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Recommendations for small space woodturning

Joined
Nov 1, 2008
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Location
Aledo, Texas
Downsizing and sold my beloved 4224 lathe and now must go from a 2000 square foot workshop to a half of a garage bay-whew! Compound this problem by adding a humid, salt air environment. I don't want a pen lathe. But looking for ideas for a lathe that is stable, compact, and ideally on wheels. Any thoughts? Give up woodturning? My turning desires would be for medium sized objects such as peppermills, medium sized bowls and possibly hollow forms and of course pens and stoppers.
 
Joined
Nov 4, 2011
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Location
Bay Settlement, WI
Check out the Powermatic 2014 ...
 

hockenbery

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Lakeland, Florida
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The ONEWAY 2416 has a small footprint.
The ONEWAY wheel system is quick and easy to attach no tools needed.

The 17” outboard is a great Add-on.
Can be attached to make a longer bed as well as using it for outboard turning.
( not something to do often but if you needed make a bar stool once a year you can)
 
Joined
Jun 6, 2018
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Location
La Grange, IL
If you're looking for a short bed medium or heavy duty lathe there are lots of choices. I think most of the manufacturers make something to consider. Not every maker has an OEM wheel kit and to hear tell not every OEM wheel kit is that great. But there are lots of home made wheel solutions, so that doesn't have to be a limiting factor. My favorite is just rolling a hydraulic table up between the legs and lifting the lathe from the bed.
 
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
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Location
IL.
I would look at the Robust Sweet 16. Can be purchased as a short bed, regular or long-bed. I have a small shop (basically 1/2 car-bay) maybe 10' x 12' and have the standard bed configuration. Somehow fit everything I need (other than maybe a bandsaw). As has been mentioned many times in the forum, Robust is one of the best quality machines. Robust has a caster kit available, but I don't need, so no experience with how well they work. Details and spec sheet available on their web-site.
 
Joined
Dec 26, 2011
Messages
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Location
Biloxi, Mississippi
Marty,
I have a small shop and purchased a Harvey T-40 lathe. Mine came complete with outboard turning accessories included for a bit less than $2500. I have owned it for 6 months now and love it. Smooth as silk, quiet, and powerful. I believe they also have a mobility kit.
I down graded from a 30 x 60 shop to a 9 x 15 shop in the retirement home my wife liked. I guess her vote for the house out weighed my vote for a nice shop! If I can make the down grade, you can too! Good luck.
Jon
 
Joined
May 4, 2010
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Location
Bozeman, MT
I turn in a half garage bay on a Powermatic 3520. I've also got my grinder, band saw, air compressor, a small work bench and a storage cabinet. There's an air cleaner on the ceiling and a dust collector in a corner of the other half of the bay. Bottom line--it's doable.

If I were starting from scratch, I'd seriously consider a Powermatic 2020, especially when they get to the C version. The Robust Sweet 16 would be another strong consideration for me. The 12" Oneway is a sweet lathe, except the handles go in the wrong direction.:rolleyes:

The lathe part of the equation boils down to what you want to turn. The half bay is adequate for the other gear you'll need
 
Joined
Jan 3, 2012
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Location
New City, NY
I’m in a half of a half of a garage. That’s a 9 X 12 room. I have a fullsize 2436 Oneway with the 17 inch extension. I have cabinets along one wall and most of my turning tools are on the opposite wall. I have an Oneida dust collector in one corner and a band saw in the other corner. I have two grinders and a Tormek and a small jet lathe. There is a heater in the winter replaced by a portable A/C in the summer. I can turn vases 25 inches deep in this space. My shop vac and compressor are fed through the wall and reside in the front of the garage. I am very comfortable in this space. Don’t understand why you would downsize your lathe.
It’s a little tough dragging in 18x30 logs. But once under the lathe, the HF winch lifts em to the bed. You can make this space work for you. GL

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In the other ¼ of the garage is a full table saw that can rip an 8ft panel , drill press, radial saw, air compressor, shop vac and a couple of workbenches.

