Lathe height...

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gothycdesigns

gothycdesigns

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I am curious if there is a recommend height to set your lathe at. Meaning while standing at the lathe. How far from the floor should the spindle be? Some time I'll be standing there and start to get the feeling something isn't right and if there long enough the back starts to feel fatigued. Does this make sense.

My lathe is setup on a like a work bench and not a stand. I measure from floor to spindle 45". My height is 5'10". It feels ok when starting but then after a while i get ache.


Thanks,

Ray,
Gothyc Designs
 
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Ray,

I set the height of my spindle by standing straight and bending my arm at the elbow to 90* and measuring the distance from the ground to my middle finger. According to what I have read this is supposed to be the correct height--of course this might not work for everyone.

Larry
 
What works for one person may not work for the next. If your back is becoming fatigued, perhaps your lathe is a little low for you.
 
Ray, I got back ache too. I lifted the lathe so that the spindle is half way between my shoulder and my elbow. I also moved it closer to the edge of my bench. Much more comfortable.
 
I'm only 5'7" but shortly after I got my lathe I found my back was getting achy with only short work sessions from bending over. I raised it from 44" to 48", spindle height, and am far more comfortable. Can work long periods with no fatigue or pain. I just don't understand how tall guys can work at 31" benches or low lathes. Do what works for you.
 
Originally posted by olsenla
<br />Ray,

I set the height of my spindle by standing straight and bending my arm at the elbow to 90* and measuring the distance from the ground to my middle finger. According to what I have read this is supposed to be the correct height--of course this might not work for everyone.

Larry
Click to expand...

That is the standard answer.
But adjust from there to what works best for yah.
By the way, most are too low.
 
I'm 6'+ and have set my lathes to the height of my elbow.. as mentioned by Larry.
Matter of fact, I've built all of my workbenches to be 35" .. just over waist high.
I don't seem to have any problem with the back.. but standing for hours makes my knees ache..

But also as everyone has said, what works for me may not work for you.
 
Got my first lathe when for my 50th birthday so I had to set it low so I could see what I was doing, part of the aging process I guess. Finally starting wearing some reading glasses so I could move the lather higher, and bought a bigger lather. This one is floor mounted instead of a bench model. Then I moved to contacts that allow a greater focal range so I tried moving the lathe higher and it is amazing how much better it is on my back and everything else.

I think my point is that many us adjust the lather height really based on vision (you young punks can stay out of this, OK[:p]), and getting it closer is more of a vision issue than anything else for comfort. I just checked and mine is about 3-4" above my elbow, which is the usual "standard". Bottom line is to move it up and down some to see where it works for you.
 
I am 6`2" and have a back problem, so I sometimes sit whilst turning. My DVR is set to mandrel at approx elbow height whilst standing, I also have 2 bar stools at different heights, depending on the pain severity that day dictates what stool I use.

I also have an option of using my Jet mini lathe on the workbench, I can then lean against the bench whilst turning to find a little comfort.

Then when I have been in the workshop too long I end up crawling into the house on my hands and knees.[xx(]
 
......and a rubber floor mat is important too.

......and getting rid of the beer belly allows you to get closer[:)]
 
Originally posted by skiprat
<br />......and a rubber floor mat is important too.

......and getting rid of the beer belly allows you to get closer[:)]
Click to expand...

I got an anti-fatigue mat on sale at Woodcraft http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4762 It has really helped.
 
The mats are a life saver... my original shop in Texas had a concrete floor.. now I have a wood floor, but won't work without my rubber mat. My knees still ache after a few hours.

Ray, haven't resorted to reading glasses yet, but keep a magnifying glass handy for checking little details.
 
Originally posted by skiprat
<br />......and a rubber floor mat is important too.

......and getting rid of the beer belly allows you to get closer[:)]
Click to expand...

One of the best things I did in my shop when I fist started moving in was to install those (relatively) cheap 24" x 24" foam floor mats available at Sam's and similar places throughout the entire shop floor. Easy to sweep or vacumn, and if one gets really nasty I can just swap it out. Now they make them grey on one side and bright colors on the other. Most of my floor is grey but I have a few bright ones just to add interest [:)]

I know there are a lot of health reasons for getting rid of my beer belly in addition to getting closer, but so far I just haven't made enough effort to do it. When it's cool enough here in FL we take the day's scraps and burn them in my outdoor fire pit after dinner, while I drink a beer or two with the wife. So the more I work in the shop the more scraps I generate, the longer the fire lasts, the more beer, the bigger the belly, . . . . you can see the problem here? [:D]
 
You guys are some laughs[:D]. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one that has had a problem with height. I have thought about the anti-fatigue mats. Currently I just have a basic door mat that the dog had chewed on, so the wife gave it to me to stand on.

At the measured height of 45" as noted before. I hade raised it about 3" or the width of a 2x4 which is now the bracing and support under it. Maybe another 3", may not hurt to try. I do find myself sometimes creeping in or bending over more.

Last night I started turning my first small bowl and find that hanging orver the bed can be a little tiring.

Thanks again for the comments. Great group of peopel here.

P.S. Yes I do have a some excess baggage, but that is mostly to Burger King....LOL


Ray
 
That excess baggage, I like to refer to as my highly developed turning muscle.
I started with, what I thought as, my lathe being too high but after turning at it awhile I find that it is pretty close and the old lathe needs to be lifted up a little.
 
Originally posted by ozmandus
<br />I'm 6'+ and have set my lathes to the height of my elbow.. as mentioned by Larry.
Matter of fact, I've built all of my workbenches to be 35" .. just over waist high.
I don't seem to have any problem with the back.. but standing for hours makes my knees ache..

But also as everyone has said, what works for me may not work for you.
Click to expand...

I'm 6' plus also and I did the same thing with my lathe a workbenches, it works for me. I also have the knee problem after an hour or so.
 
James,
Don't know if it's the standing or the years I've been standing... but after about 6 hours on the lathe, my knees are nearly too stiff to go to the house.. guess I'll just stay a little longer...

BTW, looks like we may have been in the same industry...I opted not to consult after I moved to TN.. the Tellico River is way too small for a port. My major client in Houston sure wanted me to keep doing his shipments to China. Probably should have.
 
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