Opinion about starter lathe

[FamousAmos]

I just noticed this on Craigslist and want to start slow ,small, and smart .
I can get it fairly cheap but am I gonna wish I put that $100 towards something better ??
wood turning lathe

 

[endacoz]

I've only been turning for 1 year but now have 3 lathes. I feel it is very important to have a lathe with MT2 as many bigger and newer lathes all have these Morse Tapers so when you buy accessories they will then work when you upgrade. I can't see if this has a MT2 on the tail or head stock. (on HF website it appears that it is MT1) If it comes with different attachments or chucks that can be a plus. 1000 RPS (the slowest it says it goes) is in my onion too fast to put on a CA finish as the liquid will be sprayed around the room.

I personally would get a jet, delta, or even a HF midi lathe that takes MT2.

or go with a new HF lathe and use a 20% off coupon. the following gets great reviews and is identical to many other solid lathes like the jet 1014.

Benchtop Wood Lathe - 5 Speed

I'd spend an extra $100 to get one.

 

[lwalper]

You can get a brand new one here for $149. If you can get that used one cheap, CHEAP, it would make a nice buffer. I wish I had a buffer :frown:

 

[wyone]

well in MY opinion.. I would NOT buy that.. I have one just like it.. and never really got it to work for me very well. I doubt that it has morse taper on either end, so you are stuck with trying to figure out how to make that work with the standard pen turning equipment. I am actually going to repurpose mine for a buffing system soon.

I looked for a while on Craigslist and just in the last few weeks found a Jet 1014 midi lathe and for $125 a Grizzly 0486 full size lathe. I have to say, if I had bought those in the beginning, I would have been turning for a lot longer.

That said, if you are looking to turn spindles and some faceplate work, then go for it and get started making shavings. I have to also say, I was never really hooked on turning until I had my shopsmith and it worked fairly well, but nothing compared to a real one purpose lathe.

If you do decide to go with that type, you can probably actually find it NEW for less than $100. I looked and Harbor freight has several lathes at a low price and honestly, several really great turners on this site use Harbor Freight lathes as they are very similar to the name brands.

But of course, anything you can do to get the feeling for creating pens, you should do. You will soon be hooked... I know I am an addict now! lol

 

[southernclay]

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/tls/4764395899.html

This is a good starter lathe, same one I have. Not a steal but good price for a good lathe. I don't know anything about the one you posted but I would have concerns with age and wear. If it has problems are parts available etc. Also if slowest speed is 1000 rpm I wouldn't want to use it for drilling on the lathe which I prefer.

Hope that helps. If you want to up the budget Gary Beasley just posted one in the deal forum for $500. Nice lathe and has me thinking about what I really want for Christmas and if it should come early : )

 

[WriteON]

I would suggest you save up and buy something you will not have problems with and can enjoy for a long time. Buy it right the 1st time. You will find some great deals on Black Fri.... Take your time. Do your homework. Have fun...it's great hobby/interest.

 

[endacoz]

I'd get that jet 1014 listed above! comes with some nice attachments!

 

[lwalper]

...too fast to put on a CA finish as the liquid will be sprayed around the room.

You don't really need to have the lathe running to apply CA. Put a couple drops on a paper towel and rub it on turning the hand wheel with your left hand. The first layer with thin CA is a little tricky, but following that with med/thick works well. The thicker CA has a little longer working time -- a few seconds as opposed to instant.

 

[WriteON]

Nothing wrong with this for $300.... Sign up with PSI and they'll give 10% off.
It's not VS but it's doable. New, warranty, support. Read the reviews.
Turncrafter Commander 10 in. Multi Speed Midi Lathe at Penn State Industries

 

[wyone]

I want the attachments the lathe Warren posted! I bought the same lathe, for $100 with just the centers, and I LOVE LOVE it...

 

[FamousAmos]

thanks

I think I will put my $$ towards what I really want , that is sound advice . I figured that one may be a good extra but I will pass .

