# setting up a lathe C/L height from floor?



## Dave McCann (Jun 21, 2020)

Good morning all,

I am curious what centerline height is common for most folks when setting up a lathe. I had an older lathe that was already set up on a stand. Never really did much with it but recently dusted it off and turned a few bowls. Enjoyed it enough to purchase a new Grizzly G0844, which is a 14 X 20 benchtop model. Going to weld up a frame for it to sit on. The big question is how tall to spindle centerline do I design for?

I plan to primarily turn bowls, if that makes a difference in preferred spindle height. I don't really know what is a "comfortable " height to fit me as I just used what I had and don't have anything to compare to. Is there a guideline of sorts? ie; elbow height? x number of inches above/below elbow height? I only say elbow height, because it would seem to make sense that the tool shank would be somewhat level.

Or am I way off base? Thanks for your thoughts.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jul 4, 2018)

welcome to the forum, Dave.

I would start with putting your lathe on a table and shim it up until 
you find the "sweet spot" that fits your height and length of your arms.
information from a forum for a personal fit is only a ballpark guess.
do some experimentation before building a permanent stand.

.


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## Catpower (Jan 11, 2016)

I like the center line elbow height but as said experiment so you get it where you want it


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## Dave McCann (Jun 21, 2020)

John Smith_inFL said:


> welcome to the forum, Dave.
> 
> I would start with putting your lathe on a table and shim it up until
> you find the "sweet spot" that fits your height and length of your arms.
> ...


This is why I referenced "elbow height" rather than a number dimension. I understand everyone is of different stature. I watched a video the other day of a craftsman using a lathe that was sitting on the ground. He was also sitting on the ground and turned a remarkable piece when he was done. 

All I was really asking was; generally speaking do you (generic all inclusive "you") have your lathe set up at shoulder height, waist height, elbow height or? 

A little guidance please? What might seem right to my uneducated self, might be a totally wrong approach.


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## Dave McCann (Jun 21, 2020)

Catpower said:


> I like the center line elbow height but as said experiment so you get it where you want it


Thank you, that gives me a starting point. The lathe is sold as a bench top lathe. When I unpacked it and put it on my bench, is was much closer to my shoulder than my elbow. That seemed high to me but what do I know? I just didn't want to start off on the wrong foot and make the learning experience either unsafe, or more difficult than it needed to be.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

My lathe came with a stand, where you can set the height with bolts. I set the height once when I got it. I have been pleased with the setting ever since. 

The lathe center line is elbow height. I just checked.


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## holtzdreher (Jul 20, 2016)

Generally elbow height for the centers. If you mostly do smaller spindle turnings, perhaps a little higher so you aren't bending the neck as much. If large turnings or more so large bowls, you probably want the centers a little lower.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

P.S. Remember to think about casters.

I put my lathe on casters from the start, for mobility. When I set the stand height, the casters were included. If you are welding your own stand and plan to use casters, remember to include the height of the casters in your calculations. 

Better yet, include adjustability in your design. The Delta stand that came with my Delta lathe uses nested square tubes, with multiple matching bolt holes in top and bottom tubes.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

Mine is set up with centerline at about elbow height.


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## Dave McCann (Jun 21, 2020)

Tool Agnostic said:


> P.S. Remember to think about casters.
> 
> I put my lathe on casters from the start, for mobility. When I set the stand height, the casters were included. If you are welding your own stand and plan to use casters, remember to include the height of the casters in your calculations.
> 
> Better yet, include adjustability in your design. The Delta stand that came with my Delta lathe uses nested square tubes, with multiple matching bolt holes in top and bottom tubes.


Thanks for your response,
Duly noted and already accounted for on casters. Oddly enough my original steel tubing design, incorporated adjustable height. I was going the route of twin uprights pinned in a manner similar to a trailer hitch insert. I began to question rigidity of that feature. I may still go that route but add a screw lock/tightener on the wall 90 degrees from the cross pin.

My other thought was to purposely built the stand to a shorter than optimum height and use shim blocks under the lathe itself for final adjustment.

Always several ways to "skin a cat" . :wink: (not meant to offend anyone)

Say, could I ask you to post a picture of that stand?


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## subroc (Jan 3, 2015)

kitchen counters are 36". How would working at that height all day be? 



