# Lidl... lathe?



## MarkDennehy (28 Nov 2019)

Well now. Right. 







Hmmmm.






Ah, jaysus. 






Hah, yeah, right, that's sturdy.






Eh. Well, that's kindof faked because the tailstock locks to the bed with a bolt, not a cam and there's room to wiggle it into alignment (and way out of alignment).






Well, might as well lose a finger...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8k67Mtel5c










That's loud. It vibrates too much. It'll walk all over the bench if you don't bolt it to something. It's as rigid as fresh bread. It's hilariously underpowered. The chisels are really quite remarkably dull. I have no idea how to store it in the shed (except maybe by disassembling the thing). The chisels are pointy enough to hurt and they're packed with nothing shielding the pointy bits in an unmarked box that opens from either end and which you're remarkably likely to tip out into your hand. The faceplate is pure pot metal. The wrenches don't fit the spindle, just the centers. It feels cheap and not exactly flimsy, but definitely like it won't survive more than a year or two. It's an M18x1.5 spindle thread and I've no idea if the small cheap chinese chucks would fit or if it has the power to spin them.

Mind you, for €80, it does appear to have put a dung-eating grin on my face that I can't get rid of. 

At this rate, I'll wind up buying a real mini-lathe before I know where I am...


----------



## Dave Brookes (28 Nov 2019)

Take it back or bin it. These lathes are a lost finger waiting to happen.

Dave


----------



## Trainee neophyte (29 Nov 2019)

I have a paranoid fear of wood-turning: I am reasonably confident that if I start, I won't ever do anything else, ever again. Work, fun, family, even food - all subsumed by the overriding passion to make bowls out of lumps of tree.

I own a lathe, which needs a new belt. I even know which belt to order, but I just can't quite take the last step, because of the fear of addiction.

"My name is TN, and I am a turnaholic". 

Just say "No!"...


----------



## Stigmorgan (29 Nov 2019)

Trainee neophyte":1e08ksm8 said:


> I have a paranoid fear of wood-turning: I am reasonably confident that if I start, I won't ever do anything else, ever again. Work, fun, family, even food - all subsumed by the overriding passion to make bowls out of lumps of tree.
> 
> I own a lathe, which needs a new belt. I even know which belt to order, but I just can't quite take the last step, because of the fear of addiction.
> 
> ...


Welcome to the group, my lathe has been sat in the garage for months, needs cleaning up but I just know as soon as it's ready to turn I will never leave it's side again. I'm already addicted to YouTube woodturning videos.
My name is stiggy and I'm a turnaholic too.


----------



## Bm101 (29 Nov 2019)

For a man terrified of using a decent brand router where the spinny metal bit is relatively contained...you buying that plastic nonsense seems a little _intrepid_ to say the least. 
:shock: 
Not disparaging all lidl tools at all but that looks a step too far for me. Several bloody _Great Big _steps in fact. And I hang off buildings on a 10mm rope for a living. I don't mind controlled risk. Quite enjoy it even.

That lathe looks to be taking the word controlled and separating it from the word risk then replacing it with words like barely and tolerances and production and costs and minimal.
:| 
Take it back Mark and put the cash towards a decent one. Or a club membership and diesel money.


----------



## sunnybob (29 Nov 2019)

I'm happy to play with most machinery, with or without training and PPE, but that is just several steps too far. :shock: 
I hope lidl has a good indemnity policy (hammer) (hammer)


----------



## bourbon (29 Nov 2019)

That's worse than the Clarke I have. ( also no belt)


----------



## Paul Hannaby (29 Nov 2019)

The small / lightweight construction would limit the capacity of this machine and the lack of morse taper on spindle and quill would also limit what could be done with it but for small between centres work, it would perhaps have some use. How long it would last before something broke or the bearings failed is anyone's guess but at least it has a 3 year guarantee!

I remember when I was a youngster I used to "turn" fishing float bodies on a drill using knives, chisels and abrasives (not a turning tool in sight!) so this has to be a step up from there!


----------



## Lons (29 Nov 2019)

Not worth half what you paid imo, I'd get a refund.

You make well be enjoying using it but as soon as you want to make something from decent hardwood especially if you have to buy the wood, or even just a simple pen you'll find that because it's not solid or accurate it will drive you nuts so better to put the money towards a reasonable s/h lathe when you might get chucks and accessories thrown in.

