Advice on a lathe please

[Biggus]

Hi there, looking to try my hand at wood turning and spotted this for sale:- Wood lathe, with tools. | Power Tools | Gumtree Australia Stirling Area - Stirling | 1237167326 (https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/stirling/power-tools/wood-lathe-with-tools-/1237167326)

I've been googling everything I can find on the subject and the Woodfast M305 seems to have a pretty good reputation, and this one is offered with what seems to be a pretty good selection of Sorby and Hamlet tools.

Assuming that the lathe is operational and in good condition what do the doyens of woodturning here think? Is it worth me driving four hours up to Perth (and four back again) to have a look at it?

Thanks in advance for any help on this.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Here on the east coast, the lathe itself can be bought new for around that price and the tools individually for around $300-400. (They were probably bought cheaper, as sets.)

I've no idea how shops are for you locally, but assuming that you'd have to buy here and ship over... would 8 hours of your time and fuel/running costs be more economical than freight?

[Biggus]

Here on the east coast, the lathe itself can be bought new for around that price and the tools individually for around $300-400. (They were probably bought cheaper, as sets.)

I've no idea how shops are for you locally, but assuming that you'd have to buy here and ship over... would 8 hours of your time and fuel/running costs be more economical than freight?


OK, so maybe it's not great value for money, especially given the drive (and I REALLY don't like having to drive up and back to Perth), so maybe I can expand the question to include some other new options I've been looking at which would give me EVS and a reversing function.

1) Hare and Forbes WL-14V @ $572.

2) Nova Comet II (from Carbatec) @ $929

These two represent the high and low price points I'd be prepared to pay given it's a first lathe, and of course I'd be needing some tools and probably a chuck after not too long. Is the Nova worth $350 more? Any other observations on these machines?

Edit:- And then there's this Rikon 70-220VSR @ $999 315mm (12.5”) x 510mm (20”) Variable Speed MIDI Lathe 70-220VSR by Rikon - Beyond Tools (https://www.beyondtools.com/product/315mm-12-5-x-510mm-20-variable-speed-midi-lathe-70-220vsr-by-rikon/)

So many choices, so much option anxiety.

[NeilS]

Here on the east coast, the lathe itself can be bought new for around that price and the tools individually for around $300-400.



Yes, the total if purchased new is about twice the asking price. That is about fair value, so not a rip-off or a bargain.

Just looking at the photos, the lathe looks like it has been hardly used. Those little Woodfasts are very reliable.

The issue with getting a bunch of tools included is that you end up with some tools that you will never or hardly ever use, so not as much value as you expect. There are also accessories that are missing, like chucks, faceplates, drivespurs and other toolrests that will have to be purchased at some stage.

Welcome to the forum if you go ahead.

[stuffy]

I agree with Neil, the replacement price including stand and tools is twice that price.
This is a solid reliable small lathe.
The Rikon is a big step up from this or the Nova Comet which is underpowered and lightly built by comparison.
Try contacting Woodturners of Denmark, they may know of lathes for sale in your area.
You could try a wanted to buy ad on Gumtree in Albany region.

Steve.

[Biggus]

I agree with Neil, the replacement price including stand and tools is twice that price.
This is a solid reliable small lathe.
The Rikon is a big step up from this or the Nova Comet which is underpowered and lightly built by comparison.
Try contacting Woodturners of Denmark, they may know of lathes for sale in your area.
You could try a wanted to buy ad on Gumtree in Albany region.

Steve.


Thanks for the reply mate, I decided to pull the trigger on the Rikon. Prior to the original post I'd pretty much talked myself into a Midi lathe with EVS and reverse so it wasn't so hard for me to convince myself that I really, really deserved it, you know, for Christmas and all that, plus it's on special at the moment so if you think about it I'm really saving money by buying it.......

[Arron]

Good move. Obviously the Rikon doesn’t come with tools. I’d buy a small basic set of quality tools, but I find the tools kind of collect themselves. By the time you buy a few at the markets, get given a few by friends who have one lying about but no idea where it came from etc etc then you will probably find you will assemble more then you need fairly quickly.

[Biggus]

Good move. Obviously the Rikon doesn’t come with tools. I’d buy a small basic set of quality tools, but I find the tools kind of collect themselves. By the time you buy a few at the markets, get given a few by friends who have one lying about but no idea where it came from etc etc then you will probably find you will assemble more then you need fairly quickly.


Cheers, I'm feeling pretty good about going for what seems like a solid piece of kit. Ordered these chisels from Carbatec:- Economy Turning Chisel Set - 6 pce | Wood Turning Chisel Sets - Carbatec (https://www.carbatec.com.au/chisel-set-hss-6pce-bmc) . Probably best I learn to sharpen lathe chisels with an economy set rather than the premium stuff. Looking forward to making a mess, according to the freight tracking it should land down here on about Tuesday next week. I may not come up for air for some time after that, I'm on 20 acres and there's plenty of wood around here just waiting to be mangled by a rank novice like myself.

