Thread: Buying A Lathe "Pen Lathe"

Originally Posted by NewLondon88

I need to remember that the bench press has pulleys I can move, too.

I'd reckon the odds are good that the fastest speed on your drill press compares well to the slowest speed of the lathe, too. Slow is always good when it comes to drilling though, especially with acrylics!

Sometimes when I'm drilling bloodwood or olive and I don't clear the chips fast enough (or often enough) I'll hear a 'pop' and things will fly from inside the blank. Then a little puff of white smoke .. and the smell of cooking ..
(bloodwood and olive both smell great when overheated .. )

Even when it's not obvious that you've cooked the wood, overheating can create micro-fractures around the drill or discolour the wood. The rest of the blank can look perfectly OK, but ya gotta remember that most of that is turned away until you're only left with the mm or two around the bore... ie. the damaged bit! :eek:

Slow and easy, sharp drill, flush the chips frequently. It really is the best way.

Gotta agree that some of the cooking aromas are lovely though... we've all cooked blanks at one time or another!

Hi I bought a Carbatec Mid size and am very happy with performance of same but was totally peedoff with the headstock bearings rumbling their guts out after 3 hours work. I replaced them with a pair from CBC who are just up the road . By the time I took it back to Carbatec I had a 50 Km. drive thru Melbourne Cheaper and better to do it my way and had the lathe working in a couple of hours and the way carbatec have been in the last few months with melb. not being properly supported by head office service NOT good . big problem is many chinese manufacturers find it easier to make non round mild steel ball bearings. This has been my experience with several pieces of equipment and fit new quality bearings and everything O.K. anyway thats my tuppence worth for now Regards to all Wally

If you can afford a VicMarc VL100 Variable speed, get it! If it is just size that is the criteria, then a Jet Pen lathe is the way, BUT, be prepared for wobbles. Amos

Closing this thread out of respect for fxst's brother as it is an oldish thread.