Lathe budget $1000 hafco mini and choice of tools

**Chri8.05** · 10th December 2019, 10:56 PM

Hello woodies, I am a Woodturner I’ve been Woodturning on a Vicmarc lathe for quit some time now at my local club. I am in need of buying a lathe to get started at home I do own an old Durden but that is manual belt change and you need tools to move the tailstock and banjo, my budget is $1000 for everything I was going to purchase
the hafco mini lathe

WL-14V - Mini Wood Lathe

The lathe is $572 including gst or around $472 near the eofy sale the lathe is equiped with variable speed and has a .75 HP motor, does any body have any experience with this lathe and suggestions on other brands by chance?

i was going to go with the hamlet 6 piece boxed set from timber it’s for around $220 the reason why I will chose these tools is because I like the way the handles feel sure the steel and the grinds on the tool are important, but I suppose if you don’t like the way the handle feels you won’t want to work with it one day I would like to upgrade to Thompson tool steel obviously.

(so far my total price is $692 with sales on)

i suppose you you need a way to sharpen the tools to do I may go with the Carbatec Wide Stone Bench Grinder- With LED Light | Sharpening Machines - Carbatec is this a good grinder?? It seems good on the website? If any one owns this one and has suggestion please share. Th price for the grinder is $150

(now my price is $842 with the eofy sales)

Now I need a hug to sharpen my gouges I’ve heard many good things from this one Oneway Wolverine Grinding Jig the one way jig from rockler with in the budget and will be a lifetime investment sitting at $158 hopefully this jig works for what I need

(The final price is $1000 aud on the knocker)

you may notice that I haven’t included a chuck among all this I’ve been turning in between centres for ages and have needed a chuck, yet but the chuck I was going to go with is inebriate of the Vicmarc chucks around $250. again another lifetime investment and I’m only 14 so yeah that should lathe a while ok it taken me 30 minutes to write this and do the research but yeah any advice respond back.

,regards Chris

**Redbeard** · 10th December 2019, 11:23 PM

Chris

The WL-14 is a pretty good little budget piece of kit. I've had one since July and really don't have any complaints. I didn't get the stand, just have it bolted to a heavy (low) bench and that works well. I've turned some pretty big lumps of wood into much smaller lumps of wood, you just have to take your time. 450rpm sounded a bit quick to me to start with but that hasn't caused any grief yet.

It's obviously built to a budget but it has all the features of a much more expensive unit. Reliable speed control, reverse, multiple gear ratios, good solid fittings, and pretty good support. I did replace the rubber grips on the banjo and tail stock handles with timber ones.

My biggest complaint is it's short (duh), limits the length of handles you can turn, and the banjo doesn't slide real easily. I'll get the extension one day and the banjo is getting better.

As for the rest, they sound like a pretty good set of gear. I didn't buy a kit of tools, just the few I needed at the time and I buy as I go.

Have fun.
Redbeard

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**Chri8.05** · 13th December 2019, 04:55 PM

Thanks readbeared for the reply just wondering why did you have to replace the handles on Thebes tailstock and banjo are they no good. Cheers mate

**Redbeard** · 14th December 2019, 01:45 PM

I replaced the black rubber covers for two reasons. 1. They marked my hands every time I touched them; and 2. They were black rubber and I'm a woodturner.

I didn't replace the metal handles, just the rubber covers with turned wooden covers (also a bit longer). Simply because I could.

If you do this just be careful, on mine the two handles were different diameters.

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