...a beginner's lathe?

[wolften]

I am in the market, after Chrissy, to buy a small wood lathe.
I want to try my hand at a few pens, and some lazy susans to about 300mm diameter.
I have had no experience with a lathe, haven't even touched one.
Don't want to spend 1000's, just something for a beginner.
So what can you learned folk recommend.
Variable speed wood be nice
What sort of turning tools do I need for my foray into the roundy roundy world.
If you could be so kind as to recommend a few I'll take it from there and make a decision on price, features and colour.:U
Cheers

Glenn

[Sebastiaan56]

Hi Glenn,

I started out with a second hand Record lathe of "that" auction site, cost me $200. Came with a few quite ordinary tools. My first job was to turn some handles for some chisel blanks I bought off McJings, $30 ea from memory. Apart from a few pen mills thats all Ive spent on woodturning kit. I dont do it often enough to justify spending more but it does enough to make handles for chisels, pens, knobs and the occasional bowls up to about 400mm round. Speed is changed by moving belts around.

I have turned on much better kit than I have and it performs better, is smoother etc but I cant justify the $$ I reckon 2nd hand would be the way to go and if it becomes an obsession then spend up big.

[Avery]

I too am in the same marketplace. I have had some experience at turning , but it was a few years ago. I have decided agaist the mini-lathes and also against anything with a bed made of tubes bolted together.

The one I am considering most seriously is this one

https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/Products?stockCode=W382

or one of its clones from other suppliers.
My only concern with this one is the minimum speed does not seem slow enough.

I'm looking forward to some learned opinions.

[WOODY70]

I am in the market, after Chrissy, to buy a small wood lathe.
I want to try my hand at a few pens, and some lazy susans to about 300mm diameter.
I have had no experience with a lathe, haven't even touched one.
Don't want to spend 1000's, just something for a beginner.
So what can you learned folk recommend.
Variable speed wood be nice
What sort of turning tools do I need for my foray into the roundy roundy world.
If you could be so kind as to recommend a few I'll take it from there and make a decision on price, features and colour.:U
Cheers

Glenn
Glenn,

Check out S/E Qld Woodworking Supplies.

Just around the corner from you.
1/50 Randall street Slacks Creek
3808 7005

[stuffy]

IMHO buy the biggest and best you can afford from the start. It makes learning easier & sometimes safer. You can turn small things on a big lathe but not big things on a small lathe. A good lathe holds its value whereas a a cheap one will have you wanting to upgrade very quickly.
Minimum Specs: cast bed, No.2 mt hollow headstock & tailstock, M30 x 3.5 or 1" x 10 spindle thread.
Whatever you get make sure you mount it on a solid, heavy base, vibration is the enemy of smooth turning.
Mechanical variable speed can cause problems ie speed can only be adjusted with motor running, also mine had problems with slipping. Electronic VS is best but adds heaps to price. If you buy manual speed change make sure it's easy to get to, I find I don't change speeds enough to justify EVS.
If you know what you're looking for you can sometimes get a good secondhand one with all the tools and accessories. It's rare to get tools on their own.
This has probably all been said before, but I hope it helps.
Good wishes and happy turning,
Steve
:)

[Big Shed]

Mechanical variable speed can cause problems ie speed can only be adjusted with motor running, also mine had problems with slipping. Electronic VS is best but adds heaps to price. If you buy manual speed change make sure it's easy to get to, I find I don't change speeds enough to justify EVS.
Steve
:)

Steve, agree with everything you are saying, except with what you are saying about variable speed. Having had lathes with bolt manual (belt) speed change and EVS, I would suggest the reason you don't speeds very often is that it is too bothersome. Once you have EVS, that little flick of the knob to just the right speed makes a world of difference.

Just my 2c.

[Manuka Jock]

Once you have EVS, that little flick of the knob to just the right speed makes a world of difference.


I agree .
This is especially handy when roughing down out of balance stock .
Fine tuning the speed can eliminate the worst of the vibration , making life much easier .

[Ozkaban]

There's some excellent advice above. I've been turning for less than 12 months - bought a MC1100 (similar to the link provided) second hand, and off I went.

