# Starter lathe



## rob39 (21 Jun 2011)

Hi all posted this in the wrong forum (general)
Looking to get my first lathe for basic work, and looking at the SIP 40" wood lathe starter pack £108.95 at DIY tools
Any reviews on this


----------



## sparkymarky (21 Jun 2011)

yep i can review it, it`s rubbish and a complete waste of money. the lathe is made of box section steel not cast iron so when turning vibration is a massive issue, in turn this can be very dangerous when turning rough uneven blanks down. i managed to bend my lathe out of shape  

i now have a second hand record cl3 36 lathe which i bought from a contact of a wood turner who was exhibiting at a local craft fair. 

my advice would be to either find a older record cl3 or cl1, or any other type of cast iron solid bed lathe (i know some don`t like the twin bar setup on the records).
also don`t buy the cheap "professional" chisel set from sip they bend very easily and are made of very poor steel. try ebay for chisels and gouges just buy what you need to start with.


----------



## nev (21 Jun 2011)

sparkymarky":12ngixos said:


> my advice would be to either find a older record cl3 or cl1, or any other type of cast iron solid bed lathe (i know some don`t like the twin bar setup on the records)..



and why not a CL2?
which is what i have  - and i dont think its the lathe thats stopping me from producing anything of merit  
admittedly i've only been at it for 6 months or so, so a pro i am not but its seems more than adequate to me.

the one thing i have noticed when visiting craft fairs and demos, all the demonstrators seem to have little baby JET lathes,which look a lot less cumbersome and seem to produce fair size chunks of work, no idea on cost though.


----------



## jumps (21 Jun 2011)

nev":e48h95wk said:


> the one thing i have noticed when visiting craft fairs and demos, all the demonstrators seem to have little baby JET lathes,which look a lot less cumbersome and seem to produce fair size chunks of work, no idea on cost though.



the 1220 is about 375, and a 'common' model in the environments you mention. Add another 100 for VS.

the 1014 is the real 'baby' and comes in around 250


----------



## rob39 (24 Jun 2011)

How about the scheppach DMT 450 lathe or Record DML24X 24"


----------



## boysie39 (24 Jun 2011)

UP UP UP, Rob Now yer beginning to suck diesel.
You havent bought a lathe yet and your half way down the slope

REgards Boysie


----------



## Blister (24 Jun 2011)

rob39":3e5x3l9e said:


> How about the scheppach DMT 450 lathe or Record DML24X 24"



Or why not dive in head first :lol: 

http://www.magma-tools.de/Director/idKe ... lack+Line/

no need to upgrade then :lol:


----------



## rob39 (24 Jun 2011)

Would love something like that but can't afford it. How about the Axminster awvsl. Some positive advice needed


----------



## Richardhw (25 Jun 2011)

There are lots of positive thoughts on the forum about this lathe (AWVSL 1000), I have had one for a couple of years and find it a nice piece of kit. the one drawback that I know of (and it's not major) is that in some curcumstances the speed handle can get in the way slightly. (another member has also mentioned this).
It's a heavy lump, I think slightly let down by the legs (pressed steel) and could benefit from some bracing which I will get round to sometime, so it's not that much of an issue, I keep plenty of weight on the shelf which helps with the vibration so the tools go elsewhere.
All in all it's a good machine to start with I believe, not small so be prepared for using some space up, I doubt you would be dissapointed if you bought this.
You could also do a search for Perform CCBL which is the prevoius version of the lathe with a different paint job, I would be suprised if you find many negative comments.
Don't underestimate the cost of the chuck, gouges etc. and have fun joining the rest on the slope. :roll:


----------



## John. B (25 Jun 2011)

Rob,

My advice is to start with, how much can I afford?, bearing in mind the cost of tools, chucks etc.

Then check the sticky at the top of the page to see what other members lathes are, then pm those members that fall into your cost bracket to see how they like their lathes.

Seriously consider second hand, one benefit being they generally come with tools, chucks etc.

(Cast iron goes a long way) :wink: 

John. B


----------



## myturn (25 Jun 2011)

Rob, forget new lathes with your budget, much better to get a good solid second-hand one that you will enjoy using rather than some shiny but flimsy affair that you will regret buying.

Secondhand often come with accessories too, especially if you pick up and are nice to the seller he will throw in some goodies for you as well.


----------



## wallace (25 Jun 2011)

My penny worth is the same as earlier post, buy second hand and old if possible. I started with something from B&Q for £120, then progressed to a union jubilee from ebay for £180 which I found to be pretty good. I think the only thing I have bought new was a patriot chuck, the rest comes from car boots, markets and ebay.


----------



## Bemused (26 Jun 2011)

I have had my first lathe, an Axminster AWVSL900 Woodturning Lathe £233.95 Inc VAT for a few weeks now and are very pleased. I find the rotating head which allows larger works to be spun a great advantage and also saves leaning over he bed for bowl work.
This lathe is quite heavy compared to the small table top machines but it still gets some scary vibration with the larger jobs, and my larger jobs are quite small compared to what I have seen around.
However I am an expert of just a few weeks 
But I have found the £ sign to be very misleading having quickly spent more than that amount on associated kit such as chucks, jaws, gouges etc, and nearly that much on various sealers, oils, polishes and finishes.


----------



## John. B (26 Jun 2011)

That's why it's called the 'Long slippery slope' :roll: :roll: :roll:

John. B


----------

