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wrote:

Hey Charlie

You better make that lathe center a couple inches higher than your
elbow height, it works better for most of us.
And strictly speaking the elbow of you could be higher than the center
of the lathe, depends on how high you have the toolrest, like in
skimming the top of a cylinder with a skew, yes this is nitpicking,

Good point - and the type of thing I'm looking for. As a semi-
newbie to furniture making, and a relatively newbie turner,
I don't know enough to know what I'm overlooking/don't know
but need to know.

WHAT?!

It's the Newbie Conundrum.

It's a lot easier to build furniture if you have a real,
functional woodworking bench - suited to the type of
stuff you're making and the tools and methods you use
to make them. But to make a real, functional. wood-
working bench you need to have made a few pieces of
furniture. Only then do you have the beginnings of
an understanding of what it's supposed to / can do
AND
the knowledge, skills and the ability to chose and make
the joinery to build the damn thing.

Like a good woodworking bench, a good lathe bench should
be a lot more than just something to get the lathe up
where you can use it easily - and well. It should fit
you and how you work as well as where you work.
- its conext. The lathe bench can be a tool that helps
you - or works against you.

If you like to keep two or three chisels/gouges you use
often on the bench top where they're handy
- do you want them under the lathe?
if so,
-is there enough clearance under anything the
cutting edge might hit - and get dinged?
- what about the ends of the base? Rather than
a sharp cuttng edge accidently encountering
cast iron, how about getting the cast iron up
an inch or so with some blocks of wood. Wood
is kinder and gentler to cutting edges
or
- do you want them off to the side of the lathe
if so
- which side or both sides?
- how much room - both depth and width

Lathes generate a tremendous amount of debris.
Do you want the bench to help contain it and make
it easier to clean up? If so, how can that be done
WITHOUT getting in the way of the type of turning
- you're doing now - or may want to try later?

What about lighting? Do you want a task light
or two -and
if so - where - a sfixed mounting spot or the
option for moving it/them around as needed?

Do you want to keep some or all of the lathe
"accesssories" (chuck(s), chuck key(s), centers,
face plate(s), chuck jaws, calipers, etc.) and
maybe sanding stuff - with the bench or some
where close by?

Are you going to be doing any "face turning"/
"end turning"/ bowl and or hollow form turning?
If so
- can your head stock be turned so you can face it?
or
- will you have to work from the opposite end
of the lathe bed?
if the latter
should the lathe be mounted as far to the right
as possible so you can stand facing the end of
the bench in line with the lathe's center's line?

Are you going to need to get under the bench for
any reason - a tool leaping off the bench and
scurrying under it, a screw escaping and finding
refuge under the bench . . .

How are you going to level the bench? Are you
satisfied with shimming or do you want to go
with leg levelers. If levelers, how are you
going to adjust them (I personaly hate to have
to lay down under something and try to get a
wrench or two into a spot I can't see)? Do I
want to use the levelers to also elevate the
working height if necessary?

For my woodworking bench I studied a lot
of different types of benches and bench hardware.
I learned what different components do and
do well - for a certain type of work. I picked
what would likely do best for what I want to
make and then built Das Bench. Having now
used it for a couple of years, it does almost
everything I want it to do - giant versatile
clamp, sturdy pound on it surface - at a
convenient height (you only get issued one
spine - and it has a duty life)

This lathe bench is going to be a tool that'll
make it easier to use the tool it's going to
hold. I only want to make one Das Lathe
Bench - at least only one for this lathe -
a JET mini/midi. And yes, I've built in
an option for lengthening the bench if
and when I put the bed extension, which
I already have, on the lathe.

Come on folks, there has to be things
you wish you'd done when you did your
lathe supporter/tool.

ok
maybe Im a Little jealous of your to be lathe bench, just a tiny
little bit.
I'm going to love this thread I think

That's assuming that folks participate.

I like woodworking - in many of its manifestations.

I hate re-inventing the wheel.

I really like learning "why" in addition to "how".

I'm proned to passing on what I've learned so
perhaps someone else doesn't have to re-invent
the wheel.

Have fun

That's why I do it.

and take care

Still got all my fingers, albeit one usually
with a band aide or tape - the Les Nesman
from WKRP thing - and both eyes that work
adequately.

Same to you fella

charlie b