Curtains Around Lathe

[David A Brown]

Just wondering James, did you ever share your construction details with this forum or anywhere else like Dean Center requested. I get Walter's thought about another place to collect dust, but it looks like such a nice functional and flexible solution for my needs.
Thanks again,
Dave Brown

 

[James Seyfried]

Very nice Jim. After all this time, I still have not gotten back to this project. I had pretty much what you did with the Unistrut in mind but hadn't thought about attaching plywood to the Unistrut. KInd of hard to tell but was this for functional, aesthetics, or both?

Why not attach the curtain track directly to the unistrut? To me, the plywood seems unnecessary — and, another horizontal surface to collect dust . YMMV

Larry and Walter, If I just used the unistrut, I would need a way to keep it from swaying, being just hung by threaded rod. The main reason was I would have to drill and tap all the holes for all the clips that hold the rail. Tek screws might do the job though. The plywood also gave me a little flexibility of where to mount the rail. This was my thought process anyway. I am sure there is room for improvement.

If I were to do it again I would make it a bit shorter. I made it long enough to put a rolling tool tray. But it just fills with chips so I usually leave it outside the enclosed area.

Just wondering James, did you ever share your construction details with this forum or anywhere else like Dean Center requested. I get Walter's thought about another place to collect dust, but it looks like such a nice functional and flexible solution for my needs.
Thanks again,
Dave Brown

I have procrastinated and forgot about sending in a write up and list of components to the American Woodturned. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Larry Steinmetz]

Larry and Walter, If I just used the unistrut, I would need a way to keep it from swaying, being just hung by threaded rod. The main reason was I would have to drill and tap all the holes for all the clips that hold the rail. Tek screws might do the job though. The plywood also gave me a little flexibility of where to mount the rail. This was my thought process anyway. I am sure there is room for improvement.

Good point--I hadn't thought about potential swaying. I am going to have to give this some more consideration to see what other ways there might be to cut down on sway.

 

[hughie]

I use shower curtains strung on wire around the back of the lathe and along the tailstock end, distance would be around 12". As for swaying around my shop walls and shelves are metal so I just pin the curtain back with magnets

 

[Larry Steinmetz]

I use shower curtains strung on wire around the back of the lathe and along the tailstock end, distance would be around 12". As for swaying around my shop walls and shelves are metal so I just pin the curtain back with magnets

Looks like you have a cool shop and some nice looking wood.

 

[Pat Patterson]

I bought some clear shower curtains and plan to buy the material to hang them from. I have a problem in that my ceiling is sloped starts at 9 feet high. I need to put up a railing and was looking at hospital curtain railing but the metal stuff is pretty expensive. I'm looking at this plastic rail but it's supposed to be bolted to the ceiling. I may be able to build a wooden framework to act as the ceiling and attach it to that. anybody have any opinions on this stuff. I need to do this pretty soon because I will be roughing some green bowls before long and need to contain the spray and shavings. https://www.amazon.com/Ceiling-Curtain-Curtains-Bendable-Divider/dp/B07Q7VSVBY/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=23MNNBHXU8EBT&dchild=1&keywords=hospital+curtain+ceiling+track&qid=1607032130&sprefix=hospital+curtain,aps,180&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyRTZBVUE4UUFNTU02JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzgyNzgzMURaS1ZaM1c2RFRPMyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMjEwNTM1Mkc5Q0tWVFRPNDdNSSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

John, how about some 1/2" pcv pipe with various fittings you can get creative.

 

[Paul Grenier]

Very nice Jim. After all this time, I still have not gotten back to this project. I had pretty much what you did with the Unistrut in mind but hadn't thought about attaching plywood to the Unistrut. KInd of hard to tell but was this for functional, aesthetics, or both?

In my other shop I used 3/4" EMT to hang the sliding clear plastic shower curtains on and they worked very well. Cheap and quick to install. If you need to have a bend in the EMT and you don't have access to a bender, you can do what I did. I went to Lowes picked up the EMT that I needed to put a bend in and then went to their electrical section and used an EMT bender to make the bend. The cashier looked at the EMT a bit wierd, but she rang it up and away I went.

 

[Larry Steinmetz]

In my other shop I used 3/4" EMT to hang the sliding clear plastic shower curtains on and they worked very well. Cheap and quick to install. If you need to have a bend in the EMT and you don't have access to a bender, you can do what I did. I went to Lowes picked up the EMT that I needed to put a bend in and then went to their electrical section and used an EMT bender to make the bend. The cashier looked at the EMT a bit wierd, but she rang it up and away I went.

Good info--thanks! Benders I have ...1/2" through 1"; any bigger and I have to use the premade elbows.

