While many wood lathes these days are sold as portable models, most are considered stationary machines. As such, they are mounted on benches and stands and left in the same place for long periods of time. In order for the work to be done well, comfortably and without injury, the lathe must be at a suitable height for prolonged use.
As a general rule of thumb, begin determining the height of the winch by standing comfortably with your hands at your sides and your feet shoulder-width apart. Measure from the bend of your elbow to the floor. This is the height to make the center line of the lathe.
Now measure from the tip of the center of the spur to the bottom of the winch, not the bracket if it’s on one. Subtract this from the height of your elbow and you have the desired height of the brace.
This is, of course, a compromise. Every turner is a little different with different heights and body types. However, over the years this has been a good starting point for wood lathe setup. It can be easily altered by manufacturers who supply brackets with their lathes. A good idea is to stand in front of a lathe at your shop stall and actually hold a tool on the tool rest to find out if that’s comfortable and then ask yourself if you’d still feel okay an hour later after wrestling with a bit. of wood.
It may be that the best way is not to get a supplied support, but to make your own. However, this is not always possible or reasonable. Sometimes the lathe you want is only available with the stand, the manufacturer’s stand may be far superior to what you can build yourself, the lathe and stand were a gift, the lathe and stand are integral or something else gets in the way. the way.
There are two simple solutions depending on the circumstances and these solutions can also be used if more than one person is going to use the winch. The first is to raise the winch using pads under the stand feet or by adding support pads to the stand under the winch to add height. While the height can be reduced by cutting the stand, this can be seen as a drastic measure and it is often easier and better to raise the floor area around the lathe with a low, wide and very stable box to stand on. Above all, make sure both the lathe and the person are secure and secure.
Following these simple guidelines will get you off to a good start at lathe height. With experience, keep in mind that people and preferences differ and your preferred lathe height may be different than someone else’s. The idea is to find what works for maximum health, safety and enjoyment.