Thread: woodturning with Metal Lathe

Colin,
Yeah it can be done but not recommended because of the dust and shavings etc getting into the workings. It corrodes the metal and sticks everything up. In saying that I have done it at home, the standard tools can be used, and if you can fit a tool rest you can freehand like on a normal lathe. Depending on the height of your stand it can be awkward though, with a turning gouge up under your chest! The 3 three jaw chuck can be quite an asset turning wood, especially when long bore drilling, but I guess there's nothing stopping you fitting one to a standard wood lathe.

Cheers,

I use my metal lathe all the time for wood, works a treat.

put a sheet or something under your work to catch the dust and shavings it will save a lot of cleaning

IMHO I would rather get a wood lathe and save the metalworking lathe for it's intended purpose. They are cheap compared to a metalworking lathe so why stuff it up unless it has already seen better days.

All the above

As sea we only had a metal lathe , and often turned wood on it , but the mess was the problem.
so I think rodm's advice is the way to go

Rgds

Thanks for the advise everyone, it has given me a bit to think about. The woodturning projects I want to do are fairly small, at the moment It would be turning pens and the like and then progress to pepper mills etc...

I have had a look at a couple of woodlathes, the one that is looking best toward my budget is the WL-18 at Hare and Forbes. It may be time to take another look at it.

coling,
I have a Friend that uses the wl-18 for small stuff like pens and he does real well. So much so that many have asked for one of his pens, to the point where he just bought 150 pens sets from Carbatec and is selling them as fast as he can make them.
So good luck, the wl-18 should do you fine.
hughie

Thanks Hughie,

Sounds like the perfect machine for a novice like myself...I hope to be up and running within a couple of weeks, the only thing that bothers me is sharpening the chisels. I am looking at the Chisel grinding jig from Carbatec as we speak!!!