How high up is your lathe?

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omb76

omb76

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Jan 1, 2009
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Cartersville, GA
I have mine at counter top height on a workbench and for the past couple of years it has worked out very nice. However, lately I've been really feeling it in my shoulders and neck after spending time at the lathe. I'm wondering if maybe I have it too high up, but then on the other hand I don't want to be hunched over it working as then I'll only be replacing one problem with another...i.e. sore back. I'm trying to decide if I need to reconfigure my workspace as this "pain in the neck" is really becoming a problem and taking some of the fun out of turning. :frown: It's no fun to be in the shop if you know it will cause you to be in pain later on...
 
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I've heard that it is best if the spindle lines up with your elbows. I don't remember where I heard it, so I can't say if it is good info or not, that is just what instantly popped in my head when I read your question.
 
I believe "Conventional wisdom" will tell you the mandrel should be about 5"-8" higher than your elbows.

Mine is about 10" lower than my nose--but I am more concerned about seeing the work than leverage. A sharp tool will turn a pen with virtually NO exertion.

I am not an authority on "body pain", so your mileage can certainly vary!!!!!

IF it hurts, change it!!
 
I too have my lathe positioned so that the spindle is at elbow level. I also put a platform on the floor to raise me to that level. On the plywood platform I have a rubber stress mat to reduce fatigue when I am standing a long time at the lathe. Darrell Eisner
 
bensoelberg said:
I've heard that it is best if the spindle lines up with your elbows. I don't remember where I heard it, so I can't say if it is good info or not, that is just what instantly popped in my head when I read your question.
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Nearly all the pros that I have seen at symposiums all say this, Raffan, Jordan, Key and Lucas to name a few.

Lin.
 
Mine is 3 inches above elbow height. I determined this height after playing around trying to find the right height for me. YMMV.
 
From a true ergonomic standpoint, it should be a the height that works best for *you*. With your elbows at your sides and your forearms level, your hands' height is where the majority of your work should be done. Most of the work on a wood lathe is done at spindle height, where the tools are held; on a metal lathe the majority of work is done at the heights of various handwheels and cranks, most of which are a few inches below spindle height. "Work" here means "what your hands are doing," rather than "what you're making."

My benchtop is 42 inches above the floor, with the lathe spindle 9 inches above the benchtop, or 51 inches from the floor. This puts the controls at a comfortable average height for me while I'm standing (I'm 6 feet tall), with the tradeoff of not being able to look straight down onto the lathe's centerline as easily as it would be if it was lower.

When I first set this up I did experience some lower back and shoulder pain, but changing to shoes with some cushion to their soles eliminated that. Standing on an anti-fatigue mat would probably have done so as well, but I already had the shoes. :-)
 
I read a post similar to this a few years ago and moved my Jet 1014 down to my sitting height. The top of the lathe is 35" which is 3"-4" above my elbows. I turn while sitting in an office chair, my neck does not hurt as much from looking down on the work, and my back does not hurt as much from standing. It took some getting used to but it has been worth it, when I can turn it is more fun.
 
I have always read,heard, been told, spindle height = elbow height.

With this thread though I am wondering ... Is that for general turning ... spindles, bowls etc.? Is it neccessarily the same for turning pens?

I think the advice "what works for you" is very good advice! While I have adhered to the "rule" it may be time to experiment. I don't think my eyes would complain if the work got a little closer! :biggrin:
 
My old Rockwell was on the bench that came with it. It didn't feel too bad but I frequently ended up a bit stiff after a long session on the lathe. I broke my back in 2000 and was told I'd never walk without a cane let alone hunt again, took 7 years but I am back hunting Dall sheep, felt so goooood sending my spinal doc pictures of me above tree line with a 90 pound pack on, best "screw you" I have ever had! I do everything smart instead of bulldogging through now. When I got my Delta Midi I did some experimenting and sure enough I ended up at elbow height. I taught myself how to turn and have been working without the help of others so it's all been trial and error.

The world is built for folks who are 5'6" my wife and I are both over 6'. Our counter tops are higher, chairs and the dinning room table, all my work benches, even the butchering table is higher than normal..........these adjustments have made a world of difference for my wife and I.
 
David,
Thanks for asking the question. I have know idea what the correct answer should be, but it is great to hear that some have given this some thought and experimenting. Also, as usual, folks here are more than willing to share their knowledge and experience.
 
Rick P said:
The world is built for folks who are 5'6" my wife and I are both over 6'. Our counter tops are higher, chairs and the dinning room table, all my work benches, even the butchering table is higher than normal..........these adjustments have made a world of difference for my wife and I.
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I'm with you here. At 6'2", I've built a few things taller than normal for myself. Still need to raise my Shopsmith up though. It's currently OK for bowl turning, but I have to bend over too much (and too long) when turning and finishing pens.
 
