Set Down Lathe

[Dan Henry]

Has any one made a knock off off the One way 1236SD lathe?? I have friend that who's health is deteriorating and needs to be able to set down while turning. I was wondering if it would be possible to use a Mimi Jet lathe and make it into a set down lathe with the lathe head in a horizontal position.

If some has posted some thing like this , please point me in the correct direction to find it.

Thanks

Dan

[Jim Underwood]

Over on Woodturners Resource there's a picture in the gallery of a mini that someone has adapted to this use. I forwarded a link to a friend of mine who is wheelchair bound, and he's probably going to do something similar.

It's worth a look. I haven't seen whether the guy who did it has written any details yet though.

There's also a couple of threads over on the AAW website that are worth searching for under "disable" I think.

Here are three websites for disabled woodworkers:

http://www.chippypah-workshop.co.uk/
http://www.laymar-crafts.co.uk/
http://www.ableworkshop.com/

[Paul Engle]

You know that may work, but be sure the motor will operate on its side or beable to rotate it back to " up" some mtrs will not take being mtd on their side, I tried it once with a Delta sataionary belt sander... oops trying to make it a vertical edge sander, yea, i had to buy a new motor....

[Ron Journeau]

Friend of mine who is a wheelchair woodworker recently worked with General to bring out a line of tools for seated woodworkers, is called the Access Line . Hope this can help

[Randy Meijer]

Two simple solutions:

Build a stand that is lower than a standard work bench or buy something like a bar stool so you can sit higher.

I do a little of each. My bench is an old desk i salvaged out of my office when they were changing out the furniture. I cut the legs off a little so it is only 27" high and had to remove the center drawer so my legs would clear. Then I got one of those secretarial chairs that adjusts with one those pneumatic tubes. I removed the arms so it would fit under the desk and raised it up to full height of about 22"......works for me!! I'm 6' 1" tall. People of significantly different stature might need to adjust those figures for them to "fit" comfortably.

[Jim Becker]

What Randy says makes sense to me. A "regular" lathe at a low height might work just fine for this situation...or with a Mini that has holes for fasteners, you could build a stand that allows you to bolt it to a well supported vertical panel. The biggest issue I can see is that operating the tailstock and tool rest base will not be as smooth as normal due to the effects of gravity skewing the alignment to the ways when you release the cam clamps to move them. Otherwise, everything should work relatively normal.

[Jack Brown]

If you go to www.turnersanonymous.org and click on February News Letter it is there. It works well. I use it every day.
Jack

[bob edwards]

I have not had an opportunity to put hands on the Oneway sit down lathe but I have a concern about the free movement of the banjo and tail stock. If they are attached to the bed in the usual manor the weight would be exaggerated at 90 degs. I think you would have trouble sliding the tail stock without relieving that weight.

Bob Edwards
San Antonio

[John Fricke]

my father had bad feet and legs and could barely walk. He turned a ton of pens and small projects on his Jet mini while sitting on his mobility cart. What is the purpose of a special sit down lathe?

[Jack Brown]

In response to bob edwards. I have sat at the Oneway Sit Down Lathe and didn't find the banjo and tailstock hard to move. As with anything new and different you might have to make some adjustments to your turning style.
Jack

[Jack Brown]

In response to John Fricke. I admire your father for doing what he did with the equipment available at the time. I think the idea of a sit down lathe is Progress and Inventive minds wanting to make things easier for handicapped people.
Jack

[Marvin Hasenak]

I have a bad mobility problem, I use either a walker or cane to get around and I am unable to stand for any length of time. My lathe is mounted on a student desk. I sit or rest on a 24" high stool. I have used this method for a few years now and I have no problems with it. On a minimum I would guess that I spend at least 25 hours a week at the lathe. I just have to be careful that I do not drop anything on the floor. Some days if it hits the floor it stays there until someone can pick it up.

[Dan Henry]

Jack Thanks for your posting your set down lathe. This will not work on the lathe you won in Texas.
I made prototype lathe stand that worked well, the head stock spindle was 31 inches from the floor with the head turned over to 90 degrees, a friend made a tool rest support that has the tool rest at a normal position.
I have refined the design and have made a real stand that has the spindle 33 inches off of the floor in a set down position and 45 inches when the lathe is rotated to a up right position.
I have some one working on making a Cad drawing of the lathe and will post it when I get the drawing and figure out how to post a picture.

Dan

[Doug Shepard]

I haven't done very much with this yet but put my garage sale find on a sit down stand. Not so much because I needed to but the guy I bought it from had it on a rickety 2x12 sit-down stand and the smaller size appealed to my overstuffed shop
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=51628

[Jack Brown]

Dan, Good to hear from you. No this will not work on the 1224 I won in Texas. It breaks my heart to have that lathe sit there and me using a little old Fisch, but at the present time my knees will only allow me to stand for about 45 min. I hope some day I will be able to stand full time again.
Jack