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Post by phoneman on Jul 8, 2014 21:07:51 GMT
Rob has embarked upon a campaign to shame me into reviving my grandfather's 1930s vintage Sears lathe. I enjoyed using it when I was a boy in my grandfather's magic workshop. After my grandfather died in 1964 the shop was dismantled. I have kept it, sadly unused, since then. (I have made sure it has been stored on a flat surface.) The poor lathe always seemed to be sidetracked by saws, routers, sharpening gear and other tools.
I am thinking of making a simple table for the lathe using MDF as a top and 2x4 legs and stretchers. I have made other stands with 2x lumber. Mortise and tenon with bolts have proved quite sturdy over the years.
MDF is readily available in 2'x4' pieces. Thicknesses are 1/2"; 3/4" or 1". I plan to stabilize the table with several boxes of cat litter placed on a shelf below the table. (The cat litter boxes have worked well on my drill press cabinet. They are heavy, cheap, and easily removable when I need to move the drill press.) Does 3/4 MDF seem thick enough for the table top?
The lathe is 30" between centers, nine inch diameter, and used #1 Morse centers (3/4" x16 threads). It should fit well on a 4' length table. The motor belt extends out the back of the lathe. In the interest of simplicity, I might leave the depth measurement 24".
Screws to hold the top to the 2 x 4 stretchers seem adequate, if somewhat inelegant.
I'm retired with a very busy grandchild care schedule. I doubt the lathe will ever receive heavy use with me. I would like it functional. Forum thoughts and ideas are most welcome.
Thanks,
Ken
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Post by Pete on Jul 8, 2014 22:52:22 GMT
Hi Ken
Only thing I would add is a frame around the top, MDF has it's weaknesses on edges and corners so if you can wrap those then it will withstand pretty much anything. if you have a table saw than rabbeting some 2'x4' to make a supporting lip and attaching that to the support stands rather than the MDF directly would give a class stand for the lathe. My Myford is on a factory stand but the bed the lathe is fixed to is 18mm ply on an sheet metal stand it's pretty stable on that and I have abused it with 36" timber on a 90 degree angle (though only once and after balancing the stock on a much heavier club lathe)
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Post by Rob on Jul 8, 2014 23:26:10 GMT
Vibration is the enemy of the woodturner so just on a theoretical level if it were me I would be inclined towards the inch think MDF. But then I do have a tendency to over engineer things having been born within 5 miles of Sheffield :-)
All your other bracing ideas sound good.
And.....nice to hear you're going for it Ken....you won't regret it I promise you. In fact I can't wait to see your first piece :-)
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Post by Pete on Jul 9, 2014 0:03:16 GMT
Not so sure that making the MDF thicker is an advantage on vibration reduction. it adds weight, and may add some strength on unsupported length but MDF is dust and glue with weak points on the sideways shear factor of the particles. so making it thicker is really only adding more shear points
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Post by phoneman on Jul 9, 2014 1:52:58 GMT
Thanks for your thoughts, guys.
Pete, I have never worked with MDF. My paneling of choice from years ago is Baltic Birch Plywood. In this case, I thought the MDF would be adequate. Yes, I think some edge protection might be in order.
Rob, I'm like you in the overengineering department. However, I have to take into consideration the operator. If I use the cat litter boxes for stability, I can remove them and have a lighter table to move when necessary. It isn't at all practical, but I would love to have the lathe outdoors with wonderful natural light, just like the old bodgers. Instead I will make the bst of a basement workshop. (That's leagues ahead of my previous shop in an unheated garage with poor light.)
By the way, Rob, I have heard of a heat treater in Sheffield whose work distorted slightly giving a concave area instead of a convex belly on the backs of tools. What a genious!
I'm sure I will have more questions as this project gets going. I will keep you posted.
Ken
ps My forum picture looks like something from the old Michael Renny movie, "The Day the Earth Stood Still"!
