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View Full Version : New Leady lathe on ebay



rsser
2nd February 2009, 01:54 PM
Clicky (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Woodturning-Lathe_W0QQitemZ330304762023QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Woodcrafts?hash=item330304762023&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A1%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318)

No connection etc.

NeilS
2nd February 2009, 03:40 PM
Ern, your post prompted me to have another look at the Leady lathe.

Not sure about the tailstock mechanism, but otherwise, just going by the pics, the Leady looks like a very solid basic lathe.

Replacing the 1HP with 2HP motor and adding variable speed would move it up into another category.

If it could be supplied (and priced) without the 1HP motor, then the cost of that upgrade would be competitive, perhaps bringing the total cost to about $2.5k.

Just a thought.

Neil

rsser
2nd February 2009, 03:45 PM
Yep.

IIRC Hughie knows Bruce, and may have made similar comments.

Maybe this is a run-out model before something else comes into production. Maybe Bruce is retiring. Just speculating.

NeilS
2nd February 2009, 04:00 PM
Knew (of) a Bruce Leadbeatter who came from my small home town up on the far Nth Coast of NSW. He became an industrial arts teacher, so could be him. If it's the same chap, I reckon he's overdue for retirements... :).

Might check with Hughie to see what he knows.

Neil

hughie
2nd February 2009, 07:43 PM
Not sure about the tailstock mechanism, but otherwise, just going by the pics, the Leady looks like a very solid basic lathe.
Yep very solid and tail mechanism is or was common to old capstan lathes, so it works very well.



Replacing the 1HP with 2HP motor and adding variable speed would move it up into another category.
He has a vari-speed motor for an additional $800, So far as I know those who own one with the 1hp have found it more than adequate. A number of guys on this forum have them,so hopefully they will add to this thread




If it could be supplied (and priced) without the 1HP motor, then the cost of that upgrade would be competitive, perhaps bringing the total cost to about $2.5k.


Basically from my point of view its a good lathe and especially at the price he asks. So much so If I had not built my own I would be looking to buy one myself.

NeilS
3rd February 2009, 11:38 AM
Thanks Hughie for your comments on this lathe.


Yep very solid and tail mechanism is or was common to old capstan lathes, so it works very well.

I expected that to be the case given the apparent quality of the build, so good to have that confirmed.


He has a vari-speed motor for an additional $800, So far as I know those who own one with the 1hp have found it more than adequate. A number of guys on this forum have them,so hopefully they will add to this thread.

At that price it looks very good value for a well made VS lathe. No doubt the VS will be the same quality as the lathe itself. I must admit that I never found I needed more than 1HP on my previous lathes working up to 600mm diam, although I had not attempted to core with any of them.


Basically from my point of view its a good lathe and especially at the price he asks. So much so If I had not built my own I would be looking to buy one myself.

I did look seriously at the Leady before I bought my latest Woodfast lathe last year. Both have swivel heads and sit at that lower end of the professional range. May have even gone with it had I not been unsuccessful in making contact with Bruce .... he was not answering his phone, he must have been away at the time. I had to make a quick decision as the Woodfast C1000X was going up by $1K due to the exchange rate hike (got the very last one at the old price :-), and, without confirmation of some of the details on the Leady which I required to make my final decision, I had to unfortunately drop it from my considerations.

BTW Hughie, Ern said that you know Bruce. Do you know if he originally came from the far north coast of NSW? There was a Bruce Leadbeatter who came from my small home town up there. He became an industrial arts teacher/lecturer and I was wondering if he might be the same chap.

Neil

Hardenfast
3rd February 2009, 07:15 PM
I bought my Leady lathe directly from Bruce Leadbetter in Sydney around 18 months ago, and it looks the same as this one.

I agree that the variable speed option would be worthwhile, but so far the Leady has handled everything that I have wanted to do (and that my limited capability allows), and the 1hp motor seems to have more than enough grunt. The swivel head capability has been particularly handy for the few larger pieces I have attempted.

I have also been most impressed with the "segmented ring" chuck which I bought from Bruce at the same time. It's apparently his own design and because of a small raised edge it engages solidly in mortices of only 4-5mm depth. I use on virtually every project I attempt - not that there have been a lot so far.

Wayne

hughie
3rd February 2009, 09:20 PM
BTW Hughie, Ern said that you know Bruce. Do you know if he originally came from the far north coast of NSW? There was a Bruce Leadbeatter who came from my small home town up there. He became an industrial arts teacher/lecturer and I was wondering if he might be the same chap.


