A lathe will throw chips all over the shop, and this one is no exception. Also, as a CNC machine it doesn't need as much interaction as a manual machine. This leads to an enclosure being a nice addition. Mine is mostly to contain the chips making cleanup a lot easier. An enclosure can also make flood cooling possible. For this size machine I don't believe flood cooling is worth the effort. I use mist coolant and am happy with it.

For simple mist cooling an enclosure doesn't need to be impervious to fluids. As this is the case I decided to make the enclosure out of wood. The main structure is of 1"x2" lumber with 1/8" plywood for the walls. the enclosure doesn't need to be water tight nor resistant to heavy soaking.

I put two "gull wing" doors on the front. They were angled so the Lexan window would be easier to see through while standing at the lathe. The corners of the doors were reinforced with thin aluminum plate for a little more structure. The interior was designed to accept pieces up to the capacity of the lathe. It can be run with either or both doors open as needed.

The enclosure has worked well so far. The biggest problem has been interference with the tool post. I allowed room for parts up to the capacity of the lathe. However, I didn't allow enough room for the quick change tool post. In the first picture you can see the left door is a little bit open. That is because at this, what I consider home position, with the cross slide all the way out (+X) the tool post interferes. With the doors open there's no problem, and likewise on the size parts I normally machine. However, some care is required when sending the axes to home position. If it's a real problem I'll have to remake the doors.

All in all a great addition to the lathe.