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Lathe bench

bookbinder

Plastic
Joined
Apr 4, 2020
I need to build a bench for a 9x48 south bend lathe, it weighs about 370lbs. Would 1 1/2 inch birch counter top on a welded steel frame be good enough?
 
Consider...
How much is the lathe actually going to be used?

There's always the issue that wood compresses, and changes dimension with temp and humidity.

I love the pictures I see of beautifully restored, flawlessly painted machines on beautiful butcher block tops.
They wouldn't last long with me. Oil everywhere, hot chips... not compatible with wood.

Steel top/chip tray for me.
 
South Bend had a completely wooden bench that they sold for the 9" lathes. Wooden legs, wooden top and wooden skirts, so wood is a legitimate choice. For me, if I was going to weld up a steel base, I would also add a steel top, with steel edging around the top. On the plus side for the wood, drawers are easier to add.
 
lathe bench

South Bend had a completely wooden bench that they sold for the 9" lathes. Wooden legs, wooden top and wooden skirts, so wood is a legitimate choice. For me, if I was going to weld up a steel base, I would also add a steel top, with steel edging around the top. On the plus side for the wood, drawers are easier to add.

I am loking at a prefab bench that is much cheaper than I can build one. I plan to have steel plates top and bottom on the mounting points to stabelize the mount. It might be overkil,l but overbuilt is much better than underbuilt
 
Go Wood!

Personally, for a SB 9", you really don't need to go to the trouble and expense of making a metal
bench. I am a fan of wooden benches simply for the reason quoted earlier that you can add drawers,
shelves, doors very easily. The 9" is not a heavy machine that requires a heavy bench. I assume you're
going to be using it for occasional hobby stuff and not day-to-day production work for a living.

Wood can also be customized to a certain extent, and is inexpensive and easy to work with. I assume you
have the capability and/or machines to do woodworking such as a table saw. If not, you can always have pieces
cut to spec. Yes, you can mount the 9" on an old rickety chest of drawers or even a metal desk for that matter,
but it may end up looking like a POS. As you know, South Bend sells some nice-looking lathe cabinets, but they aren't cheap. I do like the one with the big cast-iron legs and B Block shelves...but that's just me.

As long as you use good lumber, you will be fine. 4x4 posts at all corners are a must, then just build it up
with 2x4's and ¾" ply on the sides. A good 2x12 pine will work fine for a top if you're going to paint it.
Butcher block top from Home Depot would look a lot better, and say, more "period correct". Let's face it; the 9" is a vintage machine. If you are scared of "oil or hot chips" on your lathe top, then perhaps lay down a laminate on the wood. But I seriously doubt that you're going to use a lightweight vintage lathe to try to make heavy cut passes on a big chunk of steel. If you are, then you've got the wrong lathe! So let's say you do. What's the chip tray for? And at the end of the day, you're just going to walk away without a clean-up? Probably not. And yes, lathes depend and survive on being well-oiled. So what? If you're using a nice plank of birch or BB, you can always give it plenty of coats of polyurethane to prevent oil spots. And again, wipe up the puddles at the end of the day or as you see them. It's just a matter of good maintenance and house-keeping.

As mentioned by others before, do an Internet image search of SB 9" lathes and you'll see all kinds of benches...metal and wood. It just depends on what kind of "respect" you want to give your antique...whether you want to show it off or just call it a day and walk away from it. (And yes, I'm guilty of doing that too). Just pick out an example of the bench you like and go for it!

I've attached a few pics. I recently completed a 3-month rebuild of my 1946 9" A-model, and I went to the trouble of stripping away many decades of paint...boy was that a pain in the butt! Some folks don't like my L-shaped bench, but it's what my Dad made for the machine back in the 50's and I've grown accustomed. I will soon start complete restoration on a 1959 9" Model B, and I plan on using a wood base with BB top. I'll probably use 4x4" poplar for the upright corners instead of pine. (I have a post called "First Run Video/Problem" that has more pics if interested). I will admit that I am set-up better for wood-working better than I am metal, only because I don't own a good welding machine. I do have 220 power though. I also have oxygen/acet bottles and a cheap Chinese horizontal band saw, so I could do most of it. But if I was dead set on metal, I'd buy a good used South Bend bench....they are everywhere.

