# starter lathe for bowl turning?



## jayb (13 Mar 2013)

hi all,
i am new to this forum and new to wood turning. i am real keen on trying my hand at bowl turning. i want to be working with green wood as i am a tree surgeon and green wood will be readily available to me. i am also trained as a furniture maker so i know a little bit about wood.
my question is what lathe do i buy. what lathe would be a good starter for turning green wood bowls?
i have a very slim budget but really don't want something under powered... 
i have been looking at the SEALEY SM1308 and the Clarke CWL1000 as both are in my price range. could anyone recommend one or suggest another, 
would be extremely great-full for some help and knowledge.. thanks.....


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## CHJ (13 Mar 2013)

jayb":308o6kie said:


> ........i have been looking at the SEALEY SM1308 and the Clarke CWL1000 as both are in my price range. .........



Welcome to the forum.
I think you are in for a bit of a reality check if that is the limit of your budget, a reasonable quality chuck is going to be nearly double that.

I personally would not recommend either even for a new starter and certainly not for someone aiming at turning green wood bowls of any size.

The subject of 'which lathe' is a bit like how long is a piece of string but being realistic a monetary figure about 3 times that mentioned would be a starting point, going for a reasonable second hand lathe should get you mare machine for the money.
.
The other factor you may not have considered is your tool costs, a basic 3-4 tools will cost your proposed budget.

Best thing you could do is find a local wood turning club and go along and get acquainted with machine power, stability and tooling needs.

Have a look at this selection not for any particular recommendation but to act as a reference point for comparison with other replies.


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## steadyeddie (13 Mar 2013)

Please give the Clarke a miss. I had one when I first ventured into having a go at this woodturning lark. I returned it to Machine Mart after a week and told them in no uncertain terms what I thought of it. It was the sort of machine that could put you off from the start. (luckily, it didn't)

Dave


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## Bodrighy (13 Mar 2013)

Bowls can be turned on any lathe theoretically and so can green wood. As Chas says though you are better getting alongside someone whether in a club or someone local and having a go first. Bowls aren't the best way to start turning and cost wise require far more gear than spindle work which is where most people would start turning. 
This is a serious idea.....have you looked into pole lathe turning? Traditionally it is how it was done, mainly with green wood and you can build your own lathe and your tooling etc would be a lot cheaper. Main problem may be space but worth researching as if you have wood working backgrougnd building your own should be a doddle. 

Pete


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## nev (13 Mar 2013)

Hi JB
Sub £150 you will almost definitely be better served with some used (older) equipment of a higher quality. First stop UKW for sale section here 
By all accounts the likes of those you mention will probably not increase your enthusiasm for the hobby.
Dont forget you'll want a decent gouge or two and something to keep them sharp too, and, if you want to make your bowl making a little easier a decent chuck too (not essential) so finding a 'retiring' turners complete package is a good way to get you started.
cheers


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## Jethro (14 Mar 2013)

If you can get yourself along to Worcestershire Woodturners http://worcestershire-woodturners.co.uk/woodturners/ you will not be disappointed. They are a great bunch and you will get all the advise you could want


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## xraymtb (14 Mar 2013)

I have to agree with everything above having started out in December. My original budget tripled in a month with tools, chuck, visor, mask, finishes... 

I picked up a used AWSL on here and find it very good. Still going to cost more than those you have looked at unfortunately.


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## graduate_owner (14 Mar 2013)

Hi Jayb,
I would second those comments made about Clarke (and lookalikes - NuTool etc) lathes. Leave them well alone.

I was looking for a good bowl turning lathe, and I came across a Union Graduate on ebay - got it for £150. I was so pleased that when I joined the forum to find out some more, I called myself Graduate_owner. 

There aren't many chucks etc to fit a graduate going second hand, not on ebay anyway, and those that do appear usually attract pretty high bids, so perhaps it's not the best to go for if you're on a tight budget. If you get a lathe with a common thread (3/4 x 16 and 1" x 8 seem very popular) then searching the second hand market will be more productive.

Another thing worth mentioning is that some lathes have different threads on the left and right hand sides of the headstock - meaning you may need to buy two chucks (or extra inserts). If you get a swivel head lathe, this issue doesn't apply, so the extra cost of the lathe may be offset by saving on chucks etc. Or check that the thread is the same on both sides - it is on the graduate, but I don't think that's very common.

