time to buy my first lathe

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motopsyco

motopsyco

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Joined
Dec 3, 2010
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plainwell, mi
Hi I joined up a couple of months ago and want to do penturning, just have to wait for tax refund. Now its time to pick out a good lathe. What ones do you guys suggest, first off I dont need anything big for awhile, I only plan on doing pens and pencils for awhile. I have read up on people liking the jet, and delta, but what about penstate? they all seem to be around the same price, but I would love to buy something cheaper since it will be my first one and cant afford to blow through my whole tax refund. I also found one called excelsior, has anyone used one of these, the seem to be a much better deal than the other as far as price goes. Or does anyone have any other suggestions on a decent starter lathe for a decent price, I'm open to all suggestions and cant wait to start working on some pens, thanx for any help guys and talk to ya soon.
 
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give us your budget.

the main things you want to make sure of if its a wood lathe...

1) MT2 on both ends. This will allow you to move your accessories to a bigger lather later.
2)Headstock spindle thread should be a standard thread (most of the smaller ones use a 1x8TPI) for the same reason.
3) Avoid lathes with a pipe as the ways. they aren't necessarily bad, but can be harder to keep aligned.


And remember the lathe is only about a third of the cost you are going to need to lay out.
 
I have the Delta and am real happy with it. Fact, I also nave a Nova 44 1624 also that I haven't used since I bought the Delta. Any you mentioned is a good lathe. I personally think the Delta is the best in the price range you are looking at, but that is just my opinion. Don't forget to check out Rikon also. There are a lot of happy owners of those here also.
 
A real good and cheap lathe for a beginner, I would have to say the little VS Harbor Freight lathe is a great lathe to start with. I have one and I love it for pens, I also have a Turncrafter Commander it is also a good lathe but it has its issues. I have had no problems with the HF lathe ($99.99) if you catch it on sale.
John
 
After lots of looking around and reading reviews, I just ordered the JET 1014 VSI to replace my old craftsman that bit the dust. I'm new to pen turning and having turned a few pens decided that the next lathe I got would be one with the variable speed option. I think it will be nice to change speeds without having to move belts around each time. Good luck with your search.
 
I have used both the HF VS and a Jet 1014 VSI. Overall I like the Jet better but miss the full spectrum of electronic variable that the HF had. Which is another option you may want to consider as a feature that is a determining factor for you. The Excelsior I believe is a 5 speed belt change drive. The Jet 1014 VSI is a blended Electronic and Mechanical variable in that you have 3 belt positions for speed range of the electronic variable. I assert this keeps the lathe motor in the sweet spot for torque. Your other option may be to peruse Craigslist and see what you maybe able to find used.
 
good luck!

I have the excelsior, which is sold by rockler.
It's a typical chinese machine: if you are lucky, everything is aligned and tuned the way a new machine should be. I wasn't so lucky, and wasted many pen kits, much time and some money untill I figured out that the inside taper was out of wack and had it fixed. also, the set screw on the pulley was not tight and it scratched the shaft while spinning loose.

but once the machine is aligned, I love the way it works: it's heavy and solid, does everything you need done for pens and pencils it has plenty of power and room for most projects. yes, you have to move the belt whenever you need to change speed, but for me this is a very small inconvenience.

if you do buy it, make sure you wait untill they go on sale! there are different sales, I spent only 199$ and got a free bed extension (which I have yet to use)

like someone mentioned, be aware that you will spend much more on accessories!
 
I have a new Delta and if you can afford it you won't regret buying it!
That being said, I know when you first start out you want to try to save money where you can, .... in that case I would suggest watching craig's list for a used Jet. I bought one that way for $260. (Of course a year later I sold it and bought the Delta 46-460). :biggrin:

A seond option would be to look for a good deal on a Rikon. I saw some places offering them for $270 (new), before Christmas. I have always heard very good things about them.

Best of Luck whatever you decide on. :smile:
 
I've used the Excelisor for over a year and am happy with it. Not had any problems and have turned pens, bottle stoppers, small vase, keychains, shoe horn, etc.
As has been mentioned, watch for a sale, got mine for $200, including bed extender and free shipping. Wish it was variable speed but the belt changing isn't that big a deal.

As others have already mentioned, I've spent far more on accessories than the lathe:wink:.

Carl
 
The key question is how much money do you want to spend.

You will hear lots of opinions here and they are all good. I have a ShopFox 1704 VS - it has a 3/4x16 spindle with MT1 tapers, and I've been happy with it for what I do (pens, bottle stoppers, tea lights, pendants, small tool handles, small containers, etc).

