Lathe - machine storage ideas?

[Dale Murray]

I am in process of finishing my garage (insulation, drywall, HVAC run, electrical, lighting), half of which will be used for power tools. Along the back (18') wall I would like to build a storage cabinet/bench (proper woodworking bench will be inside). The cabinets will have typical drawers and doors for storage but I would like to add in a few other features such as:
- Mounting a wood lathe on hinged supports allowing it to be stowed below the bench top (think old Singer sewing machine).
- Removable insert that allows miter saw to be placed flush with top (not very difficult I suppose).
- Removable insert that exposes a downdraft table.
- Plumb a 4" or 6" line through the cabinet to the dust collector to be used with lathe, miter saw, downdraft table, etc.

Clearly I am trying to stuff a lot into this space but like most, I have to make due with the space I have. The items listed are fairly straight forward but I am struggling with the best way to deal with the lathe.

The lathe is a tool I use very rarely but I'm fortunate to have received this one (a 70's craftsman) from my grandfathers estate and would like to have it assembled and ready to use, but cannot afford to dedicate space to it, thus the storage idea.

I did a bit of googling and have only found one interpretation of this idea which required mounting the lathe to the bottom of the top and rotating 180* to lock in place.

Anybody here have any ideas or links that could help?
Is there an ergonomic rule of thumb for tool rest height on a wood lathe?

[Jamie Buxton]

I've got a lathe that can turn 12" diameter by 40" long. I stand it on one end for storage. That way, it eats only 15"x12" of floor space. If I stored it horizontal, it would eat 12" by 50" or so -- a whole lot more in a small shop.

[Jamie Buxton]

Here's a pic of my lathe cart, with lathe. The lathe stands on its headstock end. The cart has drawers for tools, chucks, and such. It also has space for the grinder. The cart and lathe stand in a space behind the entry door -- a space that's too small for much else. In operation, the lathe sits on the bench (seen in the background).

lathecart.jpg

[Dale Murray]

That is pretty nifty.

I had a similar idea but it did not involve a rolling cart, more of a Murphy bed influence. I dropped it once I realized I did not want to give up wall space.

I drew this up quickly in Illustrator, not to scale in any real way. My one real concern with this is weight lifting the lathe; I am young enough and strong enough to do it now but what happens in 10-15 years?

I suppose I should check the turning group and see what the correct ergonomics of lathe setup are, that would determine the fulcrum point and viability of this design.

Lathe_Idea.jpg