Work/Lathe Bench Questions

[Char-Gar]

I am gettning my shop up and running. This weekend I completed my loading bench. It is 36"X 80", with the top being an old 1.75" solid core door. For looks, I toped that with a piece of 1/4" beech plywood for looks. I built it 41" tall. Here is the first question.

1. What kind of fast drying finish can I put on top of the beech to protect it from oil stains and such. It need it to be fast drying so I can keep the cats off of it until it drys.


Next up is a bench for my 9 X 18" Logan Lathe.

2. What should the height of such a bench be? The top is 30" X 72" and is made from laminated 2 x 4s standing on edge giving a thickness of almost 4 inches. It is hell for stout and heavy to boot.

The final bench is a general work bench with a top like the lathe bench.

3. What should the height of this bench be?

For the record I am 6' 3"tall.

Thanks for any help and suggestions you guys can give.

[garandsrus]

Chargar,

You might consider some type of wipe-on polyurethane. There is not much of a film per coat, so a cat waking on it won't mess it up too much.

John

[oneokie]

# 3, elbow height or a little less.

[454PB]

It depends on the lathe. I built my lathe bench of 2" steel pipe and designed it so the chuck is about mid chest height. There have been times when I wish I hadn't made it so tall, but it sure is easier on my back. Being able to position your head over the top of the chuck is important. I keep a step stool in my shop for those times.

[lathesmith]

I'm about 5' 10", and a center-spindle height of 48-49" seems just about right. Different lathes will require different bench heights to get this height, anywhere from 26-36". Since you are a bit taller, you might like a few more inches of height.
lathesmith

[PatMarlin]

I can measure my factory logan bench if you want Charles?

[broomhandle]

Hi Charger,

Think about stick on tiles, they clean-off fast & most solvents will not loosen them up.
I like a rim on the bench edge, so things cannot roll off!

Good Luck,
broom

[Pepe Ray]

Chargar"
To ask for a specific measurement for hgt is to respond as a statistic. If you intend to spend any amount of time at this endevor, the hgt is very personal. A match to fit your hgt can only be found by measuring YOU.
I worked a production line in a stud mill for 12 of the 18 yrs I was there. The only people who had no back problems were the short guys. I moved from job to job, hoping to find one that wouldn't cause back pain, Nada. Every machine set up was based on an operator hgt of statistical determination. Obviously the data was flawed, Either foreign or old.
The elbow hgt. is the closest you can get as a standard. Don't cheat. Stand errect.
BTW, there are other benifits to having a high work bench but I'll let you discover them. Don't be a statistic. It's personal.
Pepe Ray

[454PB]

And remember it's easier to make yourself taller than it is to make the lathe shorter.

[Russel Nash]

In some respects this is why I like working with galvanized or black gas pipe... oh I don't know maybe about 1 and a quarter to an inch and a half in diameter. Maybe even larger.

If you use those floor flanges for both where it attaches to the underside of the bench top and to where it attaches to the floor there is some adjustability built in there.

Granted, the adjustability is more for getting the top level, but you could probably gain or lose an inch, may be even two by using those floor flanges.

Methinks if you threw in 4 Tee shaped connectors near the bottom for some horizontal bars to act as a shelf you could wring even more wiggle room up and down too.

Then at the bottom below the Tee's you could put say a 6" "stub out" beneath each Tee. You get things setup and figure out "Ooopss, it's too short", it should be no problem to get an 8" stub out for each leg and raise the bench two inches. Voila!

I use the floor flanges and some lag screws and some 12 to 18 inch long pieces of pipe for shelf supports out in the garage.

It's so strong I could probably pull ups off these bars sticking out of the studs. I just put a 12" ripper of plywood across the pipes and I got one heckuva shelf.

[Char-Gar]

Thank you all for you input. I have decided use Rust-Oleum Varathane (water based) on the bench top. It has little odor and is fast drying.

I will make the lathe bench 38" to the top. Add another 10" for the distance to the hand wheel on the saddle and that will give me 48" to that control, which is the height of the bend in my elbow.

I will make the other general workbench 41 or 42 inches as well.

I feel reasonable good about these decision as they take into accounty my height and the way I work. Nothing is every perfect, and I am certain that after some time I will find out I could have done it better, but these should work reasonable well for me.

BTW...Gorilla Glue did a good job of fixing the birch top to the door.

Again...thanks to all.

[Willbird]

First off I have a cat, and like cats, but I know how cats are :-). To keep the cat off it, just glue the cat to something else for a day or two ;-).

Bill