As has been pointed out already, you can spend much more on chuck, turning tools etc than the original cost of the lathe. However you can be lucky in second hand deals - my friend bought a Record lathe with a couple of chucks and about 8 decent chisels, all for £120. Perhaps getting a bundle, all used, is the best way to go if you can wait for the right stuff to come up. Keep looking on ebay, gumtree, local press etc. And be prepared to spend a bit more.

K


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## SVB (15 Mar 2013)

One trip that would be worth considering is to speak with the Max Carey Woodturning Trust with is associated with the Avon & Bristol Club. 

http://www.maxcareywoodturningtrust.org.uk/index.html

They have a workshop in Portishead with (at last count when I was there) had 20+ lathes ranging from basic record machinces through larger Jet / APTC stuff to Graduate and even a VB. They do a really good programme if you are a beginner and very cheap! However, prob hour drive each way but may be worth a trip and chat even on a one off.

Other option is that if you join a club and the AWGB, the AWGB did used to run a scheme where they loaned lathe / tools to new turners for a resonable length of time (6 mths rings a bell) so that may be of interest also.

http://www.woodturners.co.uk/training.php

Otherwise, I would echo comments above re the very cheap / light lathes - ok for light spindle work but will really not manage with the sort of stuff you would wish to play with.

BRgds and welcome,

Simon.


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## jayb (15 Mar 2013)

Cheers for every ones reply. Really helpfully. And yes after looking more into it my budget has grown Considerably. Oops.... I think I will continue looking down the second hand route tho. I already have a good chisel set, thanks again


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## Bodrighy (15 Mar 2013)

Been having a think, (I do at least once a month) and I may have a lathe that would be OK for you. It's a Tyme Avon and I was using it up until a couple of months ago. It has all the extension fittings and I have turned 18" on it with that. It will turn just under 3' length and 10" diameter comfortably over the bed. It's a decent solid lathe and served me well both hobby and pro for a few years. Do some checking out and if you are interested pm me. I was going to keep it as a 2nd lathe but haven't really got the room.

Pete


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## VikingAl (16 Mar 2013)

Hello mate, I was in the same boat. I do tree work & thought there must be a way of utilising all that timber instead of chipping/burning it. I got my hands on a Axminster Perform lathe with a headstock that turns. I did lots of research & settled on that type of lathe as Axminster have a great customer service & have helped me out a few times already. I do a fair amount of turning green bowls, mainly oak, beech, birch, chestnut & apple so far, I'd say 80% of them eventually crack but its all part of the learning curve!. I've been teaching myself really with the help of everyone on here (fantastic response by very knowledgeable people, no matter how dim I think some of my Qs sound sometimes!) & good old YouTube!. Just a quick question, do you have proper wood turning chisels or normal carpentry chisels?, I thought I'd try & be clever when I 1st got the lathe & try out a wood chisel, needless to say, that was the 1st & last attempt!. Good luck & attempt to get the best you can find.


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## dickm (16 Mar 2013)

No connection with Pete/Bodrighy, but in your position I'd be very tempted by the Avon he's got. Had mine for at least 10 years and it proved to be an amazingly versatile piece of kit, in some ways was better than the Mystro that I now use. With the head swivelled, it was excellent for bowl turning, though it certanly benefitted from being attached to a heavy bench.


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## woodyturner (16 Mar 2013)

I have a very good Union Jubilee lathe with V/S in the for sale forum


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## martinfbrown (29 Aug 2013)

I have the Clarke CWL325V mini lathe. Very good for my purpose, look aty other posts. What is exactly wrong with Clarke Lathes!!!
Martin


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## finneyb (29 Aug 2013)

Jayb,

Fully understand the budget issues especially as you may not take to woodturning.
The advice above about getting to a club and starting with spindle turning is sound - not only is it cheaper ie no chuck it is safer if you get a catch, and you will when you start. They eventually get less frequent 

I like green wood bowl turning, there is something about the creamy shavings and getting wet. A chuck (£100?) is only one way of mounting the bowl blank you can use a faceplate - most lathes come with a faceplate. A faceplate is certainly wasteful of wood, and I would not use it for 'paid for' wood but for green wood and you have plenty I'd use a faceplate 

I like the Wyoming Woodturner videos on You Tube - US seems to do more green wood than UK; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0t2iZrj ... Y-IUJW9i-o is a bowl from a log - which eventually will be right up your street - he uses a screw chuck rather than a faceplate - there are plenty of bowl with a faceplate videos on You Tube, just search.

