# How much space to leave around the lathe



## tmuir (Mar 14, 2008)

I finally took delivery of my lathe yesterday and at the moment its precariously balanced on a plank of plywood over my wheel barrow so tomorrow I plan on fixing the cabinet to the floor and with the help of my neighbour (If he is home) fitting the lathe onto it.
I'm wondering how much space everyone leaves around their lathe as obviously space is precious in a small workshop but proper access around the lathe is important too.
I was thinking of leaving a gap from the gearbox to the wall equal to the size of the gearbox cover swinging out plus about 20cm, about 45cm out from the wall and around 50cm clear from the end of the lathe.
Does this seem enough space or should I leave more?

For those interested here is my lathe as it is at the moment.







The faceplate, 4 jaw chuck and toolbox resting on the stand





The tailstock, travelling and fixed steady


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## kellswaterri (Mar 14, 2008)

Hi folks,
a few views of my sardine tin ...


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## tmuir (Mar 14, 2008)

You are lucky that the cover lifts up mine swings out so I need to leave space for that but maybe I will cut back a little on the room I was going to give it.


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## Cedge (Mar 14, 2008)

Tony
Congrats on finally getting past that all too long waiting period. Sharp looking rig you have there. 

As for work space, you'll want to have fairly unobstructed access to the gear box end of the machine, for gear or belt changes and a bit of room in case you need to run a piece of stock protruding through the headstock. Other than for clean up, you won't need to leave much space behind it except for shelves or peg board. 

Looking forward to seeing some chips laying around it, real soon.

Steve


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## Tin Falcon (Mar 14, 2008)

Some of this depends on how you plan to use the lathe . I would leave enough room to install remove a collet holder .that would be the distance from the spindle nose to the back of the head stock plus about 10 cm. I have a book case at the TS end of the lathe so the space is not wasted. Also sometimes it is good to be able to have stock hang out the head stock. becareful too long can be dangerous DAMHIKT.
Tin


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## rake60 (Mar 14, 2008)

We work with the space we have.

When I built the bench to mount my mini mill and drill press, it was to be placed 
at the headstock end of my lathe bench. I made it 4 inches shorter than the lathe bench.
The reason for that being, a 3 foot long piece of stock that will fit through the lathe spindle
would pass directly above the mill table but would still be low enough the clear the mill's
head when it was in the full up position.

There were two benefits from that. 
#1 I can still have long stock run through the spindle.
#2 I can mount a steady rest to the mill table to support that stock.

Rick


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## shred (Mar 14, 2008)

I'm in full agreement on space around the headstock-- a collet setup is nice, so allow room if you can, as is being able to load and extend stock through the headstock as needed (it can be awkward to load long stock close to spindle through-hole diamater from the tailstock end without pulling the tailstock). On the tailstock side, I don't have any more than needed to remove the tailstock and that seems to be enough.


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## Bogstandard (Mar 15, 2008)

I was going to suggest exactly as Rick did.
I was stuck with where I was to put my lathe, and so I can only hold about 2ft long in mine. This will be remedied when the workshop is refitted. Exactly as Rick did, a clear line of sight thru the headstock for four or five feet.

You don't want to be cutting holes in the walls of your new shop, just to get a bit of rod up the spout. 

So tight right, clear left.

John


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## tmuir (Mar 15, 2008)

Bolted in and set up now.
Gave myself about 75cm from the left cover to the frame of my shed which means I have about 80cm clearance. I also left it about 56cm out from the back wall as it made it a lot easier to bolt the base to the floor and as an added bonus I can use the space behind the lathe now as extra storage.

As you can see I've finally given myself an Avatar.
Its the first thing (and only thing so far) I've made on my lathe. Its a bush for a toy steam engine for the safety valve or whistle.

It's been about 20 years since I've touched a lathe so lets just say making that I relearnt a number of things. ;D

I guess we all have to start somewhere and I'm just pleased it turned out ok.


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## Bernd (Mar 15, 2008)

Anybody notice the apron on Tmuir's lathe. It looks like a mirror image of a grizzly 4000 or simular lathes. I've never seen one with the thread dial on the left of the apron. ???  I would think it would get in the way when bringing the saddle toward the head stock.


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## mklotz (Mar 15, 2008)

Bernd  said:
			
		

> Anybody notice the apron on Tmuir's lathe. It looks like a mirror image of a grizzly 4000 or simular lathes. I've never seen one with the thread dial on the left of the apron. ???



Well, he is in Australia, after all.


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## gilessim (Mar 16, 2008)

Marv, were you referring to the fact that water is supposed to go down the plug hole turning the other way, down under?, if so, I had to write a paper about that "phenomenon" many years ago, I'm not sure if I still have it but I'll look, it was quite an interesting thing to study, anyway it's not true!

Giles


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## Bernd (Mar 17, 2008)

mklotz  said:
			
		

> Well, he is in Australia, after all.



Ya! But won't that make it upside down instead of mirrored? ??? big

Bernd


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## Foozer (Jul 19, 2009)

One of those things kept getting put off. And this is where the Newbie parts shows. What the heck is going on?

Can align the tail stock to reduce tapered cuts fairly well. Problem is in the vertical alignment to the bed ways. Put a chuck on the ram, stick a 6 inch drill bit in it and the end of the bit is a good 40 thou above the head stock center. Dead center the tail stock, do a point to point with the head stock dead center and there on the money. 

Old machine and the tail stock came from another. fairly confident the bed is straight, no twist. Removed cross lide and mounted mag holder with indicator. Put chuck on head stock spindle with a 6 inch drill bit. Ran the carriage across 4 inches of this bit from head stock towards center and got the bouncy 1 thousand +/- change in attitude. Good enough for me and I think says the bed is not sagging. Repeat same on the tail stock and its toast, good steady climb uphill from tail stock towards head stock.

I can shim the far end of the tail stock but when I hit a pack of 0.030 had to stop and wonder if I'm even on the right track.

Can be the tail stock itself, the ram, the chuck, the way I'm checking, all of the above or ??? . Rather than spin my wheels, any one have any ideas?

Thanks

Robert


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