I want a lathe

[westwardho]

I've been watching various turning videos on youtube, particularly wortheffort, and hells bells I want a lathe, but wow they're expensive. Add in some decent gouges and a chuck and it really starts getting painful.

Buying the biggest and best you might ever use is not practical given what they can cost, so a mini is probably the place to start, and accept it won't be able to do everything.

At the lower end it probably becomes a trade-off between quality and features. Greater sizes (length and diameter) and variable speed control seem like the features to consider.

The cheapest Axminster lathe (AC205WL) says only " up to 200mm diameter. " and it's probably much less than that once you actually want to put your banjo in position, so it's perhaps completely impractical? It does have that variable speed though.
The next one up (AC240WL) gets a touch bigger, "240mm diameter", but loses the variable speed.
From there it's 400 quid and upwards which my wife might start raising an eyebrow over right now.

It doesn't sound like anyone would recommend a Clarke lathe, and generic Chinesey ones on the usual sites are probably a bad idea.

There seem to be very few used available.

I'm a bit stuck. Hopefully I'm wrong about some of my assessments and some options can open back up?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

200mm diameter is for a chuck or faceplate - the banjo doesn't come into it, a small lathe won't handle a piece between centres of that size anyway.
The drawback with all (especially entry level) power tools and machinery is that the capacities and capabilities are ALWAYS overstated, and invariably limited by the weight of the machine and the size of the motor - the lathe may physically hold a piece of a certain size, but it will shake like a rattle and the motor will stall with all but the very lightest of cuts with a perfectly sharp tool (which unless you have very good equipment you probably won't have).
There are numerous decent smallish lathes on ebay, Record, ML8, Tyme etc. but if you do look at these research the thread size of the spindle and therefore the availability of faceplates and chucks.
Don't forget that even at £400 you will end up spending as much on tools, sharpening equipment and PPE as you did on the lathe.

 

[westwardho]

200mm diameter is for a chuck or faceplate - the banjo doesn't come into it, a small lathe won't handle a piece between centres of that size anyway.

I thought 200mm was the distance from the drive centre to the bed. (Or rather, twice the distance because diameter.) So while you could fit a 200mm diameter piece, and spin it, you wouldn't be able to work it because you wouldn't be able to get the banjo underneath it for the toolrest. This is what I picked up from last night, at least.

It sounds like you don't think "entry level" is worth the time.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You don't need the banjo under the blank, you just need a slightly longer tool rest. Entry level for many people is fine - just be very aware of the limitations.

 

[TheTiddles]

What do you want to make?
I have a midi lathe which we replaced a large elu with years ago and I’ve had no limits on the things I make. If you want to make large bowls yes you need a chunky lathe, but for most thinks you don’t.
Lathes are sold second hand at really low prices (as they’re very simple things). I see many lovely machine for a couple of hundred that I wouldn’t have the space for, things like viceroy etc...

 

[westwardho]

What do I want to make? Wood chips? Bowls look like a nice project. I don't have any particular problem I want to solve, rather I like the process and the possibilities.

Where do you find second hand lathes at really low prices, though? I've looked on ebay and gumtree and there's not very much. A few more if I look nationwide of course.

 

[TheTiddles]

Obviously that depends on what you call really low!

If you consider how much a similar machine new costs, many old lumps of iron are very cheap, but they are still £100’s. I see them on gumtree and Facebook marketplace and I’m not usually looking for them. Also consider that a 100 mile drive might be well worth it for the right machine.

The size of 200mm you quoted will allow a bowl of that size to be made, which isn’t inconsiderable, you will be able to make plenty at that size. Tools can be picked up secondhand and you really don’t need many, roughing gouge, skew, parting tool, bowl gouge and a round nose scraper will do just about everything for starters, that’s about all I use and have had for years.