:biggrin: I have my lathe at 44 inches high, which is about 1.5 inches above my elbows. My Jet Pen Lathe was about 49 inches and it bothered my shoulders. The current height works well for me and I have very little strain anywhere unless I do 2-3 things in a row. I've been looking to get a stool to help alleviate that issue.............maybe a tall lazyboy would be az good idea..lol
 
Although I have my wood lathe a 'bit' higher than elbow height, which I find comfortable, my metal lathe is much lower, but also comfortable.

I don't think many people appreciate the importance of a decent floor mat.
I'm a firm believer that MOST of the fatigue of using any machine or doing any job in one spot for a while is down to the stress on your feet and legs. On a poor floor, you adjust your stance to try and make it easier on your legs, but your back and neck then suffer later on.

I have that linking-firm-foam-rubber-square-tiles flooring and it allows me to be in there all day quite happily.

......oh, and a radio and someone bringing you coffee now and then, helps too:biggrin:
 
I set mine up at the 'correct' height. I can't turn long, my neck and shoulders
hurt. Plus, I can't see the work very well. Time to move it up!
 
I have a midi Rikon and built a table for it. I set the height to so that when my elbows are bent at 90 degrees they are even with the spindles.
 
jeff said:
My spindle centerline is about an inch below my elbows.
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You turn Jeff?!! LOL! I thought you were just here to be our supreme overlord :cool:

I just had to go out an measure mind... I played with it over time to where it was comfortable... Turns out its darn close to my elbows - I guess thats a rule of thumb for a reason!
 
alphageek said:
You turn Jeff?!! LOL! I thought you were just here to be our supreme overlord :cool:

I just had to go out an measure mind... I played with it over time to where it was comfortable... Turns out its darn close to my elbows - I guess thats a rule of thumb for a reason!
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Or is it the "rule of elbows" ? :smile:
 
This has been interesting to see everyones responses! The center line of my lathe is about 6" above my elbows. I do have an anti-fatigue mat that I stand on, but it's not uncommon for me to spend several hours working on the lathe on the weekends. I had an injury to my shoulder about a year ago and I guess that having to raise up my shoulders that little bit is enough to cause problems. I going to try staning on something to raise me up before I make adjustments to my work bench (or build a new one). Thanks for everyones contribution!
 
Ill add my vote for a good floor mat! Even have them in the freighter canoe, they really help weather your standing in front of a lathe or flying down the river.
 
its interesting timing on this thread. I am recently 'recovering' from a pinched nerve in my neck. My doc (based on just xrays) thinks I have the beginnings of degenerative neck disorder ....

So, after some research and discussions, I have lowered my desk chair at the office and raised up my lathe to a few inches above my elbows. I now stand on 2 floor mats and take more breaks while turning. When sanding, I sit on a bar stool ... two weeks of this and a good daily dose of Alleve, I am regaining feeling in my fingers and the pain in my neck is reduced.

It will be something I have to deal with the rest of my life ( I guess ) but raising the height of my lathe by 6" or so has REALLY made a difference.

Ergonomics is not just for the workspace ..... as I apparently have found out ....
 
skiprat said:
Although I have my wood lathe a 'bit' higher than elbow height, which I find comfortable, my metal lathe is much lower, but also comfortable.

I don't think many people appreciate the importance of a decent floor mat.
I'm a firm believer that MOST of the fatigue of using any machine or doing any job in one spot for a while is down to the stress on your feet and legs. On a poor floor, you adjust your stance to try and make it easier on your legs, but your back and neck then suffer later on.

I have that linking-firm-foam-rubber-square-tiles flooring and it allows me to be in there all day quite happily.

......oh, and a radio and someone bringing you coffee now and then, helps too:biggrin:
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I couldn't agree more!

I am in the shop at least 10 hours per day, four or five days per week. My shop has concrete floors.

The first thing I did when I became a "full time" pen maker was to replace the flooring. After much research, I went to Sam's Club and bought 1500 Sq. Feet of Exercise mat.

This mat is 3/4 inch thick rubber (or rubber looking) exercise mats. These mats "dovetail" together and it was extremely simple to put down. It worked out to $ 0.50 per square foot to make the entire floor rubber.

Everyone who comes into the shop says "nice floor". It really helps with fatigue. It is a little difficult to REALLY clean and I have to buy "big" wheel dollys to make sure that heavy equipment rolls easily.

This is the best "shop tool" I have every purchased. And I have a 50 inch flat screen TV and Stereo to help overcome "same place fatigue"
 
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I'm onlly 5'8" tall so my husband built me a lathe stand so the spindle is at elbow height. It is simple, but very sturdy and has a tool rack on the stretcher. The top is two 2x12s bolted together and the rest is 2x6s. I have a magnetic tool bar mounted on the front of the lathe bed on the far end to hold tommy bars, etc. and a paper towel holder on the leg for CA finishes.