I think the fact you have wiggle room to make the centres - almost - line up speaks volumes.

All that said, my first lathe when I was about 12 was a B&D drill powered thingy so that was even worse, looking back however I remember it almost put me off for good.


----------



## MarkDennehy (13 Jan 2020)

Yikes. All right, all right, geez....











...and booked into a ten-week evening course on turning starting next week. 
I'd say "well, it was xmas" but truth is, I had been getting gift vouchers for the same place (the carpentry store) here for the last few years and they'd been piling up to the point where I'd forgotten how much they were worth so that lathe (and a veritas dovetail saw and some pen blanks) were within the "ah, feckit, it's xmas" range. 





Still haven't thrown away the lidl one though, kinda want to play with it still. But first I have to build a lathe stand and get the lathe into the shed after clearing out a small space for it....






...yes, it's tiny, that's not something I can fix until I can get a bigger shed. Which would mean buying a bigger house. Which is rather a solid prophylactic against gear acquisition syndrome.

Now I just need to look up basic beginners tools in the next month or three. And the whole "sack of blanks" thing.


----------



## woodbloke66 (13 Jan 2020)

Trainee neophyte":lnhf364p said:


> I have a paranoid fear of wood-turning: I am reasonably confident that if I start, I won't ever do anything else, ever again. Work, fun, family, even food - all subsumed by the overriding passion to make bowls out of lumps of tree.
> 
> I own a lathe, which needs a new belt. I even know which belt to order, but I just can't quite take the last step, because of the fear of addiction.
> 
> ...


I have heard tell of the same sort of thing with the spiny side, but as I don't turn to sell (mostly) I always ask...."how many bowls do I _actually need_ in the house?" Couple of fruit bowls, one or two ornamental ones loitering about and that's it. That said, I do have about twenty blanks (English Walnut, Yew, Burr Elm, Olive etc) loafing around for when the urge is too great; resistance is futile!
This is the last little bowl I did, made from one I picked up before Christmas free and gratis on Naoshima Island, just off the coast of Japan. I guess it's made from some sort of very hard, very dense, Chinese rosewood, but what I don't know. It's got a perfectly flat inside so may have been used to hold a large candle, but again, only a guess.






It was a bit tricky to turn but the underside now looks like...






...and the upper side:






...photographed on my latest reading tome. Finished with Yorkshire Grit, sanding sealer and a goodly application of Alfie Shine burnished on the lathe - Rob


----------



## Trainee neophyte (13 Jan 2020)

woodbloke66":2mlwrqkm said:


> Trainee neophyte":2mlwrqkm said:
> 
> 
> > I have a paranoid fear of wood-turning: I am reasonably confident that if I start, I won't ever do anything else, ever again. Work, fun, family, even food - all subsumed by the overriding passion to make bowls out of lumps of tree.
> ...



My problem is that not only do I really, really want to have a go at turning, but my firewood pile is entirely made up of olive wood. Many tons of the stuff. Some of it really quite big. Every day I put wood on the fire, and as I do so I wonder what I could make from it instead. I have a thing about spoons and pepper mills at the moment, but purely in a theoretical way. I am hopeful it is a temporary fixation, as I need to make a paddleboard before spring. No rush.


----------



## Stefan999 (19 Feb 2020)

Trainee neophyte":3i9ygg3x said:


> woodbloke66":3i9ygg3x said:
> 
> 
> > Trainee neophyte":3i9ygg3x said:
> ...



That’s so me, we bring fire wood in.... i separate lumps thinking one day that will be a bowl and take it out again


----------



## graduate_owner (11 Mar 2020)

You don't need to use that Lidl lathe. You only need to look at it to tell you it is [email protected] For anyone thinking of spending £80 on one, well, just don't.
If you have the money, add a bit to the £80 and get a second hand Record or similarly well known brand ( Not Clarke).
If you don't have the money, then surely the last thing you want to do is throw it away on this trash.
Oh, and as for the chisels .......

Yes, I know it's all very well for me with my union graduate bowl lathe to say buy something better, but my graduate cost me £150 off ebay - just needed to weld up a rest and I was away.

K


----------