Aidan

 

[TheTiddles]

For example, there’s a Minimax T90 for £100 in Salisbury, not a favourite machine, but it’s got a long bed, for £200 in Ringwood there’s a new’ish Record. Looking further a Union Graduate for £500 in Exeter, that’s a fantastic machine (if you have the space) including lots of tools too

 

[clogs]

MR w.w.Ho.....
afraid u'll just have to wait a while till the right one comes around.....
unless ur lucky u'll need to travel.....my RS was shipped 800miles to Crete.....that cost was just a tad over £350.....
still cheap....well, for a heavy peice of kit.....
try and buy something from this forum or www.homeworkshop.org I think....
always stuff on there....
Ideally u need something the widow is getting rid off....after the sad event....
that way u'll get other tools and poss some wood stock as well....
u can get a rubbish lathe from a little over 100 new but forget it.....
go for the max u can afford but used.....that way u'll get something decent......
also remember u cant just bolt it to the kitchen table.....so the used route will help with that quite often....
u need to be up with the lark to check the add's.....bargains do happen u've just gotta be first
U can ask ebay to notify u by email if something turns up to ur spec....
ask around to see if there is a wood turners assoc locally and or the org 'Men In Sheds".....
if they have a lathe u may get a chance to use one before u spend out....

 

[westwardho]

What about variable power? Is that the kind of thing to live and die over, or not worry about as a feature?

 

[TheTiddles]

What about variable power? Is that the kind of thing to live and die over, or not worry about as a feature?

Variable power? Speed yes, but I can’t think of any that haven’t got it, the method is the variable, changing a belt takes seconds so don’t worry about that, electronic speed control, nice bit in no means essential
Aidan

 

[westwardho]

Sorry, yes, I meant speed. Brain fart while looking at Record Power lathes. I meant electronic variable.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

A variable whether electronic or a reeves drive is something you can do without, but you something you will never do without after you've had one. Sometimes altering the speed by a few tens of RPM can stop the blank shaking. Think of when the steering in your car shakes at say 65mph when you have wheel out of balance - often it stops when you increase or decrease your speed by just a few MPH. As the weight of your unbalanced blank changes with cutting it'll shake at a different speed - with a variable speed drive you can usually correct it.
Get yourself a copy of this - Woodturning: A Foundation Course by Rowley, Keith: Good Paperback (1998) | Goldstone Books
and try to join a local club before making expensive mistakes. Club memebers often sell lathes on, as the either up or down size.

 

[Lonsdale73]

I was in your position pre-lockdown. I'd been looking at the Record Power DML320 but didn't want to shell out £600 in case a) I proved to be rubbish at turning or b) found I didn't care as much for it as I thought I might. . I picked up a DML250 which I figured if worst happened I could sell on again without losing too much. It has variable speed in that it has five gear settings. I set it on the middle one as I was advised and found I didn't have much need to ever change it - as I was also advised! I did sell it on, only a few weeks ago but only because I had an opportunity to upgrade to the DML320, primarily for its variable speed. I soo found a speed that I was comfortable with and haven't yet had need to change it. I'm not great at it but I do enjoy it, even the screw-ups. Both my lathes and a set of Robert Sorby gouges to get me started were all found on facebook marketplace and they all involved a bit of travel but it was worth the effort.. Speaking of him - and I have to confess I've not watched it - I do find it funny how he can make a video over an hour long on what he calls a ten-minute project. I like Carl Jacobson and as a newbie, I've been thoroughly enjoying the videos by Colwin Way for Axminster's Skills at Home series, streamed live at 4pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays and that day's video uploaded to youtube later that evening.

 

[westwardho]

What about chucks? Do many people do much without a chuck, or do you have to add the 50-100 quid on pretty soon after buying the lathe?

 

[Phil Pascoe]

£50 - £100? I've over £200's worth of jaws.
This is where you'll benefit from finding a club - you can try small lathes and large lathes, spindle and faceplate, with and without a chuck ... Get some idea exactly what interests you most before making expensive mistakes. You might go intending to make large bowls, and two weeks later decide to make pens - horses for courses, and the tools and equipment are often different.