I read something recently (I couldn't find it again if I tried) where a good working height was standing with your arms hanging at your side and bend your elbow until your forearm was parallel to the floor, measure that height at the bottom. So, there are a couple numbers to look at. You could bring in an ergonomic expert to watch you work and give an optimal position evaluation.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

Dave McCann said:


> [...] Say, could I ask you to post a picture of that stand?


Per your request, here are photos of the stand.

Note: The bottom horizontal square tubes have built-in threaded nuts for 3/8 inch casters. The problem is that the sheet metal in the square metal tubes is thin. When the casters got caught on the seams between paving stones, the metal flexed and bent, causing the casters to splay out and not work correctly. I had to reinforce the bottom tubes with steel straps and wood cups to keep them strong and straight. After the fixes, they work well - no problems at all. I described the issue here:
Post:
https://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/woodturning-backyard-216617/#post2086623
Thread:
https://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/woodturning-backyard-216617/

Photos:
* Lathe on Stand - Overall shot of Delta 46-460 lathe on its matching Delta stand. The shelf is an add-on, sandwiched between the lathe and its stand. I left my lathe stuff on it to show how useful it is. When I am turning, I set them aside so they aren't covered with shavings, and so I can use the shelf to hold stuff while turning, such as a bottle of CA for finishing. The shelf does not extend far, and I have never bumped into it while turning. The power switch is an add-on convenience. The Delta switch is known to fail, and the convenient location of this switch for my right hand is nice. (Note: Both came from the person who sold it to me.)

* Lathe Stand Bottom - Another view of how the lathe stand goes together. There are plastic square caps for the legs, but they fall off all the time, so it is easier to leave them off.
* Lathe Stand Side View - Closer view of the side, including the height adjustment bolts.
* Lathe Stand Tool Bracket - Useful for tools. It is thin, and maintains rigid separation between the legs, but is not particularly "structural". In my opinion, horizontal strength and rigidity comes from the attached lathe above.
* Lathe Stand Height Adjustment - Closeup of the two height adjustment bolts on one side. You can see the unused holes. There are three height positions available. 
* Lathe Stand Pedestal - Shows one pedestal. If the shelf weren't there, the lathe would be bolted to rest directly on this platform.


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## Dave McCann (Jun 21, 2020)

Thanks for the pics and info. What I had previously drawn up on paper is very similar except much more "heavy duty", I tend to over build. One thing where my design differs is; I've extended and tied together the rear tubes to form a base for ballast to be added. I'll be sure to post some pics when I get it welded up. (it might be a while before I get a "round tuit") 
Thanks again for your response.


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## holtzdreher (Jul 20, 2016)

subroc said:


> kitchen counters are 36". How would working at that height all day be? .


egad, That is even slightly low for a work bench height. My wife and I are not particularly tall, she's 5'8'' and I am 6' even and we had the kitchen counters raised an inch when we built our new house. Then add another inch for the cutting board and it is better for things like cutting and chopping. I have my desk in the study on risers that I made. 30 inch height felt like I was in kindergarten.


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## cynrich (Mar 27, 2020)

Every time I check my email and see a link to this forum I know I'm going to find something interesting and very helpful! 



I worked as a chef for 35+ years and in most kitchens the work tables were at a standard height which was fine for me (at 5'5") Then I worked for a year and a half at an inn where the main table was about 2" taller than normal--I ended up with serious neck and shoulder problems that took another couple of years of physical therapy to fix--so this is a really important post!


I have my dad's old craftsman lathe that for all the years he had it was fastened to the prettiest old antique spindle legged sideboard cabinet I'd ever seen--He was a good one for using what he had lol.


Now that I have it, I'm going to build a proper stand for it and the rest of my big tools. Now that I know about the proper height, I hope to have years of safe and comfortable use of all my tools.


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## kirapodocumira (6 mo ago)

Welcome to the forum. I bought one of those a year ago, and all I can say is that the quality is really high. The only time when I had issues with it was during a storm when the electrical installation suffered from a power shortcut. I think you should adjust the height more than one time and see how comfortable you feel. I would recommend you to use apps or sites like Height Comparison - Comparing Heights Visually With Chart to compare the difference between all the heights and your height. This site might not be the best option you have, but it's easy to use and free.


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