Metal Lathes

[Jim Smith]

I know that some of the folks here use metal lathes to turn at least some of the pens the make. I am planning to purchase a used Emco Compact 8 Center Lathe and would like any feedback people have on either using metal lathes for pen turning or on the Emco lathes.

hHanks

Jim Smith

 

[bitshird]

Emco makes some fine equipment, I started out turning with a Jet 920 bn metal lathe, it's faster turning pens with a wood lathe, but a metal lathe is so much more versatile if I had to have only one lathe I'd keep my old Jet,

 

[holmqer]

The Emco Compact 8 is the lathe that most 9x20 lathes (Grizzly, Jet, HF etc) were patterned after. If the basic design of this lathe were poor, it would not be so widely copied.