Workbench for a South Bend 9A metal lathe

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Several months ago, I picked up an old Delta Rockwell 11" metal lathe in need of some TLC. Turned out it needed a little more than TLC. I started looking for a friend with a metal lathe who would lend me some time, so I could make several shafts that needed to be replaced and re-bush everything. Found a friend with a South Bend 9A in need of some TLC...bought that one too. The South Bend was in good enough shape to make the parts I needed, so I'm about to finish putting the DR back together. Then the South Bend will get freshened up a bit. I started that process by building a new workbench for it. The old wooden bench it came with just wasn't sturdy enough for my taste.I had a bunch of 2X2X3/16 square tube in my shop that was intended to become a 2X72" belt grinder. It was re-purposed for the workbench, as was some 1X2X1/8" rectangle tube that was supposed to be a welding cart by now. I made the top out of 2X4 studs glued side-by-side and cut down on my planer to 2-1/4" height. I also through-bolted the table top with 3/8" all threads to make sure everything stayed tight and discourage warping. I added vibration absorbent feet from McMaster Carr, by cutting 2X2X1/2" squares, center drilling them, and tapping the hole 1/2-13 to accommodate the feet studs, then welded them to the bottom of the leg tubes. Adjustable, vibration-free feet. Finished the steel with Rustoleum red primer and Majic Tractor and Implement paint from Tractor Supply in Massey Ferguson Gray. The top was finished with boiled linseed oil.I'm pretty happy with the way it came out for a first major project. Welds aren't anything to brag about, but they stuck things together and I've see worse. Doesn't need to hold water.Now to get the lathe moved over and mounted. Once I finish the South Bend lathe, it will go to my father, who has always wanted a lathe.TonyMiller Maxtron 300Miller Spoolmatic 3Victor Journeyman II"Twern't my ignorance done me in, but what I knowed that wasn't so."  Uncle Tom's Cabin
Reply:very nice.  I'd like to see some pics of the SB mounted.Are you going with a "machine oil" finish on the wood?I gotta say, and don't take it personal, that SouthBend sure is ugly!  Looks like the previous owner used it for a paint shaker Last edited by dubl_t; 03-07-2014 at 07:43 PM.Lincoln SA 200Esab Caddy 160Thermal Arc 201TSMiller Dialarc HFI don't like making plans for the day because then the word "premeditated" gets thrown around the courtroom....
Reply:Well, the owner died nearly three years ago and the farm hand didn't keep things up very well. I bought it from the owner's wife, whom I know. She was happy to have it go to somebody who would use it. I paid a reasonable price for the condition it was in. It will get a thorough going through once I get the DR lathe working. The SB is not nearly in as bad of shape as it appears. It will look a whole lot better with a fresh coat of paint.  The wood finish is actually boiled linseed oil, but that is pretty much to make the "machine oil finish" clean up a little easier. I am  thinking about getting a piece of 10 ga steel to overlay it.TonyMiller Maxtron 300Miller Spoolmatic 3Victor Journeyman II"Twern't my ignorance done me in, but what I knowed that wasn't so."  Uncle Tom's Cabin
Reply:very good, thanks for sharing. I sure like the idea of the post-tensioning.What glue did you use?  If you didn't have a planer wide enough, what top would you have done?I don't know if I like the 10ga overlay, the top you built is beautiful.Lincoln SA 200Esab Caddy 160Thermal Arc 201TSMiller Dialarc HFI don't like making plans for the day because then the word "premeditated" gets thrown around the courtroom....
Reply:Hopefully the through bolts will keep the top from warping at all, but now that it's done, it might just end up being one of those ideas that looks better on paper. Not sure it will really do anything. The worktop is 30X48". I cut 2X4s to 48" then ran them through my joiner to get one good edge on them, then I drilled all the holes, because it was easier than trying to drill a straight hole with a long bit. I then glued them up side-by-side with Titebond III from Home Depot. I like that glue because it is pretty much impervious to everything once it sets. I clamped up the glue-ups in two sections, each 15" wide, because I have a 15" wood planer. After the glue set, I used a hand plane to knock down all the high spots and glue squeeze-out, then ran the sections through the power planer to get them down to 2-1/4" thickness. I then glued the two sections together and clamped them to set. After everything set up, I ran the bolts in and cut them off to length. I peened the bolts to the nuts on the front, so that when I tighten things up I don't have to worry about bolts grabbing me. The bolts stick out a hair in the back of the table. Again. not sure I'd do the through-bolts if I were to do it again.If I hadn't had a planer I would probably have made the top out of three sheets of 3/4" birch plywood, laminated with wood glue, and finished it off with polyurethane. You could probably go with two thicknesses, but South Bend recommends at least 2" for a wood top under the lathe.One thing to note if you put a wood top on a steel base. If you'll go back to the pictures, you'll see that I welded 8 tabs to the inside of the top frame of the workbench. These tabs are about 1/4" or so below the top of the frame. I drilled oversized holes for #10 wood screw in the tabs, so that the wood screw head holds, but the oversized hole, as well as the distance between the wood and the tab, allow the wood room to move, as it changes dimensions due to humidity and temperature. If you make the tabs tight to the wood top, the screws will not be able to move and allow the wood top to move. You'll eventually get warping, cracking, and possibly even changes in the dimensions of the workbench (getting out of square).Glad you like the workbench. I'll hopefully be getting the lathe on it soon.Last edited by thenrie; 03-08-2014 at 01:54 PM.TonyMiller Maxtron 300Miller Spoolmatic 3Victor Journeyman II"Twern't my ignorance done me in, but what I knowed that wasn't so."  Uncle Tom's Cabin
Reply:That came out great!!