# New comer,setup?



## mattyts (31 May 2013)

Hi all,im new to woodturning and would like to start the hobby as cheap as possible.Axminster have been reccomended all the time as it looks on the forum and looking at their website ive come up with the following combination

Axminster Hobby Series AWSL Woodturning Lathe 

Axminster Clubman K8 80mm Woodturning Chuck 

Proxxon 5 Piece HSS Chisel Set 


I will mostly be turning small bowls,hence the small 80mm chuck

please offer any advice or adjustments you would make

thanks


----------



## M P Hales (1 Jun 2013)

Wouldn't trust Axminster to supply decent products or customer service from personal experience.
If going for smaller lathe go for Jet - decent lathe at reasonable price might be better option 
M


----------



## speeder1987 (1 Jun 2013)

My advice word be buy the best you can afford. You may only want to turn small bowls now .... and you don't want to have buy a whole new set of equipment

However the lathe is good and the clubman chucks are also good. I have a k10 and have had no issues. But remember you need to buy different types of jaws too. 

The tools I don't know about, I bought hamlet tools, which are relatively cheep but decent quality. If your going to turn bowls you will need scrapers and a bowl gouge.

John


----------



## Phil Pascoe (1 Jun 2013)

I remember years ago reading somewhere that something like 88% of lathe owners wished they'd bought something bigger.


----------



## cedarwood (1 Jun 2013)

why not pop along to Birstall woodturning club there you can get first hand knowledge and talk to other turners
http://www.birstall-woodturning-club.co.uk/

I myself am on my third lathe now having outgrown the other two smaller ones (in less than a year of starting), woodturning isn't cheap lol there is always something you need be it a bigger lathe or a new tool.
For a basic setup you will need a lathe of course, chisels, grinder with jigs, and for bowl's all you need is a face plate, various grades of sandpaper and polishes, dust mask and a safety visor.
Welcome to the not so cheap world of turning. :lol: :lol:


----------



## YewTube (1 Jun 2013)

Axminster have the reputation of standing behind their products and sorting any problems quickly and without fuss and this has been my experience. I have the earlier version of that lathe and it has served me well and I still use it for demonstrations. 

The Proxxon chisel set is for miniature turning. You need to buy full size tools. 

Bill


----------



## Spindle (1 Jun 2013)

Hi

By all means you could start woodturning for comparatively little expenditure but if you decide to continue with the hobby and expand your capabilities you will almost certainly replace all of your 'cheap' purchases with those of higher quality - ergo, no longer the cheapest route to go.

I very much doubt that your desire to turn small bowls will not expand to want to try larger bowls and platters, spindle work and combinations of these which may drive you to replace your original purchases.

If you are 'space limited' in your workshop I suggest you buy the largest lathe possible, (up to a 30" between centres capability). Go for a lathe with a swivelling headstock to allow you to turn larger items to the side of the bed. If you can stretch the budget, get a lathe with variable speed.

Tools: Save initial outlay by buying only the tools you need, but buy good quality items. To turn small bowls you will only need a bowl gouge, (3/8" would be my choice but a 1/4" will be OK if you stick to small bowls), and a round nose scraper, (1/2" will be fine). Add a small parting tool and you will be able to decorate your bowls. I'm a great advocate of Robert Sorby tools but Ashley Isles, Hamlet, Record Crown etc. are all fine - go for High Speed Steel, (HSS), tooling. The Proxon tools you have mentioned are not suitable for small bowls - these tools are designed for miniature turning - I suggest you buy full sized tools.

Chucks: These are expensive items which are really a matter of personal taste, look at Sorby Patriot, Axminster Evolution, Toolpost Versa and Record Supernova 2. You can save money here by going for the Dakota XT700 which is a clone of the Record Supernova 2. All of these accept a wide range of jaw adaptors - not necessarily produced by their parent companies. Chucks need to be matched to your lathe's spindle nose thread, either by direct threading or an adaptor / back plate, consider the adaptability of the chuck purchased to future lathe upgrades.

Note: A chuck is not an essential item when starting to turn, a faceplate is normally supplied with a new lathe an can be used for a great deal of applications.

Finally, and I would suggest this be your first purchase, get a good book - if you haven't already read it, get Keith Rowley's "Woodturning A Foundation Course" - Don't buy anything until you have read this cover to cover.

Regards Mick


----------



## Random Orbital Bob (1 Jun 2013)

Very good advice from the last poster (Mick). I would add that, because you're new to it, the huge choices will seem overwhelming at first. My one primary piece of advice, which is embedded throughout these responses would be, don't make the mistake of buying a lathe because you think it's the right budget price. That sounds counter intuitive I know but what will happen is that, like everyone else in turning, you'll get hooked in the first 30 minutes and then you'll go to a club and experience a variable speed lathe. Then you'll forever after resent changing the manual pulleys on your cheap Axy. Then of course that resent will quickly turn to anger...you'll start throwing heavy objects at your lathe, culminating in an "incident" involving some home made dynamite and a "spud" gun. It'll be ugly!

Be patient, go to the club, see the kit first hand and talk to experienced people. Then make your choices which will now be informed ones. The irony is that by buying "cheap" you won't actually save money because as we all know...buy cheap..buy twice.

