Thread: GMC Wood lathe

Hi,
I would stay clear of the GMC lathe, I was given one & as previously mentioned its hard to change speeds, it has far to much flex & no grunt. I ended up bolting a 2m long 12mm thick steel plate to the bottom & that still didn't work. The only good thing about my GMC lathe is that it got me turning. Save your money & get a better lathe that will last longer & allow you to do better quality work.

I have had my MC900 for 2 weeks tomorrow and it is a little ripper. I am hunting wood now and i am looking for a chuck as mine deal through Gasweld didn't come with a chuck. These are great beginners lathes and i look forward to going further up the tree toward the Nova one day.

My lathe history.
1st
A pressed metal unit like the GMC.
Added wood beams to the bottom but it still flexed just about every where.
4 jaw independent chuck tended to bite like mad as the jaws protruded beyond the frame. Did some work but it was bl...y dangerous.
Suppose they are a place to start from but you need to be careful about the flexing as it can be dangerous.

2nd
A Woodfast 280s. Nice lathe with a sliding head and standard threads.
Added a vicmark 100 chuck. Things went well for a time.
One nice part was that you could take the head/motor off the bed and transport it around. (meetings)
Lathe lacked size and horse power. Max swing 160mm
Still got it as my pen and small item lathe although I tend to use the following lathe.

3rd.
A Vickmark VL300 Electronic variable speed. Now I have a Lathe.

Take it from a woodturner of 50+ years....
Regards Joe

The above statement made me realise that there is a wealth of information out there in 'Woodturner's Land' held mostly by those people who have made all the mistakes and learned from them.

I am a 'Newby' to this site and would be most obliged if you will give me some direction, (including the reasons for your advice) regarding the purchase of a new woodturning lathe.

I have been considering three (3) lathes:

WOODFAST M 910

TEKNATOOL DVR 3000 XP

VICMARC VL 300 LONG BED

I will be most obliged if you could provide me some guidance about the above.

It would also be appreciated if you directed me to some other machine which has not at this stage been considered.
With thanks in anticipation,
Unwise (especially in this matter)

well, the Vicmarc Vl300 is an awesome lathe ...its the one i would choose out of your listed ones. the only one you havent considered is a Stubby lathe (a quick search will get you a description).

but, it all depends on your price range and also you NEEDS...what are you planning on turning??? also, dont forget you need to buy tools, chucks, timber, finishes etc.

cheers

The VL300 will let you turn a pencil or a post and is a commercial quality lathe. I bought mine second hand for about half price, it also came with some expensive extras that made it a very good deal for me. If you have no plans to move house the VL300 is one sweet machine.

The other two lathes are also very good but I have no experience with them. I agree with what Stirlo said, tell us what it is you wish to turn, as that will determine the advice you get.

The cost of accessories can add up to the price of the lathe or more, so a second hand deal can say you a lot more than just the price of the lathe.