Lathe floor height?

[beeza650Participant @beeza650]

The previous owner of my Maximat had it on raising blocks about 10cm tall – maybe a bit more – he was an maybe a an inch two shorter than me.

I’ve just done a Chat GPT (love that thing) prompt and it’s telling the optimum height is centre line should be 5cm below the  bottom of your 90 degree bent elbow. Which means it’s already too high at 113.5cm

I want to put it on castors and that will push it up by around 10cm or even as much as 13.5 if I got with 100mm wheels.

What are your thoughts please on optimum height please as I need to decide if going get castors or not or whether I’ll make some sort of removable moving dolly (which is waaaay more work)

[halfnutParticipant @halfnut]

Back before ChatGPT , it was reckoned by wizened humanoids that the lathe cross-slide handle should be about level with one’s elbow bent at 90 degrees.

That’s how I have my lathes up and all good.

But I think there is a fair bit of leeway, depending on personal preferences and the practicalities of the gear that you have got.

If your lathe ends up a bit high for your comfort, you can always place a wooden ” duckboard” in front of it to stand on and gain 50mm or so.

 

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Had a look at mine while down in the workshop and spindle is just about level with my elbow which puts the cross slide leadscrew about 120mm below.

Quite possibly depends on the swing of your lathe as applying a rule like that to a big lathe would make it a pain to lift chucks up to the spindle. If mine were myford size the CS screw would only be about 70mm rather than 120

[beeza650Participant @beeza650]

The chatgpt advice did indeed say the reasoning was to put the control wheels at the right height which does make it a bit of an approximate way to measure. I’ll see what height the centre of the cross slide wheel is after I’ve done my pesky daily work call 🙂

[halfnutParticipant @halfnut]

Chiselled on a cave wall by one of the ancients:

[halfnut]

On halfnut Said:

Back before ChatGPT , it was reckoned by wizened humanoids that the lathe cross-slide handle should be about level with one’s elbow bent at 90 degrees.

That’s how I have my lathes up and all good.

But I think there is a fair bit of leeway, depending on personal preferences and the practicalities of the gear that you have got.

If your lathe ends up a bit high for your comfort, you can always place a wooden ” duckboard” in front of it to stand on and gain 50mm or so.

 

Those preferences and practicalities are more important than generic advice. I’ve just checked my WM250 which was installed 10 years ago by plonking it on the only bench space available and the cross-slide handle is level with my elbow. But at a very average 1.75m tall, I find that I still have to bend over it enough that my back hurts afterwards. That’s also true of the 5″ Record vice at the other end of the bench, and pretty much any other bench set using traditional advice that I’ve worked at – they’re all too low for long term comfort and efficiency.

 

Together with your other thread about equipping the machine, you’re overthinking this. Plugging it and and making a few things will tell you far more about what you need than well meant advice from strangers.

[John PurdyParticipant @johnpurdy78347]

Mine, a Myford S7, is set with the cross slide handle about 1″ lower than the bottom of my bent elbow and I have had no problems working at it for the last 46 years. My gut feeling would be that it is better to be high than low, less bending over and better visibility.

John

[SteveWParticipant @stevew54046]

Make it higher rather than lower.  Think back problems!  You can stand on a box or duck board but you’re not going to dig a trench if it’s too low!

Steve W

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Just not too high that you end up struggling to lift a large chuck or casting for milling

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

In the modern age check your phone. I have sent you a message telling you the optimum height. How can I do that? Oh, I don’t know your number. Never mind. While you’re checking the screen – freeze – the screen is currently at the optimum distance from your eyes; so set the centre height of the spindle at that level then you won’t be stooping to look at the job. It doesn’t matter where your elbow is it is your eyes that matter.

Somebody please tell chatgpt to read this forum as I have posted this before.

[halfnut]

On halfnut Said:

Chiselled on a cave wall by one of the ancients:

So we have centre of spindle, top of top slide and centre of cross slide wheel as options 🙂 That clears it up nicely.

I’ll end up with the latter – which should be fine. I can always make it higher with a trolley jack and some bits of wood. I went for the posh ratchet adjustable castors at nearly £50 – hope they’re worth it. While I was searching I found a glitch in the matrix in Amazon too and a set of 4 (2 braked) 75mm castors for £6.39 delivered – I bought those too to keep in stock. 4  of the same unbraked where £20 something (now £14.99)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QD9NW6G?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

[halfnutParticipant @halfnut]

What works for me. And by fortuitous good fortune, this height puts the lathe spindle centreline at exactly the distance where I hold my phone to read Bayzle”s excellent point in his  message above.

In reality, there is only about a half inch difference between the aforementioned top of the cross slide and the centre of its handle/ screw. And under 2 inches difference between top of cross slide and spindle centreline, so much of a muchness really.

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

There isn’t a simple one solution fits all. It is all about what fits you! My lathes are much higher than most, about mid chest height for the top of the bed. I don’t have to bend and it is much easier to see the work. So experiment a little and see what works for you.

Andrew.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Hopefully you will still be modelling at 95 when you will have yourself shrunk an inch or two and will be complaining it is too high!

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Get a duckboard!!

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Castors?  Avoid, unless a frequent need to move kit overrides any concern about vibration and stability.  When the grown-ups install machine tools, they’re bolted down on a carefully flattened solid floor.   And in a factory, deep air-gaps were dug around machines to stop vibration spreading.  May seem extreme, but if you’re going to do everything properly, don’t skip the details

Height: I like Bazlye’s advice.  Elbow at tool-post level was about right for me 10 years ago, now it’s a little too low.  My eyesight has deteriorated!

Dave

[Author]

Posts