 

[John Walls]

https://www.amazon.com/Ceiling-Curtain-Curtains-Bendable-Divider/dp/B07Q7VSVBY/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=23MNNBHXU8EBT&dchild=1&keywords=hospital+curtain+ceiling+track&qid=1607032130&sprefix=hospital+curtain,aps,180&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyRTZBVUE4UUFNTU02JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNzgyNzgzMURaS1ZaM1c2RFRPMyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMjEwNTM1Mkc5Q0tWVFRPNDdNSSZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

After john posted this, I ordered it and some heavy duty clear shower curtains. They have worked great for me. I do have some chips blow under the curtain but it is about 1ft off the floor. I can wrap almost three sides, one more curtain would do the job but so far, no need. My lathe is 3 foot from a wall with curtains hung about 4 foot behind me. Quite happy with them!

 

[Barry Larson]

Just finished putting up curtains around the lathe. I have been working on upgrading dust collection and also wanted to improve chip containment around the lathe. I have used some of the suggestions that I have read about here. I used unistrut and threaded rod to support plywood and attached curtain track. The four curtains are 6' x 8' and slide nicely around the lathe. I may get one more and it would completely surround the lathe.
View attachment 39061View attachment 39062View attachment 39063

Now that I have it cleaned up time to make a mess again.

Hi James:
A bit late to the party here, but I do like your chip containment system. Do you mind sharing the source/brand of the hanger system and curtains? Thanks.
Barry W. Larson
Calgary, Alberta, Canada eh!

 

[James Seyfried]

Hi James:
A bit late to the party here, but I do like your chip containment system. Do you mind sharing the source/brand of the hanger system and curtains? Thanks.
Barry W. Larson
Calgary, Alberta, Canada eh!

Barry, I bought both from Amazon. They don' have the curtains right now but the page shows several other choices. Here are the links:

Flexible Ceiling Track
Transparent Curtains

If I were to do it again I would make it a bit shorter. I made it long enough to put a tool cart on the end and it just fills up with chips when I keep it inside the curtains. So I usually keep it outside of the curtains.

 

[Barry Larson]

Barry, I bought both from Amazon. They don' have the curtains right now but the page shows several other choices. Here are the links:

Flexible Ceiling Track
Transparent Curtains

If I were to do it again I would make it a bit shorter. I made it long enough to put a tool cart on the end and it just fills up with chips when I keep it inside the curtains. So I usually keep it outside of the curtains.

Thanks James. I'll check those items out. I need to add to my dust collection first and then install the chip containment.
Be safe and stay well.
Barry

 

[Sam Fleisher]

I use some dollar tree shower curtains cheap, clear that have the magnets in the bottom that happened to work out great where the two meet is a metal table that they stick to.

For hanging I think it was called blasting wire that dad repurposed from the strip mine. Single strand copper with a plastic coating.

 

[Mike Moore]

Larry I believe that it depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If you are trying to protect something nearby from chips and sap, I would say put the curtain close to that something so as not to constrain your mobility. If you just want to contain the chips to make clean-up easier, then move the screen in a bit. Bear in mind that if you put screen all the way around the lathe and close in, you will not only contain the chips but also the air-born dust, increasing the need for filters or respirators. A further comment: I find that almost all of the chips go toward the front of the lathe or downward. Therefore a screen behind the lathe has relatively little value. I have pull-down plastic window shades about 6 feet in front of the lathe and about 6 feet behind the lathe and rarely bother to pull down the rear ones.

I have my curtains about 3 ft from the lathe in the front and on each side. There is a wall a few feet behind the lathe. To help manage dust, I installed an inline fan that pulls air from the enclosure and exhausts it outside. Helps with dust as well as finishing fumes.

 

[Larry Mercier]

It's a DIY stop bar. When I first got the lathe I was experimenting with putting the control box in different locations, but I didn't like that the stop button wasn't always in a consistent location. I made the stop bar so I'd always have a known way to hit stop in a hurry if I needed to.

This is interesting, Ric. Will you please explain the DIY steps and supply pics too.

 

[Ron Solfest]

The last time I processed a bunch of green wood I hung old sheets behind the lathe, and in front of it, in the line of fire. As importantly, I hung another old sheet *over* the lathe such that the complete line of fire was protected other than the floor. My shop looked like an old haunted house, but all three sheets caught a lot of water, and my white ceiling tiles were still white when I took it all down

 

[Larry Mercier]

Ron, the piece being turned doesn't care what the shop looks like.

My shop looked like an old haunted house

 

[Ric Williams]

This is interesting, Ric. Will you please explain the DIY steps and supply pics too.

I'm gonna start by saying that I wouldn't encourage trying this unless you have enough background in electronics to be able to understand and follow the wiring schematics in the manual, and the confidence (or recklessness) to make changes to the wiring at the VFD, which could also affect the warranty on a newish machine. Also it requires some good metal working skills and ideally, access to a small mill.

Here's the basic scoop. The run function depends on a signal to be returned to the VFD to start and keep running. The stop function works by interrupting that signal which causes the VFD to go into a braking and stopping mode. If you don't know what that means, you're in over your head. Don't mess with this. The stop bar works by tripping a micro switch that duplicates the function of the control panel stop switch. The rest of the project is how to trip a micro switch in whatever manner you choose.

In the interest of not derailing this thread, any further questions should be directed through a private conversation.