PDA

View Full Version : Choosing a Lathe



brendan stemp
21st September 2014, 10:18 AM
One of the most regular questions on this forum (and others) is: "I am a beginner, what sort of lathe should I buy? " Its a difficult question to answer because I don't think there is such a thing as a 'beginners lathe' so I decided to do a video that would address this question. I hope this of help to some.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuWuZnQuXgA

QuarkVI
22nd September 2014, 06:02 AM
Thanks for this Brendan - was great to see you using the VL175 as an example as I was asking for a comparison between it and the Nova on another thread.

Just wanted to add that I came to the same conclusion as you the hard way i.e. there isn't really a cheap option for a beginner. I bought a cheap lathe and it has a number of the problems you point out resulting in much frustration and essentially meaning I can't do much turning on it.

Best advice for a beginner who is saving up for a lathe is to join a club - most cost effective way to get some turning done and you have the advantage of all the help from the members. Wood turning does take a bit of money to set yourself up in as beyond the lathe you still need to purchase tools, sharpening kit and probably a chuck. Again the club is the best way to see if it is worth the investment for you.

cheers
Robin

P.S. I am now really looking forward to getting the VL175 once I have saved all the pennies.

Mobyturns
22nd September 2014, 09:14 AM
Brendan.
Good work on the clip, sound advice. I first thought 21min wow a bit long but it is well worth the time to view. You give a good run down on the function of parts of a lathe and what to look out for.

Your comments on avoiding tail stock alignment issues are good BUT depending upon the purpose of the lathe they may not be such a deal breaker if used for bowl turning only or architectural type spindle work. Some older Vicmarc's and Woodfast's exhibit the spindle alignment problems you speak too.

I fully support your comments on banjo & tool post / rests. To many of the cheap to moderately priced lathes fail in this area through poor design or inferior materials. The very popular MC900/1100 lathes all have this fault & insufficient height adjustment. The MC900/1100 lathes will perform but do require a substantial stand and a lot of maintenance & cause a lot of frustration in use.

Your comments on the O/B turning rests is spot on. Many of the stand alone O/B tool rests are not safe to use IMO as there are to many safety hazards present from vibration, lateral movement & rotation of the whole mount. Tool rest movement is a HUGE hazard. Any O/B rest that requires the turner to stand upon for stability is only good for use as a boat anchor..

To me the biggest single deal breaker on any lathe new or S/H is an inferior banjo/tool rest which will cause so many problems and may become a major safety hazard. There are numerous reports of cracked/broken castings on banjos / tool rests about. All the other issues you raise can be accommodated to some degree, insufficient power, poor clamp arrangements, bed design etc make for a frustrating lathe to use but generally are not major safety issues. A moving tail stock certainly is though.

I'm with you mass, footprint, lathe bed design, banjo, tool rest & features are very important to assess critically. All the other bells & whistles stuff are nice to haves. Personally I would go for a S/H reasonable condition belt change Vicmarc VL200 or Woodfast M908/910 lathe for $1000-1500 over any of the current crop of $1500-2500 new Chinese/Tiawanese lathes on the market. Retrofit an EVS at $800-1500 & you have a very capable lathe and a similar cost. It will out last you, and not cause all of that frustration along the way.

Treecycle
22nd September 2014, 10:42 AM
Thanks Brendan, now we will have a very informative video to point poeple to when that inevitable question comes up again in the future.
Every aspect covered off very well in simple to understand terms, which is what you want if just starting out.

issatree
22nd September 2014, 11:09 AM
Hi Brendan,
What else can one say.
My Sentiments Exactly

pommyphil
22nd September 2014, 01:20 PM
Should do wonders for Vicmarc sales :D Phil

Allen Neighbors
26th September 2014, 03:01 PM
Brenden, what a great video! Well done! Covered everything that is important to a turner, whether he's a beginner or a pro. Will suggest this to a couple of my friends that are thinking about buying a lathe. You've not only done a good service to Vicmarc, (I own a VL100 which I travel with), but you've done a good service to the world wide woodturning community. Thanks for taking the time. :2tsup:
Al

brendan stemp
26th September 2014, 08:23 PM
Thanks for all your feedback.