10 - Heavy Duty Lathe Stand, страница 16

FEATURE PROJECT

I had visions of spending a quiet evening turning a project on my new bench-top lathe. But after going down to the shop to try it out, I was disappointed. Unlike the smooth-running full-size lathes I had seen, it rumbled and shook as I was turning.

Fortunately, the problem wasn't the lathe at all — it was the stand the lathe was mounted on. Even though the stand was fairly rigid, it was still too lightweight to dampen the vibration set up by the spinning workpiece.

sponge. To improve the performance of the lathe, I decided to build a heavy stand — one that would work like a big sponge to absorb the vibration set up by the lathe. The trick was to add enough

A heavy top supported by solid legs and a "sand box" absorb the vibration set up by a bench-top lathe.

weight to keep the lathe from rattling around without making the stand look like a wood boxcar.

After looking around for the heaviest, densest material I could find, I found just what I needed — ³/4"-thick particleboard. Two layers of this particle-board are built into the legs and the top of the stand.

beam. To add even more weight, there's also a hollow "beam" that spans between the legs of the stand. This beam can be filled with almost 60 pounds of sand to create additional "ballast" that dampens the vibration of the lathe, see photo below.

knocks down. But all this weight can be a mixed blessing when it comes time to move the lathe stand. To keep it from becoming a "permanent" fixture in the shop, the stand is bolted together so it can be easily knocked down.

other features. While I was at it, I added a pair of drawers to store my lathe accessories. There's also a unique pivoting tool rack that positions your lathe tools within easy reach when you're turning. (For more on this tool rack, see page 21.)

Lathe Stand

To add stability, a hollow wood beam is filled with sand. This anchors the stand and dampens the vibration of the lathe.

Cutting Diagram

43" x 96"- ⁵/t-"-THICK PARTICLEBOARD

43" x 96" - W'-THICK TEMPERED MASONITE

3/4" x 914" - 96"

jz

3/4" x 9V4" - 96"

3/4" x 7V4" - 43"

3/4" x 914" - 96"

jz

3/4" x 9V4" - 96"

3/4" x 7V4" - 43"

31 BOARD FEET 3/₄"-THlCK HARDWOOD

31 BOARD FEET 3/₄"-THlCK HARDWOOD

16

ShopNotes

No. 10