Building a workbench

[Brian JohnParticipant @brianjohn93961]

John : Yes, even the instruction manual recommends not using the rubber feet and instead to use the drilled holes in the lathe to bolt (M6) the lathe to the workbench. I have measured up the holes in the top of the workbench already : 475mm length X 72mm width.

Edited By Brian John on 25/06/2014 10:54:02

Edited By Brian John on 25/06/2014 10:55:01

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Bench is fully adjustable, all you need is an angle grinder, hacksaw, and a welder. You might need something to measure things so that it's roughly similar in height at each end. The bits that get cut off might help reinforcing the bench.

To make a bench you couldn't do much better than my welding table, it started life as a rack mounting frame for some radio gear, probably dating back to WW2, it is stood on end, and the 1/4" steel top of an old, home made saw bench is welded on top, it's only 1" x 3/16" angle iron, but for you'r wee lathe probably stiff enough.

Ian S C

[Ian WelfordParticipant @ianwelford58739]

It maybe stable to touch but depends what you want to swing. If you get a harmonic then it will shake! I have a wood turning lathe with steel welded stand and about 300KG of wood under it( I kid you not!) This proceeded to walk towards me when working an out of balance burr Sycamore bowl blank ( mind you took 2 of us to lift the blank up and attach it to the headstock) . I would not have believed it would move but it did.

The ideal height I found is as Bazyle advice above. I use duck boards if I want to work over something .

Bolt it all down lathe to bench, bench to floor and check it's level as you tighten everything up.

If vibration proves an issue use bags of sand ( with oil added to make it stiff) on the base platform.

Ian

[Brian JohnParticipant @brianjohn93961]

I cannot bolt it to the floor as I live in rented premises and the lathe/bench will be inside the apartment but I will be bolting the lathe to the bench.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Ideally it should be bolted to the floor, and if you could, to the wall, but you should be OK, you might want to put down a sheet of ply, or (you can get what's called a cover sheet from a pack of MDF) MDF, then the land lord won't complain about the scratches on the floor, stand another one behind the lathe, against the wall. I get MDF cover sheets free for the taking away from the joinery factory just round the corner. Ian S C

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 25/06/2014 10:22:36:

Posted by Bazyle on 24/06/2014 13:10:09:

… I suggest you take your watch off and adjust the time. As you do this note where you are holding it to see clearly and use your fingers which will be the level you want the chuck centre to avoid getting a sore back.

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Bazyle,

That is some of the best, and most concise, advice I have seen.

MichaelG.

[Ergononomics at Loughborough 1968-71]

In my case that would have the lathe spindle over five feet off the ground!

We need to remember this is a C2 lathe not a Colchester Student, it only weighs about 90lbs.

Neil

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 29/06/2014 13:01:06:

In my case that would have the lathe spindle over five feet off the ground!

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Ahh! … That explains why you don't want more than 60 divisions on your leadscrew handwheel.

Seriously; if the eyes are the problem, then a combination of raising the lathe somewhat, and using spectacles with a custom prescription, might prove very worthwhile.

In some respects, the "binoculars" that surgeons use are ideal … but unfortunately I can't afford them.

As Brian observed earlier; sitting at the lathe is an option

MichaelG.

 

 

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 29/06/2014 14:51:47

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

My 'near' and 'far' points are about 4" and 6" these days. I find it comfortable to have the Computer screen about 2' 6" away and slide my glasses down my nose, I never used to have any problems focusing down to afoot away with my glasses on

I used to have half-strength glasses that were wonderful, I could read and talk to someone in the same room without any problems. Sadly I (ironically) left them in the Ruskin Glass Centre. My replacements are even weaker and are supposed to be for reading, but I really don't get on with them, so next time the 'free pair' will be +2 and the main pair +4.5.

Neil

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

I have used Varifocals for a few years now and find them great, would not go back to ordinary or Bi- focals.

Only disadvantage I've found seems to be if you are working at something like fixing things to a ceiling, so keep an ordinary pair as well.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Neil Wyatt on 29/06/2014 16:03:19:

My 'near' and 'far' points are about 4" and 6" these days. …

I never used to have any problems focusing down to afoot away with my glasses on

.

Being shortsighted since about age 13, I used to be able to just remove my glasses to work very close [say 2"] nd far-point was about 3feet. Now [like you, Neil] the accommodation has gone and my near point is about 8" and far point about 10" … this means I can still read, use the screen, and do close-ish work by just removing my glasses; which I suppose is as good as I can hope for.

Neil … I think you need your "workshop glasses" prescribed to be best focus at whatever distance you have the bed of your lathe.

MichaelG.

[Brian JohnParticipant @brianjohn93961]

I intend to put two pieces of pine lengthways under the legs. This will protect the floor tiles and I will screw the bench to these pieces to help square things up.

I will not use MDF board for anything and especially not inside the house. As it ages and breaks up it releases formaldehyde which is a proven carcinogen. I am amazed that they are even allowed to sell this stuff !

[Sam StonesParticipant @samstones42903]

Brian and Gentlemen,

It’s interesting to note how this topic has swung towards optics and eyesight.

During the initial building of my skeleton clock some forty years ago (and certainly more recently), each part had to pass my visual scrutiny through a 3” or 4” binocular headband magnifier. It leaves both hands free although backache can develop while stooping over a lathe, etc.

Living in perhaps similarly rented accommodation, it would seem to me that restraining the spread of swarf in a domestic environment would require even more boxing-in than has previously been intimated. The stuff gets everywhere. Having a strong magnet helps a little with ferrous materials, but the rest . . . well.

