I just commissioned my new Powermatic 3520B after turning on a Delta DL 40 for the past 19 years. What a pleasure: It is solid, stable, quiet, and the variable speed works great. I was about to build a between legs shelf as suggested in the Powermatic manual but am having second thoughts. I’ve been struck with the ease of shavings cleanup without a shelf in the way. I am wondering if I would regret the interference of the shelf if I put one in. Of course I could always use more storage space. Has anyone wished they hadn’t bothered with under lathe storage?
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Under lathe shelf
- Thread starter bosacfi
- Start date
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I added a shelf and then put bags of gravel on it. It gets covered with shavings which is a pain. I'm going to build a box for the gravel and possibly put in some drawers but the top is going to be sloped toward the outside to keep the shavings from piling up on it. That's my solution anyway. Hope others have good ideas.
shelf
bosacfi and john
congratulations on pm
on my jet i built shelf as in manual, put bags of sand on shelf, then covered with plastic from building supply place, stapled the plastic at bottom
shavings do pile up on plastic, but they easily come off
ps, on top of bags of sands i put one layer of cardboard then plastic in case i droped anything on the bags 😱😀
bosacfi and john
congratulations on pm
on my jet i built shelf as in manual, put bags of sand on shelf, then covered with plastic from building supply place, stapled the plastic at bottom
shavings do pile up on plastic, but they easily come off
ps, on top of bags of sands i put one layer of cardboard then plastic in case i droped anything on the bags 😱😀
The base on my Woodfast lathe probably uses as much room as a shelf on the 3520b. Cleanup has not been a problem.......I use a small garden rake for making a pile of the shavings, and snow shovel to get it in the garbage can. It's very easy and quick to clean-up using these simple tools.
Anyway.......I don't think I'd put shelves there, even if I could. This is an area that would be covered with shavings anyway......and cleanup would be a pain when a bunch of tools and accessories are there. I'd suggest you just skip the shelves, put those things you would have put there, somewhere else......and enjoy the ability to easily clean-up!😀
otis of cologne
Anyway.......I don't think I'd put shelves there, even if I could. This is an area that would be covered with shavings anyway......and cleanup would be a pain when a bunch of tools and accessories are there. I'd suggest you just skip the shelves, put those things you would have put there, somewhere else......and enjoy the ability to easily clean-up!😀
otis of cologne
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I did not add a shelf to my PM3520 because of that very reason - easier shavings cleanup. So far I have not seen a need for adding ballast. I have turned a couple of 16" bowls from 45 pound blanks that were chain sawed; too big to try and make perfectly round on the bandsaw.
Shelf
I built a set of drawers with a shelf on top of mine. Right now I am turning on a mini lathe and I sure do miss my shelf. It is a great place to lay tools that you are using for that project. When you are done then put the tools away. As for the shavings building up, they build up everywhere else too. I made a rack to hold a garbage bag on the back and just use a small pusher stick to shove it into the bag. Work out handy for me. I sure miss it when I use a different lathe.
I built a set of drawers with a shelf on top of mine. Right now I am turning on a mini lathe and I sure do miss my shelf. It is a great place to lay tools that you are using for that project. When you are done then put the tools away. As for the shavings building up, they build up everywhere else too. I made a rack to hold a garbage bag on the back and just use a small pusher stick to shove it into the bag. Work out handy for me. I sure miss it when I use a different lathe.
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Somebody else's idea of what a stand should be is often not what we'd like. Since the legs extend out fore and aft to give stability, there's an automatic shin and lean problem if you put a full-width shelf below. Not to mention taking away a good place to put a leaf bag to collect shavings right next to and under the work. I haven't figured a tool angle for working inside that doesn't toss shavings out the back, so that's a problem as well.
If you build a stand you can have a full shelf out the back with a mini-partition to hold your tools and spatterboards and still keep the ways right against your hip up front. If you bring the ends of your stand out slightly beyond the swing of the lathe for stability and store tools in the cabinet under the lathe, you may never need ballast, but the drawers at the bottom could hold it if you wanted them to. You have to either keep the shelf up above the floor far enough to sweep or so close stuff can't get under. I prefer the latter. And remember to get the top far enough below the ways to make cleanout possible there as well.
If you build a stand you can have a full shelf out the back with a mini-partition to hold your tools and spatterboards and still keep the ways right against your hip up front. If you bring the ends of your stand out slightly beyond the swing of the lathe for stability and store tools in the cabinet under the lathe, you may never need ballast, but the drawers at the bottom could hold it if you wanted them to. You have to either keep the shelf up above the floor far enough to sweep or so close stuff can't get under. I prefer the latter. And remember to get the top far enough below the ways to make cleanout possible there as well.
I don't need extra weight and left the area underneath my Stubby open so shavings fall through. The two frame members work very well holding tools as they are. Several others I know have similar open shelves that work pretty much the same. Don't need to slope them that way.
