# Lathe benches?



## lazylathe (Jan 13, 2011)

Hi All,

In a few weeks i will be getting my new toy! A Myford ML7!
In the interim i need to make a suitable bench for it.
It will come with a metal chip tray so that will provide some protection for the bench from oil etc.
I have searched the forum and seen a lot of wooden benches.
Are they dimensionally stable? And what is the best type of wood to make them from?
I have a lot of woodworking tools so throwing one together carefully is not an issue.

The metal ones i have seen cost a fortune!
And buying a pair of cast iron legs gets very expensive quickly!

I read a lot about benches and how the wooden ones will swell with temperature changes, humidity changes and just weather in general.
To me it seems that metal is the ideal choice, but not so when looking around machining forums.

What are good options to add to a bench?
Levelling system for the legs?
Drawers and storage space is essential.
Don't really want a backboard or peg board, just a clean lined bench.
Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Andrew


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## Shopguy (Jan 13, 2011)

Andrew
I've attached three pictures of the lathe bench I am currently using here in Olds.  The legs are 2X6 material doubled and covered both sides with 19 mm plywood. The top is 5 layers of 19 hard board, right under the lathe the top piece extends to the back of the bench. The benchwas leveled and glued to the floor with urethane glue. It seems to be working. In its last three locations the bench top sat on concrete piers.









Regards

Ernie


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## New_Guy (Jan 13, 2011)

read this http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/monarch-lathes/not-monarch-but-useful-info-just-same-166280/

i only read that yesterday and i have just finished my own stand otherwise i would have done something similar






 im about to paint it and make it look decent soon


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## lazylathe (Jan 14, 2011)

Thanks for the replies and help!
Ernie your bench look great!
And that may be the route i have to go since i do not have any welding equipment at home.

New_Guy, thanks for that. I was following your bench thread and watching with interest!
Looks like a sturdy bench!! 
The SB9 thread was a great read! Thanks for that link!
It looked new by the time it was done!
That was a great find and a great clean up job!

Andrew


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## Spurry (Jan 14, 2011)

Ernie

That's a very neat bit of woodwork there. Looks like it would support a house. 

The advantage of making your own wooden bench is that you can tailor the height to your own exact requirements....especially important for those of us who don't like to bend too much

Pete


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## lazylathe (Jan 14, 2011)

Just found this site that has benches of all kinds in Canada.
And FREE delivery!!!

http://www.avenuesupply.ca/

They are also in the States, though not sure about the shipping there...
They have lots of neat stuff and excellent storage ideas!

Andrew


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## lazylathe (Jan 14, 2011)

Any thoughts on these types of benches?

http://www.avenuesupply.ca/displayp...tial&baseItemOID=82313&itemGroupOID=82313&N=0

http://www.avenuesupply.ca/displayp...mberSKU=5520401&skuSearch=5520401&sku=5520401

http://www.avenuesupply.ca/displayp...tial&baseItemOID=84662&itemGroupOID=84662&N=0


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## AR1911 (Jan 14, 2011)

Take a look at the mini-pallet-rack shelf units sold at Costco and other places. 
Very stout steel, adjustable height. and you can use whatever "shelf" material you wish to mack the actual mounting surface. Weld some 4" heavy-wall square tubing between the horizontals for the lathe mounting points.


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## MachineTom (Jan 14, 2011)

A Myford will benefit from a rigid base, forget the jack screws, bolted through with shims to address any twist is the better way. Check out monument or granite top makers for discard pieces.
1/2" + steel could also be used.






This is low as I work in a chair. The slab was leveled with shims to the bench, then the lathe leveled to remove all the twist.


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## firebird (Jan 14, 2011)

Hi

My benches are made from kitchen worktops. Its a fairly stable material. I have had no problem with movement since I built the shop.






Cheers

Rich


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## GWRdriver (Jan 14, 2011)

Andrew,
To echo MachineTom, . . . rigidity and mass. Provide as much of these two as your purse will allow. Rigidity in the base, to inhibit X-X/Y-Y movement, and diagonal bracing or closure boards of ply or sheet metal help a great deal. Mass in the tabletop. Stone slabs are rare, but steel plate or sections of some kind do well. I've even seen a length of rectuagular steel tube filled with concrete used as a lathe mounting top.


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## kwoodhands (Jan 14, 2011)

Andrew, I have built 200 + benches in the past, mostly for manufacturing plants that needed heavy duty fabrication benches. Some were built for woodworkers and had vices, tool trays and dog holes.
Because you mentioned you have woodworking tools you can make your own similar to what I have made.
Joint and plane dry framing lumber first. Hardwoods such as beech,maple and white oak are used in expensive benches but not necessary for your use.
Yellow pine that has dried out to under 10% is ideal . Machine the wood to about 3" or so wide and about 1-5/16" thick. Usually these dimensions would be the most you can get out of 2x4's after jointing and planing. 
Bore 7/16" holes for 5/16" allthread rods. If the bench is say 4'-0" long then figure a rod 6" from each end and space two or three more between the outside rods.
The rods will keep the laminated bench from twisting and coming apart.
Counter bore the outside laminations so you can use a ratchet on the nuts.
I use yellow carpenters glue ,I suggest you use a glue with a much longer open time. Epoxy with a filler probably or a boat builders caesin glue. 
I had a setup similar to a Plano glue jig, that is why I could get away with a shorter glue open time.
Make two cabinets about 14" wide and connect them with a stretcher.This will leave an open space 20" if the top is 48". I store oil, face plate,etc in this space.

mike


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## lazylathe (Jan 14, 2011)

Thanks for the info and pics1
They are most helpful and give me lots of ideas.

I will show what i have built when it is done!

Thanks again for all the help!

Andrew


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## HS93 (Jan 14, 2011)

it's a pity you are not in the uk if you want that type of bench, I have one of these but for other machines and a vice, 
http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-axminster-double-bench-station-prod23530/

I am after a good strong traditional lathe stand in the uk, for a ML10 I have just recived I need it compact but strong about 40" top.

Peter


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## powderhorn01 (Jan 14, 2011)

For a table you might want to research an article put out by the War Production Board in WW2, concerning how make a lathe, more precision. There was a discussion over over on practical machinist, about mounting a lathe on a home made concrete table top.

I have included a link to the article.
http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/south-bend-lathes/concrete-lathe-bench-top-130222/


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