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Joined
Nov 1, 2008
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Location
Aledo, Texas
Wow-you guys are inspiring! If it works out, we will be building the house and I can set up outlets as needed. On the West gulf coast of Florida I am a bit concerned about rust, but the builder says a mini split in the garage will make it pretty nice. Thanks for the tips on the lathes-the Robust has me pretty excited as the stainless beds and mobility look nice. Probably foolish, but I am keeping a bunch of turning wood and pen kits, peppermills so I don't have to repurchase them. Sold off my practice tools and kept the nice stuff but I'll have to get a sharpening system-most likely a tormek that can be used for other things. I am looking at the laguna dust collector with the filter. I figure it can double as a shop vac. I'll have to figure something out for a small band saw-probably bench sized. Sold the Delta 200 and the Rikon 13" in the shop liquidation. I am at least a year out before we get into the new house. Thanks for the tips guys!
 
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
Messages
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Location
IL.
Marty - I also have an Oneida Mini-Gorilla DC that's stationed on the backside of the lathe. It's on casters and I push/pull it closer to the bed ways as necessary. Hardly ever really in the way. I only use when sanding, but it's a great DC and relatively speaking the noise really doesn't bother me when it's on. It's got a lot of power and when I had an issue with the on/off toggle, Oneida sent me a replacement ASAP. Good customer service.
 
Joined
Jun 6, 2018
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Location
La Grange, IL
a small band saw-probably bench sized.

The funny thing about bench top tools is that they take up just as much floor space as a floor standing unit, but they do it by first taking up space on your work bench, where they are harder to move. :)
Now if you were to mount the tool on a small cabinet you could have storage underneath and preserve the mobility of a free standing machine.

Just thinking that you're going to want everything in the shop to be mobile. First for the inevitable re-organizations, but also it lets you unpack the space onto the drive when you have a project that needs more room.
 

Tom Gall

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Joined
Feb 20, 2013
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Hillsborough, NJ
Who even has space on their work bench? Mine is covered with all kinds of unfinished projects and half-baked ideas.
Workbench? I have so much crap piled up on that thing I forget that I have a workbench....until I occasionally bump into the handle on my wood vise! :mad: My radial arm saw table and extensions suffer from the same malady.....and my jointer tables.....and my.....geez, I think I have a problem! :rolleyes:
 
Joined
Oct 4, 2010
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Location
Baldwinsville, NY
Website
www.bayberrycrafts.com
you guys are making me feel good.
my shop is smaller than I would like (aren't they all) and now we are starting to look at retirement homes.
Our target area of NC doesn't really have basements and, since we will be moving to a place where we don't know anyone....a retirement community looks like it is in our future. These places don't allow me to put up a building for a shop.
Looks like a garage shop is probably in my future. Glad to see you guys have been successful in setting up useful shops in small spaces.
 
Joined
Jul 29, 2020
Messages
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Location
Mission Viejo, CA
Just moved into a retirement community which has a wonderful wood shop BUT due to Covid it has been shut down for a 7 months. So I have improvised on my patio as we don't have garages.
 

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Joined
Feb 25, 2018
Messages
117
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123
Location
Novi, Michigan
I have a 3 car garage and the only space for my lathe was a 12'w x 8'd corner of the garage in front of my hot rod. I have a Powermatic 90 lathe, Laguna 18BX bandsaw, an older Delta/Rockwell belt/disc sander and a vintage Delta 15" drill press. All tools are on wheeled bases. My Oneida Super Dust Gorilla DC is located in front of another car in the next bay with the DC piping running along the wall with drops for the tools. The only tool I have to move to use is the belt/disc sander. Everything else stays put.

It is tighter than I'd like, but it is efficient and works for now!! I do this for a hobby - spending around 10 hours a week on the lathe lately.
 
Joined
Sep 9, 2010
Messages
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Location
McKinney,Texas
This is the most compact lathe they I know of. It has a swiveling head. With the optional outrigger it has a very small footprint. Bed extensions are optional.
I have owned an older version DVR since 2006. It’s hard to find a better lathe for twice the price. Feel free to PM me if you want more info.
https://www.tools-plus.com/nova-lathes-55241.html
 
Joined
Oct 2, 2020
Messages
7
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2
Location
Trenton, South Carolina
Wow, my "shop" is a 4' X 8' corner in my garage, or I should say my Wife's garage. I currently have a Laguna Revo 1216, a WorkBee CnC machine and a grinder. The grinder is mounted to a board and sits on a shelf under the CnC Machine. My miter saw sits on a shelf until needed. So far I am just starting to use the lathe and the CnC machine stays pretty busy.
 
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