I would now love to upgrade it, but as I didn't spend a lot at the start, anything i lose will be negligable and I can now buy an expensive lathe with the confidence that I will enjoy it and use it. I'd dearly love EVS, but would be happy with a decent belt lathe. If I was in Vic, there's a Vicmarc VL175 on ebay right now that I'd buy in a heartbeat If I had $3k to spend, but I just dont.

My advice - buy something second hand to start with. learn a little about the lathe and learn what annoys you about it and what is good. The MC-900/1100 series (the link was the MC900 one) are fine for a lot of woodworkers. The mechanical variable speed is fragile and needs maintenance, but they work and tons of forumites have them - we'd all have a VL300 or a stubby or a whatever if we had enough thousands to spend.

I would more focus on quality accessories like chisels, sharpening and chucks. You will keep them forever even if the lathe changes.

Just my 2c worth too... (that ramble was probably worth 3 :D)

Cheers,
Dave

[rsser]

Will give you 4c for that Dave ;-}

Glenn, for every buck you spend on a lathe, GJ and I have a rule, you'll spend another buck on tools and other stuff you need.

So it's a big investment.

Strongly suggest you hook up with a local turning club or a willing forum member, and get into it on the cheap and with all the good advice that will be part of it.

[artme]

Glenn, Try South East Queensland Woodturning supplies in Randall St., Slacks Creek. Dave has good EVS lathes, well priced. I suggest the midi as you will want to do more than pens or other between centres turning. The Midi will give you a reasonable sized bowl or platter.

I fyou have never turned Then The Woodturners' Society of Queensland is in Pine St., Greenslopes. Good bunch of lads and lasses, so join up,
.

[wolften]

...thank you for the good and varied advice blokes...
Dave at SEQ woodies will be my last port of call as I have grabbed a few things from him of late, and a knowledgeable bloke he is too.
cheers

Glenn

[hughie]

Will give you 4c for that Dave ;-}Yep, definitely :2tsup:


Glenn, for every buck you spend on a lathe, GJ and I have a rule, you'll spend another buck on tools and other stuff you need.

If you buy a cheap lathe, maybe 3 or 4 times :U I started with a MC1100 and my tools and accessories would be easy another 2-3k




Strongly suggest you hook up with a local turning club or a willing forum member, and get into it on the cheap and with all the good advice that will be part of it.[/QUOTE]

Darn good advise for several reasons; free tuition and advise, on going hands on training, and a darn good chance of getting a lathe at good price off one of the members.

[stuffy]

Steve, agree with everything you are saying, except with what you are saying about variable speed. Having had lathes with bolt manual (belt) speed change and EVS, I would suggest the reason you don't speeds very often is that it is too bothersome. Once you have EVS, that little flick of the knob to just the right speed makes a world of difference.

Just my 2c.

I agree wholeheartedly. I would much prefer the EVS, I just can't aford it.....:C

[Ozkaban]

Will give you 4c for that Dave ;-}
Yep, definitely :2tsup:

Aww shucks fellas, you're making me blush :B


Glenn, for every buck you spend on a lathe, GJ and I have a rule, you'll spend another buck on tools and other stuff you need.
So it's a big investment.

If you buy a cheap lathe, maybe 3 or 4 times :U I started with a MC1100 and my tools and accessories would be easy another 2-3k

That's been my experience. A couple of P&N quality level chisels (there are better, but I reckon these are good value for money and are australian) will cost about $300 for a rougher, skew, detail, bowl gouges. Sharpening for beginners runs to an OK bench grinder (~$150-200), a jig so you can focus on turning, not grinding steel down is up to another $200, chucks are around $200 + jaws. That's a cool $1000 before you've done anything exciting.



Strongly suggest you hook up with a local turning club or a willing forum member, and get into it on the cheap and with all the good advice that will be part of it.

Darn good advise for several reasons; free tuition and advise, on going hands on training, and a darn good chance of getting a lathe at good price off one of the members.
Best advice given so far :2tsup:

Cheers,
Dave

[rsser]

Glenn, many of us here started with an MC900/1100 and for the dough they're good value. May take some fettling but nonetheless are capable of producing good stuff.