IMG_2567.JPG
 
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My lathe bench is height-adjustable -- it is an old CAD table that can be screwed up and down with a socket wrench. I've toyed with sitting while turning, to having it higher than elbow height. Currently I have it several inches below elbow height, and I've settled on that for awhile. I had hip surgery in January, and thought sitting would be the most desirable, but I've recovered so well, I feel like I could stand all day in my concrete floor shop,and I'm back to standign during turning.

Having the adjustment has been great, and enabled me to find just the right height.

Re: floor mats:
I'm not sure I like the rubber anti-fatigue mats that much. I take them out of the shop about monthly to wash them off -- they really load up with fine sawdust.

I wear a dedicated pair of shoes in my shop, and in retrospect, it would have been easier to buy one mat, cut two shoe shaped pieces, and glue them onto my shoes! Instant anti-fatigue surfaces everywhere you walk ... :rolleyes:
 
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I have always had my lathes set up so the spindle is at elbow height while standing. But I do not always want it in that position so I have ways to bring it up even higher. I should actually say bring myself lower so my eyes are closer to my work. i do have to pay attention when turning this way that I do not shrug my shoulders in order to bring my hands higher. If I do it means very bad neck and shoulder pain after just a little while. I have also noticed that I do not feel the tension in the muscles as long as I am in the shrug. It is when I try to relax the shoulders that it feels like a couple of knives have been stuck in my back.
 
Today I tried standing on a couple of concrete blocks with a 2x6 across them that raised me up about 5.5 inches which put my elbows at spindle height. It was comfortable at first because I didn't have to shrug my shoulders to work, but found that I had to bend over to see the work closer (equals back pain). Then I removed the 2x6 and stood on just the concrete blocks for my next pen. That was somewhat better, but found that I would step off and back on a lot. I'm going to play around some more and see what works best for me. It's been very interesting to hear everyone elses responses!
 
LeeR said:
Re: floor mats:
I'm not sure I like the rubber anti-fatigue mats that much. I take them out of the shop about monthly to wash them off -- they really load up with fine sawdust.

I wear a dedicated pair of shoes in my shop, and in retrospect, it would have been easier to buy one mat, cut two shoe shaped pieces, and glue them onto my shoes! Instant anti-fatigue surfaces everywhere you walk ... :rolleyes:
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I like them because I am a klutz. When (not if) I drop a tool the mats protect the edge. I did that after I broke the point off my skew and had to completely regrind it.
 
Has anyone got some plans or ideas on making an adjustable height lathe bench, as I help out in a day centre with some clients that are in a wheelchair and would like to wood turn. ANY info would be greatly appreciated. Contact can be made by email krynb@yahoo.com
Thank you in advance
Kryn
 
While the spindle at around elbow height is pretty standard, one poster made a good point. The ideal height is somewhat dependant on the kind of turning you do, and your tools.

The most fundamental point is that with the tool in its optimal position for the type of turning you do, you should be able to hold the tool with your shoulders relaxed and good posture.

So with traditional gouges which are used with the handle well below the cutting edge, you would have your dominant hand low, and your other hand up near the tool rest.

But with indexed carbide tools, you typically hold the tool with the handle level to the floor and the cutting edge exactly at the spindle axis.

These two tool types can drive different choices for optimal spindle height.

Another factor is your off hand grip. Some people prefer hand on top of the tool, some hand under the tool. This choice affects the comfort of holding the tool at different spindle heights.

So rather then simply measure elbow height, you should hold your tools in a comfortable position for optimal use, and have someone measure the height of the cutting edge. Do this for a variety of tools you use often and set the spindle at that height.

Each individual will find that this spindle height is probably similar to, but not exactly the same as elbow height with relaxed good posture.

If there is radical variation on edge height from tool to tool, you should give some thought to how you hold the tools to see if there is some way to get more uniformaty while maintaining a relaxed good posture.

If you have vision issues, you may be forced to make some compromises to balance eye strain versus shoulder / neck / back strain.
 
Even though my lathe is sitting on a work bench, I took my first tutorial lessons from a woodcrafter who actually custom-built a castered rolling workbench for his Delta lathe. It was positioned where he could sit in an office chair (no arms), and work all the way around it if necessary. He built drawers into the lower base section to store much of his lathe supplies. The casters, obviously, were of the heavy-duty locking type. He was able to wheel his rig out into the main shop area, use it, and then wheel it back when done. The only thing I didn't like about it was that, over the long haul, it could start aching the back.
 
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