New to turning

[Ian57]

Hi guys newish member here. I recently aquired a BT300 TS. That is why I joined...LoL. However my first question is about pen making. Since I started my workshop I have had a desire to turn pens, I might add I have no turning experience.
So my question: is the HF Lathe Mod. N. 95607 a good place to start together with a Starter Kit from Pen State.
Your views would be appreciated.

[phrog]

I'm having severe eye problems but I think you're asking about the HF 8" x 12" Lathe. I asked about this several years ago and several things were pointed out to me. Firstly, you can do everything on a larger lathe that you can do on a smaller lathe but not vice versa. The smaller lathes (and think this one is no exception) use Morris Taper I (MT1) accessories. These are much harder to find than MT2 accessories. Having said this, a smaller lathe will probably work for turning pens but not for much else that is larger. It was suggested that I pay a little extra and buy the HF 34706 which is 33.5 x 12 " and uses MT2 accessories in both the drive and tail stocks. (This lathe is very similar to the Jet lathe which is much more expensive. ) Therefore, there are many more accessories available. Also, the larger lathe is much heavier with cast iron bed and is less likely to vibrate. Take a look at this one. (It is the one that a lot of members on this site have bought and recommend, and I concur.) There are many 20% Off Coupons available to bring the price down considerably.
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-inch...ead-34706.html
PS: I almost forgot: Welcome to the site.

[Ian57]

Thanks for that info Richard. I think I will seriously look at this option. Have you used this model?

[Ian57]

Is this a good buy?
http://orlando.craigslist.org/tls/3306987694.html

[LCHIEN]

sounds like a good deal to me. Name brand lathe plus Freud turning tools for less than the 12"x33 HF. Larger and more resale value. As always, worth a try to bargain him down a little.

[leehljp]

I agree, that sounds like a very good buy. And beyond that, there will be a few more things that are needed. IF you use a pen mandrel, you will need what is called a 60° live center. The centers in the tail stock come made for wood. But mandrels are metal, and the metal dimple in the end of the mandrel is made for a 60° center. The problem is that the wood center will work, but it will eventually cause wobble, and that is not good.

Another method besides using a mandrel is calle TBC - Turning Between Centers - or the centers of the head stock and tail stock. This eliminates a plethora of problems that can crop up that cause non-concentric turnings and sometimes erronously referred to off center or out of center turnings.

Below is a link to a thread that I contributed to a few years ago. Check it out:

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...hlight=mandrel

[phrog]

Thanks for that info Richard. I think I will seriously look at this option. Have you used this model?

Yes, I have this model as per recommendations on this site. It works well for me.
Remember that buying the lathe is only the down payment. Be prepared to spend a few million dollars on accessories!

[phrog]

Is this a good buy?
http://orlando.craigslist.org/tls/3306987694.html

As Loring and Hank said, it looks like a very good buy. The Jet model appears to be the same one I referred to that HF copied and is much more expensive than the HF model. Also, as they said, those Freud tools are not bad. I would want to see the lathe hooked up and see it turn. At that price, it won't be on the market long. Good luck.

PS One more good thing about both the Jet lathe and its HF clone is that it has variable speed control without changing belts - makes changing speeds a lot faster and easier. (And you will be changing speeds.)

[Ian57]

Thanks for all your contributions. I have bought the lathe on craiglist subject to test run.

[phrog]

Hey Ian, Congrats on your purchase. If it doesn't have the operator's manual, I think this may be the link to it:

http://content.wmhtoolgroup.com/manuals/708352_man.pdf

One caution: In my lathe manual (HF 34706) in different places, it warns you: 1. Do Not Start the Lathe unless the speed control is turned to the SLOWEST Speed. 2. Do NOT Change Speeds unless the lathe is running. If you put these two together, it means you must turn the lathe to the slowest speed before turning it off. Otherwise, you would have to break one of the first two rules. I ahve broken them by accident with no bad results, but according to the manual, it could damage the pulleys.

Good luck.