I posted this on RWT then noticed that group is not very
active.

I have a cheap lathe I'm learning to use. I have several books from
the library which are a big help but none mention the correct height
for the spindle. From the pictures it appears that somewhere around
elbow height is right? Mine is about 6" below my elbow.
Am I worrying about nothing or should I raise the lathe?
Thanks.
Art

The general guideline is about elbow height. The usual way I have seen this
stated is to stand beside the lathe, hold your forearm at 90 degrees to your
upper arm and the spindle centerline should line up with the middle of your
forearm.

Being exact is not critical but 6 inches may be a bit much. Many cuts call
for you to hold the cutting tool 45 degrees down and 45 degrees off
perpendicular to the spindle. This may place your body in a clumsy position
resulting in poor tool control.

Russ
"Artemus" wrote in message
...
I posted this on RWT then noticed that group is not very
active.

I have a cheap lathe I'm learning to use. I have several books from
the library which are a big help but none mention the correct height
for the spindle. From the pictures it appears that somewhere around
elbow height is right? Mine is about 6" below my elbow.
Am I worrying about nothing or should I raise the lathe?
Thanks.
Art

In article , "Artemus"
wrote:

I posted this on RWT then noticed that group is not very
active.

I have a cheap lathe I'm learning to use. I have several books from
the library which are a big help but none mention the correct height
for the spindle. From the pictures it appears that somewhere around
elbow height is right? Mine is about 6" below my elbow.
Am I worrying about nothing or should I raise the lathe?
Thanks.
Art

I tend to like mine a bit higher, at least for small objects. BTW, as
pointed out on the turning, get in touch with your local wood turning
club

--
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Personal e-mail is the n7bsn but at amsat.org
This posting address is a spam-trap and seldom read
RV and Camping FAQ can be found at
http://www.ralphandellen.us/rv

If it is a cheap enough lathe that it is light (lighter?) weight, try
moving it up and down on 4x4s, cinder blocks, whatever you have on
hand.

Elbow height is too low for me, and my neck hurts after too much time
of being bent over the spindle for smaller stuff. I found that about
4" or so above the height of my elbow seems to be about right as it
makes the spindle work easier when holding the tools at a more acute
angle.

I found that raising my lathe higher than elbow height also reduced
fatigue quite a bit.

Try your lathe out with something small on it at a lower speed so you
can raise up the lathe a bit at a time and try out the different
positions. As you have probably found out by now, one size does not
fit all in turning, and everyone does things differently in
woodturning. It may look the same, but it usually isn't.

Robert

In ,
Russ Stanton typed:
The general guideline is about elbow height. The usual
way I have seen this stated is to stand beside the lathe,
hold your forearm at 90 degrees to your upper arm and the
spindle centerline should line up with the middle of your
forearm.
Being exact is not critical but 6 inches may be a bit
much. Many cuts call for you to hold the cutting tool 45
degrees down and 45 degrees off perpendicular to the
spindle. This may place your body in a clumsy position
resulting in poor tool control.

I concur; FWIW, that's abut what the docu on one of my lathes says too. It's
going to vary a little depending on the length of your tools, tool-rest
height and distance of the lathe from the front edge of the table. Check
around the 'net; there are several good sites that give similar info and
tips for setting up lathes.
The last thing is lighting; be sure it's optimal so you can see the
tool-cut and any markings on the piece you might need to follow. I've found
a combinaton of daylight type flourescent/incandescent to be the best for
myself. The incandescent tends to kill the blinking of the flour. but be
sure it's not so bright it puts a shadow where you don't want it. Mine's a
75w incand. precisely aligned to center along the length of the bed so all
shadows are under the bed area.
If you're overly tall or short you may need to adjust things some, too.


HTH,

Twayne`

Russ
"Artemus" wrote in message
...
I posted this on RWT then noticed that group is not very
active.

I have a cheap lathe I'm learning to use. I have
several books from the library which are a big help but
none mention the correct height for the spindle. From
the pictures it appears that somewhere around elbow
height is right? Mine is about 6" below my elbow. Am I worrying about
nothing or should I raise the lathe?
Thanks.
Art

"Artemus" wrote in message ...
I posted this on RWT then noticed that group is not very
active.

I have a cheap lathe I'm learning to use. I have several books from
the library which are a big help but none mention the correct height
for the spindle. From the pictures it appears that somewhere around
elbow height is right? Mine is about 6" below my elbow.
Am I worrying about nothing or should I raise the lathe?
Thanks.
Art


Thanks for the responses. I'll play around with the height and
see about any local turning clubs.
Art

On Jul 28, 6:27*pm, "Artemus" wrote:
I posted this on RWT then noticed that group is not very
active.

I have a cheap lathe I'm learning to use. *I have several books from
the library which are a big help but none mention the correct height
for the spindle. *From the pictures it appears that somewhere around
elbow height is right? *Mine is about 6" below my elbow.
Am I worrying about nothing or should I raise the lathe?
Thanks.
Art

Comfort is the important factor. Are you comfortable with the present
height of your spindle and can you control your tools with ease and
comfort - and without fatigue or strain?

I would suggest that you might try raising or lowering ("lowering" may
prove to be a bit of a problem, but I do not know your circumstances)
your lathe and seeing if there is any improvement (or deterioration)
in your comfort level.

This is an area where theory can be a useful guide but where it can
only be a guide.

Richard