Need suggestions on inexpensive lathe for pen turning

[dewi1219]

I want to take a stab at pen turning, but I'm not completely sure if I have the patience to do it right. So I want to start as cheap as possible. I have done some research on pen turning but I still don't know much about what to look for in a lathe. I saw this Record Power on sale at Woodcraft (link below), but I'm not sure if it's adequate. If not, is there another one in the same price range that will get me started. I really don't want to sink $350 or so into one without knowing for sure that I will stick with it. Thanks.
http://www.woodturner-russ.com/Pens.html

[Russianwolf]

Hey Dewey,
Well, what will work and what can you get your money back out of if you "don't like it" are two different things.

Basically any lathe will work for penturning. Big lathes can turn small things, but small lathes can't always turn big things.

What you should look for:

1) Cast Iron constuction. Tends to be less vibration prone.
2) MT#2 in both head and tail stock. There are more accessories available in this size and can make it easier to sell the lathe if/when you decide to.
3) VS. On the minis it's nice feature but you'll still have to change belts some. In larger lathes, you get reeves drives or full electronic both of which are a bit nicer than the partial VS on the minis (I think jet may have a mini with electronic VS now, but don't quote me on that).

Now, given those. The PSI Turncrafter Pro is a nice little lathe at a decent price (look on amazon. The Jet mini (looks almost identical to the PSI or vice versa) is a bit more expensive, but has a huge following (deserved or not?). Grizzly has a couple minis that look a lot better than the previous crop they offered (G0624 or better). and Rikon has a good one available through woodcraft.

Some will tell you to buy the biggest lathe you can afford. I can tell you I did upgrade from a mini to a full sized lathe in less than a year.



The good thing, is that if you don't like it. Put the lathe up on Craigslist at a decent price, and it's disappear from your shop in short order. Assuming you get a good lathe to begin with.

Avoid the ones with tube beds, or stamped metal beds.

[dewi1219]

Mike,
Thanks for the suggestions - that PSI unit looks like a nice one for the money. I just remembered that my FIL told me that he has a lathe in his basement that belonged to his father that I could use. My FIL is not a woodworker, so I have no idea what kind of lathe it is. His "basement" is more like a large crawlspace that is damp and pretty difficult to access. I'm not optimistic that it is in decent shape since it has been down there for 40+ years.

[Uncle Cracker]

If you go bottom dollar, you're gonna spend more time screwing with your lathe and turning out crap work than would be appropriate. A better quality tool will give you 1) a truer idea of whether turning's for you, and 2) a better chance of getting out from under it if you don't like it. The above advice is good. Turncrafter VS will save you some money. Jet VS is a great little lathe, but more costly, especially since they took a big price jump a couple of months back. Definitely go with a cast iron bed... Anything else is risky. Perhaps you might consider it a wise investment to take a basic penturning class at Woodcraft (if there's one near you) in order to get a firsthand taste, without the investment (although the classes are $100). Remember, too, that the lathe is only a portion of the investment. Decent turning tools and sharpening supplies can also run you serious cash, as will other tools and supplies. If you're spending your last two bucks on a lathe, you might want to hold off for a bit.

[Russianwolf]

along the lines of what UC is suggesting, find a local turning club, they are all over the place, and go to a meeting. I bet someone would be willing to let you have a taste in their shop. Probably for FREE!

[eezlock]

lathe for pen turning........

I will second the previous poster(s) that said Jet. PSI. I'll add Delta, Rikon,
Steel City, all these lathes appear to be pretty much clones of each other.
They all have/share similar features like 1"x8tpi spindles, #2 morse tapers in head and tailstocks, cast iron beds, 1/2 hp motors ( or close to that )
safety key switches, 3/8" thru bored head, tail stocks for boring holes while on the lathe, Jet has an indexing head with 24 positions and the list goes on.
The one common thing is they are almost nearly identical except for paint color and will hold their value on re-sale if someone decides to sell at a future
date with little or no decrease in sale value/ price. I have a Jet 1014I...and I really like it...does all that I expect of it and is a great lathe. Remember you get what you pay for, if you want quality it will cost a little more. Buy quality once, and cry once, buy junk and continue crying! eezlock

[Flatlander]

I just got the Steel City lathe here: http://www.toolking.com/steelcity_60100.aspx
For $250 and variable speed it is a great deal. I purchased this over the PSI because of the lowest speed of 500 RPM's instead of 650 on the PSI.