After some use wood dust can clog up the reeves pulley but it's not hard to clean up.

A key limitation is the bottom speed which from memory is about 500 rpm. That can make them jump around a bit with an irregular lump on the faceplate or chuck. I put a shelf on the flimsy stand that came with mine and loaded it up with blanks. Others have added bags of sand or cement or built their own solid stand and bolted it to the floor. This goes a long way to settling them down.

And another approach to the problem is to hack an irregular bowl/platter blank roundish with whatever you've got. A fresh bowsaw can be used if you have more time than money and it doesn't take too long anyway.

As for turning tools, elsewhere there are threads on the min necessary.

There are also alternatives to the boxed sets of Chinese sold widely. I recall individual tools from China with Walnut handles that are sold here and were apparently not too shabby; others can comment on the quality.

Also check out whether there's a men's or community shed in your area. It may well have all the gear along with experienced users to help you.

[wolften]

Some very good advice there guys.
I am fairly sure Dave from SE QLD woodturners will get some more of my dollars next year.
I was also thinking of doing a Tafe woodturning course to give me a leg up, but The Woodturners' Society of Queensland is in Pine St., Greenslopes might get the nod from me, as Artme suggested.
My FIL has an old myford metal lathe that he doesn't use anymore, got it from his FIL. I thought about using it, but methinks it would be too complicated to use for this dumbass chippy ;)
Thanks again
Cheers

Glenn

[WOODY70]

Some very good advice there guys.
I am fairly sure Dave from SE QLD woodturners will get some more of my dollars next year.
I was also thinking of doing a Tafe woodturning course to give me a leg up, but The Woodturners' Society of Queensland is in Pine St., Greenslopes might get the nod from me, as Artme suggested.
My FIL has an old myford metal lathe that he doesn't use anymore, got it from his FIL. I thought about using it, but methinks it would be too complicated to use for this dumbass chippy ;)
Thanks again
Cheers

Glenn
Hey Glenn,

If you find Greenslopes is a bit of a trip to get to. Rob MCkee who teaches there also teaches at the Eagleby Learning centre and this is government subsidised.


Cheers

[issatree]

Hi all,
A "Tough Lathe" will cost you $5 / 600. I put Variable on my Lathe, SEW Uruo Drive, Probably $500 by now, 3Ph. 2HP motor $10, Pot $10, find a friendly Electrician $30+, & that is all you will ever want.
Read the Forum on " The Tough by Tea Lady", & I also added a bit.
Regards,
issatree.
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[colhu]

Hi Glenn - to add my little bit:

My Father had metal lathes and I seem to recall that they run more slowly than wood lathes. From memory, 1000 rpm was pretty fast on his lathe.

I have been using the Hare & Forbes equivalent of the MC900 up until recently, and it was always better than I was. Yes, I had to clean out and service the speed change mechanism (it was a lot better when I took the belt cover off and let the sawdust blow away instead of get trapped inside it). And yes, the lowest speed was sometimes too fast for lumpy stuff - I have used my electric chain saw to rough chunks down to size on occasion.

I was very lucky to have bought an excellent chuck (Vicmark VM100) without knowing much about them at the time - I am convinced that the cheap lathe is good enough for some time if you have a good chuck on it, a few good tools, and some lessons up front. Lessons also make it a lot safer and give you more confidence.

cheers, Colin

[rodent]

Yes iv'e have had my mc 1100 for mmm What 10 or more years now , and i just turned a tide clock that's just under 400 mm or 15 3/4 inches . It was out board ( to the side ) at about 30 deg . Was it fun no more than usual for some thing that size aaaaaaaa (and yes it does need a prop under the rest in that position ern ) ill make one after christmas .

[Dills58]

Good luck with the lathe selection wolften, my only advice is stay away from the home made types. Get something that will have interchangable accessories.

[wolften]

...points taken guys...thanks for the input.

Glenn

[joe greiner]

A dollar short and a day late, but +1 for the MC900 and various incarnations. The only difference is the paint color. I'd deep-six the elbow tool rest for odd situations - it seems designed to fail; build something more robust instead.

Cheers,
Joe