Thread: Mini Lathe Type

I have a small woodfast I picked up on special in 2008 and have used it since without any safety problems.

Last year I converted it to variable speed for the price of a:
VSD ($120 delivered), a few switches ($20) a $35 1HP 3phase motor and a $18 piece of ally to cut a new pulley to suit the new/old motor.
I could have used the old pulley and sold the original motor to recover a few pennies but I wanted to keep all the old parts in the original form in case resale is a problem
So all all up under $200 to do this. Admittedly not everyone feels comfortable doing something like this but it's not that difficult.

Do I feel any safer? Can't say that I do, but the variable speed sure is noice to use.

My first lathe was a second hand one I bought on EBay and what a disaster that was. I couldn't get the right parts for it and ended up selling it on EBay again within 2 weeks.

I got advice from the Forum and bought my Woodfast midi after I shopped around for prices. It is a manual speed change rather than the variable Woodfast only because of the price I could get it at and the fact I was just setting out in turning, having never used a lathe before and knowing nothing about woodworking or lathes. It became an issue of self-teach and seek a lot of advice from members of the Forum. I didn't have a clue was a live or a dead centre was until Neil and Fred explained it in detail and looked up the tools I needed on the internet for me and sent me the links of the best places to buy from.

Over the intervening time I have learnt a lot. If I was starting over again and had a limited budget to work with I would probably still go with the manual belt change until I decided if I really wanted to continue with wood turning. The other factor is that with a budget, a quality but cheaper lathe (only in terms of manual change over cost as opposed to variable speed cost) leaves you a bit more money to buy the extras you will need.

Having reached the stage that I am at now, I will change to a variable speed lathe as soon as the budget allows. Even with the variable speed I wouldn't go past a Woodfast or a Vic Marc lathe. To be able to alter the speed to exactly what you want is a real bonus, even though I tend to use a lathe at a higher speed than most people - personal choice.

In terms of safety, something I have learnt is that you have to be careful with the tension you put on the belt with each change over. Too much tension and you will put too much stress on the bearings and the belt and the motor will run hotter because of the extra strain. In that regard it is a bit of a pain getting the tension right but I am particular about it. As I said earlier I try to group the work to the particular speed I am using at the moment whereas with a variable speed I will be able to do one pen at a time without the delay in manual change over.

But as I also said before, buy the best quality brand lathe you can afford, even a manual Rolls Royce would be far nicer to drive than an automatic Mini. You really do get what you pay for.

Also keep in mind that the advice of the more experienced members of the Forum is invaluable as they have been though all this long before we have and they can save you a lot of time and a lot of errors and they are always willing to help us out.

Originally Posted by Jim Carroll

Avery the majority of turners are exactly like you part timers. The professionals are certainly a minority

Some prefer to get the manual version and some like the automatic version.

As others have indicated it is always about safety no matter which version you use.

As always you try to buy the best you can with funds available.

Beedeejay asked for advice and has been given a wide range of options , at the end of the day it will be his choice which way he goes.

He does not have to fear any lathe just get comfortable with it and work safely.

Jim,your earlier post said that "there is nothing else worth considering" You said that it was a safety issue.

I am not an expert. I have nowhere near your experience but i will go this far.

You are wrong.

There are lots of other lathes worthy of consideration. You would not choose between a Woodfast without speed control and one with, on the basis of safety , convenience yes, ease of use , yes. Your safety issue is a real stretch. There are many brands of lathe and many retailers selling them that are all worth considering.

Beedeejay has indeed recieved a lot of advice, or maybe just opinion, but I really do think that your expert advice that nothing other than the two lathes that you recommended is worthy of consideration was simply wrong. If you believe that you are right then I would expect your website to reflect that.

Originally Posted by Jim Carroll

Another advantage with the Woodfast and Vicmarc is that they use TEFC motors, Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled. These are a proper 240v motor with the fan on the outside to keep them cool. They have great torque down low.
With other DC type motors the fan is on the inside of the motor so works very hard in trying to keep the motor cool , if you run the motor on low for any prolonged time they will overheat, also slow speed no real torque especially for faceplate work.

Plus once you have used a variable speed lathe you wont want to go back to a manual drive.

Hey Guys,
While I didn't start this thread to cause arguments it has been very entertaining with some very good & valid points of view,

I just have a few questions

Jim in regards to the above, taking out EVS of the equation for a moment and going to a manual belt change, what would be the requirements for a good lathe?
You mention TEFC (Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled) motors are the way to go, so if the motor has that, is it then possible that it is a good choice of lathe?
Also you mention DC types, I don't know anything about electrics but aren't the wood fast and most other Midi lathes AC motors
IF so what is the benefit of a Woodfast AC TEFC motor verses say a Jet AC TEFC or Even a Carbatec or what ever brand,

When I put the OP i might not have been clear, I know which lathes are good brands (Vicmarc obviously) but If anyone knows why the others aren't worth considering please tell me what to look for,
Just saying this is better or that is no good isn't much help as I'm trying to differentiate what actually makes a lathe a worthwhile purchase, What actually makes a Woodfast better than a JET for instance,

Back on Variable speed though, I have used lathes with Variable speed, there is 13 or 14 Vicmarcs the at the local wood turners that I go to that have it, and I agree it is great but I'm not really prepared to nor can I afford the $1000(Woodfast) to get one as i think $600 extra is a bit too much, maybe as BobL said maybe I can get someone to make it variable speed for a lot less,

I am a wood Machinist by trade so I'm am not afraid of any machine but i also know to respect them, as nearly all the machinery i was trained to use can take a limb or possibly even a life at the blink of an eye,
If you respect the Machinery and know the limitations of it, as well as the material that you are using i believe you have won half the battle,

and as far as car Comparisons go, Rolls royce & mini etc,, I drive a Holden Commodore (Calais) and I wouldn't have it any other way, still luxurious with out being pretentious, gets me where I need to go and doesn't cost me an arm and leg if any thing ever needs to be fixed,

Cheers Ben

Perhaps anyone considering a new lathe purchase should have a/another look at the 'Omega Engineering Liquidation' thread.

There is plenty of moaning going on about another Aussie manufacturer going to the wall and the lack of support from our Julia and plenty of talk about supporting Aussie companies until it comes to the crunch when the dollars need to be spent. I guess the problem is that too many of us aren't prepared to put our money where our mouth is. The prospect of a cheap import is too alluring.

Another thought, if EVS is not being considered with this mini lathe purchase then the Vicmarc VL150 comes in at just over $1000. Yes, $600ish more than the Woodfast but the extra quality I reckon is worth it (if we are still not considering seriously the supporting of Aussie manufacturers). It is a lathe you will have for a life time and more. In particular the banjo and tool rest and beefier, the quill is smoother, the castings are cleaner and the swing bigger. All in all a much better purchase and, yes, I think worth the extra (even if we are still not considering seriously the supporting of Aussie manufacturers).

With the WF midi EVS you're still looking at belt changes though fewer of them? There's 4 pulleys.

From the website:

Electronic Variable Speed 400 - 950 650 - 1700 1500 - 3850 rpm

I guess a spindle turner would be hanging around mostly in the top ratio.

Added: going x-eyed. 3 ratios!