Advise buying a Lathe

[DextorDee]

I would like to learn how to use a lathe. Don't want to break the bank so i'm looking for something cheep
I say cheep..Was looking at one at Home Depot. Its a Delta
1/2HP, 120V motor; spur center, 3" face plate, tool rest base, 6" tool rest, knock-out bar, wrenches and instruction manual

•  1/2 HP, 1725 rpm motor
•  Turns objects larger than 6" in diameter
•  Six speed controls (500, 800, 1250, 1800, 2650, and 3700 rpm)
•  All cast iron construction
Price: $249.00/ea
If somebody can advise me cause I no nuthin about em ??? ???


Thanx
Ken

[edsaws]

You may want to check out here http://www.grizzly.com/catalog/2005/Main/92 I've bought a jointer, tablesaw and dust collector from them. I don't know about nothing about lathes but you may get more bang for your buck. It doesn't look like they're is much distance between centers on the delta. Scroll to the bottom of the page or go to the next page in the link and check them out. I'm sure someone else will chime in with more smarts on lathes.

[Modat22]

Keep an eye out for old shop smiths, You might find one that someone only used as a lathe and get some tooling for it.

I would look for a used machine with tooling those tools can get expensive easily costing more then the original lathe price.

[Paschale]

I've thought about buying a lathe down the road myself, and one of the big considerations I've read you need to take into account is the rigidity of the base.  The ones at HD or Lowe's usually have thinner steel for the base, and I've read they can really start vibrating like crazy.  Some people have suggested placing sandbags on a shelf at the bottom of the base to add some heft to the whole unit, but I don't know how effective that would be.  Finding a way to reinforce the base would be on my list of things to do if I ever bought a lathe, FWIW.

[Lud]

I got mine years ago at aucton.  Heavy cast iron,  bronze bearings, etc.   $60.  Took six of us to load it in the pickup.  Taking it home , go around a corner,  it falls out!

Beieve it or not ,  it only bent one of the winder handles on a 1" threaded rod.  Beat it back straight enough to work.  That was over 25 years ago- still works fine. 

HEAVIER IS BETTER IN LATHES. 8)

[Modat22]

this would be a good buy if you could get it home.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Oliver-Wood-Lathe_W0QQitemZ7568284864QQcategoryZ57121QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Yes its a long link......

[JimBuis]

Do you have a heavy duty drill press?  You can set up to practice turning if you do.  That way you can see if you like it before investing in another piece of power equipment.  You could build your own lathe if you can't find one for a reasonable price.

[mike_van]

Ken, I started out [and am still using] one of those cheap cheap Taiwan wood lathes, cause someone gave it to me - 1" hollow tubes for the bed [replaced with 1 1/8" solid ones 4' long]. This thing was probably 49.00 new, but it works - Spindles, bowls, i've made 'em all, cant hook handles too. Big & heavy is nice if you can get it for a good price,  but  you can't always. I made a hanging crib/cradle for my god-daughter on this junky lathe, about 50 spindles [cherry]  from 10" to 20"+ long, 3/8" dia,  i'll get a pic. of it  and post it.  My brother in law has that Delta you are looking at, works well for him.

[Engineer]

I belong to a woodturner's club in the Albany, NY area that has over 150 members, and all we ever discuss is lathes and turning.  I pick up a lot at the meetings and demos.  Anyway, what I have found is that a cheap lathe will cause you nothing but headaches.  The tube-bed lathes, the cheap stamped-steel ones, aren't heavy or rigid enough to do even basic turning, you will get frustrated FAST.

The mini lathes, Shop-Fox, Delta, Jet, are actually really nice if you want to do small stuff like bottle stoppers, pens and the occasional small spindle or bowl.  Nice for candlestix, peppermills, etc.    If you want a bigger lathe, the Delta 'steel-bed' lathes are good, or if money is not really an object, a step up to a Nova or one of the Oneway mini lathes is great.  I would stay away from the Craftsman, Grizzly, Harbor Fright and the chinese/taiwanese 'generic' lathes, they aren't worth the hassle, really.

I have a 1940's vintage Delta Homecraft lathe that was my grandfather's; I've turned quite a few bowls, lamps, tool handles and mystery items on it (aka experiments).   Once I get shop space, I'm on the hunt for a vintage Oliver patternmaker's lathe, something with a 10 or 12-foot bed.

