By Howie Grunert
When I am using the lathe I always need a pad of paper and a calculator handy to decipher those big numbers! The paper sat on the drill press table and the calculator behind me on a cabinet – not very handy.
Photo 1 shows my lathe with a toolbox under it, pulled out on its sliding tray. Just above the top, right of the toolbox, and under the chip pan of the lathe, are the brown metal pieces that make up the swing out tray.
The tray assembly can be swung out from under the lathe by rotating it on the vertical hinge (Photo 2). On the top of the hinge there is a pin that rotates with the tray and a slot is machined into the vertical tube attached to the lathe. When the tray is swung around far enough the pin drops into the slot and locks the tray in place.
When the tray is positioned as shown in Photo 2 it is too low to work on. In Photo 3 the tray is swung up and a diagonal, hinged brace is brought up, locked in position by a pin on the right side.
Future plans call for cutting off the air line hook and remounting it on the upper part of the tray, as I feel it will be easier to use.