VS is a handy feature, but you do need to understand that the variable-voltage approach found on low-end lathes means that the lathe can't deliver as much torque at low speeds. Practically, that translates into problems drilling on the lathe. Small bits are OK, but large forstner bits tend to stall out, and if you crank up the speed, they will overheat. Speed changing by moving the belt position is a PITA, but it reduces the torque issue.

You can find a wide range of accessories for MT1. Yes, there are more options for MT2, but do you need more choices?

My experience is that the lathe itself is only the starting point, and you will spend several times the price of the lathe by the time you equip yourself with accessory tools. I have two suggestions. First, read Ernie Conover's book "The Frugal Woodturner" before you invest in a lot of tools. It's full of some very practical suggestions. In particular, the chapter on techniques for mounting the workpiece on the lathe is worth its weight in gold.

The most important accessory I bought is a tap that matches the lathe spindle - because it allows me to make all kinds of faceplates, mandrels, and chucks myself rather than buying commercial products.

My other suggestion is that while buying a starter set of chisels may make sense, don't go overboard here. As time goes by and you get experience, you will learn which tools you really need, and can buy them individually. That makes more sense than buying a large (and expensive) set of tools that you never use. Carbon steel is fine to start out - you will need to sharpen them more frequently, but whatever tools you have, you must learn to sharpen them so the practice won't hurt. When you add to your collection, look for high-speed steel.
 
Being as it'll be your first lathe, I think you'll be happy with just about anything. I purchased a used Turncrafter Pro from an IAP member and don't regret a thing. Before that, I was using a drill press with a lathe attachment. Since I've never used a Delta or Jet, maybe I don't know what I'm missing, but hey, ignorance is bliss. I think since you are just starting out, if you find you'd rather have something bigger and better down the road, you shouldn't have a problem selling your used lather or even keeping it as a dedicated buffer or something. You'll probably spend just as much if not more on chisels, chucks, accessories, etc... so save some of that tax return money for other stuff.
 
studioso said:
good luck!

I have the excelsior, which is sold by rockler.
It's a typical chinese machine: if you are lucky, everything is aligned and tuned the way a new machine should be. I wasn't so lucky, and wasted many pen kits, much time and some money untill I figured out that the inside taper was out of wack and had it fixed. also, the set screw on the pulley was not tight and it scratched the shaft while spinning loose.

but once the machine is aligned, I love the way it works: it's heavy and solid, does everything you need done for pens and pencils it has plenty of power and room for most projects. yes, you have to move the belt whenever you need to change speed, but for me this is a very small inconvenience.

if you do buy it, make sure you wait untill they go on sale! there are different sales, I spent only 199$ and got a free bed extension (which I have yet to use)

like someone mentioned, be aware that you will spend much more on accessories!
Click to expand...

I also have this lathe. I had the first incarnation, with the variable speed motor (which Rockler no longer backs or sells anymore). The motor gave up the ghost after about 3-4 pens over the course of a year (didn't have a lot of spare time for turning).

Through a deal Rockler made me, I got the non-variable speed version with the bed extension, with MUCH trepidation.

I must have gotten lucky. Everything's aligned and it seems to turn true. It's pretty solidly built on a cast iron frame. I've had no complaints on this lathe. I've had quite a bit more time to turn and have been able to turn probably twice what I turned on the variable. The only problems I've had are my own inexperience and learning curve. MT2 on both ends. Overall pretty happy with it. Just $0.02 from a fairly novice turner as well, so take it for what it's worth. I think it's a fairly solid entry level machine.

I would also look for a deal on this one. Have seen it on sale with bed extension AND a set of chisels.
 
When I first started making pens , I had very limited funds and bought a mini lathe similar to the HF/Wilton VS mini lathe and it performed well for me (for about $100 shipped) for the first 6 months . I became very bored with turning kit pens and wanted to start more advanced pen work and some small bowls and boxes but the lack of accessories for the MT1 and 3/4"X16 spindle and the underpowered motor of this lathe just didn't lend itself to doing this kind of work . I spent the money and bought a Jet 1014VSi and have not regretted it in any way . While the first lathe served me well (and still serves my son well) I am glad I spent the extra for the Jet . It has enabled me to take my penmaking well beyond just kits .
If your very limited on funds and don't think you will ever want to go beyond just making kit pens , one of those small lathes will serve you well but if you even just think that you may want to go further then spend the extra money and buy one of the better lathes . Jet or Delta or Rikon make some awesome mini lathes and you will be very pleased with the power and quality of these lathes .
 
thanx for the fast replies guys, and the tips and input on the lathes, I think i may go with the excelsior and it is on a deal right now, but i will look at the hf one too, I didnt think about checking them out. I do need something cheap to start with because like many of you mentioned I need money for tools and accessories.

--Brian
 
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