Lathe buying advice

[atgcpaul]

Recently I've been feeling the urge to get a lathe and start turning bowls and
maybe table legs--primarily bowls. Then I realized I don't know anything
about lathes.

I really have no idea where this could take me but I feel with lathes, bigger
is probably better for bowls. I have no interest in turning pens.

Generally, I really like what I've read about the Teknatool NOVA 1624-44.
Although the swing isn't huge, it seems like you could do some huge turnings
by just turning the head to the outboard side. Rotating heads don't seem to
be common features on the sub $1000 lathes.

Then there are all the accessories you have to get. Scrapers, gouges, etc.
Grinder to sharpen all the tools. Different chucks.

Is it possible to keep all this under $1000? Do you have any general suggestions for what I should be looking for?

Thanks, Paul

[dbhost]

Recently I've been feeling the urge to get a lathe and start turning bowls and
maybe table legs--primarily bowls. Then I realized I don't know anything
about lathes.

I really have no idea where this could take me but I feel with lathes, bigger
is probably better for bowls. I have no interest in turning pens.

Generally, I really like what I've read about the Teknatool NOVA 1624-44.
Although the swing isn't huge, it seems like you could do some huge turnings
by just turning the head to the outboard side. Rotating heads don't seem to
be common features on the sub $1000 lathes.

Then there are all the accessories you have to get. Scrapers, gouges, etc.
Grinder to sharpen all the tools. Different chucks.

Is it possible to keep all this under $1000? Do you have any general suggestions for what I should be looking for?

Thanks, Paul

Well, let's see... I can show you what I have in my turning tool set and what is likely to show up soon...

HF #34706 lathe (Jet JWL 1236 clone). $219.00 -20% = $175.20 (+ tax).
PSI LCHSS8 8 Piece High Speed Steel lathe chisel set. $59.95 w/Free Shipping.
Big Horn 19053 8 inch 3 piece caliper set. $17.81 w/Free Shipping.
Nieko 6 inch stainless steel 6 inch large display digital caliper. $14.95 w/Free Shipping.
Ryobi BGH616 6" bench grinder (8 inch model shown, Home Depot site doesn't show the 6 incher for some reason). Got it on a Black Friday sale for $19.99. Regular price $49.99 + tax.
Norton 150 grit Aluminum Oxide 6 inch grinder wheel. $18.99 + S&H, or pick up in store at Rockler.
Wolverine Grinding jig $87.95 + S&H.
PSI Woodworking CSC3000C Barracuda Wood Lathe Key Chuck System. $168.24 w/Free Shipping.

Subtotal... For now. $593.12

So yes, bowl turning can be gotten into for under a grand, well under. A fancier lathe, or turning tools will set you back more bucks though...

[SteveR]

Additional stuff

Additional items which will be very useful for bowls

gas chainsaw......for cutting up blown over trees after storms. Basically free wood. In your area of the country I bet you could grab some nice wood.

Bandsaw.....cutting the blanks round for mounting on the lathe

BT3x...does not need to be operable...used to set the lathe chisels on.

Steve

Forgot to add safety items.
Full face shield a MUST have. These may be around $15
Some sort of lung protection...particularly when sanding. This item can easily be many threads by itself.

[shoottx]

The real value of this site is the people, knowledge and experience with Ryobi saws. You have people here, that use, repair, ugrade and maintain the saws. In effect you have a one stop shop for information. Now If I were going to start something new, I would want to find the folks that are like this site for that activity. The most likely place to find that kind of information would be at your local AAW (American Association of Woodturners) meetings.


http://www.woodturner.org/

http://www.woodturner.org/community/...alChapters.asp

[eezlock]

lathe buying advice

First off, if you think about lathes and starting to turn with no experience,
your best bet is to check out some turning clubs in your area and get their
input/ advice. Turning can be one of the most rewarding parts of woodworking....I know this from first hand experience!

I bought a lathe over a year ago, and started turning because I had not lost my interest in lathes from my high school days and that was over 40 years
ago! I still remember what I had learned from my shop teachers because
they instilled in us well back then. I bought a Jet 1014I lathe, later a bed extension to make it longer and have really enjoyed it a lot!

I think you would be ahead of the crowd if you start out with a Jet, Rikon, Steel City, Delta, Penn State or one of their clones in the same size and power range these machines are well built and reliable. These machines
all use standardized accessories as far as I know, like 1"x 8tpi chucks, #2 morse tape spindles and this makes buying extras for the lathe a lot cheaper now and later on if you upgrade to most of the bigger machines. This makes life simpler down the road. Turning is not only turning wood round on a lathe,
it also involves sharpening your lathe chisels,being good at using calipers,
following patterns for duplicating pieces, making some accessories for the lathe and on and on. That is part of the reason most turners talk about
the "slippery slope" buying more and more tools and so on.

These are a few things to think about anyway... if had to sell most of my tools and could only keep one of my machines, it would be my lathe! I brings more joy than most of the others.

[atgcpaul]

"Slippery slope" No kidding. It seems like there's a more organized, dedicated
core of turners than woodworkers.

Anyway, I found a local club and plan to attend next month. They happen to
meet at the local Woodcraft which also has a beginners class for bowl turning
for $175. I think it's a little steep for an all day class but hopefully it will be a
small investment towards something that could be lifelong.


Paul

[gerti]

Anyway, I found a local club and plan to attend next month. They happen to meet at the local Woodcraft which also has a beginners class for bowl turning
for $175. I think it's a little steep for an all day class but hopefully it will be a
small investment towards something that could be lifelong.

Check/ask if your local club has hands-on sessions. A lot cheaper then the classes at WC.

