Many woodworking shops don’t have a lathe, most likely because of cost or space. But the arrival of a new category of small lathes has made cost and space less of an issue. Introduced in the late 1990s, these machines—often called midi-lathes—are generally bigger and beefier than the so-called minilathes, yet they’re smaller than full-size machines. Midis are affordable—selling for between $285 and $350—and take up very little space. For someone unsure whether wood turning is going to be worthwhile, a midi-lathe might be the best way to test the waters. Not only are the midis relatively inexpensive, they also have enough power to do some serious work. But how well do they work? To find out, I tested five midi-lathes for a semester in my wood turning class at the School of Art and Design at Purchase College in New York.

The lightest and most compact of the midis, the Nova is limited to 8 in. between centers without a  bed extension ($50), 20 in. with one. Variable-speed control makes it quick and easy to change speeds. It’s the only one that allows outboard turning.

UPDATE: Teknatool, the manufacturer of the Nova Mercury, is no longer distributing this lathe in select markets around the world. Contact the manufacturer for details.

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