Initial tool purchase

[jasonmac73]

Pen turning sounds very fascinating. Turning in general sounds fascinating. I want to get started am the choices to make are crazy. There are so many lathes to choose, methods to turn, sharpening that must be done, etc.

Where do I start? I have gone down the road of settling for mediocrity just to get going only to hate myself for buying crap. I think the main features of a lather I need is VS and 3/4 hp or greater. Other than that, no clue. I want something good but not to spend a lot. I know, that makes no sense.

What is the bare minimum I need to get going and then I can expand the tool creep as I go? I have to sell the wife on the idea so I can't go all crazy buy stuff or she may freak out.

So what lathe should I get (I know....loaded question) and what other tools do I need. Lathe knives, mandrel, grinder to sharpen knives, blanks, pen parts, ???

 

[RBcarving]

As a starter, I had good luck with the Penn State lathes. If you are looking at trying pen kits and similiar, I would just start with a carbide penturner from Easy Wood Tools (or similiar)...you can do a lot of basic turnings and dont need to get into sharpening equipment right away. If you find you enjoy it, add tools as you need them. As for kits & blanks, go see Ed at ExoticBlanks.com ... you wont go wrong. The Sierra kits and Cigar kits are good starters.

 

[stonepecker]

If you can find someone local in your area........visit their shop. Talk to them.
You will get many different replies here. The best advice I ever got was to go slow.

 

[JimB]

Before folks can really help you it would be helpful for you to answer 2 questions. What is your budget and what do you want to turn.

The budget is important because as you have probably realized, there is a wide range of prices not only for the lathe but all the other tools as well.

What you plan on turning is important because that will determine what size lathe you will need. If all you plan on making is pens and other small item you can make those on any lathe. If you plan to start turning larger items such as bowls, platters, peppermills etc then you will need a bigger lathe.

One word of caution. Many folks, myself included, start off thinking they will only do pens and other small items. After getting started they find they want to try some other items and their lathe doesn't have the capacity and they need to buy a bigger lathe. I started with a Jet 1014vs, a great lathe for turning smaller items. I then added a second, full size lathe to do bowls and other larger items.

 

[joe966]

Pen turning sounds very fascinating. Turning in general sounds fascinating. I want to get started am the choices to make are crazy. There are so many lathes to choose, methods to turn, sharpening that must be done, etc.

Where do I start? I have gone down the road of settling for mediocrity just to get going only to hate myself for buying crap. I think the main features of a lather I need is VS and 3/4 hp or greater. Other than that, no clue. I want something good but not to spend a lot. I know, that makes no sense.

What is the bare minimum I need to get going and then I can expand the tool creep as I go? I have to sell the wife on the idea so I can't go all crazy buy stuff or she may freak out.

So what lathe should I get (I know....loaded question) and what other tools do I need. Lathe knives, mandrel, grinder to sharpen knives, blanks, pen parts, ???

I just recently purchased a Rikon 70-100 lathe and love it. For the price you can beat it. Has good power and speed up to 3900 RPM. It has a 12" swing over the bed so you could do bowls and it allows for bed extensions should you decide you need a longer lathe.

 

[Herb G]

I suggest going to the AAW website & finding a local wood turning club.
Attend a few meetings & get a feel for what's involved before running out to spend money. You might surprize yourself after you get a little knowledge & hands on experience.

 

[dogcatcher]

Take Herb G's advice. The more you do your homework before buying will save you from buying stuff you won't or don't need.

 

[thewishman]

Pen turning is fun, and starting out can be expensive. Here are a couple of links that contain advice from many different turners:

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f18/starting-out-inexpensively-what-do-i-have-have-134740/

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f18/starting-out-i-only-want-buy-things-once-what-best-134739/

 

[jasonmac73]

I figured my question would spur a multitude of answers. To answer the questions posed by JimB.
1). I don't want to exceed $400 on the lathe and really would like to go cheaper but I don't think it is possible to do a VS lathe much cheaper. I know I need to make compromises but I am unsure on what features are non-negotiable such as the MT2 taper. Not sure entirely what the MT1 vs 2 is but everyone regrets not getting an MT2.

2). I plan to do pens but I would like to go beyond into peppermill sized items. Maybe small bowls ( 4 to 5"). What exactly determines the ability for a lathe to expand into larger items. Obviously the HP and the length. I see expansion kits for length. What is a middle of the road that expands without expanding the budget right away? I am a realist and realize that if I want a lathe to do it all, then I need a bank account that does it all and that I do not have.

I guess I just need to learn right now. I suppose selling a lathe down the road can't be too hard when replacing with larger.

I have no illusions that I buy a lathe and instantly turn out gems. I want to learn while occupying my time. I used to enjoy messing with computers and I started working in IT so I now hate them as a hobby. I see this as a great hobby because it can partially fund itself or at least offset all the cost of xmas gifts by giving them away.

 

[monophoto]

1). Not sure entirely what the MT1 vs 2 is but everyone regrets not getting an MT2.
2). What exactly determines the ability for a lathe to expand into larger items.

