** Tools Behind the Lathe **

Handy!

You can't slide the lathe down and put the cart on the opposite side?

Of course it's dangerous. That's why you're asking, because your Spidey Sense is saying "Murphy approaches!" I suggest listening to it with full focus. My buddy with the lathe has the tail end butted against the wall with shelving full of tools and metrics to his right.

To get around that if your lathe would stick out if butted, perhaps employ a swing-out pegboard (I abhor the things, myself) or shelving door with tools on it which are hidden when it's against the wall. Hinge it on the right to put them over the tailstock when open. Lag the hinges to the stud behind the drywall.

Yes, common in 2-car shops.

- If ever the Time should come, when vain and aspiring

Men shall possess the highest Seats in Government,

our Country will stand in Need of its experienced

Patriots to prevent its Ruin. -- Samuel Adams

I store tools above the lathe but I turn machines off if not actually cutting, like between threading passes, and keep my hands back until they stop. I recently milled a 1/4" hex on a cut-down HSS drill shank and shut down 6 flats times 3 passes = 18 times.

-jsw

How about you put shelves or cabinets on the wall above the lathe, and put seldom-needed stuff and/or stuff not needed for the current job up there. Put a big sign on the door that says "Turn off lathe before opening". Then build shelves above the spindle that stick out from the wall far enough to be flush with the front of the controls so they don't take up aisle space but you can safely use them while the lathe is running. Space them as needed to clear your tool holders and chucks, but much closer together than general purpose shelves. That keeps the lathe itself from getting tool holders and bits stacked up on the top of the spindle so nothing gets bumped off the back where you can't reach it and gives you as much shelf area as you can build and fit for the currently needed set of tools.

** Tools Behind the Lathe **

It kind of makes me nervous to reach across the lathe to grab a tool, but I've seen a number of shop layouts like this where all their tool holders are on a bracket or a shelf on the wall behind they lathe. Sure its not bad if you make 100% sure to stop the lathe every single time, but its really easy to get into a project and just swap tools on the QCTP without shutting down the spindle. Especially when you are doing a semi production part where time is money, or you know the process you are doing and you are trying to make proficient use of your time.

I have a fairly small machine room and for now the wall behind my lathes are bare. The small 8.5x18 rests on a heavy tool chest with all of its tools inside the drawers. It even has a few empty drawers for future tools, storage of extra measuring, tools, parts etc.

The larger 14x40 sits on its own stand with a tool cart pushed back along the head stock. When I am using the 1440 I pull the tool cart out next to me so I can reach to the left and grab most tools I might need. Its fine if I am just standing in that one spot, but often I am bouncing around between machines and the assembly bench. Then the cart is in the way having to be pushed back and pulled out constantly. As a result I often find tools accumulating on top of the headstock of the lathe. If I could eliminate the cart the machine room would have much better flow. Even if I wasn't annoyed with myself about tools accumulating on the head stock it wouldn't hold all the tools I might need for a project.

The answer some home shop machinist have come up with is to utilize the wall behind the lathe for tool racks, pegboard for misc tools and even cabinets. Like I said. The wall behind my two lathes in the machine room is blank, but I do have to admit that when I was using the bench lathes on benches out on the main shop floor there were pegboards full of misc tools and storage compartments behind them. I never did have an accident from reaching across the lathe. If I did you might be calling me stumpy. LOL. However, I did not put the main lathe tools on the pegboard. They were usually laying all over the bench next to the lathe. I wasn't reaching across the lathe to get a lathe tool usually.

I am curious what other folks think about utilizing that wall space. Do you think its dangerous.

This video of this guys shop shows what I am talking about.

************************************************************ Well, I am not going to put lathe tools on the wall behind the lathe. I hate to waste that space so I may put some shallow locking cabinets back there. All for stuff that is not used on the lathe. I did clean out the top of my tool cart. Its still in the way where it is located for now, but when I cleaned out all the stuff that really doesn't belong there was room for all the tool holders and tools that I use all the time with room to spare. Even my boring bar holders. I did drill some holes for my lathe chuck keys and tailstock chuck keys in the lip of the back splash at the tail stock end of the machine. It?s a 40 inch machine so it?s a full step from the head, but its still pretty handy, and by having a specific space for them they will be less likely to just get left on the head of the lathe. That and I should always be able to find them.

Thanks for all your help guys.

I thought about this while machining some castings yesterday. The tools on the shelf above the lathe are mainly ones I would handle with the lathe stopped, such as toolholders and their wrenches, and the chuck key, plus pliers, screwdrivers and a rubber hammer I don't use with the lathe but the shelf is conveniently located.

The quick change toolholders are along the back, retained by a fence of handles.

The only ones I might grab while it's running are files. The stuff I have out for the job is on the wooden toolbox at the tailstock end.

-jsw