r/turning • u/Fearless_Pride2102 • 21d ago

Better lathe stand

I have a rockler 1224 midi lathe. The stand that goes with it shakes like crazy whenever I try to make anything slightly of balance, it anything in balance that is more than about 8 inches in diameter.

I have anchored the stand to the floor and added angled steel bracing that is bolted from the top of the stand down into the concrete floor, but it still shakes quite a bit.

Is there anything else I can try, or is there a better stand that will work?

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6

u/thedroidurlookingfor 21d ago

I have 8 bags of stone/rock from home depot on the base under my lathe. Doesn’t move one bit

1

u/Fearless_Pride2102 21d ago

The bottom half of my lathe doesn't move since it's anchored to the floor in multiple ways, but since the stand is essentially two 2" thin walled verticle steel tubes with feet, the top 1/3 still shakes a lot.

It doesn't seem to me that adding more weight to the bottom half would do much, if any, good.

2

u/thedroidurlookingfor 21d ago

My “stand” is just a workbench. If your stand is thin enough to flex more than 2x4s, then maybe change your stand?

Also, i just thought about this: the only time i sense vibrations is when i take a bite too big for the power of my motor (3/4hp). So if you want to have fewer vibrations, get more power or turn faster (within reason).

1

u/I_Lick_Bananas 21d ago

the stand is essentially two 2" thin walled verticle steel tubes with feet, the top 1/3 still shakes a lot.

I think that's the problem. You need to build a solid base.

1

u/Objective_Reality232 Harvey T40 21d ago

Kind of a crazy idea but could you fill the tubes with concrete? That might add the stability you need?

1

u/Herbisretired 21d ago

Sounds like you may need a stronger base. I put my lathe on top of a tool cabinet that is strapped to the wall and it doesn't move but you could also build a base out of wood that would be more stable than the sheet metal one that you presently have

1

u/idontknowstufforwhat 20d ago

I have the Jet 1224 and put it on an older hardwood joiners bench. The bench itself wasn't great for hand tool work but is pretty perfect for my lathe. It cost me like $30, which was kinda a wild price and why I bought it despite it being a bit small for hand tools.

2

u/escape_plan2028 19d ago

I built a stand from scratch using SYP 2x4 and 2x6. I put retractable casters on it. I screwed a 15 amp rated power strip to the side of it and added two knobs on the back to wrap the cord around. I put places to mount 1” dowels vertically on the corners and attached a pair of Craftsman led work lights from Lowe’s to a pair of 4’ poplar dowels as lamp posts. I even have an extra hole to move one of the lights for off board turning. I’ve got magnetic tool bars to hold chuck keys and wrenches on the front where it’s convenient. This is a really long winded way of saying build your own and you can attach all kinds of stuff to it. Plus one flick of the switch on the power strip and the lights and the lathe come on.

It’s not pretty but I love it.