[Redbeard]

Get yourself a basic bench grinder (8 inch of you can afford it but 6 works just as well), throw on an 80 grit wheel and get a decent tool rest, these don't have to cost a fortune. Have a look at Brian Havens and Cindy Drozda for excellent guides on how to sharpen your tools without a fancy (read "expensive") jig.

Tool rests can be either hard to find or expensive. Here's one that I use and it's certainly cheap enough.

Chisel Grinding Jig | Sharpening Jigs & Honing Guide - Carbatec (https://www.carbatec.com.au/jig-chisel-grinding)

Have fun!

Redbeard

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[orraloon]

Hi Biggus.
Congrats on your new lathe. I started with a chisel set like that and like you say you will need to practice sharpening. The tool rest Readbeard linked works just fine.You really dont need to spend a fortune on sharpening. A wood version of that also works fine.
I got a lot of good info from this site when I was starting out.
Wood Turning Lathe tips, techniques, instruction (http://aroundthewoods.com/)
Regards
John

[Redbeard]

Get yourself a basic bench grinder (8 inch of you can afford it but 6 works just as well), throw on an 80 grit wheel and get a decent tool rest, these don't have to cost a fortune. Have a look at Brian Havens and Cindy Drozda for excellent guides on how to sharpen your tools without a fancy (read "expensive") jig.

Tool rests can be either hard to find or expensive. Here's one that I use and it's certainly cheap enough.

Chisel Grinding Jig | Sharpening Jigs & Honing Guide - Carbatec (https://www.carbatec.com.au/jig-chisel-grinding)

Have fun!

Redbeard

Sent from my SM-N975F using TapatalkOf course, I meant to say checkout Brian Havens and Cindy Drozda on YouTube for freehand sharpening tutorials and much, much, more. Plus Stuart Batty on YouTube and Vimeo (SB Tools on Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/woodturning)).

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[Biggus]

Thanks for the tips, I have a very old Ryobi 6" grinder (looks 70s or 80s) that has one standard and one white wheel that I was given about six months ago and haven't even plugged in yet but if that works it should suffice for the moment once I've cleaned it up and dressed the wheels. Later on down the track we shall see if a more appropriate system becomes desirable if not strictly necessary.

As for youtube it's my new God these days, every time I have to learn something I binge watch 'how to' videos for a couple of weeks. As often as not I come away thinking my tools are not even close to sharp enough. Paul Sellers comes to mind, the guy gets his tools so freakishly sharp I can only watch in amazement. I can spend days watching those guys.

[Redbeard]

Thanks for the tips, I have a very old Ryobi 6" grinder (looks 70s or 80s) that has one standard and one white wheel that I was given about six months ago and haven't even plugged in yet but if that works it should suffice for the moment once I've cleaned it up and dressed the wheels. Later on down the track we shall see if a more appropriate system becomes desirable if not strictly necessary.

As for youtube it's my new God these days, every time I have to learn something I binge watch 'how to' videos for a couple of weeks. As often as not I come away thinking my tools are not even close to sharp enough. Paul Sellers comes to mind, the guy gets his tools so freakishly sharp I can only watch in amazement. I can spend days watching those guys.So long as the old grinder spins true and you've got the white wheel true as well you're good to go.

Watch the YouTubers, you'll learn a lot, but then get out there and give it a go. Get yourself a good quality face shield and decent dust mask, because safety first. Start small, my first bowl was only three inches across. If something like that gets away from you, and you're not turning at a million miles an hour it's not going to hurt you. And if it does get away from you (and it will happen) it's far from the end of the world.

If you can join a club I would. It depends on your availability, they're mostly run by retired guys, not working people. That said they're normally a wealth of knowledge just waiting to pass it on.

And when you've done that bowl or vase or handle you think is pretty good, post some pics up here. Most of the folks here are gentle with the newbies.

[emoji106]

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[Biggus]

So long as the old grinder spins true and you've got the white wheel true as well you're good to go.

Watch the YouTubers, you'll learn a lot, but then get out there and give it a go. Get yourself a good quality face shield and decent dust mask, because safety first. Start small, my first bowl was only three inches across. If something like that gets away from you, and you're not turning at a million miles an hour it's not going to hurt you. And if it does get away from you (and it will happen) it's far from the end of the world.

If you can join a club I would. It depends on your availability, they're mostly run by retired guys, not working people. That said they're normally a wealth of knowledge just waiting to pass it on.

And when you've done that bowl or vase or handle you think is pretty good, post some pics up here. Most of the folks here are gentle with the newbies.

