Compact Lathe Stand

Get the most from your mini lathe with a sturdy, mobile workstation that’s easy to build

Every lathe deserves a nice stand—a sturdy workstation that won’t wobble or vibrate while you work. This mini lathe stand does a good job of meeting these requirements—and it’s portable. The materials required should leave you with some extra cash to spend on turning tools or nice turning wood. My mobile lathe stand is sized to provide a compact but ample platform for a mini lathe. I made room in the cabinet for a couple of concrete blocks to give the unit extra mass—very helpful when turning bowls and other large blanks. You can easily accessorize your wood lathe stand by adding tool holders on the sides, and by creating holders and partitions in the drawer. Before building your own stand, confirm that your Woodcraft wood lathe will be at a comfortable working height when mounted on the stand. Most turners prefer to have a lathe’s axis at elbow height. To achieve that, you may need to increase or decrease the length of your cabinet sides and center divider. If you’re new to the craft, start woodturning without breaking the bank. 

Build the case, then add drawer, top and base 

You can build this mini lathe stand from a single sheet of 3/4" plywood. See the cutting diagram below or click here to download it. Check out this guide for handling sheet goods in the shop. You’ll also need some scrap pieces of 1/2" plywood and a little solid lumber. The drawer slides that work best are 12" side-mount, full-extension slides rated for 75 lbs. For strength and longevity, I assembled all case joints with glue and 2"-long screws. 

A detailed cut list 

Making a cut list is an important early step in the process of a project. It’s also critical to understand that some dimensions are key while others are relative. The wood lathe stand details below are a good start, but you’ll need to adjust the relative dimensions to accommodate your size and preference. Those variable measurements are noted below. Read this article for more on how to make a cut list. 

Order of Work 

Here’s a quick rundown of how to build a stand for your Woodcraft wood lathe purchase. 

• Cut cabinet sides, top, bottom, and back to finished sizes. 
• Complete side joinery work: Rabbet the top, bottom, and back edges. Dado the sides for the cabinet top. 
• Assemble sides, back, bottom, and cabinet top. Cut and install the center divider. 
• Cut two adjustable shelves. Cover front edges of shelves and cabinet with iron-on wood edging or other plywood edge treatment of your choice. 
• Build the drawer box, then apply finish to cabinet, shelves, and drawer box. 
• Install drawer box with slide hardware, then install top cleats. 
• Cut the solid wood drawer front to finished size, and rout a cove finger-pull along its bottom edge. 
• Apply finish to all sides and edges of drawer front, then screw it to drawer box from inside the box. 
• Build the base from 2x lumber, then screw the cabinet to the base. 
• Build and finish the top, then install it. Drill shelf pin holes in cabinet sides and center divider. I used milk paint, but any eco-friendly finish will do the job. 
• Now load up your wood lathe stand with turning tools and accessories. Read this introduction to turning tools for where to start. 

Compact Lathe Stand exploded view 

Buying guide 

For your convenience, I’ve gathered a list of the necessary tools and materials to get you started on this mobile lathe stand. If you don’t have a lathe, check out the best wood lathes for beginners.