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Thinking about a lathe

Started by Brad_bb, January 29, 2025, 07:59:41 PM

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Brad_bb

I was thinking it would be nice to be able to make a chisel handle or a vice handle to fix the broken on on one of my wood vices.  I have a lot of Ash and cherry straight grain handle material set aside and air dried just for that purpose. I was cruising marketplace for wood lathes.  What size/HP would I need to make some handles?  I see a variety of sizes and there are some pricey ones on there- $1000, $1800,  $3900, as well as some in the $150-$300 range. Never tried turning, at least not on a wood lathe.  When I was younger I did use a metal lathe a number of times, but I understand it's different deal.
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rusticretreater

You can make a wood handle on just about any lathe.  I started on a 1954 Delta Homecraft lathe with 1/3 HP.  I also made a handle for one of my tools and many bowls, vases and other items.

It really just depends on your own personal preferences and budget.  Its best to start with the low end to see if you like it.  There is the ol' learning curve.  Then it becomes a vice.

You can also look up the local turning club to see if they have open house mentoring sessions.  Then you don't have to invest at all and probably turn on a nicer lathe with someone who will show you how its done.

Just don't buy one of those pipe lathes.  Get something with a real bed on it.
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Larry

The lathe is just the start. You will also need a chisel. Choice of bowl gouge, spindle gouge, spindle roughing gouge, scrapper, carbide tools, or the dreaded skew. And remember each tool comes in 3 or 4 different sizes. Than we can talk about a drive center, live center, and chucks. Once we pick these things out how do we use them? And safety is a very important part of the learning process.

My suggestions are to take a course at a local craft school. They usually have course's from 3 days to a week long. Just as good would be to join a local woodturning club. At the first meeting introduce yourself and tell them you know nothing about turning so you need a mentor. Chances are somebody will invite you to there shop and give you an introduction to turning and it won't cost ya a thing, well maybe coffee would me nice.

I'm a member of the Stateline Woodturners Club and also occasionally teach at the Eureka Springs School of the Arts. I really enjoy it as often the teacher learns more than the student and makes lots of new friends.
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twar

Short spindle turning does not place much of a burden on a lathe, so you don't need a high-end lathe to turn chisel handles. As Larry implies, put your money in good turning tools and way to sharpen them. And a drive and live center...

AND - stay safe: chips and dust (and sometimes spindles) fly all over the place.

SwampDonkey

I'd look for something like this, with enough length in case you want to turn a table leg. I know a lot of us like table projects.  :thumbsup:

https://www.busybeetools.com/products/wood-lathe-with-digital-readout-csa-cx803?_pos=7&_sid=95e358acc&_ss=r

A nice starter set of turning tools

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/sets/100714-economy-turning-tools-set-and-tool-roll

And some kind of sharpening system

https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/sharpening/power-systems/114796-turners-cbn-sharpening-set?item=03J7447

These are just some ideas to guide you down the path, not an endorsement.

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Tom K

If you main goal currently is small project you don't need anything with a huge bed or swing. There ae plenty of old, quality, 12"x36" lathes with 1 hp motors out there at a reasonable price point. If you were wanting to make large bowls then a 12" would not be the best option.

If you ever get close to Ohio I have spare variable speed Delta/Rockwell 12"x36" I would let go.

aigheadish

I've got the biggest lathe from Harbor Freight. I think it was about 300 bucks but not sure if it still is. As a beginner lathe it's fine but my biggest gripe is that the banjo (part that holds the tool rest) is garbage. Like most things HF it's not the highest quality and needs a little tuning to make it better but it's not unreasonable. I was in the same boat, trying to decide if I would actually use it. I do, then for a while it became some of a tool/accessory buying addiction. Now, I feel like I'm ready to step up to a higher quality lathe. I don't know that I'll go as long again. I'm not making spindles for anything (yet), mostly smaller pieces like bowls or whatever. The only issue now is that the step up in quality is substantially more expensive, and I don't have a couple grand to spend on it... When turning is not terrifying it can be pretty therapeutic and nice. Larry's list of parts is correct, plus sandpaper until you get as good as he is.  
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hardtailjohn

I LOVE my Powermatic 45!!!  You can find them quite often in auctions and online. Well worth looking!
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Tom K

Quote from: aigheadish on January 30, 2025, 03:16:02 PMThe only issue now is that the step up in quality is substantially more expensive, and I don't have a couple grand to spend on it...
A lot of schools had the old Delta/Rockwell or Powermatic lathes, they come up at auctions fairly regularly. Both of mine are old school lathes, and I paid less for them than you did for the HF model you have. I think I saw another pair sell locally in the last few weeks for under $400 each. If your OK with the 12" diameter limitation they are economical.

aigheadish

I don't have any local luck for finding used lathes I'm interested in. Granted, I don't look every day but when I do check I find giant metal lathes, that even my backhoe may not move, to the pipe lathes mentioned above, or like the convertible ones (I don't remember the brand) that "lathe" and do 4 other things.

