We’re considering purchasing a lathe in the next six months, primarily for small work (candlesticks, bowls, pens). Budget is in the $600 CDN ($350 US) range. Any recommendations? Bear in mind that we also need to get the proper chisels, etc. and don’t want to entirely break the bank, but want a good-quality machine.
Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Replies
My suggestion is to look for a used machine first. Lathes, more than most woodworking machine, can be found in the used market.
I bought a used Delta Lathe, solid machine.
Several of the good turning books have sections on what to look for in a lathe. Read up and go hunting.
Kyt
I have been thinking about getting one too. After shopping and research, if I get a new one, I liked the Delta Midi, which I have seen locally on sale for as little as $279US. You can get a bed extender if you want to do longer turnings. However, I signed up for a turning class first with a local instructor, and plan to ask around about a good used one first. Like the other post said, there seem to be a lot of used ones around.
Kyt,
spend a few bucks more or you will probably be disappointed. The suggestion of buying a used machine is excellent. Check the classifieds on this board. A few days ago someone had a walker Turner lathe for sale quite reasonable and he had several turning tools with it.
Mark
Kyt,
In the Oct. 2002 issue of FWW they did a review of the most popular mini-lathes. They all run around $300 new.
Just a word of advice on buying a used lathe. If you plan on doing a fair amount of turning, you need to change the bearings in a lathe about every 1,000 hours. This is just routine maintenance. This becomes a problem If you start getting into the lesser known models of used lathes, parts are harder to get. Older lathes might have babbitt bearings, which I've never really enjoyed replacing, although there are lots of good articles out there explaining how to do it.
On something like a Delta, you can pretty much get any part you need up to about 60 years old. If you do buy an older/used lathe, check the bearings, see how much wear there is. A lathe's bearings are usually the first thig to go, if they go and the lathe is kept running, the spindle is next to go. If you find a source for the bearings, pick up an extra set. A thousand hours sounds like a lot, but it can go by very quickly if you get into production turning, and you don't want to have to shut down for a couple of weeks while you look for new bearings.
The last thing I would recomend is to try and get a lathe that weight can be added to. This is usually done by piling sandbags or something similar onto the base. One of the main things needed for good turning is mass and stability. It's not uncommon for a professional turner to add two or three thousand pounds to the lathe. Some of the art turners who deal in the bigger bowls will routinely add even more than that.
Of course a lot of this might not apply if you don't intend to do much more than the occasional spindle, but every professional turner, or art turner that I've ever spoken to first started on professional quality lathes. I think that your skill level will quickly surpass that of a cheap lathe and you'll become frustrated and not take the learning process as far as a result.
Good luck in your search and happy turning.
In the Oct. 2002 issue of FWW they did a review of the most popular mini-lathes. They all run around $300 new.
AHA! Time to raid the DH's stash of FWW... I must have missed that one. Thanks for the pointer (and everyone else, thanks for your input too!)
UPDATE: DH beat me to the punch - he made some calls on the weekend and we now have a nice shiny new mini-Delta sitting in the shop. The legwork on the calls was a good idea, too; the first place quoted $500 for a floor model (scratch & dent), and the place we got it from was $329 still in the box! (all prices CDN funds)
Can't wait to get out in the shop and get turning, but think I'll pick up a good "lathe for beginners" book first. Back to Lee Valley, I guess!
Edited 3/3/2003 2:45:28 PM ET by Kyt
Consider the Vicmarc line of lathes. High quality all the way. They have a full line of machines. More information on this site:
http://groups.msn.com/VicmarcOwnersGroup
If you're patient and are good at networking you can find a great deal on a used machine. I was given 3 lathes for free, 2 General 160's and a Rockwell which I can't remember the model #. The only thing I had to buy were tools.
Make sure you buy good quality HSS tools. I bought Henry Taylor tools and I'm very happy with them, I've also made a couple of my own. Oneway also makes some interesting double ended gouges. You can flip them around sort of like a double sided razor blade. I haven't tried them out yet but they look like an interesting idea. If you don't know how to sharpen tools though, pick up a cheap $20 set just to learn how to grind the right profile instead of learning on the expensive ones.
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