Looking for lathe advice

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I recently bought a similar size lathe and chose the Delta 46-460. http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=49597

The granite is neat but true variable speed, Reverse drive, 1 HP vs 1/2 HP, great warranty, and pinpoint accuracy of the center points sealed it for me. If I had it to do again, I would make the same choice.

The other lathe that I was considering was a Tekna DVR which is a fantastic lathe as well.
:wink::wink::wink:
 
J, I have a steel city lathe. Not the granite one (which I find odd coming from a company named "steel city", but I digress). I like it. BUT mine is variable speed, which I would HIGHLY recommend. The switches are trash (at least mine is) so I got a foot switch, which I now prefer.
SO here is what I would look for.
1. 1 x 8tpi spindle
2. MT #2 on Head and Tail
3. Variable speed
4. something that doesn't vibrate like crazy (needs to be heavy)
BTW, I got mine from Mantool, but don't tell Carl (it was before I knew them).
Lots of folks here swear by the Jet. But the new Delta Midi looks right nice too.
 
I would have to agree.

The Delta that Bree is talking about looks to me like it is worth it's weight in gold.

And Hans is absolutely dead center with his observations. Those things listed are the little things that seperate a good machine from a bad one.

If you plan to pretty much just do pens, you dont need reverse, but if you wanna get into bowls and such, teh reverse will be the bee's knees for sanding!

I own a Jet mini. My last lathe was a Jet 1236. I really like Jet, but if i were to buy a new lathe today... My money would go to the Delta 46-460.

Hey Bree, What all comes in the box with that bad boy?
 
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To throw in my .002 cents rounded for inflation...

When I was looking I had never turned a thing before so was a complete newbie. I went with the rikon mini lathe, picked it up from WC for around 340.00 and It was a great lathe! NO vibration really to speak of. I only had it secureed with a couple of screws at the time.

Power wise was not a problem to turn just about any spindle that would fit. The speed adjust was via the belt but it lacks the cumbersome access door, and instead the left side pully cover just flips down away from the lathe for quick easy access to change the pully configuration.

For anyone new to it jusyt starting that is a great lathe..
 
You don't give enough information. If you are going to do only small projects (pens and such), then the main choices are Jet, Grizzly and the new Delta, all in mini or midi sizes.
For more advanced turning of bowls and spindle work, the choices are many. Your budget will direct you to several to choose from. You can spend from $500.00 to over $5000.00.
The SS has it's lover and detractors, as do most brands. Only you can make the final choice. I have the Grizzly G0632 EVS and love it. IMHO, it is the best dollar value full sized lathe on the market.
 
DennisM said:
To throw in my .002 cents rounded for inflation...

When I was looking I had never turned a thing before so was a complete newbie. I went with the rikon mini lathe, picked it up from WC for around 340.00 and It was a great lathe! NO vibration really to speak of. I only had it secureed with a couple of screws at the time.

Power wise was not a problem to turn just about any spindle that would fit. The speed adjust was via the belt but it lacks the cumbersome access door, and instead the left side pully cover just flips down away from the lathe for quick easy access to change the pully configuration.

For anyone new to it jusyt starting that is a great lathe..
Click to expand...

I second the Rikon.......love it!


Barney
 
Let me back up a few feet in fact...


My first and foremost piece of advice would be this:

Turning is VERY expensive. Especially for someone that has no woodworking tools at all when they start. Between a lathe, tablesaw, bandsaw, drillpress, etc. etc. it gets high dollar REAL quick. Out of all of the tools you buy that are strictly for turning, Your lathe will probably be the one that you have for the longest. With that in mind, i will tell you like i was told. BUY THE BIGGEST, MOST GNARLEY MACHINE YOU CAN GET. BUT FIRST,,, Go watch a demo. Or even better, go take a little intor class at your local woodcraft. If you are absolutely positive this is what you want to do, then skip the demo and class and start looking for your first baby.

A high quality machine will do more than just introduce you to the sport. It will help insure that your experiences are good and fun. It can be VERY frustrating to work on a bad machine.


With that in mind, If i were you, i would check some used sources. I saw an old powermatic on my local craigslist the other day for $800. Runs good, still true, and ready to go. There was also a practicly brand new looking Jet mini VS for $250, and a Jet 1236 that came with a scroll chuck and a set of handtools, and a steady rest for $300.


My first lathe was a Jet 1236 that i bought used for $700. (I got a BUNCH of goodies with it) It was an awesome machine. I learned alot with that lathe, including how to work on lathes! Now, I am confident that i could totally disassemble a 1236, or a Jet mini and rebuild it with no problems.

As far as manufacturers, there are obviously lots of choices. Get what you can afford, but keep in mind, ultimately it is much better to have a well built small machine than a poorly built big one!

hope that helps.
 
Brooks803,

Others have given some great advice. I'll toss in a couple of points...

Look for a club in your area if you haven't already. It doesn't matter whether it's a pen turning club or a more general turning club. In addition to getting more good advice from the members, you could probably get some turning time on a variety of lathes this way. A club is a great way to flatten the learning curve and save some money too. You'll be able to try out other tools and decide which ones you like without having to purchase in order to test drive.

I have a Jet 1014 non VS and I like it a lot. I kept it after buying a floor model. The main reason was portability. Our club holds quarterly workshops and does a lot of demos at festivals, etc. If you *think* you will some day want to lug your lathe around for such things, then you need to consider the weight of that granite lathe. Specs say it's 161 lbs :eek: On the other hand, the weight is a real benefit if you're not going to be moving it.

There are some very good mini/midi lathes out there and if you watch for a deal it will come. Woodcraft had the 12" Rikon non VS lathes on sale this Summer for well below $300.

Have fun with it.
Tony
 
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