Help to build base for lathe
Ronald_in_Montreal
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
Hello everyone,
I’ve just purchased a 16 x 42 inch lathe. It has a 1.5 HP motor and a heavy cast-iron base. I saved several hundred dollars by not buying the steel base. My plan is to build a solid wooden base in which I can add some storage.
I plan to build a wood frame and solidify the sides and back with MDF pannels.
Should I use hardwood for the frame or is pine ok? Is there a recommended method of construction to help reduce vibrations? Is there a plan available somewhere for such a project?
Thanks.
Replies
Ron , I mounted my lathe to the wall , very rigid and no virbration if you have a spot .
dusty
One of my buddies made a wooden base, where the end uprights were actually boxes about 4" thick which he filled with sand.
Claimed it dampened any vibration real good.
Just an idea.
Eric
in Calgary
Thank you all for the quick replies. Sounds like the cabinet I had in mind would do the job pretty well.
Someone suggested I should also keep the cabinet mobile to be able to get in behind for bowl turning. But I guess you can't have it both ways, heavy for stability but light enough to move around.
Ron
Ron,
I built a base for my lathe..it's very heavy, I can't budge it. I wish I had made it a tad longer to more comfortably accommodate my sharpening center..having that near the lathe would be nice.
The design is similar to a workbench but I used doug fir for the structure and 6/4 poplar for the top. I built in nested drawers(8)under the top to fit between the verticals and horizontals. Lastly, I ran a couple of verticals up to support a raised panel/box doored cabinet that hold the tools and stuff at about eye level. It's solid and relatively cheap and with the drawers full of stuff I think it weighs about 6-700 lbs.
Ron I built a base for my lathe by making a large storage cabinet out of 3/4 inch birch plywood. I made all parts including the back and cupboard dividers out of the 3/4 ply. By the time it was finished it was quite heavy and contributed a lot to the overall mass once the lathe was fastened to the top. The entire assembly is solid as a rock yet provides lots of storage underneath. It also allowed to make a wooden bed extension that I fastened right to the top.
Ron
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