Bench suggestions for TH54 installation - ?

WesPete66

WesPete66

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Hi, new to the forums here.. I'm looking for any suggestions regarding the bench I will be using to mount my TH54 lathe. Here's my situation:
My garage shop is "space challenged" so every inch counts. I have two possible benches to pick from & modify if needed. Bench 'A' stands 36" tall with a depth of ~26", while 'B' stands 33" tall with a 30" depth.
-What bench height would most prefer? (I'm tall at 6'1", is the 36" bench better?)
-How tall are the Atlas factory leg units?
Atlas' installation bulletin states the bench top should be only 14" wide. I guess this leaves open space around/behind the machine. I would think that space is good for storage of "stuff", even though access is kinda limited back there.
-I'm leaning toward the full bench surface, clear back to the wall. Do others prefer having the full bench top? Or is it wise to limit the surface to the suggested 14"?
Thanks for any suggestions! and also thanks for the forums!
Wes
 
I am 5'8" and my bench is 34" tall and 18" deep. I set it out from the wall just enough so that the horizontal drive just clears and set a bracket at each end to keep it there.
I then made a filler piece to close the space between the bench and wall to keep anything from falling behind the bench but can be taken out if need be.
HWF
 
I personally like my mini lathe on the shallowest bench in the shop ~24" deep. I don't like to have anything behind the machine, as I find it too hard to NOT put stuff back there, and I don't like the temptation of reaching over the lathe to grab stuff.

If I were you, I would go with the 14in suggestion by Atlas, by either shortening the bench, or blocking off the backside. I ended up putting long material storage behind the lathe, accessible from the end of the bench not the front, which took up the extra room, and provided a handy spot to hang commonly used tools.

-Cody
 
According to the 1945 Atlas catalog, the bench with the cast iron legs is 33-5/8" high. The ad doesn't specifically say but I assume that is to the top surface of the board. If I recall correctly, the board is 1-5/8" thick. So the bare legs would be 32" tall. The ad says that Atlas also sold a shorter set that was 29-5/8" high, for vocational education applications.

The 14" width of the OEM stand probably presupposed that several of the lathes would be set up in a row. And gave access to both sides of the machine. Although I only have one lathe and have a custom back-splash on mine, it is out in the middle of the floor. If I were going to put a machine against a wall, I think that I would go with the 30" deep top. Seal the back edge to the wall so that small parts can't fall between. And go up the wall with storage shelves starting about 18" up. Be sure that you leave enough clearance behind to remove the cross slide off the back plus 6 or 8 inches. My back-splash clears the cross slide but doesn't quite clear the cross slide dual turret. Taking it off the front is a pain.

Also, depending upon how the bench is constructed, you may want to beef up the top with 3/4" or 1-1/2" of wood or plywood.

Robert D.
 
I just went out and took some measurements on my TH54 to make sure I could speak intelligently. 14" is the minimum depth required to mount the legs of the lathe and the horizontal countershaft bracket - the motor and countershaft pulley take up another 8+ inches behind that, which means that the front leg bolts will need to be at least 22" from the wall or the countershaft pulley will hit the wall. I would recommend 24" or more (mine is around 28" deep). I do store a few things on the empty space behind the lathe bed and I have plenty of space to install some shelves (future project). Hope this helps.

Allen
 
I'll go out to the shop and measure my space and feed back. But I think the thing you want to think about most is the stability and levelness of the machine. So regardless of the positioning, make sure its on solid ground.
 
Hey thanks all for the info & pointers!
I think I will use the shorter of the benches as it is much heavier. I will trim the depth down to ~ 24-26". The height seems in line with the factory legs, but I'm going to try placing a 1.5" block under each leg mainly to gain back some storage space underneath. This bench is so solid I don't think the blocks will bother anything.. And yes, brace it against the wall for stability.
I'm hoping to get the bench right (for the conditions) as this is my first lathe & want it to be a good experience..
Thanks again!
Wes

any further responses are appreciated too!
 
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