Author Topic: Lathe Tray  (Read 1293 times)

Offline Ye-Ole Steam Dude

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Lathe Tray
« on: September 28, 2018, 10:20:35 AM »
Hello everyone,

Bought a really nice piece of solid red oak at the lumber yard last week with plans to build a Lathe-Tray. I have seen other people with a shelf or tray above their lathe to store various tools and keep them out of the chip pan and liked that idea.

It is fastened to the back splash guard with four 10-24 machine screws and self-locking nuts. Drilled four holes on the Tray to the tailstock end to handle the drill chuck, drill chuck key and centers and on the left I drilled one hole for the main chuck key. Plenty of room left over to store tool holders, wrenches and other items being used. I softened all the edges with my router and then stained the oak with a Cherry stain and applied two coats of clear. The Tray and tools are out of the way for machining but very handy to reach.

Have a great day,
Thomas
Thomas

Offline propforward

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Re: Lathe Tray
« Reply #1 on: September 28, 2018, 01:41:03 PM »
That's really nice - I have a shelf behind my lathe, but it's a boring old piece of white laminated chip board. Does the job, but not a nice creation like your oak shelf.
Stuart

Forging ahead regardless.

Offline Ye-Ole Steam Dude

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Re: Lathe Tray
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2018, 02:05:38 PM »
That's really nice - I have a shelf behind my lathe, but it's a boring old piece of white laminated chip board. Does the job, but not a nice creation like your oak shelf.

Hello Stuart,

I wish that I had made one of these many years ago, boy is it handy. I used the lathe this morning and used 3 different tools and it was so nice to just grab the one that I needed and go to work.

Have a great day,
Thomas
Thomas

Offline DTR

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Re: Lathe Tray
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2018, 03:54:06 PM »
Very nice. I like having a shelf behind the lathe too, but I have a boring shelf like Propforward. It's a victim of its own success though; more and more stuff is migrating up there.......
Dave

Offline Ye-Ole Steam Dude

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Re: Lathe Tray
« Reply #4 on: September 28, 2018, 04:05:56 PM »
Very nice. I like having a shelf behind the lathe too, but I have a boring shelf like Propforward. It's a victim of its own success though; more and more stuff is migrating up there.......

Hello Dave,

I would suspect that my tray will get well worn and a collector ( of all sorts of items ) in a short period of time. Anything this handy will surely get used and abused.

Have a great day,
Thomas
Thomas

Offline jonesie

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Re: Lathe Tray
« Reply #5 on: September 30, 2018, 02:29:30 PM »
that tray looks nice ,just be sure that you do not set anything on it that could roll or vibrate of and hit the turn chuck or piece i liketo keep my stuff on the head stock end. looks nice.

Offline Ye-Ole Steam Dude

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Re: Lathe Tray
« Reply #6 on: September 30, 2018, 02:51:09 PM »
that tray looks nice ,just be sure that you do not set anything on it that could roll or vibrate of and hit the turn chuck or piece i liketo keep my stuff on the head stock end. looks nice.

Hello jonesie,

I thought about putting a small lip on the front to keep things from rolling off. If I see any problems in the future I will add one. I have some 1/4" square aluminum stock that I could cut to length and drill a few holes for wood screws and attach that very easily.

Have a great day,
Thomas
Thomas

Online steamer

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Re: Lathe Tray
« Reply #7 on: September 30, 2018, 04:58:16 PM »
Lot's of great ideas there!.....I have some Birch ply left over from a project....hmmmmm

Dave
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Offline Ye-Ole Steam Dude

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Re: Lathe Tray
« Reply #8 on: September 30, 2018, 05:17:13 PM »
Lot's of great ideas there!.....I have some Birch ply left over from a project....hmmmmm

Dave


Hello Dave,

I went out in the shop to add the finger-rail (I'm an old salt) to the tray and only have a piece about 10" long, so I will have to order some more. I will leave both ends open so that the chuck keys can be accessed easily. If you build one and make any more improvements be sure and post a photo here.

Have a great day,
Thomas
Thomas

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Re: Lathe Tray
« Reply #9 on: September 30, 2018, 05:51:17 PM »
Lot's of great ideas there!.....I have some Birch ply left over from a project....hmmmmm

Dave


Hello Dave,

I went out in the shop to add the finger-rail (I'm an old salt) to the tray and only have a piece about 10" long, so I will have to order some more. I will leave both ends open so that the chuck keys can be accessed easily. If you build one and make any more improvements be sure and post a photo here.

Have a great day,
Thomas

Will do!   I have a tray that sits on the right hand side of the bed, but it gets full of stuff, and chips...  I have a TS rack on the side of the lathe mounted tool box as well, which has the collets and spindle tooling in it.   Having the tool holders on an angle shelf on a back splash arrangement makes it easier to see the tools, but requires a way to fix them .  That could be nothing more than a rail...very simple.....I have shelves in cabinets on lathe bench that I put chucks and the like in already.   That seems to work well, and I wouldn't have to reach over to pick up a heavy chuck, so I'll probably leave the chucks where they are.   That leaves, chuck keys which, and a place for measuring equipment that's being used, like mics, calipers, dial indicator stands, and other toolpost/cross slide tooling, steady rest, follower rest.   All that could be on a back splash, to say nothing of a backsplash.   Needs a slide out chip tray too.
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline gary.a.ayres

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Re: Lathe Tray
« Reply #10 on: December 14, 2018, 12:13:14 AM »
That is a very practical and useful idea. Very handsome in oak too.

 Must be good not to have to ferret around in the swarf for that chuck key!

Offline Ye-Ole Steam Dude

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Re: Lathe Tray
« Reply #11 on: December 14, 2018, 01:22:17 AM »
That is a very practical and useful idea. Very handsome in oak too.

 Must be good not to have to ferret around in the swarf for that chuck key!


Hello Gary,

That is the handiest thing in my shop, it has changed they way that I use the lathe.

Have a great day,
Thomas
Thomas

 

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