If you are interested in selling one of yours let me know, though the Costa Rica teakwood Project has removed pretty much every penny from my wallet, for now. I'd have to do some research on yours though, I don't know that I know anything about them.
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Machinebuilder

I have a small Riken lathe I bought at Woodcrafters.

I bought a couple of the carbide inert tools at the same time.

They don't give the quality of cut that a well sharpened toll will but its easy to turn the insert.

I am not very good at turning, but have made a couple small bowls and some spurtles.
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Resonator

If all you're making are some tool handles, a basic lathe would work fine. Rip a piece of thick stock square, cut the corners off into an octagon on the table saw, and then make it round on the lathe. And as said, various sandpaper will true it up smooth.
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aigheadish

Machinebuilder- I recently saw a post somewhere about the Rikon model and heard it was decent. I've got a Rikon jointer and bandsaw that I'm pretty happy with, I need to look into the lathe as well... I don't know how small I'm willing to go but it certainly brings the expense down.
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rusticretreater

When I am looking for a piece of equipment I usually check craigs list and facebook marketplace frequently.  In craigs list, you do a search on all categories for "lathe", "wood lathe", turning tools" at the start.  When you get a results page, even though it may have no items you are interested in, you can save the search by simply clicking the bookmark icon and putting in a descriptive name.  Then you can just use the bookmarks to execute your searches in the future.

I have several for logs, free logs, trees.  You can zip right on through the searches every time you sit down at the computer. Eventually, something will pop up.  Persistence.
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Mooseherder

I've bought 3 lathes off of craigslist.  Each time the seller has had other items for sale like gouges, table saws, radial arm saws or jointers, etc.
I recommend buying a bandsaw to round off your bigger project pieces before putting on the lathe for more pleasant turning.
A lathe chuck is also a great accessory and probably comes with it if you ask.  We're building a new place now and I'll have a room in it set up for turning.
I'll probably upgrade to a better unit when I come across it maybe even treat myself to something new.  I've also been sharpening my tools with sand paper instead of a grinding wheel. Sometimes with 60 grit but mostly with 220 grit.

SwampDonkey

I see Lee Valley has a drill press table and fence. I might try one of those in the future. Although my press vise worked great drilling 750 holes this winter. The holes are all in a line in the pieces of wood, I just marked the centres and the wood will never move in the vise when drilling. The vise I have came with magnetic jaws with rubber on them so as not to mark up the wood. I think that even came from Lee Valley 25 years ago.  ffcheesy  My press head can move back and forth and rotate 360°, and swivel 90 degrees in degree increments. One of the best shop investments I made. 

I have a chuck for the lathe as well, the chuck came from Lee Valley to. But honestly I just use the drill press. I have one of those inflatable sanding wands with a long tail that goes in the chuck. Slick apparatus for sanding curves and rounded surfaces. I've got another one for a Dremel that also has dust collection.
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1 Thessalonians 5:21

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aigheadish

Inflatable sanding wands? 

I used a green scotchbrighty sanding buff thing on the platter I turned last and it worked very well, while on the lathe, to reduce the show of my lack of turning skills. First time I'd used it and I was very pleased, other than it seems like it's kind of easy to melt the material.

Mooseherder- That's interesting about the sandpaper. Are you doing it on a block or is it belt driven? I have some diamond plates that go from maybe 400 to 2000 or something that I've sharpened chisels with but never my lathe tools... I don't think I'd be good with a bowl gouge sharpening, unless it's on a belt, then I'm probably starting my learning all over!
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Mooseherder

I usually just touch up the tool holding over the edge of the workbench and free hand. You can also glue sandpaper around any size dowel for easier holding.  This is a parts box for knobs, handles, bird bodies and heads. One of the dowels has 60 grit sandpaper glued around it.

Brad_bb

Do you think this looks like a good starter lathe?  https://www.facebook.com/share/1FUnnEQ5Pz/


Vintage Sprunger Bros L1036 Gap Bed Lathe in Very Good Condition
10" x 36" wood lathe, includes stand, light, 8 chisels, large power switch & Dayton motorNew 4" self-center lathe chuck & live tailstock center ($80 value)Built in Indiana in the 1975 of quality cast iron, original finish in great conditionMust pick up
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

Mooseherder

That's a great value.  It looks like it was well taken care of.

Old Greenhorn

If I were in the market and more local to it, I would sure buy it. Looks like plug and play.
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