I haven't taken a bunch of pics of the bench yet, but you get the point.
Sorry for the long post.

PMc

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You could use a cut down solid core commercial door and sheet the top with a piece of sheetmetal to make it impervious to oil. Used Doors are pretty cheap at a Restore or from a window and door place. Jim
 
You could use a cut down solid core commercial door and sheet the top with a piece of sheetmetal to make it impervious to oil. Used Doors are pretty cheap at a Restore or from a window and door place. Jim

I agree. The 9" Model-B I "rescued" was perched atop a chest of drawers and pretty sure it had a door for the bench top (I left it there). With all due respect, no real reason to worry about oil spots though to warrant a metal skin on top. Enamel paint would work just as well. And used chest of drawers are a dime a dozen these days. Of course, they are cheaply made too. Probably some good structural bracing would be a good idea, but it would definitely hold a 9" more than adequately. Check Craigs List in your area or maybe a Goodwill store. (Keep in mind the depth needed for horizontal drive). Just saying.

PMc

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IMO wood is fine for a little 9" SB, so long as it can take the weight and is very solidly made. All steel will be better, but not required. One nice thing about SB is that they designed the tail-stock end with the built in leveler. Wood might be more prone to move with the seasons, but even with an all steel stand, it's still good practice to routinely test and adjust your lathe bed leveling (not just when you install it or when things go wrong).

Bench-top lathes are sold with the intent of letting the owner integrate it into their own work-bench, which 9 times out of 10 are wood.
 
My first lathe came sans a bench, I had some steel legs so built a laminated 2x4 top with a sheet metal cover and raised lip on edge to contain oil. After laminating 2x4's I ran them thru a planer so they would be nice and flat. 20 some odd years later the wood needs another trip thru planer, rather surprising how much some of those boards shrank, and although legs are steel, they wiggle.

Today I need a new bench for my little Logan, I have some cast iron legs and plan on pouring top out of concrete with lots of black dye so it looks like granite.

Curious, where in Nv? I'm in the NE, near the Jewel of the Great Basin.
 
My workshop lathe is a B model with a 36" bed. The machine sits on a 30"X 40" sheet of 1/2" aluminum.The legs are 1 1/2" schedule 80 pipe with 3000 psi threaded caps. The caps are bolted to the top with 1/2-13 socket head machine screws.There are 1/4" aluminum braces running on the short ends and U bolted to the legs.The braces are connected with 3/4-10 thread rod running through a 2" aluminum tube at the back.
It is stiff but has no welds. It can be dismantled with simple tools.It has two metal cabinets (8 drawers)sitting under it but not connected(no rattle)
I started by leveling the table with a carpenters level on the uneven concrete floor with plates and sheet metal.I got lucky then,the lathe came in to .001/ft across the bed with a .025 under the back foot of the tailstock and a.015 under the back foot of the headstock.
 

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Thanks for all the input, the bench i am looking at is 1-1/2 butcher block steel frame and rated for 800 lbs. I will ad some bracing at the mounting points just to be sure. I just want to get the new toy up and running so I can run some test passes, and see what it can do.
 
Awesome!
The thought occurred to me that if a person lives in a flood prone area of the country,
then a metal bench (or metal legs) would make much more sense. But then again, if you flood,
the 9" will be the least of your worries. Knock on wood...err metal.

PMc

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Thanks for all the input, the bench i am looking at is 1-1/2 butcher block steel frame and rated for 800 lbs. I will ad some bracing at the mounting points just to be sure. I just want to get the new toy up and running so I can run some test passes, and see what it can do.
Can you share your source for this bench (private message if necessary)? I saw something similar at home depot, but it's only rated at 300 lbs. I am in the same situation as you, thanks.
 
Wood bench works.

Get roll around too chest and build around it.

Add melimine (spelling) white plastic coating.

We have a bench built this way, oil and other stuff us easy cleaning and that lathe cannot make a chip big enough to hold enough heat to melt anything

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk
 
The bench is made by Seville, it is 24x48 inches with a butcher block top. If you google it you will finde quite a few sights that sell it on line.
 








 
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