Here endeth the sermon  Good luck...you're going to love turning.


----------



## mattyts (1 Jun 2013)

Thanks for your advice,taking it onboard.would you reccomend the Axminster Hobby Series AH-1218VS Woodturning Lathe 
As its variable speed electronically and instead of the minituare tool set (oops!) swap it for this tool set Set of 3 TCT Woodturning Chisels ?
thanks


----------



## Spindle (1 Jun 2013)

Hi

I've never used that particular lathe but from the spec it seems to be OK, (the bed is a little short for my liking but I'm predominantly a spindle turner).

Regarding the tools, I'd suggest you initially go for:

3/8" bowl gouge
1/2" round nosed scraper
1/8" parting tool, or 1/4" beading and parting tool.

All of the above in HSS

You're going to have to spend in the region of £45 upwards - but you won't regret this in time to come

Regards Mick


----------



## Neil Farrer (1 Jun 2013)

M P Hales":38lq98vf said:


> Wouldn't trust Axminster to supply decent products or customer service from personal experience.
> If going for smaller lathe go for Jet - decent lathe at reasonable price might be better option
> M



My experience of Axminster is that the customer service has been excellent on every occasion and the tools are of excellent value.


----------



## Walter Hall (1 Jun 2013)

I agree with Neil, my experience of Axminster's customer service has been nothing short of exemplary.

However, I would be a little wary of lathes with electronic variable speed and DC motors like the AH-1218VS as these are invariably a bit underpowered by comparison with lathes with a three phase motor and inverter. 

If you can live without variable speed I still have this lot for sale and will be in Wakefield on the 10th so could deliver. 

axminster-m330-lathe-t69519.html

PM me if interested.

Walter


----------



## Random Orbital Bob (1 Jun 2013)

+1 on Axy customer service.....absolutely first class.

Beg to differ on the variable speed though...if you stick to turning...you will definitely want variable speed....if that's a given...you would be well served to buy one with an inverter because that technology is much quieter and more reliable than the cheaper version.


----------



## mattyts (1 Jun 2013)

Walter Hall":12u7qkd2 said:


> I agree with Neil, my experience of Axminster's customer service has been nothing short of exemplary.
> 
> However, I would be a little wary of lathes with electronic variable speed and DC motors like the AH-1218VS as these are invariably a bit underpowered by comparison with lathes with a three phase motor and inverter.
> 
> ...


Hi Walter,id like to speak further about the lathe in question but i cant PM you,seems to be a restriction


----------



## Walter Hall (1 Jun 2013)

Hi Matty

I think there is some restriction on PMs until you have made a certain number of posts. Just e-mail me 

Walter


----------



## Brianp (2 Jun 2013)

I can't comment on the particular lathe you've suggested, but you could also look through the various classifieds sites for a good s/h lathe. Or join a local club or nightclass where you may meet someone who's upgrading their setup and would like to sell theirs. As well as the book suggested a couple of posts up (a brilliant read) I would suggest the club/nightclass route anyway so that you can build up experience with a ready help from more experienced tutors. And you'll find out for sure just how much you enjoy it!


----------



## mattyts (6 Jun 2013)

Hi all,just a little update
I decided to purchase the Axminster M330 Lathe but now im stuck on tooling,ive looked at the Faithfull 8piece set on Axminster but have been told i could potentially grow out of these tools so have looked at the higher quality Henry Taylor tools,would you guys recommend this?


----------



## Phil Pascoe (6 Jun 2013)

The post next to this one's got a nice set for sale.


----------



## Spindle (7 Jun 2013)

Hi

I'd wholeheartedly recommend that you went for 'quality' tools - Henry Taylor fall into that category in my opinion.

If you are considering purchasing a set as opposed to individual tools - I think these are good value

http://www.peterchild.co.uk/osc/set-of- ... 155565a85f

Regards Mick


----------



## Walter Hall (7 Jun 2013)

I have found an old 3/8" (10mm) Henry Taylor bowl gouge you can have Matt. I will bring it down when I deliver the lathe.

Personally I would avoid buying sets as they usually contain something or other you will rarely use, although the set Mick recommends above looks like a sensible selection. I would concentrate your funds on the tools you actually need. The following are my suggestions and are just my opinion, others may disagree or suggest alternatives. There is no right or wrong it is all down to what works best for you.

I would suggest if you are starting with small bowls and pens that in addition to the bowl gouge you buy a spindle roughing gouge, which is almost all I ever use to make pens. I also find a skew chisel useful for finishing cuts and other spindle work but some people don't like skews (usually because they don't know how to use them properly or have never tried because some fool has told them they are difficult to use). A round nosed scraper may be useful for the inside of bowls. (Take no notice of people who tell you that proper turners don't use scrapers, proper turners use the tool that does the job best). Another slightly larger bowl gouge will also be useful. If you decide to move on to more advanced spindle work with coves and beads then a spindle gouge will be needed too as will a parting tool but these can be added as and when youi need them to limit your initial outlay.

I can definitely vouch for Henry Taylor tools some of mine are over 20 years old and still going strong, but don't get hung up on makes, all of the major names make decent quality tools, just steer clear of unbranded stuff.


----------



## mattyts (7 Jun 2013)

Thanks Walter


----------