By the way, keep magnets away from tools, otherwise that’s also where swarf will begin to reside.

When you’re machining and the cutter or drill starts to scream, how will noise affect the neighbours?

Good luck, and may all your swarf behave itself.

Sam

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Sam Stones on 29/06/2014 23:07:42:

Brian and Gentlemen,

It’s interesting to note how this topic has swung towards optics and eyesight.

During the initial building of my skeleton clock some forty years ago (and certainly more recently), each part had to pass my visual scrutiny through a 3” or 4” binocular headband magnifier. It leaves both hands free although backache can develop while stooping over a lathe, etc.

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Sam,

The reason I specifically mentioned the "surgeon's binocular" is that they give a magnified image at a decent working distance. … Unfortunately the backache then comes from grovelling to the Bank Manager.

However, as you rightly note; this thread has swung away from Brian's original question, so perhaps I should refrain from further optical discussion.

MichaelG.

[Sam StonesParticipant @samstones42903]

That's the beauty of this website Michael. Lots of interesting diversity.

I wouldn't miss it for quids. Well, dollars.

Sam

[Brian JohnParticipant @brianjohn93961]

I was told that if your cutting tools are set at the correct angles and the chuck speed is adequate then there will not be too much noise. Have I been misinformed ? I will only using it in the afternoon for an hour or so each day.

Swarf : Yes, I am worried about making a mess but, never having used a lathe before, I will tackle that problem once I see it for myself. I would not even think of doing this if I had carpet on the floors !

[IDPParticipant @idp]

I have a bench topped with a re-claimed fire door, it's about 2" thick and makes a brilliant sag free bench _ worth thinking about.

Regards,

IDP

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

You are likely to get mor enoise from the lathe motor and feed gears than you are from the actual cutting action of the tool. Working on irregular shapes can knock a bit with the interupted cut but turning round work will be OK.

The MDF sold here is classed as low formaldihide and gives off virtually nothing when just sitting there, a fraction more when being cut. If you are really bothered by it then they do sell a zero formaldihide version at a premium.  The MR (moisture resistant) and Exterior grades should be far more stable in your climate than standard MDF. I also suspect that the glossy white kitchen where you have the lathe is an MDF core wrapped or sprayed gloss white

Edited By JasonB on 30/06/2014 09:09:19

Edited By JasonB on 30/06/2014 09:10:27

[Brian JohnParticipant @brianjohn93961]

Oddly enough, they do not sell the moisture resistant and exterior grades MDF here ; only the standard stuff which does not last long in the tropics !

My kitchen is quite old and I can see that it is made of chipboard. Another poor building choice in this climate !

[Eric CoxParticipant @ericcox50497]

So MDF gives off formaldehyde which is carcinogenic but how much does it give off, how much do you have to inhale before it is detrimental to your health and over what period of time. You're right to show concern but don't take the warning at face value.

It reminds me of an advert for a butter substitute that lowered cholesterol, it did but you had to eat five tons of the stuff.

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

In NZ if your house is like mine (built 1972), on piles it will have MDF flooring, cupboards, some of the furniture. Newer houses have concrete floors, although some engineers have suggested that the houses on piles are better in earthquakes.

The coating that is on MDF is melanine. Ian S C

[John McNamaraParticipant @johnmcnamara74883]

Hi IDP

Fire doors are often plated with steel both sides and all the edges, they often have lap seams on the steel sheeting joins visible on the surface…. does yours and how old is it? I am interested in what is inside. If it came from an old building say more than 20 to 30 years old it may have an asbestos core, quite likely in fact. Pretty safe really while it is wrapped up, but watch out for the dust if you drill holes through it. For others that may think of using one it would not be a good idea to cut one up with an angle grinder to make it fit without knowing what the core was. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos, particularly the dust.

Regards
John

[Raymond Sanderson 2Participant @raymondsanderson2]

This is a little left field as far as bench tops go but why not use a sheet of fibre board like used in/on bathroom laundry floors these days (The asbestos board replacement) Possibly get an off cut at a building sight. Bunnings do sell it not cheap tho.

What gave me the idea was my wheelchair ramp at the front of the house.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

John, not sure what your fire regs are over there but here our internal fire doors are usually timber core. My own bench tops are made from sapele veneered doors that came out of an office refurb, these are 54mm thick which is a veneered ply face and the core is similar to what used to be known as "laminboard" similar to block board but narrower strips. In the right frames and with correct seals these would give a 2hr fire rating

The more common and easily obtainable domestic/ 1hr 44mm thich firedoors are also suitable for benches and would more likely be ply faced with chipboard core.

If you can't come by salvaged ones then for the sort of widths we need eg 600mm then the most economic way is to by a 1220×2440 "door blank" and rip it down the middle

Brian, the carcases are likely to be melamine faced chipboard (MFC) but the doors MDF, which will either be vinyl or foil wrapped, possibly 2K painted.

Eric, When it first came out MDF did have quite a bit of Formaldihide now even the standard stuff from teh likes of Medite has something like >9mg/100g that 0.00001% you would have to eat a lot of it before you were sick

[John McNamaraParticipant @johnmcnamara74883]

Hi Jason

Asbestos in fire doors…….

You cant judge them by appearance **LINK**

It depends on the age.

Regards
John

[Raymond Sanderson 2Participant @raymondsanderson2]

Our fire doors are also cored (son works for company) and they are darn solid heavy things.

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