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Mini lathe stand

Joined
Jan 4, 2020
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Niceville, Florida
Looking for plans to build a collapsible mini lathe stand for our mobile trailer. Just checking to see if there is any corporate knowledge I have searched the forum with no success. I have seen them built from plywood and they collapse into a box with a carry handle.
 
Joined
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I understand the need to be collapsible and light weight, and that you are using a mini lathe, but I am wondering if that will be heavy enough to turn on.

Given your request I would suggest a Black & Decker Workmate (or similar bench). B&D used to make these in various flavors, look for the heaviest. Or a used one (they used to be heavier).
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2009
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Crossville, TN
Here's some pic's of a stand I built to take my mini-lathe in our 5th wheel 6-7yrs ago. It's not nearly as stable as my PM3520 at home, but sure is a lot lighter :) This isn't for turning out-of-round logs, but I've turned several ~8-10" plates and ~6-8" x ~3" bowls with this setup just recognizing there is a little bit of lathe movement. Frankly the mini lathe forces light cuts anyway and is more of an issue than the movement. You can draw quite a crowd at a campground turning a bowl :)

I added the back brace after using it a few times, that significantly reduced the movement (but it's still not a PM). And the wheels and long handle made it easy to move around when the legs are off. There are one hand bolt holding each dovetailed leg assembly into the base, and two hand bolts for the back brace. Total four hand bolts and a drop-in shelf that spreads the legs and provides tool storage. I also carry a Stanley 2ft water-resistant plastic tool box that houses my gouges (with tubing over the cutting ends), chuck, home-made cole jaw platter, and various other accoutrements.

If instead you go the premade foldup workbench like Mark suggests, I'd highly recommend a Keter folding table. Solid, light, and inexpensive. I carry one of those when traveling often for volunteer projects.
 

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hockenbery

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Given your request I would suggest a Black & Decker Workmate (or similar bench). B&D used to make these in various flavors, look for the heaviest. Or a used one (they used to be heavier).
I use a Fisch - small workmate style- folds flat - the top pieces work like a Vice.
bolted the lathe to a board screwed a Thin strip on the bottom center that the Vice top clamps onto.
it works great for anything that is balanced.

done lots of sidewalk demos of NE bowls 8”x6”x3” blanks on a 10” mini.

can always put one foot on the bottom support if the lathe wants to move.
 
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