Simple question: How high off the floor is the Carriage Handwheel on a 1340?

LarsP

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I'm about 6'5" tall and would like to operate my new 1340GT standing straight up (when it arrives). I'm easing into Geezer status and the thought of having to lean forward the entire time I'm operating the lathe makes my back ache.

By my measure I'd like to have the handle on the hand wheel be at least 38" off the floor at the bottom of the circle. The specs say that the spindle is 46" off the floor, and guesstimating from the picture it looks like the handle would be about 34 inches off the floor at the bottom.

So if some kind person could put their 36" height gage to work and post the results I'd appreciate it.

Next, what would you suggest to raise the lathe up? Square steel tubing? Channel?

Thanks

Lars
 
I measure 32 inches from the bottom of the cabinet to the bottom of the bottom of the hand wheel.

Adding leveling legs will raise it up ~2 inches so figure 34 inches with the legs. A stand using some 4 inch rectangular tubing should get you where you want it.

I just use the leveling legs to get it to 34 inches, works for those of us with shorter legs.
 
I am 6' tall and have a Kent KLS-1340a lathe, same as a Grizzly G9036. I have it 3" off the floor on leveling feet, and the carriage hand wheel is 34" high and the spindle is 44" high. Those heights work well for me.
 
I was taught to base lathe height off the spindle height & not by any of the controls. The controls can vary from lathe to lathe. I was taught to set spindle center line to elbow height to avoid fatigue. That's what I did & it's very comfortable for me after long hours. Not too low where you're constantly bending over to get a good look at the workpiece & not too high where you have to struggle to get a birds eye view.
 
That "work height at elbow height" is a pretty good rule of thumb (or would it be rule of elbow?) for a number of things. Sanders, grinders, bandsaw, etc.
 
I was taught to base lathe height off the spindle height & not by any of the controls. The controls can vary from lathe to lathe. I was taught to set spindle center line to elbow height to avoid fatigue. That's what I did & it's very comfortable for me after long hours. Not too low where you're constantly bending over to get a good look at the workpiece & not too high where you have to struggle to get a birds eye view.

DZ,
Seems like reasonable advice. It's about 48" to my elbow, and the specs say about 46" to spindle centerline. I think I'll install some leveling pads and screw them up a bit and see how that works. If my back objects I can go to the 3" or 4" square tube.

Thanks to all of you for your advice.

I just can't wait to start making chips with this machine!

Lars
 
I think the size of the work and the size of the lathe come into play here. Big lathes usually do bigger and heavier work. So lower works better for spindle height. Small lathes work on smaller, lighter stuff, so they may be better a bit closer to eye level. The handles ideally "should come readily to hand." Since the distance from spindle to hand wheels is fixed, some compromising may be necessary. Still, get it so it is comfortable to use as best as you are able to.
 
I have. Jet 14x40, on 3" leveling feet, the carriage handle is 37", compound handle is 44" and the spindle is 46", At 5' 8", it's seems right for me.
 
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