 

[southernclay]

Matt there was another 1014 posted on Craigslist yesterday for $275 that looks like it is sold already. They pop up from time to time. If I happen across anything I'll shoot you a PM.

 

[wyone]

Matt.. in the meantime.. take advantage of the knowledge of the experts here. I have learned so much by reading, and watching and just being a part of this forum. I still think the sooner you have shavings happening the better. Woodcraft has a decent looking Rikon midi lathe for like $299 I think.

I know I tried to jump in as cheaply as possible in the beginning and well, did not have success and then quit turning for a while. Good equipment, and good tools make a HUGE difference.

 

[LeeR]

I bought the Rikon 70-100 lathe several years ago, and it is a really solid lathe. I paid $250 on sale, and this lathe was on sale recently when I visited the local Woodcraft. I would prefer a variable speed model, but belt changes on this lathe are fast and easy. Rikon does offer a variable speed upgrade kit and I may order one at some point.

I added the bed extension, which really helps if you want to do long spindles, or do end drilling with drill chuck and bit in the tail stock. I started turning peppermills last year and the extra space is a must.

 

[jzerger]

I started with the PSI Turncrafter starter set as I had NO tools or even much knowledge...I had a cardtable and room for it in the carport but a serious desire (weakness) for pen/pencils. It came with everything I needed to make about 40 pen/pencils (all slimline I believe). The blanks were even pre-cut/pre-drilled/turning tools/finish/glue/pen press,etc.. I was able to actually get working pens and pencils the first day and lots to practice turning on (had never done it before). That was about 4 years ago and hundreds (too many) of pens ago... I've added lots more options and make lots more than pens but the lathe is still working well and is the only one I have.

If you have experience and/or tools, you can certainly do with less. If you have a mentor handy with all the "little" things you need, even better.
Enjoy it!

 

[Wood Butcher]

This Rikon looks pretty good to me. I am considering whether I need a second lathe. This is a 12" swing and 16" bc plus, it can be extended to 40". All for $299 plus shipping. I have spoken with a guy who got one and is very pleased. JM2cW
WB

Rikon Mini Lathe 12 inch

 

[FamousAmos]

Thanks

Jet Mini Lathe

This is a good starter lathe, same one I have. Not a steal but good price for a good lathe. I don't know anything about the one you posted but I would have concerns with age and wear. If it has problems are parts available etc. Also if slowest speed is 1000 rpm I wouldn't want to use it for drilling on the lathe which I prefer.

Hope that helps. If you want to up the budget Gary Beasley just posted one in the deal forum for $500. Nice lathe and has me thinking about what I really want for Christmas and if it should come early : )

I appreciate you mentioning the deal Gary posted , looks like I better
get some space cleared out . Thought it better to get something good
to start with instead of buying something I am not going to be happy with.

 

[ironman123]

I have the HF 5 speed 10X18 and later I bought the Rikon Bed Extension and the Variable Speed unit from PSI and moving right along for about 3 years now.

 

[Justin H]

... but am I gonna wish I put that $100 towards something better ??
wood turning lathe

Yes, yes you are. Take a look at that Jet Mini if you want to start small and smart. I bought a full sized HF lathe, the "good" one. I still wish I had saved my money and bought a nicer one, if later.

The HF lathe is a decent lathe, but I had to return the first one I got because the head-stock/tail stock were so far off that no shimming would fix it. And the second one I got is very sloppy in the tail stock. Which is not a big deal when turning and everything is locked down. But try drilling an over/under shotgun pen with it... 50 dollars in blanks later and I'm STILL trying to get a good blank drilled.

No matter what you do, get something with an MT2 tail stock and a 1x8tpi head stock spindle. If you don't, you're going to spend as much as you saved buying adapters anyway.

 

[southernclay]

Matt, you buy that Delta? Hope so, looked like a great deal. I was very tempted! Haha

 

[Gary Beasley]

He took it home last night.

 

[mike4066]

you can setup an RSS feed for craigslist and get notified when new things pop up.. so you could set a feed for "1014" and know pretty quick when one shows up.