3/4" lathe for pen turning.

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GrandadJohn

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Liverpool, Merseyside
I have been given a lathe CWL 1000B. I am a beginner here. In fact I am just collecting information before I start. I understand that this type of lathe may not be suitable for pen turning?
I have looked on Amazon and can get a mandrel for the lathe.


Does anyone have experience of this lathe? I cant afford to buy one so needs must.

Also, what mandrel saver would you recommend?

Any help would be most appreciated.
 
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Not familiar with this lathe but I did a wee bit of research and it looks to be adequate for beginner pen turning. Four speeds are noted. I suspect speeds are changed by modifying the position of the belt on pulleys. The top 2 speeds should be okay for pen turning. The mandrel you show a link to is one that I use - so try it. I didn't see it noted, so the headstock spindle may not have a Morse taper. If not, too bad, but it's not a show stopper. .
One other thing - If you are going to turn, you will need to either use carbide tools or learn how to sharpen traditional, steel tools. Sharp tools are mandatory! Most newer folk use carbide and often graduate to steel at a later date.
Good luck,
 
WARNING: VERY HABIT FORMING! For some it comes on gradually and other it hits instantly and you find yourself looking at what tools you can sell to be able to by more pen turning tools and upgrades! 😁

Welcome. I started with a very mini lathe called the Taig. I was living overseas and it was the only thing I could put in my suitcase. Then when I was back in the USA a year later, I upgraded and had a larger lathe and paid to have it shipped back overseas with me.

Before investing in many tools, use the lathe you have and do some research as to what tools are needed - just as you are now for a mandrel to fit your particular lathe. For me on my Taig, there were some options but not a lot, and I suspect the same for your lathe. The MAIN thing to look for in an upgrade, if that is what you decide in the future - look for a lathe with an MT2 morse Taper. MT2 is the one standard that offers many many options.

For your lathe, and I looked it up and it looks like the tail stock has a live center that is made for turning wood. When using a mandrel, the mandrels are made of metal of course, but metal mandrels require a 60° live center in the tail stock. The one currently in the CWL 1000B appears to NOT be the 60° center. What that will do is cause the very tip to ball up or bend just a tad, and that will result in eccentric turning. See if you can find a 60° live center for the tail stock.
 
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Taking into account Hank's comments on the live center need, it will do fine to get you started with mandrel you have identified. I started out on a low cost Harbor Freight lathe that I pitched on sale sold a few years for more than what I paid, but less than retail.

Have fun!
 
As in the introduction thread Merseyside Woodturners. My advice is contact the club. Go to a meeting, beg for information. DO NOT SPEND MONEY BEFORE. The lathe you listed is less than a basic beginner lathe. You will want better, and accessories are not always interchangeable between lathes. The more you know before you spend, the less it will cost you to get started.
 
John, if someone has given you that Clarke lathe as a gift then I would run with it until you are able to upgrade it.
Make sure that the mandrel is compatible, and as someone above said....don't overtighten it.
 
The live center on that lathe is far from any standard I have seen, It looks like it probably just screws on and might be hard to find a 60 degree center to fit it.
 
John; Looked at the lathe manual. It looks like the tail stock is one piece so you can't swap tail stock centers. That is a REAL limitation! By all means if there is a Woodturning club within driving distance by all means go to one of their meetings. They can advise you and sometimes a turner is changing lathes and the old one can be bought secondhand.

Nothing beats standing beside someone and being able to ask questions. It looks like there is a club nearby(??)
http://www.merseyside-woodturners.co.uk/index.html
 
You may be able to use tools which have a MT1 taper. Some information that I found said that most lathes with the 3/4x16tpoi had a mt1 taper.
 
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