My lathe bench (Figure 1) is made from a used ($25) steel office desk.  The wobbly legs were removed and the desk set on a cinder block base (Figure 2).  The original legs were upside down "U" shaped affairs that bolted to the bottom (in the middle) of the drawer area.  Not the most steady arrangement!!  The cinder block base solved this and also raised the desk up so that the lathe controls are at a more convenient height.  After asking several people, the recommended height is such that your elbows are bent at 90 degrees while operating the equipment.  For me, this was obtained using a row of standard blocks topped with a row of 1/2 height blocks (12" total) (the later should be available at most lumber yards).  The cinder blocks were attached to each other, but not the floor or desk, with a construction adhesive dispensed with a caulking gun.  Threaded rods are set into the floor,  and run up through holes in the bottom of the desk.  1 X 1 steel bar was cut to span the inside of the bottom and drilled for the threaded rod.  The whole mess was then secured with nuts and Fender Washers.  This made for a much more stable base!

 Figure 1                                                                Figure 2

    I then fabricated a chip pan from two automotive drip pans (Figure 3).  These are normally used to protect garage floors from older leaking car engines and transmissions.  I use a piece of 4' X 3' Formica sheet backed by 3/16" plywood as a backsplash.  I set it inside the chip pan, at the back, and lean it against the wall.

Figure 3

    After the chip pan was in place I laid down an 18" length of 4 X 1/2 hot rolled bar under each end of the lathe (Figures 3 & 4).  This spreads the load more evenly across the sheet metal channels that the manufacturer used to support the desk top.  These are bolted to the underside of desk top at the ends and at each lathe mounting pad.  At the mounting pads the rod extends up through the pad and the lathe is secured with nuts (Figure 4).  Under the desk fender washers are used to spread the load across the sheet metal desk top.  On the headstock end another length of 4 X 12 bar is placed across the underside of the sheet metal channels and the four mounting bolts also pass though and are bolted to these.  This traps the channels between the bars, further stiffening the assembly.  All in all this creates a very stiff setup, and all for less (much less) than $100, including the drip pans.  In addition I have built in drawers to hold tooling, manuals, etc.

Figure 4

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