I find the Axminster site http://www.axminster.co.uk/ is a useful site eg for finding out what a screw chuck looks like

HTH

Brian


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## nev (29 Aug 2013)

Check the dates gents


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## finneyb (30 Aug 2013)

#-o


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## martinfbrown (30 Aug 2013)

No one is answering the question of Clarke lathes!!!


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## CHJ (30 Aug 2013)

martinfbrown":ehmf7rd5 said:


> No one is answering the question of Clarke lathes!!!



The question you persist in keep repeating has been answered dozens of times within UKW forums.
The machines in general are at the bottom end of engineering quality, and to a large extent incompatible with the bulk of readily available lathe accessories and are best avoided by anyone who feels that they may wish to progress beyond the very basics of low volume small parts manufacture.

Repeated re-iteration of the same question theme on old threads is not appreciated, time would be better spent searching the archives and taking note of past members experiences.


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## chipmunk (30 Aug 2013)

Martin,
I'm sorry to say that, speaking for myself, there isn't much I can say that's positive about Clarke lathes. 

I know of two types sold by Clarke and they are overpriced for what they are, poorly designed and poorly made.

My first lathe was the Nutool version of this lathe...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/CLARKE-TURNING-LATHE-SPEED-940mm/dp/B008R6T3PC

It was noisy, it was almost impossible to get the head and tailstocks lined up - forget the kiss test, didn't go slow enough for out-of-balance stuff and the quill winding wheel was hopeless and broke in-use - I had to replace it with a wooden one. 

The other one I know of is this one which in my opinion is probably even worse because it's also lightweight and flimsy in addition to the above complaints although the tailstock does appear to have a handle in the right place....
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealey-SM13...ords=clarke+woodturning+lathes#productDetails

Sorry for being so brutal but you did ask.
Jon


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## martinfbrown (30 Aug 2013)

The two lathes in your links are not the one I have. Mine is the CWL325V mini lathe, which for my use is perfect. I would not say that it is of poor manufacture, it obviously depends on what people want from their lathe. A few years ago, I bought a bandsaw from Aldi. That was a big mistake, firstly the blade snapped and the accuracy for cutting was not good at all. I would call that tool from Aldi, very poor quality, but people need to start somewhere. I probably will not upgrade from my present lathe, unless I do want to turn heavier projects.
Martin


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## chipmunk (30 Aug 2013)

Martin I have to admit I haven't used that lathe and so have no first hand knowledge of it but looking at the specs the lowest speed of 900 RPM seems very high to me and the tailstock wheel looks less than easy to turn. The price tag is not that cheap either.

...but if it suits your needs then fine.

For pretty much the same money (£15 more) I'd be tempted to go for the Axminster AWSL http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-hobby-series-awsl-woodturning-lathe-prod886581/ 

which still has a rather high lowest speed at 750 RPM IMHO but has the possibility to add a bed extension, uses MT2 fittings, a much better tailstock and although not variable speed seems better value for money to me. It's also 38 kg rather than 21kg and so is going to be less likely to vibrate in use.

HTH
Jon


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## martinfbrown (30 Aug 2013)

I am using a small 3-jaw chuck with the lathe. I have to admit that when using the supplied faceplate, there is a slight vibration at full revs. Obviously, when this lathe is 'worn out' I will think about a replacement. I also have a metalworking mini lathe, which I purchased from Chester machine. The only Axminster tool I have is a small compressor, I use for spraying models. I did not think that the low speed was about 900rpm, but there again, I don't have a rev counter to check.
Martin


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## 12345Peter (1 Sep 2013)

woodyturner":3t57e1rx said:


> I have a very good Union Jubilee lathe with V/S in the for sale forum



You should give serious consideration to woodyturner's lathe it seems to have lots of gear with it and a nova chuck, unless that was sold. The really brilliant thing is variable speed, once you have used it it is hard to do without.

Regards
Peter


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