MT 2 vs MT1 - Fixtures are held on the lathe headstock in one of two ways - either screw on, or MT. Morse Taper is a mechanical friction fit inside the headstock shaft. MT-2 is more convenient because there are more accessories available in that size. If you have a choice, MT-2 is always better.

Most midi-lathe MT2 spindles have a 1"x8tpi thread. That's also pretty universal. Obviously, larger machines have larger spindles. But many people who eventually move up to a larger lathe still keep a midi around for smaller projects, so starting with an MT-2/1x8 machine isn't necessarily a showstopper for later adventures.

There are three critical numbers that you need to think about. Lathes are typically specified dimensionally - a 1218 lathe has a 12" swing which means that the largest diameter piece you can turn is 12" (and that's a theoretical maximum - subtracting about 2" gives a number that is a more practical limit). The 18" dimension is the longest spindle that you can turn - and again there's some 'marketing hype' here because you often need to subtract 2-3 inches for the chuck or other fixing used to hold the piece on the lathe. Given your list of projects, you probably need a minimum 10" swing (12" would be better), and a minimum 12" bed (and 18" is better). By the way, on most midi-lathes, the swing is an absolute maximum dimension. (On 'full size' lathes, it's often possible to rotate the headstock so the dimension between the spindle and the bed isn't limiting. I'm not aware of any midi's that offer that feature.) Some manufacturers offer bed extensions that allow you to turn longer spindles. And even if the manufacturer doesn't offer a bed extension kit, it is often possible to make up something in the shop that will suffice for occasional use on longer spindles.

The other critical number is motor horsepower. You can get buy with lower horsepower if you limit yourself to pens, bottle stoppers or other spindles, but if you advance into bowls you will need more power. Pepper grinders require even more because you have to drill a fairly large hole, and drilling works the motor especially hard. I would suggest starting no lower than 3/4 horsepower, or better yet, 1hp if the price difference isn't too much.

I have the PSI Turncrafter 1218 (1 hp motor). In my case, that's the largest that would fit into my shop. I've had it for three years and have been very pleased with it.

(Where in Jacksonville? That's my hometown although I haven't been back in almost 40 years.)

 

[jasonmac73]

(Where in Jacksonville? That's my hometown although I haven't been back in almost 40 years.)

Thank you for explaining about the lathes. That is extremely helpful.

I live in Oakleaf area of Jacksonville but if it has been 40 years then the area was cow pasture back then. Basically it is sw of Jax in Clay County. Not far from Middleburg. I'm sure it has grown. I thought once I retired from the Army I could settle in my forever home and quit moving but now that I have been here four years, I want to move. I miss the gypsy lifestyle of the military. LOL

 

[jasonmac73]

Does anyone have any experience with the Grizzly Lathes?

12" x 18" Variable-Speed Wood Lathe | Grizzly Industrial

 

[dogcatcher]

Does anyone have any experience with the Grizzly Lathes?

12" x 18" Variable-Speed Wood Lathe | Grizzly Industrial

I wouldn't hesitate to buy any of the Grizzly tools, I have gotten the best service out of the tools. The couple of times I had a problem, it was fixed ASAP.

 

[JimB]

I have a grizzly lathe but not that one. I have the G0462. I have had no problems.

 

[Dan Masshardt]

I wrote two posts that are in the library - tooling needed to start pen turning and choosing a lathe. They may be helpful to you.

$400 budget for a lathe is tough unless you get something used or live without features.

I just picked up the rikon pen lathe on sale for $250. It's working well enough but has zero extra features. I like all the goodies on my other lathes. . It's a way to get started without spending a fortune though and makes a good dedicated task lathe after you upgrade eventually.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app

 

[jasonmac73]

I wrote two posts that are in the library - tooling needed to start pen turning and choosing a lathe. They may be helpful to you.

I will check out you write ups. Thank you

 

[Skie_M]

Still using and enjoying my Harbor Freight Mini Wood Lathe.


$109 after tax (with 25% off coupon) left me plenty of cash to get lathe chisels, pen kits, blanks, mandrels, and various other needed things.


My one major headache with it is ... nobody local carries anything for lathes, especially #1MT, which my lathe uses. Everything I need I had to order online, other than the HSS lathe chisels I got at Harbor Freight (about 15 dollars for 8 tools).

I ordered my 3-jaw scrolling jaw chuck (it uses tommy bars to tighten) from Harbor Freight online. It's made for a metalworking lathe, but it suits me just fine at 32 dollars. All my other accessories are from PSI. I have the Drill Chuck, Mandrel, Mandrel Saver, and just this year for my birthday I got the Utility Grip Chuck. It also uses tommy bars to tighten.


1/3 HP Variable Speed (no belt changing at all) 8x12 Mini Lathe - $109 (with 25% off coupon)
3-jaw scrolling jaw chuck #1MT - $32
Drill Chuck #1MT (both sizes) - $18, $25
Mandrel Saver Kit #1MT - $20 (comes with mandrel + mandrel saver)
Utility Grip "C" style lathe chuck - $100 ($89 + 11 dollars shipping UPS ground)

I turn pens, keychains, vanity kits, ornaments, darts, small bowls and platters generally under 6 inches across, and boxes. Peppermills are well within my capability.