Info needed please

[Orraloon]

l have been gifted free lathe! it is a T-mech one, never heard of it before but it as never been used still in box {the guy is moving to a flat} so he gave it me. as anybody heard of the T-mech?

Its one lathe (sold under many brand names like Clarke, Scheppach, Ryobi and even saw it in Aldi ) I would have advised beginners not to buy but seeing as you did not buy it its not the end of the world. It will spin a bit of wood so have a play around with it until you can track down something better. It will do basic turning but as it does not have morse tapers and has an uncommon thread it's very hard to find tooling to attach to it. Also the light weight frame will rule out any larger turning but as a beginner its best to start small in any case. Actually some turners have done some pretty good work on them its just a bit harder to do. Down the track when you do pick up a better lathe that T mech can make a decent disc sander with 4 speed settings.
Regards
John

 

[cowboy682]

what do you recon to this RECORD WOOD LATHE CL 2 X 36

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Ok. You just missed it.

 

[cowboy682]

l haven't, just bought it, is it a ok lathe then, just got to work out what chuck l need now

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes, it'll be fine. Make sure you keep the bearings oiled.
https://www.beaufortink.co.uk/lathe-spindle-thread-look-up-table
3/4" x 16tpi. It's very common amongst older lathes so often available second hand.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Presume it's this one
- TMech 400W Wood Lathe with 6 FREE woodturning chisels | DIY at B&Q
About the most basic lathe available with several similar with different brand names. Don't spend any money trying to upgrade it.
If you have the 6 chisel set that comes with it, bin them (or keep them as basic carving chisels). In my opinion they are dangerous to use.
Get yourself a good second hand1/2" spindle gouge & a parting tool & possibly a bowl gouge to use as a spindle roughing gouge.
The headstock thread is M18, not a common thread, therefore I wouldn't bother with a chuck for this lathe unless one comes up really cheap.
Then you'll need something to sharpen your tools, normally a grinder & a jig to hold the gouges.
Joining you local wood turning club will give you an insight to the hobby & is a source of information & possibly cheap tools.

My mother has one of these, it can turn a 13inch bowl I think but the motor has bad habit of overheating after 10 to 15 minutes and requiring a cool down period, she hates it but can't afford anything else. (She'll get my DML24 when I eventually upgrade )

 

[cowboy682]

Yes, it'll be fine. Make sure you keep the bearings oiled.
https://www.beaufortink.co.uk/lathe-spindle-thread-look-up-table
3/4" x 16tpi. It's very common amongst older lathes so often available second hand.

what size chuck would you recommend for a not so beginner, ie size 3 or 4 chuck

 

[Phil Pascoe]

See what you can find. If you're going to turn stuff as large as the lathe will handle, the larger chuck. If you're content to stick with smaller stuff, the smaller one.

 

[cowboy682]

See what you can find. If you're going to turn stuff as large as the lathe will handle, the larger chuck. If you're content to stick with smaller stuff, the smaller one.

thanks just unsure but that`s me all over haha