[emoji106]

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I don't know about wood turning clubs but there is the men's shed about 20 ks down the road, I'll have to drop in there for starters. First item on the list to make is a handle for the vise in the workbench that's materialising slowly in my new shed. I've got a heap of very soft pine lying around that I figure shouldn't be too scary to start with. I think we'll leave the Wandoo until I have half a clue, having seen what it does to my chainsaws.

[NeilS]

I don't know about wood turning clubs...

Not sure where you are on the Sunshine Coast, but the Blackall Range Woodworkers Guild up near Montville is a good club and has sessions on week days and on the weekend.

[Biggus]

Not sure where you are on the Sunshine Coast, but the Blackall Range Woodworkers Guild up near Montville is a good club and has sessions on week days and on the weekend.


Not on the Sunshine Coast mate, I'm in the South West of WA. If I drive about 75 kms south and don't apply the brakes in a timely manner I'm in the Southern Ocean and it's clear all the way to Antarctica.

Lathe arrived yesterday and I picked it up this morning. Runs very quietly and smoothly and everything lines up as it should. Still waiting on the chisels which should turn up some time next week. In the meantime I can start on a stand for it and the grinder. Much anticipation. Cheers!

[NeilS]

Not on the Sunshine Coast mate, I'm in the South West of WA. If I drive about 75 kms south and don't apply the brakes in a timely manner I'm in the Southern Ocean and it's clear all the way to Antarctica.


Apologies, Biggus... I was way off there!!! Another senior moment :B... probably not helped by having had yet another long day and evening yesterday closely monitoring the nearby fires up here in the Adelaide Hills.

In my experience, there is little woodturning expertise in local Men's Sheds.

So, it looks like it is going to be YouTube for you and maybe some DVDs.

Stuart Batty's excellent Vimeo series is/was free and a very good starting point, although some of us are not dedicated adherents to his grinding profiles and turning techniques SB Tools on Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/woodturning)

I suggest you also consider buying at least some of Glenn Lucas' DVDs (eg. No.1, 2 & 3) to get some different perspective to that of Stuart Batty.

DVDs and Downloads – Glenn Lucas Master Woodturner (https://glennlucaswoodturning.com/product-category/woodturning-supplies/dvds/)

And, of course, anything from Richard Raffan is recommended. His books do come up on special or secondhand from time to time.

[Biggus]

Apologies, Biggus... I was way off there!!! Another senior moment :B... probably not helped by having had yet another long day and evening yesterday closely monitoring the nearby fires up here in the Adelaide Hills.

In my experience, there is little woodturning expertise in local Men's Sheds.

So, it looks like it is going to be YouTube for you and maybe some DVDs.

Stuart Batty's excellent Vimeo series is/was free and a very good starting point, although some of us are not dedicated adherents to his grinding profiles and turning techniques SB Tools on Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/woodturning)

I suggest you also consider buying at least some of Glenn Lucas' DVDs (eg. No.1, 2 & 3) to get some different perspective to that of Stuart Batty.

DVDs and Downloads – Glenn Lucas Master Woodturner (https://glennlucaswoodturning.com/product-category/woodturning-supplies/dvds/)

And, of course, anything from Richard Raffan is recommended. His books do come up on special or secondhand from time to time.


Good luck with the fires mate, we've had the Stirling Ranges (about 13km from me at the closest) go up twice in about the last month, both lightning strikes which I guess makes it better than some idiot firestarter. The second one started on Boxing Day and went on for about a week. Seems the whole country is on fire.

[djeddy]

Hey Biggus, perhaps you could have a chat with the folk at WA Woodturners Association. They have a chapter at Manjimup, which isn't exactly close but it's not Perth either. Of course they might press you into service to visit Djarilmari for them! :)

[riverbuilder]

Rikon gear is quite good for the money you pay. I’ve got a couple of their machines and can’t fault them at all, good luck.

[Biggus]

Hey Biggus, perhaps you could have a chat with the folk at WA Woodturners Association. They have a chapter at Manjimup, which isn't exactly close but it's not Perth either. Of course they might press you into service to visit Djarilmari for them! :)


Yes I spotted that mate, will have to head over that way some time.

[Biggus]

Rikon gear is quite good for the money you pay. I’ve got a couple of their machines and can’t fault them at all, good luck.


First off I'm a complete lathe newbie so I can't offer any specific comments on it as a lathe, but the fit and finish are really very good for what is still a very affordable piece of kit, far in excess of stuff I have by either Hare and Forbes or Carbatec brands. Early days yet and I'm still very much fiddling around trying to get a feel for each of the chisels and how to use them but I'm finding it all pretty intuitive, just spindle practice at the moment but I also picked up a Nova G3 chuck so will have to have a crack at a bowl at some time. It's quite an experience this woodturning, like taking a shower in wood shavings. I guess with experience I learn where and where not to stand when I'm addressing a piece, but it's still good clean fun anyway. Cheers!