LumberJocks
DAILY DEALS Sure-Foot Plus™ 3/4'' Pipe Clamp  |  Makita Makita Recon LCT203W 10.8 Volt Lithium Ion Impact Driver 2 Pc Kit

Lathe Stand

Project by EEngineer posted 506 days ago 1639 views 1 time favorited 15 comments Add to Favorites Watch

A few years ago my boss offered me a wood lathe that he was going to throw out. He had bought a (much) better lathe and just wanted this one gone. I had a lot of other woodworking tools but no lathe so I was glad to have it. It came mounted on a stand made from a couple of 2X10’s that just wasn’t sturdy enough for any real lathe work so it sat in my basement for a few years while I thought about a design for a lathe stand – not high on the priority list.

Earlier this year the company I work for started renovating. Over the course of a month of dumpster-diving I found : 1. a pair of heavy cast-iron legs with leveling feet 2. sections of a large bi-fold solid core door 16” X 84” X 2” 3. lots of pieces of oak veneer plywood – already stained and finished

So this is the end result. I built a frame to hold a set of drawers under the solid-core door. It is recessed about 1/2” into the door to act more or less like a torsion box to keep it from sagging or warping while suspended between the two legs. The frame and drawer fronts were all made from the recycled oak veneer plywood. Reclaimed oak trim from a previous salvage was cut to 3/4” and milled on my table saw to finish the edges of the plywood frame.

The only purchased parts were a 2’X4’ piece of 1/2” MDF and 3 sets of drawer slides for the drawers. Note that the drawers holding lathe tools have open bottoms. This is so that they can be left open while working and any chips will fall right through to the floor. With the solid-core door and two cast-iron legs this thing is heavy – no vibration at all while turning.

What timing! I just finished this last month and, when I saw the announcement for LJ’s Woodworking Awards, thought this project was just perfect for “One Man’s Junk”!

-- "Find out what you cannot do and then go do it!"


15 comments so far

View romansfivefive's profile

romansfivefive

258 posts in 666 days


posted 506 days ago

i have so much respect for a man willing to admit he dumpster dives. A tip of the hat and a great looking project

-- www.robneves.com

View lew's profile

lew

4481 posts in 648 days


posted 506 days ago

Great drawer storage!

Lew

View dmann's profile

dmann

75 posts in 700 days


posted 506 days ago

Very nice, gives me some ideas for a much needed lathe stand. My small folding table is overdue for retirement!

-- David / Durham, NC

View thetimberkid's profile

thetimberkid

1944 posts in 596 days


posted 506 days ago

Great job!

Thanks for the post

Callum

-- For wood working podcasts with a twist check out http://thetimberkid.com/

View kshipp's profile

kshipp

120 posts in 671 days


posted 506 days ago

Excellent idea on the drawers. I can see how they would fill up fast if left open.

-- Kyle Shipp, Michigan, http://battleshipp.blogspot.com

View tstrick72's profile

tstrick72

10 posts in 511 days


posted 506 days ago

Good job salvaging the materials for this project. The open bottom drawers is a great idea.

View Kipster's profile

Kipster

1072 posts in 646 days


posted 506 days ago

Dumpster diving paid off real good, I think the drawers are the real genius in your design. Having the lathe tools that handy is a big bonus. Thanks for sharing.

-- Kip Northern Illinois ( If you don't know where your goin any road will take you there) George Harrison

View Chris 's profile

Chris

1468 posts in 884 days


posted 506 days ago

Very nice recycling work!

-- Chris

View TedM's profile

TedM

1843 posts in 625 days


posted 506 days ago

Great salvage job! Love the bottless drawers, great idea to let the shavings go through! And boy does a lathe make a mess!

-- I'm a wood magician... I can turn fine lumber into firewood before your very eyes! - http://www.woodworkersguide.com

View blackcherry's profile

blackcherry

730 posts in 716 days


posted 506 days ago

Now that’s a hot set-up…nice find and happy turning …Blkcherry

View trifern's profile

trifern

7894 posts in 660 days


posted 505 days ago

I love the storage drawers for your tools. Especially the bottomless drawer concept. Thank you for sharing.

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

View Dick, & Barb Cain's profile

Dick, & Barb Cain

7033 posts in 1192 days


posted 497 days ago

A great job of recycling, & I also like the bottomless drawer concept.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

View PaBull's profile

PaBull

292 posts in 558 days


posted 475 days ago

i like your open drawer system.

-- http://www.twinoaksgrowers.com

View Grumpy's profile

Grumpy

14914 posts in 744 days


posted 475 days ago

Great job. Good luck in the contest.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

View jeanmarc's profile

jeanmarc

1751 posts in 609 days


posted 470 days ago

Great job!

-- jeanmarc manosque france

You must be signed in to post the comments.

  • View all advertisers
  • Advertise with us

DISCLAIMER: Any posts on LJ are posted by individuals acting in their own right and do not necessarily reflect the views of LJ. LJ will not be held liable for the actions of any user.

Latest Projects | Latest Blog Entries | Latest Forum Topics

HomeRefurbers.com

Latest Projects | Latest Blog Entries | Latest Forum Topics

GardenTenders.com :: gardening showcase