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Lathe Placement???

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Ok, so I've never had a big lathe before and placing this PM90 is something I'd really rather only do once.

Can I get some guidance about clearances on all sides of the lathe????

Thanks!
 

Steve Worcester

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Figure it should be at least one tool length of you longest tool from the back wall. As well as the distance from the wall power, based on wire gauge, say 10'.

And generally close enough to the sharpening setup that it won't get in the way and convenient to go back and forth too so it isn't a chore. Since you will want to sharpen alot.

It really isn't that hard to move it and re-balance the legs.
 
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Howdy Todd: In addition to Steve's suggestions, I would add to make sure the lathe is not parallel to the rear wall. If something does happen to fly off and hit the wall it won't bounce directly back at you. Having it at an angle will make it fly in a different direction. DAMHIKT.
 
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I like my lathe right in the middle of the shop. Of course, I finally got over that crazy flat wood obsession. Those tools take up a bunch of room:D

But seriously, Just make sure to give yourself enough room to swing all your tools, and for easy clean up.

Dave
 

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Well, this is in the Newbie forum, and maybe Todd doesn't yet know the size of his largest tools, for clearance. A lathe doesn't consume as much space as a billiard table, but a couple feet all around should be sufficient. The angular offset from walls is good, though. I'll just add a convenient relationship to doors for cleanup, or a robust shop vac on wheels. I've also found it convenient to place the grinder on a rolling cabinet, with drawers for accessory storage, and containers for the chisels - vertical pvc pipes attached to the sides. My "studio" is a sliding-block puzzle, with as much on wheels as possible. And very much in need of reorganization.
 
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Thanks for all the replies so far folks. I have some fairly large tools already so I'll probably give myself an extra 6" clearance beyond the end of those and I should be good to go.

All the flatwork tools will stay, as I'm not quite as obsessed as everyone else yet......

That and I have two bedrooms worth of furniture to build for the children, they've kinda outgrown the rooms we did for them 6 years ago and will be needing a more mature setup to take with them when they move out.
 
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Ok, so I've never had a big lathe before and placing this PM90 is something I'd really rather only do once.

Can I get some guidance about clearances on all sides of the lathe????

What else is in the room? Lathe needs only ~16x60 if you run it parallel to the wall. I would make a sloped shaving catcher/director to fit between the wall and the ways. Your tailstock end can be a foot from a wall and still allow you to remove it, though I can't remember why I ever removed mine on a similar Delta. Since I had my grinder at that end, I just had to pull it out to remove the tail. I'd have space at the head, or be able to make space if you plan on doing outboard turning.

Make sure you have some full shaving-defying enclosure behind the thing all the way to the floor, or plan on screwing around a lot trying to get errant shavings out of the space. Parallel to the wall will make it easy to put up tool racks and to mount your On/Off switch and other outlets conveniently out of the throw zone on a magnetic strip. 16" from the wall is an arm's length.

Since anything you're mis-cutting will not likely depart at an angle precisely parallel to the centers, or will have a tapered shape, you can disregard that "bouncing" red herring. Use both ends of the lathe, put the rest up close, and it will be your shield. Standing behind the tool and pushing it rather than stepping into the throw zone is a great way to keep yourself out of danger even if you do blow it.

You want to allow for height adjustment. I like my centerline at elbow level, some people prefer elsewhere. If you haven't a style yet, be prepared to move the lathe or yourself up in the future.
 
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What else is in the room?

As you come in the door this stuff sits off to the righthand side and wraps around the space.

First is wood storage, then the current location of the PM90, then my minilathe setup take up the east wall. Southwall is dust collector, planer, and jointer. West wall is Drill press, bandsaw, scroll saw, project staging and hand tool storage. North wall is bench and a bit more storage.

IMG_2096.jpg

Pens343.jpg


The HF lathe is sold and the Mini sets where it was.

IMG_2097.jpg


IMG_2099.jpg
 
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And final shot.

Then out in the middle sits my cabinet saw and the HVAC/water heater.

ts1.jpg


Shop is 19' X 24' down in the basement. So any suggestions about re-arranging will definitely be apprectiated.

Oh, also everything but the Cabinet saw, Lathe and bench is on wheels so I can move stuff around if need be.
 
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Shop Layout

You might consider setting up your mini lathe and grinder combo in a corner with the Powermatic set up at the end of the combo in an "L" shape. The Powermatic would be set up so you can stand between it and the wall to turn. I think there are several advantages to this setup-you can mount tool racks on the wall to hold all of your tools, you will have all of your turning equipment in a single area so it's easy to move from one tool to another and it's easy to mount lights and to set up a movable dust collection hood.
Tim Carter
 
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...so it's easy to move from one tool to another and it's easy to mount lights and to set up a movable dust collection hood.
Tim Carter

That's really the ticket. I have my 3520b mounted at an angle to the back wall, near a corner. So my lathe tools are on shelves and a rack on the left wall, sharpening station behind me about 4' from the lathe.

Think about it like those that design kitchens...with the "triangle" between kitchen essentials (stove, fridge, sink). The same thing applies to your lathe. Easy transition and movement between locations you will use the most. Ready access to tools, to the lathe, and to a sharpening station.

Another thought about cleanup. Give yourself access room behind the lathe, so you can get in there easily to sweep up shavings. That's another reason an angled installation works well for me.
 
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Then out in the middle sits my cabinet saw and the HVAC/water heater.

Shop is 19' X 24' down in the basement. So any suggestions about re-arranging will definitely be apprectiated.

You've got nearly twice the area I have, but the furnace is certainly in the way. Couple of things I do may be of help, one thing won't. What won't is I didn't get a 50" extension for the saw. No room in a 13' wide shop to have that much open and unused space. Have to live with a 30, and the HTC stand also supports shelves under the board for incidentals.

I built a lower wooden stand for my jointer, so that the fence is 1/4 lower than the top of the tablesaw. Allows me to snug the thing right up against the saw and still pass boards over it when crosscutting. Bending a bit more while jointing or surfacing doesn't bother the old back nearly as much as I thought it would. Not as if I do it for more than a few minutes at a time, after all. Makes more room and less moves.

My lathe is five feet from the front of the tablesaw so I can cross a piece of sheet goods, but the bed is in line with the rip zone so I can work 100" stock by laying it on the saw surface and the bed of the lathe. Bit of nose down at the beginning of the cut affects it not at all. Ripping sheet goods demands I remove the tailstock, a fairly easy task with my 3000. The jointer has to have unimpeded full-length freedom and level stock. I joint out the door. The aisle where I walk between my wall-stored tools and the jointer is also where I position the planer or drum sander, returning them to their storage immediately after. I guess it's a multi-use aisle!

The business about dust collection is not something that bothers me, because I use galvanized vents mounted to the bed of the lathe with magnets when sanding, and bag the drop directly when shaving. As I mentioned above, I don't have the room or the desire to store shavings on the other side of the lathe, so I made an exclusion zone when I put it on its stand, and shelved/drawered underneath.
 
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