Hi Neily ... I have a CCSL.... only been turning 6 months, and even then, only when I get a few hours spare.... I got mine on fleabay for 80 quid and was fortunate to get a chuck with it, which does help greatly.
As mentioned here.. I'm sure it has its limitations, I've not reached them yet... but I can forsee a time when it may well be the case, albeit some way down the line .
As the fellas also say ( especially on the thread referenced by Chas ), a big lump of wood on it thats not perfectly balanced from the 'get-go', can have the machine doing a 'broons reel' around the garage, with me doing a respectable if not somewhat chaotic 'Ginger Rodgers', in an attempt to 'partner' it. Even on the slowest of the five available speeds.
Its claim to be able to provide you with the facility to turn up to 240mm is slightly optomistic... the wood will spin up, clear of the bed, but you have the devils own job of wiggling the saddle and tool rest into any kind of position to allow you to attack the sides of the blank.
However, that said... a bowl from an 8 or 8.5" blank ( 200mm ish ) is a fair old project, and you'll not be disappointed or left with that ever-depressing thought of " Damn, if only I had a few more inches" ( :wink: ).. and the satisfaction that you can get from what can be achieved on it is teriffic.
The point about rim-speed is also very valid.... when a 7 or 8" blank is howling round, the outside of it is travelling at a considerably faster rate of knots than the indicated ( in the manual ) spindle speed at the near-centre of the piece. I know to my cost , how painful it is, when a bit of timber decides that perhaps its relationship with its partner, Madame lathe, should come to an abrupt and stormy conclusion, and they decide to part company, and neither has the presence of mind or consideration to inform YOU of their intentions, and Johnny Wood-Block opts for your face as it the most suitable landing pad. It hurts !.
Another plus that I've found to its credit, is that the "Devonshire Deities of DIY" ( Axminster ) have a great range of bits for it, in stock, available next day, so if you happen to damage bits of it ( as I have.. re : tailstock barrel / bristol levers etc ), you can be back up and running very quickly. - This may well be true of other lathes, I cannot say... but its certainly handy to have that kind of facility available.
As a machine to 'start on', my belief is that, for the money, its hard to beat .... sure, you'll probably outgrow it in time, but that in itself is probably a good feature, insofar as it limits to a certain degree, how much it will allow you to 'run before you can walk', and basically forces you to learn at a sensible pace, if you follow my logic.
You'll not go far wrong if you went for this as a sound starting point, in my humblest of opinions.
Hope that helps you, and good luck, whichever way you decide to go .
All the best,
Alun
/ even though my Sorby Patriot chuck was 30 nicker more than I paid for the lathe!
