Piggyback your lathes to save space, be sturdy

As I was trying to find a home for my new mini lathe on my already crowded bench, I realized that with a little creativity, it would fit on my full-size lathe. Here's how you, too, can save shop space and give your mini lathe extra stability.Create a 3⁄4"-plywood base for your mini lathe. Rip a cleat from 2x material to snugly fit the gap between the ways of the big lathe's bed. Attach the cleat to the center of the plywood base and mount the mini lathe to the base. (Be sure to countersink the mounting-screw heads so the base rests firmly on the rail bed.)To install the mini lathe on its big brother's back, move the tool rest and tailstock out of the way and slide your mini lathe into place. Secure the base with clamps, as shown.—John Stacy, Garwood, Texas