Setting Up Your Wood Lathe: Standing Firm With A Good Stand

Most wood lathes come without a stand although they are designed either as bench models needing a stand or portable models that can be placed on any available surface. When designing a stand for a lathe it is necessary to decide what type of turning you will be doing and then plan around it.

If you plan on mostly spindle turning such as table legs or stair newel posts, then a light stand will suffice. The height of the center line of the lathe needs to be about at elbow level and room for easy access to all parts of the spindle is needed. So most lathe stands will have legs under the head stock and under the end of the bed ways leaving the center free for leg room. The legs need to be connected under the lathe with a shelf at minimum although a box structure will give more rigidity.

The larger the wood to be turned and in particular the larger the diameter of the piece to be turned, the heavier and more rigid the sand needs to be. Also, the more out of balance the piece of wood, the greater the vibration produced and the heavier and more rigid the stand is required to be. In other words, if the plan is to turn bowls and other faceplate turnings from burls and log sections, the stand has to be built to withstand the rigours of rotating heavy, unbalanced sections of wood.

If the stand is to be made of wood, softwood is reasonable but hardwoods are heavier and stronger. It is a good idea to consider making boxes instead of legs for the ends of the lathe. These boxes can be made of plywood skins and filled with sand. Sand is an excellent material for absorbing vibration and will add a lot of weight at the same time. The legs can be connected along the top with another box, again filled with sand and a shelf lower down to hold sand bags. A back connecting the two boxes will add more rigidity to the design but should end at least six inches from the floor to allow for easy access to removal of shavings if the lathe is near the wall.

Some wood turners fasten their lathes to the floor while others might worry that the weight and rigidity of this design are too great and cause concern for the stress on the bearings of the lathe. If the wood lathe will handle the movement of off balance, heavy pieces of wood, mounting it to the floor is the least of the bearing's problem and adds a lot of safety. The decision is yours.

It is important to make sure that the lathe is mounted securely to the stand and that it is level. This should be checked from time to time in case settling has caused things to go out of level or vibration has caused bolts to loosen.

A good stand will bring a lot of enjoyment to all aspects of wood turning and a large measure of safety. There are some good stands on the market but an excellent one can also be made. As in many things, common sense can make all the difference.

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