which is the best midi lathe a beginner could start with?
italya
| Posted in Turning and Carving on
I heard about the new Delta variable speed 1h power but i want to know which midi lathe could be the best…. Does it works if I use a router to turn things? does it can cause any problems?
Replies
You can't go wrong with Penn
You can't go wrong with Penn State Industries (http://www.pennstateind.com). $200 will get you a very nice lathe. I got mine with a pen making starter kit and an 40" extension bed for under $400 including shipping. It only has 1/2 HP but that is plenty.
Don't try to turn *anything* on a router unless you want it to explode. Routers spin at 25,000 RPM and that will turn whatever stock you have on it into a missile. Lathes do not turn anything faster than about 3,000 RPM (small stock only) for that reason. If you turn large stock like bowls, you need to have it set to under 1,000 RPM.
Where are you located, and what might be available locally? Your profile doesn't show any info. By that, I'm suggesting that choices are sometimes limited by one's location, and what can be shipped there at a reasonable cost.
I have an old Delta lathe that's still going strong, so I haven't looked at newer models. There are several recent threads that might be helpful to you, though.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled