HF Lathe

[gsmittle]

Anybody have any experience/knowledge of this HF lathe?

Would I be better off saving my pennies for a Brand Name midi lathe?

g.

[JR]

I have that lathe, as do a number of other members. Try a search for 34706 in both Tool Talk and Turning Talk.

Now, what I don't know about turning would fill a book, so I won't offer much commentary. I think it would depend greatly on what you have planned for the lathe. This one is cast iron, which is good, and it has standard sizes for all the pieces. If you want to do some spindles or candle sticks it'll be great.

If you want to do pens, count on spending another $250 on the special bits necessary for that activity. I don't know if one of the minis comes with everything for pen turning in one package, but that would be nice.

JR

[dbhost]

Actually, I spent some time turning a segmented handle for a mallet tonight. Like was said above, what I don't know about turning could fill volumes, but what I do know is I like using this lathe. It is more or less a Jet JWL 1236 12x26 lathe with a moved switch and a different paint job... Needs ballast, but all lathes like this one do...

[leehljp]

I have heard good things about this lathe too, considering the price and maker. I have forgotten what you called the transmission on this model but it is the continuously variable belt type. Even most "electronically" variable speed lathes only allow variable between a narrow range without having to change a belt. But this one has a wide speed range and no belt changing, only the lever.

There is one item that would be a problem for a few people - its low end speed is 600 RPM. Not a problem for small items but if you decide to turn something larger than 14 inches, the 600 RPM speed could be too high and dangerous. The fact that you can turn the head outward and turn larger items might seem tempting, but be careful. Many people turn above 14 inch items at a slower rate than 600 RPM.

[gsmittle]

Many thanks to all. Normally I search for info before posting about a specific tool—I must have had a brain cramp yesterday.

Pennies are going in the jar for this one!

g.

[mb007]

I received this lathe for Christmas. I'm a true beginner with turning, but I am pretty impressed so far! I've only turned some pens on it, so I can't speak to larger turnings. The variable speed works great (it's a Reeves drive I believe, if you'd like to do further research). It was easy to assemble (have a helper), and runs true with little adjustment needed. I cut a shelf out of MDF to sit inside the frame rails - it's nice for keeping tools close!

JR is right on about pen turning, plan on spending another 1-200 bucks to get set up for pens. Penn State Industries does offer some midi packages that include pen turning supplies... that said, I'd choose the 34706 again if given the choice, and choose my own accessories separately.

[RMCWoodWorks]

Obviously, it depends on what you want to turn, how often, etc., however ... unless you really NEED the 12" OD and NEED the 33" length, I think you would be better served by one of the less-expensive table-model midi-lathes for the money. See http://www.pennstateind.com/store/TCLC10.html with 10" OD x 18" length for essentially the same price.

The comments about ballast and low RPM are right on.

[dbhost]

Mind you, the Turncrafter Commander was my other choice, but I wanted the longer bed length... And adding the extension bed rammed the cost up too high... The Turncrafter Commander is presently on sale for $279.99 and add $50.00 for shipping (Per Penn State's website), you end up at $329.99

The #34706 is presently on sale for $249.99, and the HF 20% off coupon brings that down to $200.00. I am going to take a guess and figure my sales tax is on the high side at 8.25%, so after sales tax, if you pick up locally, you end up with the lathe in your hands for $216.50... (And then the 8pc HSS Chisel set for $49.99 which seems to be among the HF gems as well...)

A fair word of warning though, the lathe itself is just the beginning of a VERY slippery slope, you'll need a chuck (this is where Penn State comes in...) The PSI Utility Grip 4 jaw chuck is the same as my Woodriver, and I am wishing I had gotten this one, because I could have gotten the jumbo jaws thrown in for the same price! And then there are the turning tools, the various sizes of gouges, and versa chisels, and hollowing tools and mandrels and... Oh you get the idea...