Advice on mid size lathe please.

[mr.alan.]

Advice please on midi lathe. I’m soon to be in the market for a mid size lathe - At present I have a SIP lathe variable speed - which is great - except it’s too big for my needs ( 48” bed) and as I have only a small workshop and save is premium - I’m looking for something smaller . In the years I have have my sip lathe I’ve never turned anything longer than a pen! From what I have gleaned already - I am looking for a lathe which has variable speed - also with reverse speed ? I have read reverse speed helps give a better finish?
bed size - as I say I’ve only ever turned pens on the lathe I have now - but would want a bed size of say 18” “just in case”
So if you have any idea of a good decent midi size lathe - please let me know .


Foot note …


I have put my sip 48” lathe up for sale on sale threads if interested.

 

[MARK.B.]

Before you get rid of your old machine have a go at a big long piece just for the **** of it does not need to be fancy , just a simple cylinder would do . take light cuts and in this case don't bother overmuch with the finish . Who knows you may get a idea or two that can only be done on a big lathe .

 

[SVB]

For small / detailed projects like that incl. spindles up to a foot or so and bowls / hollow forms up to about 7” diameter if you can find one I’d go for a Vicmarc 100 . They don’t come up too often as were expensive new but are built like a mini version of their £6k big brother and run like a rolls-Royce. Cast iron, heavy, compact, variable speed, fwd/rev. Awesome (and no, I’m not selling you mine!)

 

[Sachakins]

Coronet herald possibly.

 

[mr.alan.]

Before you get rid of your old machine have a go at a big long piece just for the **** of it does not need to be fancy , just a simple cylinder would do . take light cuts and in this case don't bother overmuch with the finish . Who knows you may get a idea or two that can only be done on a big lathe .




[/QUOTE]
… should have explained myself better !
ive had a few other lathes in the past - and done quiet a few large spindles - my workshop is only small so I am making as much room as possible . So if I get a lathe half this size would make a big difference for me .

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Don't forget that an 18" bed is far shorter when you have a chuck on the headstock and Jacob's chuck and drill bit at the other end of it.

 

[Cordy]

I bought a new Record Coronet Herald with the stand
It was excellent !

 

[Sachakins]

I bought a new Record Coronet Herald with the stand
It was excellent !

Me too, but with bench feet, Totally agree

 

[Jameshow]

I've got a Clarke lathe you could stand in end as a coat stand........ Nice heap of ...... I offered it to my worst enemy but they didn't want it!

 

[mr.alan.]

I've got a Clarke lathe you could stand in end as a coat stand........ Nice heap of ...... I offered it to my worst enemy but they didn't want it!

 

[skeetstar]

Cordy, same here. Coronet herald, lovely piece of kit, quite compact, a lot smaller than the ones I learnt on.

 

[Adam W.]

Vicmarc 100, without a doubt.

I don't think I'd bother to look at any other make of lathe after getting a VL300.

 

[okeydokey]

I was going to say that if your lathe is good for what you need except the bed is too long then cut the bed removing the extra length you don't need - seemed a good comment, but then I looked at your for sale advert/photo.
The bed has fixings to fit the stand which if you shorten will be removed and so my idea failed - but hey ho

 

[mr.alan.]

Thanks for all your input - I think I’m definitely going to look at the coronet herald - from what I have read it seems a great bit of kit for the money. The vicmarc lathes seem to be the Rolls Royce of a machine - but in fairness I can’t justify spending that amount of money for what I am making and the time I spend on the lathe .

 

[Sachakins]

One thing also about the Herald, there is a bolt on bed extension available, should you need to do something longer.

Also if you can look for the newer mk2 model, it has a much improved tailstock setup.