Lathe Height

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I have a question in regards to lathe height. Where do you find to be the right height for work? Now knowing that we are all different heights, I guess it would be in relationship to your body. I have read where the center of the spindle should be 1" above the elbow. Can anybody confirm this?
 
I've had two lathes and adjusted so I wouldn't have to bend my back.
The first required four inch blocks be put under the legs. Current one I just screwed the feet out a little bit. I'm not very tall and wonder how tall guys work on short lathes. Would be hard on the back.
Answer: Do what is comfortable for you.
 
Somewhere around elbow height, give or take an inch or two, is what seems comfortable for most folks. I think mine's a bit above elbow height, but not by much. Next time I'm out there, I'll check.
 
And I'm betting Larry will be there to buy the scrap!:rofl::rofl::rofl:
Usually Steve, elbow height is a good starting place...adjust from there for the best comfort and safety:thumb:
Larry...I have a bandsaw you can pick up :eek:;)
 
Elbow height, or reach out like you are going to shake someone's hand, that is where the spindle should be as a ball park height. If you are doing lots of little stuff, pens etc then maybe a bit higher, to save your back, like Frank said, if you are doing big stuff bowls etc, then even a bit lower would be good. If you make your stand a bit too short, you can always add blocks to it to raise it up, easier than cutting the legs off :doh:

Cheers!
 
Since I turn boxes most of the time and spend a significant amount of time looking and working inside a small object that I am hollowing I decided to have my lathe spindle higher than recommended. My spindle is close to 4" above elbow height and I love it there. The higher position saves me a lot of wear and tear on my back and I can turn longer without fatigue.

Another thing I have learned is that I don't necessarily need long handled tools to do the work I am doing. So I now have a set of box turning tools with 8"-9" handles. Seldom if ever do I have a tool projecting more than a couple of inches over the tool rest so I don't need a 14" handle to provide leverage. Besides I have more than ample turning muscle :eek: to counterbalance any mechanical disadvantage I might encounter. I have found I have better control with the shorter tools in front of me instead of at my side as would be required with full sized tools. Again this is specific to box turning and other small diameter objects such as pens, bottle stoppers, etc.

When I want to turn larger items I have not found it to be a problem to go back to my longer and heavier tools.
 
I had mine about elbow height. A comfortable height will vary by individual but also by different lathe manufacturers, so elbow height I think is a good "about there".

After watching a video by Dave Hout I took his suggestion as a trial. Set your rest to center height and take a tool in your hands (maybe 3” tool tip extending). Hold the tool in the most comfortable position for you and turn to the tool rest and compare to where the tool will meet the rest.
I raised my lathe about 1.5” and it is more comfortable.
 
Spindle Height

Hi,

I will give you my data. Then I will go back and read the posts.

I am short: 5' 4" (I was 5' 10.5" in the Marines WWII but that is another story.)

Cement floor to center of rotation is 40. 5 inches. My optimum is 39.5 inches to 40.0 inches from the soles of my shoes to the spindle center.

For me, at least, the relation of spindle center and the soles of my shoes appears to be quite critical---as you will see in the following.

My arms and legs are short for my height. Myrna is the opposite. Her arms and legs go forever. If she were to try on a garment in a regular dress shop, the blouse and slacks (or whatever) would have arms and legs four inches too short for her.

Vaughn placed a fork-lift pallet on the floor, in front of his lathe so I could turn. So, when I started getting backaches turning, I laid 3/4 ply over two thicknesses of 1 3/4 in of construction lumber. I still got back aches. I was, just plain, too high.

So I dropped it to 3/4 ply over one thickness of 1 3/4 (2 x 4) lumber. Still too high. I tried one inch plus 1/2 inch pad for a total elevation 1 1/2 in. Still no joy.

Each of these trials took a few days to make sure discomfort just wasn't something happening to me today and height had nothing to do with it. Also, there had to be a day or two between trials to reduce "carry-over" after effects.