[leehljp]

If you are going to give it a try but not sure, I will throw in a few notes and others can add more:

It ends up being more expensive as you go, especially when you find out that it can be easier and more refined if you had . . .

1. Get a set of 3 (or more) Harbor Freight chisels. Not the best but can do as a trial set. You WILL need to learn to sharpen chisels well as in razor sharp.

2. PSI sells some pre-drilled blanks but I would stay away from that if possible. Those will work but there are limitations on wood varieties and kinds of pens. Having said that to drill the blanks, you will need a drill press and the correct size drill bits.

With the PSI Turner VS lathe, you can buy a "set' or "bundle" in which you get the very basic items needed to start turning. Bear in mind that the finish provided in these bundles leave a LOT to be desired and finishing pens go way beyond this.

[dewi1219]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Last night I went to look at a RAS that I found in the local classifieds (like new Craftsman for $75!) and the guy commented that he had a lathe he wanted to get rid of too. It was also a Craftsman, like new, a 12" model with 36" bed length. He wanted $50 for it including a brand new set of turning tools. I thought it was too good to pass up, so I bought it all.

I have a drill press, so that's no problem. I just need to get the right size drill bits, mandrel, a few kits, and some finishing supplies then I should be ready to go. I have some leftover red oak from a previous project that I can use for my first test run. I plan to start with Slimlines, and (hopefully) develop my skill on those before moving on to other styles.

[leehljp]

Congratulations. Looks like you are almost ready to go!

On the lathe, check and make sure the tail stock aligns with head. Sometimes small adjustments need to be made. If you do this before you start, it will minimize some problems with pen turning.

[Russianwolf]

Go to http://www.arizonasilhouette.com/ and pick up some Chrome Slimlines. Nice and cheap ($1.75 each), good quality and chrome lasts a lot longer than the 24k gold versions.

[dewi1219]

Hank,
Is there a "proper" way to align the tailstock to the head, or do you just do it by sight? Thanks.
Scott

[leehljp]

Hank,
Is there a "proper" way to align the tailstock to the head, or do you just do it by sight? Thanks.
Scott

Pull the tail stock up to the head stock and see if they align point to point. It is a visual thing but still you can tell if they are as much as a millimeter off, and it should not be. It should be point to point.

There are a few different methods or tricks to aligning them. But first things first. See if they align when tightened. Of course if you use a mandrel for pen turning, you will take the drive center out of the head stock for that.

Other notes:
There is a way to make pens (other than most slim lines) without using a mandrel, and it is called the mandrel-less method or the No-mandrel method and one other name . . . but I forget.

Slimlines are the cheapest to start with and provide great experience. But they are not simple to make. Most people usually try to make a straight pen with the slimline as beginners. That is hard to do and match the size of the bushings. But mess ups are cheaper.

However, IMO Sierras are about the easiest of all to make but more expensive. Cigars are an in-between pen. A little more difficult than Sierras but about a dollar cheaper.

You will need different bushings for each kind of pen you use.

When you have other questions, just ask. Lots of people here to help.

[Uncle Cracker]

There is a way to make pens (other than most slim lines) without using a mandrel, and it is called the mandrel-less method or the No-mandrel method and one other name . . . but I forget.

Center-to-center (C2C)...

Dewi, don't worry about big lathes for penturning... I turned a couple hundred pens on my big 'ol Craftsman before I invested in a mini (mostly so I could turn at night without waking the neighbors).

[dewi1219]

Uncle Cracker,
Do you remember if your Craftsman had a #2MT? How can I check mine to confirm what it is? Sorry for the dumb question, but I am still learning...