Lathe advice needed

[mrmac_6]

My 13 year old son and I are interested in learning to turn wood. I have a modest workshop which includes a Hercus metal lathe. I would be grateful for some advice as to what would be a respectable wood lathe for us to learn on and not outgrow too quickly. I can purchase an older Durden from somone I know but am not sure if this would be wise and what is a reasonable price to pay.

Thanks in anticipation for any assistance

Martin

[rodent]

try a mc900 its agood starters lathe . cast iorn bed and variable speed there about 400-500 dollars

[hughie]

Martin,
It depends on your budget, below is a new Durden

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/PROFESSIONAL-WOOD-LATHE-400X1000MM-DURDEN-TOP-TURN_W0QQitemZ4471343303QQihZ001QQcategoryZ632QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

The Durden is made by Hercus and was a good lathe in its day dunno about it now. But do a search of the forum as there are several threads about Durden lathes.
If the price is right, go for it. As you can see from the ebay item they are not cheap.
if you start some where near the top you wont have to upgrade later, thats gotta be cheaper than anything else
hughie

[Wood Butcher]

Depending on what model the Durden is that you have been offered and what price I would go for it. They are a great lathe and will last years if kept in good maintainence!

If you could list what price and maybe a photo of the lathe then it would be easy to give advice to whether or not it would be a good buy.

If not, the MC1100 is a good machine and will do most tasks. It is a bit bigger than the MC900 and has the swivel head that can slide along the bed for turning bowls if you want to give that a try. They are around the $500 mark so if you are on a budget it leaves a bit of room for some tools etc.