Hi Neil,

Not sure where he comes from. But he would be in late 70's or early 80's has taught wood work and wood turning for over 40 years at various high schools. Designed a couple of lathes that were used extensively in many schools thorugh out the state. His three jaw chuck was design for students and has been in service for many years.

No doubt he is the same guy, doubt if there are that many Leadbeatters around. :U

orraloon
4th February 2009, 11:04 AM
I got a leady direct from Bruce about 18 months ago then went back for a extension bar for deep drilling, a hollowing tool and one of those tools with the cup shaped cutting head.
The lathe is very well made and came with 3 tool rests, a face plate, live centers, an expanding chuck with the cutter to make the recess ( this is now used more than the nova) and a knockout bar. I dont think there is more value for money out there in a new machine. I am very pleased with it. So far the 1 hp has been enough for me and I have turned a 14'' bowl on it. I do not have any larger bits of wood or I would have given it a go.
Bruce is a great guy to deal with and you get the tour of his shed and see some of his work.
As has been said with a var speed motor added this would be up there at the top end. It is a versitile machine and built to last.
Regards
John

rsser
4th February 2009, 11:26 AM
Interesting info. Thanks John.

Yeah, horsepower can be over-rated, literally and figuratively.

There's horsepower and what Skew calls Hampsterpower IIRC. The latter comes from China typically.

And with poor EVS systems a lot of power can be lost.

NeilS
5th February 2009, 01:58 PM
Thanks Hughie and John for your feedback on Bruce and his Leady Lathe.

Neil

GoGuppy
5th June 2009, 09:41 PM
I got a leady direct from Bruce about 18 months ago then went back for a extension bar for deep drilling, a hollowing tool and one of those tools with the cup shaped cutting head. ...
John

Hi John
I have recently bought a Leady lathe and received three free lessons as part of the deal. I have seen the hollowing tools that Bruce makes and was wondering how you find them to use. They are certainly well priced at about $50 and $60 for the shallow and deep versions, respectively. Bruce showed how easily they can be resharpened as well, with the free jig included.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
Cheers

orraloon
6th June 2009, 01:28 PM
GoGuppy,
I have found the hollowing tool to work reasonably well for hollowing small things like boxes. I use it where I cant get a gouge to go It is cutting rather than scraping so sometimes it is better than a scraper and sometimes it can clog up on damp woods. One good point is you can rotate the cutter head a little and have a sharp edge again so less time spent sharpening. It can chatter a bit with too much overhang. I have been thinking of mounting it on a heavier shaft so I can go a bit deeper with it. The sharpening jig works well and is easy to use. With a spare head most jobs can be done without stopping to sharpen. The head can get hot so be careful when rotating to a sharp edge. Another good feature is the stripe in the handle lets you know the angle of the cutter head when it is out of sight in a hollow. Not my most used tool but handy to have. There are other versions of the same tool out there and they are usually expensive.
Regards
John

GoGuppy
6th June 2009, 02:53 PM
Thanks for the feedback John
Pretty much as I expected, so given the relative low cost of the two, I'll probably get both and see how I go. I think they'll be great for getting into hollowing vessels at a reasonable price and if I get hooked, then I can always go the 'candy' shop and get something more targeted at what I enjoy doing most (for a lot more money!).
Also, I'll be going to the WW show in Sydney in two weeks time, see if I can resist buying anything there...
Cheers

Pat
17th August 2009, 09:09 PM
Is there a website for initial comparisons . . . Leady. Still weighing up my options . . . Yes I have done a search :q

GC
17th August 2009, 09:27 PM
After having issues with my MC1100 again, I am tossing up between a Leady and a Nova 1624.

Just need to spend a bit of time to compare.........

GC

Pat
17th August 2009, 09:31 PM
After having issues with my MC1100 again, I am tossing up between a Leady and a Nova 1624.

Just need to spend a bit of time to compare.........

GC


I hear you GC, a rough price for the Leady lathe, to see if it's in the maybe affordable or the wildest dreams category (Think Stubby)

GC
17th August 2009, 09:42 PM
Leady $1295

Nova $1699

The Nova has a 1.5hp motor v the leady 1hp.
The Nova needs a outboard turning attachment $300 ish. The Leady doesn't but it is turning on it's side with a tool rest estension, where as the Nova turns on it's end.

Probably much more too. Try You tube for Nova lathes there is a bit there

GC

hughie
18th August 2009, 12:53 AM
]After having issues with my MC1100 again, I

Pretty well normal for owners of MC1100, gave mine away in the end :U