Future new lathe purchase

[Brice Rogers]

Wes,

When I'm hollowing, I like working from the "backside" of the lathe. That way I can hold my tools close to my body and with my arms/shoulder kind of "tucked in" for control. If I didn't work from the backside, I would either want to straddle (sit on) the lathe bed (inconvenient without a stepstool) or would be holding my tool with my arms almost out straight - - probably the poorest position for decent control.

If space is an issue, some people have made roller systems that allow you to raise your lathe onto wheels, move it, and then lower it down. Google SMC threads as there are a lot of innovative ideas that have been posted.

[John K Jordan]

Question for you though - do you ever find a need to be on the back side of the lathe? I've heard/read that it is ideal to have access to all sides of the lathe. ...

Not really, everything I do on the lathe I can do fine from the front.

It is ideal to have access to all sides of the lathe IF the type of turning you do will benefit from it. As mentioned earlier, those who like to turn hollow forms sometimes like to stand at the very end of the lathe, depending on the equipment they use. Some people could probably work fine from one side of the lathe if they decided they wanted to. If I want to see the opposite upper inside I turn the lathe in reverse. Some people never turn the kinds of things I do and I'm sure their 360-deg access is fine for them. Some are just used to having full access around the lathe. I think all of it is fine - I don't know of any government lathe access enforcement officers.

I have learned to turn everything from one side and I turn a huge variety of things, thin spindles, tiny things, boxes, ornaments, small and large bowls, platters, off axis. Maybe I've learned to turn this way since I like having my tools within arm's reach AND since I started turning in a tight space. This is now very efficient for me, both in use of the space and in using the lathe. I have the lathes close to the wall but far enough away for clearance for the longer tools and the long PM banjo as well as the dust collection pickup nozzle. I also have several shelves and mount multiple lights on the wall and high above, all wired to come on with one switch. (In case you are not aware, there are several good technical reasons to use several smaller task lights rather than rely on broad, diffuse overhead lights like long fluorescent fixtures.)

The photos show my primary lathe and how I currently have things arranged. In addition to what is shown, two steps to the right are two cabinets (chucks, volatile chemical cabinet, misc tools) and a machinist's toolbox for many small tools such as vernier calipers and hones. Just behind where I stand is a workbench with shelves and shallow drawers below plus more tool storage (all of my smaller Hunter tools, digital calipers, etc.), again, within arm's reach. A drill press and floor-to-ceiling cabinet is in the corner behind me, bandsaw a few steps to the left. I have honed and refined this way of working over the last 15 years, changing and trying things until the way I have it now is right for me. In fact, when I designed my new shop I laid out the two walls specifically to let me have a turning area with two lathes set up like this (diagrams), walls on three sides but open across the front, double door to open when the weather is nice.

lights_IMG_20160811_092859_.jpg lathe_PM2_Jan17_IMG_5751.jpg shop_floorplan.jpg shop_floorplan_lathe_space2.jpg

If you have the opportunity, I suggest you try both ways and see what works best for you. Another option is to build a 1/2 length wall to put tools within arms reach but still have the entire back half of the lathe out in the open. If you slide the headstock halfway down the ways for large work you will have the best of both worlds.

In fact, in my last garage shop the "tool wall" behind the lathe was simply a piece of 4' wide 3/4" plywood leaning against the back of the radial arm saw! I put tools, sandpaper rolls, small shelves, and clipped task lights to the edges. Before I was done with the new shop I moved the bandsaw, lathe, and that piece of plywood to the new space so I could turn wood when taking a break from wiring and insulating.

One safety thing: if you decide to turn big things from the other side of the lathe you may want to buy a lathe equipped with or add a remote emergency panic button and idealy, speed and reverse controls. If a heavy blank suddenly goes out of control with the controls on the other side of the lathe from where you are working it's not a good situation.

JKJ

[Rich Colvin]

John,

I am a neat freak, and my shop isn't that clean. Do you actually use it ?



Rich

[John K Jordan]

John,
I am a neat freak, and my shop isn't that clean. Do you actually use it ?

Rich

Ha! I'd bet your shop wins the neat award! I am a card-carrying anti-neat freak, I think the technical term is "slob."

