Thread: New mid-range lathe

I wouldn't worry about the slow speed grinder instead I would get a regular 8" grinder with a CBN wheel. You could get two CBN wheels if you wanted to.
These produce a fast cool grind that gets you quickly back to the lathe.
As these grinders can remove a lot of metal they take a bit of practice to use (practice with an old chisel) but once you have the hang of it you'll wonder why anyone bothers with a slow speed grinder.

Pretty well any grinder would do but if you wanted something above basic I would suggest an Abbott and Ashby grinder.
As well as being much faster it will leave you a decent amount over to buy tools and extras

Originally Posted by mountnman

I'm looking at getting back into woodturning and am struggling to fit my wants into my budget!

I have a budget of $3200 all in - lathe, chuck, tools, shipping (if I can throw in a slow speed grinder too, great!) - I live in remote North West QLD, so will be buying online sight unseen.
great, but no electronic variable speed)

Laguna Revo 12/16 Midi Lathe CE Model - $1929 + shipping (almost was sold on this one until I saw that the stand is an additional $600)

I would go with the Laguna and build my own stand out of scrap materials. You can replace that if funds allow you to buy the fancy Laguna stand if you think you need that later on.

A DIY stand can be braced in different ways and filled with ballast of some sort (sand, gravel, gym weights or railway line offcuts) to do an adequate job. I expect you will find DIY plans somewhere...

Here are some ideas... but many older posts will no longer have their photos or will point to broken links...

Designing a lathe stand - let's go!

Pics of my lathe stand

I have used the Timbecom 350 x 510 regularly at my Men's Shed. Nice lathe but to be honest quite restrictive. Power is just 750W give or take and you cannot get a bed extension to do anything longer than what the bed does. We haven't had any issues with it warranty wise, but it is lightly built and some things somehow get a bit damaged with Men's Shed use, if you know what I mean.

I have twice used the Laguna 1216, it is quite a nice thing to use and with a bed extension it would be very nice. The one I used didn't have a bed extension so I cannot comment. If you do get this unit, ensure you get a VM100 chuck with inserts, not a direct fit chuck. The spindle thread is 30.5mm over the bed, but the behind the head spindle is 1" x 8 TPI. This is how I got involved as I had a spare 1" x 8 TPI Vicmark VM100 chuck insert and the cry for help was easily fixed. This is a very nice machine and is very similar, so to speak, of their much larger lathes; I have the Revo 24-36 lathe.

The Hafco unit would be my pick, it has reasonable power at 1500W, enough mass for good stability, and, you can slide the headstock to the other end and turn something as big as. To do this you would have to make a tripod to hold the tool rest, if you can't make your own, Isa is only down the road and there should be someone there who could whack one up at mate's rates.

South East Woodworking Supplies in Qld have what is probably the same lathe as the Hafco lathe, I would telephone them. The owner is very knowledgeable and he is more or less in your backyard and was very helpful on the few times I telephoned over woodturning products.

Mick.

Originally Posted by Optimark

South East Woodworking Supplies in Qld have what is probably the same lathe as the Hafco lathe, I would telephone them. The owner is very knowledgeable and he is more or less in your backyard and was very helpful on the few times I telephoned over woodturning products.

Mick.

Good thought on the SEQ Woodworking Supplies option, Mick. It certainly has those heavy legs and if you can get it delivered for a reasonable price would leave a bit for a chuck and some starting tools.

I have nothing against Vicmarc or Nova chucks (having half a dozen of each), however, if I was in Andrew's position I would go for the cheapest starter chuck I could find with the expectation that he will have to upgrade to whatever and whenever he needs a second better chuck, which most of us do eventually.

It is surprising how useful an economy backup chuck can be... my little old Bonham chuck would have paid for itself half a dozen times over!

For compatibilty, select that economy chuck to suit which way you plan to go with your later chuck/s...

Woodworking Supplies S/E QLD - 100mm T Bar Chuck

T-Bar Operated Lathe Chuck

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your thoughts - I think I'm leaning toward the Hafco WL-46A, even though it is at the top of my budget. Won't be too hard to put away a few more dollars for a chuck and some tools.

The Laguna is still an option - I've found that Gregory Machinery has a Lathe and Stand Promotion, so still considering that (although the headstock and tailstock being out of alignment seems to be a common issue..), and next to the Hafco seems tiny...

I still have some consideration to do, but I still feel as though I should be happy with anything in this pricepoint for quite a few years.

Cheers,
Andrew

Andrew, lots of good info in the previous posts, but a word of warning buying cheap chucks. A local turner bought one off eBay and kept having bowls go crazy on him. He didn't consult me till the warranty had run out as he thought his lathe was the problem. I checked the spindle thread on his lathe and it was .003" from a perfect thread. Then I checked the thread in the chuck, it was direct threaded and it was so loose I advised him not to use it again ever.
Inside the chuck was even worse.
Buy one from a reputable seller like above.
You may want to check FB Marketplace as there is a very nice SEQ lathe in Mackay from a fourumite and a set of Timbercon tools in Townsville.
Rgds,
Crocy.

I have the Laguna and it is very good. I have no stand - mine is sitting on a bench (at the right height) with slight indentations in the bench top for the feet which stops it from "walking" around the bench. There is a bed extension which is handy for slighly longer spindle work.
Chris

Hi Andrew, I thought I might just put my 2 cents worth in. The Hafco lathe isca good strong machine, however look seriously at the Laguna and what add ons you can get for it (extension bed, outboard turning and stand). Also compare the warranty on these machines. I don't have any first hand experience with their lathes however their drum sanders and bandsaws are very hard to beat.

Cheers Peter

I decided to bite the bullet and went for the Hafco WL-46A. It has the capacity for everything I would want to do, and then some.

Now to figure out how to get it off the truck when it comes...

Originally Posted by mountnman

Now to figure out how to get it off the truck when it comes...

A can of spinach, a spoon of cement to harden up, and an engine hoist. Or just the hoist and some lifting straps (auto stores and bunnings carry these for very few $). I rented a hoist off of Gumtree for a weekend when I got my table saw and 8" long bed jointer. Made moving and assembly by myself easy.