Thread: Lathes for Pen Turning?

Did you make the purchase yet?????

Originally Posted by Mobyturns

I would be looking for a second hand Vicmarc VL100 or any of the small Woodfast lathes. There must be plenty of 6 speed VL100's about. Also the Nova "Mercury" lathes are reliable - BUT check the VS unit before purchase as spares are not available.

The most important thing to look out for with the smaller lathes & using them for pen turning is the alignment of head & tail stock. So many of the Asian "clones" have issues with poor design & machining that will create a lot of frustration in pen turning and small spindle turning. One particular issue I have noted on some designs is the undersized "boss" that fits / aligns the tail stock in the lathe bedways, some are barely 2 mm deep! It would not take much use to cause a lot of wear, thus creating alignment issues.

I'm not sure that the bedway is necessarily a major issue. Sure there is likely to be some wear. My previous lathe was exactly the same and after 4 years of turning small bowls, boxes and innumerable pens it never became an issue. My brand new W385 - WL-14V Mini Wood Lathe | Machineryhouse is the same with only a small bedway guide, however the foot of the tail-stock is longer than on my previous lathe and tends to be better aligned straight out of the box. If I were doing heavy duty turnings then yes I would no doubt like to see a more robust bedway guide. These lathes are primarily used for small turnings and as such they are built to that end.

I looked at the new Record Power and Carbatec lathes here in NZ, much recommended brands and they have the same issue. Like most Asian produced products they are built to a price point. I am more than happy with the lathe I have just acquired and will be turning many a pen a small box as well as lamp shade stands and pens. Should an issue arise with the bedway I will report back here so others can make there own decision re lathe purchase.
Personally the Machinery house offerings seem to be pretty good value and you get a lot of lathe for your hard earned dollars.

Originally Posted by Dust Mite

My previous lathe was exactly the same and after 4 years of turning small bowls, boxes and innumerable pens it never became an issue.

.... Personally the Machinery house offerings seem to be pretty good value and you get a lot of lathe for your hard earned dollars.

DM it is good for potential purchasers to get a balanced view on the merits or potential flaws of what is for many a "big ticket" item. I agree that some of the importers do have better specification machines and better quality control, but not always consistency in both.

I have seen what I would consider to be incredible wear on some lathes in a communal workshop scenario, some definitely due to misuse but mostly because "they are built to a price point." Perhaps the wrong selection for such a heavy wear & tear environment. Two units suffered badly in under two years of use, however four VL100's have seen more than 20 years of service in the very same situation. Other new "Asian produced products" that were very ordinary right from delivery. Bit of a lottery in some ways. Others that cause havoc because they constantly "trip" earth leakage protection devices. Most "bog down" on quite small bowl turning projects even when the turner is making conservative cuts.

One thing that is very certain is that many turners would not have access to their own lathe, chucks and tools without "Asian produced products." My observations are that for many an "old" VL100 6 speed lathe would be a far more suitable lathe for them & their turning project preferences. They then have the opportunity to upgrade to EVS later. Its simply another option, and a very sound and less frustrating option for many.

Originally Posted by brainstrust

Did you make the purchase yet?????

No - I got forked over by Timbecon's "Saturday Morning Garage Sale" where they started allowing people to buy items well before Saturday morning including the lathe. They might have cleared out some unwanted demo and refurbished stock but they got a lot of customers offside in the process. They won't have stock of the lathe again until mid-January.

Originally Posted by RSD

No - I got forked over by Timbecon's "Saturday Morning Garage Sale" where they started allowing people to buy items well before Saturday morning including the lathe. They might have cleared out some unwanted demo and refurbished stock but they got a lot of customers offside in the process. They won't have stock of the lathe again until mid-January.

That's a bummer! Not cool.