Lathe Stand Options?

[Damn Yankee]

I left this thread by saying I might just weld-up a stand. With no imagination and short of a full-fledged welding table, I was thinking 1/4 2x angle - a DIY lathe stand I have found common, but thought it will lack the rigidity I am looking for and is just an easy build. Trolling videos, I came across this: https://www.google.com/search?q=gri...#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:04724c76,vid:ijceqGq-AiQ. That stand appears to be a tank and has all the features that I would use and appreciate.

A viewer asked Mr. Coppola (you have to read the last comment) what the dimensions were and if there was an upper cross member (just under the lathe below the chip tray). The man who made the video answered no questions, so I pose that question to the Group. Do you think there is a link on the stand at the top or does the lathe bed serve that purpose. And if there is a link, what do you think you might use.? The 4" beam seems a bit overkill for that purpose though a couple 1 1/2x square steel tubing seem in order for both top and bottom. Suggestions? I think I might be on to something here...

Thanks,
John

 

[7milesup]

I have owned a PM1022 lathe and a PM833T mill (I sold them both and upgraded). Before these machines arrived, I built stands for both of them. I have always felt that the factory stands were mediocre at best and offered little in the way of practical storage, plus I can build one for less than the manufacturers sell their stands for.
For your top cross member I would utilize a torsion box, which can be a rectangular tube of the required dimensions to fit the footprint of your lathe. By utilizing a torsion box, it eliminates any errors in trying to line up two separate members for welding.
David Best's lathe stand is a work of art and is worth checking out. The big takeaway in building your stand is that it offers the flexibility to integrate storage space into an area normally wasted.
I have attached a couple of pictures of my stands. The lathe stand was very rigid and served its purpose for a number of years, but looking at the pictures now, I should have added a few gussets to the corners.

Edit: the middle picture has the lathe stand upside down while I was painting it, but it shows the rectangular cross member.

 

[Damn Yankee]

I have owned a PM1022 lathe and a PM833T mill (I sold them both and upgraded). Before these machines arrived, I built stands for both of them. I have always felt that the factory stands were mediocre at best and offered little in the way of practical storage, plus I can build one for less than the manufacturers sell their stands for.
For your top cross member I would utilize a torsion box, which can be a rectangular tube of the required dimensions to fit the footprint of your lathe. By utilizing a torsion box, it eliminates any errors in trying to line up two separate members for welding.
David Best's lathe stand is a work of art and is worth checking out. The big takeaway in building your stand is that it offers the flexibility to integrate storage space into an area normally wasted.
I have attached a couple of pictures of my stands. The lathe stand was very rigid and served its purpose for a number of years, but looking at the pictures now, I should have added a few gussets to the corners.

Edit: the middle picture has the lathe stand upside down while I was painting it, but it shows the rectangular cross member.

I like the idea of a torsion box. It makes sense. Question: in your opinion, what are we talking in minimum wall thickness?

Thx,
John

 

[7milesup]

I like the idea of a torsion box. It makes sense. Question: in your opinion, what are we talking in minimum wall thickness?

Thx,
John

I think that 0.25" would be a good number. You will never bend or flex a rectangle tube with that wall thickness. I just looked at the G4003 manual, but it does not appear to specify the mounting hole dimensions.
Here is a link to a metal supplier with rectangle tube offerings, just for reference and food for thought. Midwest Steel and Aluminum Rectangle Tube

 

[Damn Yankee]

Hi Folks,

After thought, I would like to resurrect this thread for comments and suggestions. The lathe in question is a Grizzly G4003.

My original plan (in its most basic configuration) was to use 4" x 13# x 4" Wide Flange H-beam - two 30" horizontal legs (with levelers) each welded to a vertical upright H-beam (dead center of the legs); each upright topped by a 1" thick plate to accept the bed mounting. I planned for two 2" square tubing to tie the legs together at the bottom and allow a pallet truck to lift the whole thing up. The reason for H-beam was I could tuck rollers/axles under the web at the ends of the leg to move it away from the wall without having to go to the other shop for the pallet truck (my machine shop is inside the house). I am not married to H-beam nor the rollers.

One suggestion from the Group was 4" beam may not be sufficient. Another (and one that got me thinking) was a Torsional Beam. Hmmm. So off I went investigating torsional beams - and they made damn good sense. Unfortunately, every example precludes an open space for easy cleanup of chips and oil - something that was integral to my original idea - as the bed bolts directly to the beam. Also, it implies a box beam the same size as the width of the bed legs (which I don't yet know as I have yet to receive the lathe).

Questions:

• Does the bipod design have merit? That is, can it perform as well as a conventional four-poster? Would replacing the W-beams by square tubing all around be a better choice? Maybe 2' - 3" (except the Torsional Beam)???
• If I were to keep my original plan of using 1" plate on the top of the uprights (W-beams or square) and tie them together, say 6" below using a box beam, is there still a benefit? Seems a beam is better than no beam...

I am willing to scrap the original design for a conventional 4-post design. Either way I go, I think that the lowered Torsional Box is the big question.

Thanks!
John