I'd get the little Delta, get a decent set of high-speed-steel turning tools, and learn how to sharpen them.  The biggest frustration for new turners is having dull tools.  You would be amazed how nice a sharp tool cuts, and how OFTEN you have to touch them up.    Take a class if one is offered near you (maybe at a Woodcraft store?).   If you have time for a vacation, sign up for a class at Conover Workshops in Parkman, OH.  Ernie Conover is one of the foremost experts on turning and you will have a fun time and learn almost everything you need to know about beginning turning.   I see Ernie about once a year, I took a timber-framing class there, and I am going back in a couple years for an advanced turning class.

[Part_Timer]

Katie-did boutght me a Wilton lathe for fathers day this year.  It was real cheap maybe $80.  It is a small mini lathe.  It is nice for what it is and was a good way fro me to decide if I wanted to buy a bigger one.

She took it over and now turn pens/penciles/perfume sticks/keychains/pill containers.

While the lathe is nowhere near the quality of a oneway it is nice enough that she has turned and sold over 200 pieces now.

If you don't know if you will like turning it might be a cheap way to find out and then watch the auctions for a nicer one.

just my .02

tom

[mike_van]

Here's some [not so hot] photos of the crib I did, it's had 2 girls & a boy in it, hasn't collapsed yet.  All on about the cheapest lathe you can find. Rather than becoming "frustrated" by it's shortcomings, you can learn, adapt & overcome them to do nice work.

[CHARLIE]

Engineer gave you some very solid advice.  Vibration is the most frustrating thing you could have on a lathe.  The cheaper lathes don't have close tolerances and might vibrate.  While a heavy lathe is nice, not everyone can afford one and if the quality of the lathe is good, then you can weight the stand down with sand.  You can turn anything on a Mini-lathe that you can on a large lathe, just not as big.  But with any tool, buy the absolute best you can afford.  If you buy a cheap tool, you'll either lose interest or get frustrated with it and have to buy another.  I purchased a Jet 1236 several years ago and it has served me well.  I'm ready to move up to a bigger and better lathe but can't swing it right now. But my Jet 1236 has a lot of turnin' left in it. If you decide on a Mini-Lathe, look at either the Jet or the Delta (I think you were looking at a  Delta Mini-lathe).   

As for Lathe tools, they can be expensive.  Buy good ones that use High Speed Steel.   Don't buy a set of tools, just buy a bowl gouge, a parting tool and a scraper.  You can do a lot of turning with those. When you master them, you'll have a better idea what your next tool should be.

Find a club nearby and join it.  There is a lot of expertise in a club and lots of people willing to help you learn.  Also, taking a lesson from an experienced turner is well worth  it's while. Woodcraft usually has some beginner type woodturning classes you can take.

Once you start though.....you'll be hooked!

[solodan]

I agree wit Edsaws, you will get more bang for your buck at Grizzly. They make some great tools for the price, and some ok tools for the price. I have some grizzly tools along with lots of oter brands. I don't know about their lathes, but the 14"x 40" lathe weighs in at 300lbs. weight is important in a lathe. But, I think you should build a Treadle Lathe. ;D

[beenthere]

A lathe or two on eBay now. One is like my Old Oliver
and I saw a couple other Oliver lathe's there as well. Need to watch on a couple that they are missing parts. I need to find the right tool rest for my Oliver, as the one I have is from a Delta, and is too small. The one shown is a very good headstock but needs a converter to run the 3-phase motor.

[DextorDee]

Cool crib mike-van.
Thanks to all for the replys.
Its sure good to have help.
Thanks
Ken

[SwampDonkey]

I have a decent Delta lathe, it's heavy cast iron and I have it bolted down to my bench. You don't want any vibration, just as frustrating as those 'el cheepo' table saws made from tin or aluminum. When shopping for your lathe, look at one with a 'reversible' motor. Comes in handy when sanding some woods, such as butternut where the wood burrs tend to lay over and it's impossible to polish the wood. Lee Valley sells some nice tools for lathing. One of my favorite is the 'hollowing tool' which you can use to go inside a piece to make a narrow deep cut. Keeping tools nice and sharp is a must and I recommend a 'white Aluminum Oxide stone' which doesn't tend to burn the steel.

cheers

[Burlkraft]