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Post by Rob on Jul 9, 2014 7:50:32 GMT
:-)
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Post by Jeff Farris on Jul 9, 2014 13:39:58 GMT
If you feel up to the challenge of the geometry, I would extend the legs at a compound angle to the top. Doesn't need a lot, but a little angle each way will make for a very stable base. Unless you're treating it as an exercise for your technique, or a test of some piece of equipment, I would skip the mortice and tenon joinery and do half-laps. Easier to cut, more forgiving of errors and nearly as strong (or stronger if the mortice and tenon is sloppy).
I get the idea of keeping the weight down on the main bench, but given the option, I'm with Rob...I would always make the top out of the thickest material I could find and/or afford.
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Post by Pete on Jul 9, 2014 14:51:32 GMT
I agree with Geoff on the half lap over mortice, you may also take some of that extra weight and joinery time saved into making 3 sets of legs one set either side of the headstock where most vibration is generated and one at the the tail end.
Not so sure about compound angle, geometry is hard thinking... but it does make sense that the foot should be wider than the bench, not much, a 5 degree angle would be plenty, but don't forget to angle the foot end so it stands on as much of the timber as possible.
And please upload pictures of the lathe and stand when finished, I love looking at old lathes (though love my electronic variable speed and every belt guarded more, when actually using it!)
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Post by phoneman on Jul 9, 2014 17:30:21 GMT
Good suggestions. Doing a compound angle shouldn't be a problem. That would definitely aid the stability. A piece of thicker MDF costs very little more than a thin piece. Yes, it will make the table heavier, but I should be able to draft a helper in the rare cases when it needs to be moved.
Any thoughts on finish for the table?
Thanks,
Ken
ps. I will ost photos when it is completed. (Don't hold your breath; I'm not very fast.)
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Post by Pete on Jul 9, 2014 18:19:01 GMT
Doesn't matter! you won't be able to find those screws no matter what colour it is :-) mine is matt black and I think it helps sometimes that it doesn't reflect light e.g. when I am doing thin wall wet turning I use a very bright light behind the stock and stop cutting when I can see it through the work, would be annoying if that light bounced off the lathe table. Something smooth is the key, so you can sweep it clean of sawdust and shavings easily.
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Post by Jeff Farris on Jul 9, 2014 19:25:06 GMT
I'm boring when it comes to finishing shop equipment made from wood. If it gets anything, it would be a simple wipe-on/wipe-off oil finish. More than likely though, once the joinery is done I would just look at it and shout, "You're finished".
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Post by Rob on Jul 9, 2014 19:37:12 GMT
I'm the same....My workshop is there to make nice things in, for some reason I've never been one to make the workshop itself pretty.
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Post by Pete on Jul 11, 2014 16:07:10 GMT
I'm the same....My workshop is there to make nice things in, for some reason I've never been one to make the workshop itself pretty. I often have good intentions... but most of the cabinets / jigs in my workshop are bare timber without even a drop of oil to finish them, got as far as painting the walls and ceiling white to maximise light, but I am afraid Norm would be shaking his head in despair at my workshop. my excuse is I don't have a dust free finishing room... |
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mcb
New Member
Posts: 47 
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Post by mcb on Jul 12, 2014 23:32:22 GMT
MDF is readily available in 2'x4' pieces. Thicknesses are 1/2"; 3/4" or 1". I plan to stabilize the table with several boxes of cat litter placed on a shelf below the table. (The cat litter boxes have worked well on my drill press cabinet. They are heavy, cheap, and easily removable when I need to move the drill press.) Does 3/4 MDF seem thick enough for the table top? There's a place near the Blackwall tunnel that cuts MDF to exactly the size that you want up to 38mm thick. See mdf-cut-to-size.co.ukTHey will deliver but i have always ordered via the interweb page and then collected MC |
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Post by Rob on Jul 13, 2014 9:49:53 GMT
Bit of a commute to come from the USA to buy it though :-)
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