workable height

we can only try it out

thanks for the replies

MIK

I know most people say elbow height, but for me personally I prefer much higher. Almost nipple height.
I find that when I bend over to turn at elbow height (I like to have my eyes close to the action where possible and safe) I get a sore back from the lathe being too low.

I will (one day) raise up my lathe to the correct height for me.