Sounds like a waste of a nice solid assembly bench. If you're going to build two solid pillars anyway why not align them with the feet and join them with a 3×2 council quality paving slab and a metal top if 3ft is wide enough or a couple of concrete fence spurs.

If there is space in front of the lathe it will attract 'stuff' and clutter which then drops on the floor and encourages bad language. If there is space at the back of the lathe it looks like it should house stuff and clutter but it is awkward to get at and clean so encourages bad language.. So narrow bench is best.

HI Mike.

Grinder next to your lathe sounds like a recipe for disaster . The grinding dust will / could land on the bed of the lathe and be ground in as you move the saddle and or tailstock back and forth . Keep it as far away as poss if I were you. No doubt others will advise the same

Dave

Andrew,

Quite agree – temp. + humidity both go up and down like a whores drawers. I have a maximum + minimum thermometer and humidity gauge in my wooden shed-cum-workshop. Very enlightening results! I cover lathe, bench drill, mill and workbench with large sheets of plastic. Only my mill has suffered slight rusting in the past but now cured with multiple thick plastic bags, ex-sand and ballast, together with home – made heater on tray. Cheap to run, 4 old-style Edison 60 Watt bulbs in brass batten-holders all wired in series so only about 15 W and chuck out quite a bit of warmth. Held in reserve if needed, oil-filled radiator for general heating, humidity-extractor and a 60W tubular heater for lathe drip tray.

I find Myford on its stand on floor too low for me and I`m only 5ft 11. I have two front – to – back brick piers under the "feet" of the stand. About 3 courses high, I think and topped with a strip of roofing felt which with weight, makes everything stick, preventing movement. The mill is similarly raised on wooden blocks.

John

To minimise risk of rusting, insulate the workshop as well as possible, walls and roof, floor as well as possible.

If you install vents, put one at lowest possible level; damp air is heavier than dry air, so it will fall ouit of the low level vent. Needless to say, make sure that the outsides of the vents are weather proof to prevent rain ingress.

If you are worried during cold spells, a 60 watt heater (on a 240V supply) will keep the chill off, and hopefully above the dew point. Before I did this, it was not unknown to find the oil on the bed of my Myford starting to emulsify with the moisture. If you cover the lathe, or any machine tool, do leave the bottom open so that any moist air can escape.