[Russianwolf]

Check/ask if your local club has hands-on sessions. A lot cheaper then the classes at WC.

Or, chat with the turners at the meet. Most will be willing to show you the ropes at their shop. I know I would be willing if I actually cleaned it up so people wouldn't trip over lumber

[dbhost]

Additional items which will be very useful for bowls

gas chainsaw......for cutting up blown over trees after storms. Basically free wood. In your area of the country I bet you could grab some nice wood.

Bandsaw.....cutting the blanks round for mounting on the lathe

BT3x...does not need to be operable...used to set the lathe chisels on.

Steve

Forgot to add safety items.
Full face shield a MUST have. These may be around $15
Some sort of lung protection...particularly when sanding. This item can easily be many threads by itself.

Good points. But I want to know.... When were you in my shop while I was turning? The SMT is close at hand and really handy to set the turning tools on.

[bmyers]

HF #34706 lathe (Jet JWL 1236 clone). $219.00 -20% = $175.20 (+ tax).

x2 on the HF lathe. I had a pipe lathe before the HF cast iron and it was junk. Staff away from those.

x2 on the face shield. Unless you have a good DC system WITH filtration, you'd be better off buying a cheaper lathe and a more expensive shield/respirator and save your lungs for future use. Fine particles of exotic woods can be really bad.

When I was shopping for a lathe, I kept coming across this saying: "You can turn little stuff with a big lathe but you can't turn big stuff with a little lathe". Now you have too.

Of course, later on I bought a small Jet for pen turning and little parts because I could bring it into my "other shop" that had air conditioning.

A lathe is only as good as the chucks you use with it.

Cheap chisels are great to learn how to sharpen chisels with.

Low speed grinder is a must IMHO.

Build your own grinder/sharpening system and save the cash for something else.

Get signed up with PSI turning supply and get their specials and catalogs coming your way. Good stuff and reasonably priced.

Thats enough for now I guess... Have fun!!

Bill

[bowlsaw]

Lathe Choices

When I started woodturning again, I bought a Jet Mini-lathe. And I turn most of my bowls on it. I do have the Nova 1624-44, but only use it for platters. My work-horse is the small lathe. I have a Delta bandsaw, a 12" disc sander, a Delta 10" contractor saw and a DeWalt 10" radial-saw. Of the 15-20 woodturning tools, I use the 1" Sorby round scraper, the 1/8" Hamlet bowl gouge and the 1/2" round Hamlet skew the most. My most used accessory is a 2-speed hot-melt glue-gun which allows me to set mount bowls on mdf faceplates to drill the Forstner 2-1/8" holes for mounting the bowls. Gosh, there are a lot of tools involved, but the only exotic I have is one I invented--the BowlSaw that I use that on the expensive bowl blanks which gives me a two for one return. Dick

[leehljp]

I have a Rikon midi lathe. It was fairly powerful with a good motor for the lathe's size. A year after buying it, I purchased the PSI VS motor and controller because I hate the constant belt changing for speed changes. This worked great for pens!

I cannot do without the VS and it will be on the next lathe. However, the midi sized VS motors are not powerful enough for turning 10 to 12 in bowls and plates. It works OK but not great. It becomes obvious that it is weak when it comes to power for driving 3 and 4 inch thick bowls 10 and 12 inches in diameter.

[RMCWoodWorks]

Paul, as ShootTx says, you'll find more enthusiasm, willingness to share knowledge, etc. than you (or your time or tool budget) can handle if you pursue one of the local American Association of Woodturners chapters ... here's some ...

Baltimore Area Turners ( Towson, MD )
Web Site: http://www.baltimoreareaturners.org
Capital Area Woodturners ( Alexandria, VA )
Web Site: http://www.capwoodturners.org
Catoctin Area Turners ( Leesburg, VA )
Web Site: http://www.catoctinareaturners.org/.
Chesapeake Woodturners ( Annapolis, MD )
Web Site: http://www.chesapeakewoodturners.com
Cumberland Valley Woodturners ( Chambersburg, PA )
Web Site: http://www.freewebs.com/cvwoodturners/
First State Woodturners ( New Castle, DE )
Web Site: http://www.firststatewoodturners.org
Mid-Maryland Woodturners ( Frederick, MD )
Web Site: http://www.mmwtc.org
Montgomery County Woodturners ( Rockville, MD )
Web Site: http://www.montgomerycountywoodturners.org
Quad-State Bodgers ( Ellerslie, MD )
South Central Pennsylvania Woodturners ( Jacobus, PA )

Good luck!

[guycox]

Seriously, skip the pain and in the indecision. Just take out a loan and buy a Oneway or a Stubby.. it'll be cheaper in the long run..

[atgcpaul]

Wow! It's been a little over 2 years since I started this thread. Here's an
update.

Last summer there was a sale at WC for the well-reviewed Rikon 70-100 mini
lathe. It's in my garage and still in the box. My wife had a baby last summer
so I should have known better than to start something new.

A little over 2 years ago, my Uncle passed away. He was a spindle turner. Fast
forward to last weekend after my cousin's wedding (not her dad). My Aunt
offered up the lathe to me and I picked it up on the way home. It's a Delta
46-715. Not the best lathe, I've read, but it's got sentimental value because
I dearly miss my Uncle and he was taken too soon. Grrrrr...survive one thing
only to die from pneumonia caught at the hospital!

Well, that's where I stand with my 2 lathes. I'm going to the local turner's club
meeting July 7. I've got the chisels. Need to get a grinder and make a
sharpening rig. My desire is to turn bowls but I'm going to start out with
knobs or spindles of some sort.

Oh yeah, we're expecting another baby around Labor Day. What are my
chances I'll get much turning in? Does iron go bad?

Paul