Rick
Your case in the lathe is impressive. I find myself standing very close to the bed, especially when bowl turning and hollowing. So my question is have you found that the front of cabinet might be better place back flush with the bed of the lathe. Which leads to a second question; would the off center weight then be a problem?
I have a very small shop and keep considering similar system.
Frank
Your case in the lathe is impressive. I find myself standing very close to the bed, especially when bowl turning and hollowing. So my question is have you found that the front of cabinet might be better place back flush with the bed of the lathe. Which leads to a second question; would the off center weight then be a problem?
I have a very small shop and keep considering similar system.
Frank
Lathe Shelf
As you can guess I am tall, about 6' 3". That is why I have the 4" wheels under the metal stand. This makes the lathe 6" higher than original. My shop is small so they also make the lathe mobile plus add the height I needed. The centers are about 1" above my elbow now. When I do demos at Woodsmith I put their 1642 lathe up on 6" blocks so I feel right on it.
But anyway with my height and reach I find no problem leaning on the drawers and reaching over the bed of the lathe. The 21" deep drawers are set with 4" in front of the bed and 9" behind the bed, so they are offset the way I have them. Seems just as easy as when I do demos on the plain lathe. Most of the time I don't think I really touch the drawers with my hips.
As you can guess I am tall, about 6' 3". That is why I have the 4" wheels under the metal stand. This makes the lathe 6" higher than original. My shop is small so they also make the lathe mobile plus add the height I needed. The centers are about 1" above my elbow now. When I do demos at Woodsmith I put their 1642 lathe up on 6" blocks so I feel right on it.
But anyway with my height and reach I find no problem leaning on the drawers and reaching over the bed of the lathe. The 21" deep drawers are set with 4" in front of the bed and 9" behind the bed, so they are offset the way I have them. Seems just as easy as when I do demos on the plain lathe. Most of the time I don't think I really touch the drawers with my hips.
Tool rack
I have a rack built that might interest you. It set on a pole at the end of the lathe to keep the tools handy and out of the way. The rack will swivel on the pole.
As shown before the ones I am actually using a lot on the project get laid down on the shelf. But I can see all the tools at a glance, I have seen racks with the sharp end in a tube but I cannot tell the tool by looking at the butt end of the handle. The rack is high enough that I cannot bend over and accidentialy stick myself in the forehead with a tool in the rack.
I have a rack built that might interest you. It set on a pole at the end of the lathe to keep the tools handy and out of the way. The rack will swivel on the pole.
As shown before the ones I am actually using a lot on the project get laid down on the shelf. But I can see all the tools at a glance, I have seen racks with the sharp end in a tube but I cannot tell the tool by looking at the butt end of the handle. The rack is high enough that I cannot bend over and accidentialy stick myself in the forehead with a tool in the rack.
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I built a 5 drawer cabinet that fits on the shelf I but unter the 1642. It adds about 100 lbs or so when it's filled with tools and chucks (which it usually is). The top gets used for working too storage, and I've got a full backboard on it to hold turning gouges as well. It does get in the way of cleanup, but I just air blast everything out and sweep up as normal. It's well worh the inconvenience.
Marc
Marc
The Novice
I also built a set of drawers under my lathe. I kept the face just a little wider than the bed so you can get up as close as you need without it getting in your way. I find it is so handy to have everything within arms reach. I also use the top of the Drawers to set my tools while turning. I built a rack with holes on the ends of my stand to use as turning tool holders where I can easily see each type of tool at a glance. For cleanup I hook up a 2 1/2" tube to my dust collection system and suck it right up.
Larry
I also built a set of drawers under my lathe. I kept the face just a little wider than the bed so you can get up as close as you need without it getting in your way. I find it is so handy to have everything within arms reach. I also use the top of the Drawers to set my tools while turning. I built a rack with holes on the ends of my stand to use as turning tool holders where I can easily see each type of tool at a glance. For cleanup I hook up a 2 1/2" tube to my dust collection system and suck it right up.
Larry
Based on seeing the idea somewhere online, I got a metal wire shelf, did some judicious snipping, and fit it between the legs. I think it is 12" wide, and it just hangs on the legs on the extended large wire ends. It collects a few curly shavings,but not a big deal. The good part is the turning tools in use slip point first through the shelf with just the handle sticking out. This can be done at either end so as not to get in the way.
I can post a pic if interested.
Bob
I can post a pic if interested.
Bob
I just got through with two weekends of instruction from George Waterstat (there the plug is in) on his PM. He does not have shelving under his and he puts a plastic garbage can under the lathe for the shavings to fall into. It worked very well with a minimum of clean up. He then uses the shavings as there is only wood in the can. If or when I get a PM I will be doing the same thing. He does have all his tools on a roll around tray unit and that works well, also.