I ended up with a 1/2 inch pad on the floor. I had the same padding on all of the above trials so the amount of cushioning was not a variable. For me, with this lathe, a total of 1/2 to 1 inch thickness on the cement floor was the range that was best.

I use one pad thickness some of the time and two pad thicknesses some of the time on the cement floor. More thickness or less thickness than that is not as good.

Standing on one thickness (1/2 in) of padding on the floor:
I used a square to make sure my arm was bent at an actual 90 degrees.
I extend my pointy finger and it is right on the center of rotation of the lathe.

Summary:
Don't hesitate to try small changes
Do try each setting a minimum of two days, longer is better.
Use the same padding under your feet for all trials.
Use the same shoes for all trials.

In addition:
Illumination is critical for this evaluation.
If you are leaning towards, away from, to the side or any combination of these in order to see better, you will induce stress not related to the lathe height.

I almost think that I should write a tutorial laying out the steps to find the correct lathe position and illumination.

As an eye doc it is amazing how many headaches, backaches, etc. I have cured by changing the lighting or body position for some task.
The cost of lighting for your home is a small part of your electric bill. You can illuminate your shop for 13 to 25 hours for the price of running one of the following: thickness planer, drill press, small electric heater, air-conditioner, etc. for one hour.

Good lighting is basically inexpensive, much safer and more comfortable than poor lighting.

The following is an average---your responses may be different. If you are over the age of 61, bifocals will no longer be the best choice in glasses for the shop. Everyone loses ability to focus up close as they get older---started way back when you were a teenager. By age 61 the bifocal power has increased enough that the depth of focus (camera nuts will understand this) through that bifocal will not cover the lathe spindle (drill in the drillpress or hand drill, end of the screwdriver, depth gauge on the thickness planer, etc.) and meet the edge of the depth of field of your distance Rx. This creates an area of less clarity where the distance Rx will not focus out far enough to meet the clear focus of the bifocal.

I am going to post this even though there has to be a much better way to say what is in the last paragraph. It adds up to: If you are 61 or over, and if you wear bifocals, your glasses are probably forcing you to position your head in an unusual position in order to see your best when you are using a tool. This can cause headaches, back aches, leg aches, etc.

Enjoy,

Jim

Enjoy,

Jim
 
For general spindle turning, I like the lathe a little above elbow height.

For bowl turning about the same.

If I were doing a lot of boxes or hollowing endgrain without a special rig, then I'd want it much higher than "recommended".

Hutch
 
yeah, but.....

I have a question in regards to lathe height. Where do you find to be the right height for work? Now knowing that we are all different heights, I guess it would be in relationship to your body. I have read where the center of the spindle should be 1" above the elbow. Can anybody confirm this

Thats the general rule but I would not get hung up on it, set it at what ever is comfortable for you.
Using this formula my lathe should be at somewhere around 38-40" But I prefer 48". This is because I do mainly hollow forms and like to eye ball the inside on a regular basis.
 
The following is an average---your responses may be different. If you are over the age of 61, bifocals will no longer be the best choice in glasses for the shop. Everyone loses ability to focus up close as they get older---started way back when you were a teenager. By age 61 the bifocal power has increased enough that the depth of focus (camera nuts will understand this) through that bifocal will not cover the lathe spindle (drill in the drillpress or hand drill, end of the screwdriver, depth gauge on the thickness planer, etc.) and meet the edge of the depth of field of your distance Rx. This creates an area of less clarity where the distance Rx will not focus out far enough to meet the clear focus of the bifocal.

I am going to post this even though there has to be a much better way to say what is in the last paragraph. It adds up to: If you are 61 or over, and if you wear bifocals, your glasses are probably forcing you to position your head in an unusual position in order to see your best when you are using a tool. This can cause headaches, back aches, leg aches, etc.

Well Jim, I'm not 61 yet, but will be before too long. I've used [varilux type] bifocals for years though. So what can a 61+ year old do to improve the above situation? Or do we just have to accept headaches, back aches, leg aches, etc.?
 
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