Good beginners lathe

[Tom]

Hi all,
Hope you can help, my brother and I are planning to get our dad a lathe for his 60th. I was hoping you could recommend me something. Obviously I'm a bit clueless so be patient!
He's not done it before as far as I'm aware but has always expressed an interest. Our budget is probably around £150...maybe slightly more. I guess options at this price range are limited but I want something solid and reliable that will allow him a few options on what he can shape. Second hand is an option aswell (as long as its tidy)
Also, please direct me to any thread that have already covered this as I'm sure it must have come up before.
Many thanks in anticipation,
Tom

 

[Argee]

If you click on "Search" then type in "beginners lathe" (no quotes), check "Search for all terms" you'll get many threads to view. HTH

Ray.

 

[TEP]

Hi Tom, and welcome to the forum.

A popular starter lathe is the Axminster CCL and it is just about the price you mentioned.

Good luck!

 

[Paul.J]

Hello Tom and welcome
I would also go for the Perform CCL or the CCBL.
Not only good lathes for the money but also good after sales service from Axminster.
Will look forward to seeing some of your dads work on here

 

[Tom]

Thanks for those suggestions folks. That looks like a decent machine. Also, is there anything I should be looking out for second hand that would fit into that price range and that commonly crops up on ebay, free ads etc?

One of these any good for example?!

http://tinyurl.com/3a8erp

 

[CHJ]

Thanks for those suggestions folks. That looks like a decent machine. Also, is there anything I should be looking out for second hand that would fit into that price range and that commonly crops up on ebay, free ads etc?

One of these any good for example?!

http://tinyurl.com/3a8erp

http://tinyurl.com/3a8erp Spam trap strikes again.

 

[Tom]

oops, thank Chas, I'll remember that in future.

 

[YorkieT]

Hi Tom,

Take a look at the one that I am selling,

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... hp?t=22132

It's a little above your budget ( I would like £250 ) but it is a fantastic lathe with loads of extras some of which you would need to purchase on top of whatever you buy :wink:

YorkieT

 

[CHJ]

oops, thank Chas, I'll remember that in future.

Not your fault Tom, it will leave you alone after a few posts.

 

[Tom]

Thanks Yorkie but I couldn't go that high I'm afraid....plus Sheffield is a long way from Wiltshire! Thanks anyway though.

Any views on that Record on ebay?

Its one of these.... http://diytools.com/store/detail.asp?productid=64571

 

[Bodrighy]

The lathes suggested are all a good choice. I have been using a perform for about 12 months and had no problems thta I haven't caused and if you buy new from Axminster the after sales service is excellent.

You need to take into consideration where he will be using it mind. I use mine in a 6' x 10' shed and it is a bit cramped at times but I have it across the width. Whatever you get remember that these lathes come without chucks and tools so you will need to take that into consideration, you can manage without a chuck but he will need a few basic tools.

Pete

 

[beejay]

When I took up turning a year or so ago, I looked at the Axminsters and lathes of that same design but was put off buying because of the position of the motor being too close to the turning area,, lots of dust thrown directly on to it.
I eventually went for a Record which eliminated that particular problem.The Record also proved to be a lovely lathe to use and learn on.
regards,beejay

 

[CHJ]

When I took up turning a year or so ago, I looked at the Axminsters and lathes of that same design but was put off buying because of the position of the motor being too close to the turning area,, lots of dust thrown directly on to it.
......

Not too much of a problem except the motor fan does tend to redistribute the dust.

However the motor housing does provide a handy means of locating a dust hood.---METHOD

 

[Tom]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I'll let you know how I get on.
Tom

 

[Wanlock Dod]

Tom,

I've been using one of those Record lathes for a couple of years and find it to be pretty good (it got a lot better when I built my own bench for it). You can often find a second hand one along with tools and a chuck (normally a collet chuck) for a reasonable price. The swivel head means that larger pieces can be tackled from time to time. The collet chucks don't tend to get much of a recommendation although I've found mine to be very good, the main limitation is that there is very little range of movement in the jaws so the recess/spigot has to be within a couple of mm or so of the required size.

I didn't see if the E-bay one came with any tools or accessories, if it does it's probably a fair deal, if not then the required extras might take the total cost way beyond what you can manage.

Cheers,

Dod