SwampDonkey is right on..........Vibration is your biggest enemy. I started out with a small Crapsman lathe. It had tubes for ways and a 1/2 hp motor. Bolted it to a bench and went to it. I almost quit right there. I went to the Wood magazine site. They have a great turning forum there with lots of info.  Got rid of the Crapsman and went with a used Record. Built a heavy stand and filled it with sand. Got the vibration problem solved. The next hurdle was sharpening.....turning with dull tools is not fun. Got a grinder and a jig and learned how to grind a good edge. Now were makin' some sawdust. WARNING...Once you get to this point then you are beyond saving. Turning is more addictive than anything I know. Instant gratification 8) 8) 8) 8) The best part is you don't need to go to the wood store....Just hit the woodpile and grab a chunk and turn it.

I now have 2 OneWay's and a bunch of tools. Slabs off the mill make great turning blocks. Got a whole shed full of material. That's just the way it happens. Check your local paper and e bay and some of the woodworking sites. There are lathes for sale all the time. Check out a publication called Moore Woodturning. They test and try everything and give you an honest opinion. If you like turning you'll have 3 or4 lathes under your belt before you settle into one that suits your needs. There are turning symposiums all around the country. They are a good place to check out. Most have a vendor area that lets you turn on the new equipment before you buy. Woodcraft stores are also a great place to get some "hands on."

[glaze]

I would like to learn how to use a lathe. Don't want to break the bank so i'm looking for something cheep
I say cheep..Was looking at one at Home Depot. Its a Delta
1/2HP, 120V motor; spur center, 3" face plate, tool rest base, 6" tool rest, knock-out bar, wrenches and instruction manual

•  1/2 HP, 1725 rpm motor
•  Turns objects larger than 6" in diameter
•  Six speed controls (500, 800, 1250, 1800, 2650, and 3700 rpm)
•  All cast iron construction
Price: $249.00/ea
If somebody can advise me cause I no nuthin about em ??? ???


Thanx
Ken

Ken

I've been looking for the best lathe for the money also and I've done quite a bit of research on it so far.  I've asked people on woodturning forums what they felt was the best mini lathe.  The most popular is the Jet Mini Lathe on the woodturning forums and all the serious woodturners who have one really like it and say it is very reliable tough machine.  That lathe comes in two versions, one is $250.00 without variable speed and $350.00 for the variable speed model. 

I asked a well known custom game call maker(turned duck/goose calls) about the Jet Mini Lathe and he said he felt the Vicmarc mini lathe($650.00) was better than the Jet Mini Lathe.  This call maker referred me to Craft Supplies USA (www.woodturnerscatalog.com) because they sell the Jet and the Vicmarc lathes.  I live in Utah and Craft Supplies USA is in Utah, so I went down there and asked one of the employees about the Jet and Vicmarc.  He told me the Jet is hands down their best seller and that they just do not have any problems with them.  He also was honest enough to tell me the Jet has a little vibration and the Vicmarc does not(I was asking tough questions).

The owner of Craft Supplies USA is Dale Nish and he has been involved with some of the best books on woodturning that I have found on Amazon.com.  They have some of the best woodturning teachers from around the world teach 3-5 day woodturning classes there once to twice a year also, so I'm planning on buying a lathe and taking a class next year after my tax return comes in.  I didn't know I had such a high quality woodturning supplier in my state, but I'm just starting to get into it. 

Mike
         

[glaze]

Besides researching what lathe to buy I'm researching what chainsaw mill and chainsaw to buy also, but I have not narrowed this down yet.  I've been asking people's opinions on what is the best chainsaw mill and what chainsaw model/brand they prefer to use with it? 

I'm going to get into milling yard trees making furniture and lathe woodturning blanks.  Once my tax return comes in next year I will start buying.

Mike

[low_48]

Kinda late to add to the post, but you should definitely add enough to the budget to get a 1725 rpm low speed grinder (Woodcraft, $90) and the Oneway Wolverine sharpening system. If you can't sharpen the tools, the lathe will be useless. With the rpms of the lathe, even good tools dull pretty quickly. When I first started turning I used cheap tools, didn't know how to sharpen, and used kiln dried wood. What a disaster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then I went to a symposium and learned to sharpen. I then started turning green wood. Just love it to this day and I've been turning 20 years now.