 

[westwardho]

Yeah, the South West Wales club is on covid hiatus at the moment, though.

 

[MusicMan]

What about chucks? Do many people do much without a chuck, or do you have to add the 50-100 quid on pretty soon after buying the lathe?

You can certainly start without a chuck. Spindle turning does not use a chuck, but a steb centre, which is cheap. Bowl turning preferably uses a chuck to turn the inside but you can manage with a home-made jamb chuck or hot glue on wood held in the faceplate. I dare say the clubs will be restarting soon.

Lonsdale's advice and experience is good,

 

[Richard_C]

In a similar situation a bit over a year ago, sort of part retirement present to myself but didn't want to go overboard on total cost. Here's what I did, but other answers are equally valid:

Record Power DML 305, attracted by the heavy cast bed and 12 inch throw, £300. The DML 250 has a 10 inch throw, would have been fine I think. Decent blanks are expensive, most of what I have don is in the 7 - 10 inch range anyway. Got an extension bed £70 at the same time, mainly thinking if the range was discontinued I would kick myself for not getting it when I could. It adds to the weight, sort of giant damper, and there were one or two things I wanted to be able to do above the standard length.

Its a 6 speed belt change. First time, though this is a pain but after the 10th it was quick and not a problem. Variable would be nice, but not essential. 2 modifications, one using a sherry bottle top to turn the hex head screw into a hand turn screw for opening the belt cover, and a list of speeds stuck to the body with a magnet to move to remind myself what I last set it at when you come back to it after a couple of weeks.

Built a trestle style bench using decking support timber (my local landscape place is lots closer than the nearest timber merchants), plus some large coach bolts maybe £25 all in. Being home made you can drill a hole to keep your live centre, add a bracket for the chuck key etc etc at will.

The DML range comes with a live centre, drive centre and a faceplate (but check, thees things change) so you can get spindle turning with no extras, and bowl turning with a bit of imagination.

I ended up buying a chuck and 3 sets of jaws over time, you can spend an infinite amount but £100 gets you started and another £100 gets you most of what you might want. I also got myself a tail stock chuck, from memory about £25.

For tools I bought a set of 5 (skew, round scraper, parting, roughing gouge and spindle gouge) which cost about £130. Later got 2 bowl gouges, but you can do a lot with a round end scraper (purists look away now) and I have no desire to add to the collection until/unless I have mastered what I already own. I had an old grinder. I soon discovered that the grey wheels were not the right thing so spent money on new wheels and time on constructing a jig. That was a mistake, for little more than what I spent on wheels I could have thrown it all away and started again with better kit.

Unless you come across good second hand kit, I reckon you need to add about £170-£200 to the lathe price to get started (tools, materials to make stand, some way to sharpen).

I hope that helps, I'm sure you can do it for less but there is a trade-off between the time you spend looking for pre-owned and the cost of new. I didn't feel confident enough to judge if a second hand lathe was OK or not, now I would know what to look for.

 

[RickG]

Lots of good advice above. I would definitely buy a used lathe. Anything Axminster or Record Power would be good as a start.
You mention bowls, but something you'll find is, after you've made a fruit bowl for a couple of families, the need for large bowls seems to dry up.
What most of us then get into is boxes, goblets, vases.
I have a midi size Axminster and a small size lathe. Most of what I turn could be done on the small Axminster lathe. What the small one lacks is weight to stop vibration from uneven logs. (I don't buy commercially sold blanks.)
I've added weight to the midi lathe by sitting paving slabs and sand bags on the rails of the lathes stand.
If I was starting again i would join an AWGB woodturning club. Watch the demos and get hands on with other members. Then have cash saved ready for when a widow is ready to have a fair offer for her hubby's complete setup. You see something real bargains like that.
Also, chucks and tools often come with used lathes. Often not causing much additional to the price, or so it seems to me.