The picture was after redoing the tool wall and moving the lathe back into place. That's probably the last time it's had a good cleaning. I don't, in fact, get much turning time this time of the year but I'm preparing for a demo so I've been turning for a few days. There are 6" of shavings on the floor, the bandsaw table is a note-taking station covered with lists and drawings and stacks of blanks. The workbench between the two lathes is stacked a foot high with compasses and rulers, papers, carving tools, more stacks of blanks, chucks, cans of sanding sealer and naptha. Partially finished turning projects are waiting patiently in at least four chucks here and there. The sharpening bench is littered with a pile of lathe tools needing sharpening.

The rest of the shop is worse after back-to-back farm projects with no cleanup time between. I do have a path to the dust collector closet and there is enough room to sit in the chair in the office. Just barely! I'm glad I don't do this for a living or I'd be bankrupt.

JKJ

[William C Rogers]

I had my previous lathe against the wall. My new lathe is perpendicular to the wall. I like this much, much better. One of the reasons I did this was because I now have a sliding headstock and wanted the capability to work off the end doing bowls. It's also easier to clean up around the lathe.
In regard to lathes I have the Laguna 18-36. I looked at the Laguna, Jet, PM, and Grizzly. Each one has advantages and disadvantages. My criteria was design, capacity, price, and features. However the Laguna "fit" me. I'm 5'9" and the Laguna floor to spindle is 41-1/2". The others were higher. My previous lathe was a PM 90. At original configuration floor to spindle was 42". Whe I raised it to a 18" swing the floor to spindle height went to 45". I noticed the difference. I want to do bowls 16" and platters 16" and hollow forms up to 12" deep. If I wanted to do larger bowls or platters, Laguna offers a bed extension that will allow up to 32" swing. Now if I was 6'4" then the I would have needed riser blocks for the legs and a different lathe might have been a better choice.

[John K Jordan]

I had my previous lathe against the wall. My new lathe is perpendicular to the wall. I like this much, much better. One of the reasons I did this was because I now have a sliding headstock and wanted the capability to work off the end doing bowls. It's also easier to clean up around the lathe.

What is this cleanup thing you mention? For a lathe against the wall I found the big tubs from Walmart fit nicely and pushed tight against the wall catch almost everything that would normally fall under or behind the lathe.

lathe_PM_tub.jpg

JKJ

[William C Rogers]

What is this cleanup thing you mention? For a lathe against the wall I found the big tubs from Walmart fit nicely and pushed tight against the wall catch almost everything that would normally fall under or behind the lathe.

lathe_PM_tub.jpg

JKJ

Well John, I added ballast and pull out shelves between the legs, so the big bin really doesn't fit. It also didn't fit with the PM 90. It's also much easier to fetch the dropped tool without trying to find my reacher. Just my preference and it feels more open.
IMG_0753.jpg

[Dane Riley]

I added a remote stop after breaking the top off a hollowform while reaching for the shutoff and inadvertently moving the hollowing tool just a little. Should have done it sooner. I made my own using a metal electrical box, a paddle switch from Grizzly, a rare earth magnet, and wire. Using both sexes of spade lugs made inserting it in series with the on/off switch in the headstock easy. Every large lathe should have one.

[Larry Copas]

Mountain Home has a good AAW wood turning club. I bet one of the members would let you try their lathe if you can get set on a model.

I traveled to the club last year when they had David Ellsworth in for a demo and got acquainted with a couple of the members.

[Wes Ramsey]

Mountain Home has a good AAW wood turning club. I bet one of the members would let you try their lathe if you can get set on a model.

I traveled to the club last year when they had David Ellsworth in for a demo and got acquainted with a couple of the members.

Yes! OWT does have some talent and from what I remember they had mostly retired turners with money to spend on tools. I was a member for a while, but the meetings are in Lakeview, almost an hour's drive from town. With 2 boys having soccer games most Saturdays while school is in I almost never made the meetings. I did enjoy it and will join again probably next year if only just to get the newsletter. Really wanted to go to the Ellsworth demo, but we were busy that weekend.