new but not new

[cowboy682]

Hi guys
you normally find me on the scroll forum but l am thinking of buying a "CLARKES 4 SPEED WOODTURNING LATHE l would like to do pens plus. but would l be able to do pens? l have never had a lathe before and know nothing about them but one thing l do know is l am very interested in what you can make. point is, is this a good starting point there is also 8 chisel`s with it probably cheapo one`s but!
is the the lathe a good starting point?

 

[bellringer]

you would do better starting with this http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ho ... ning-lathe

 

[cowboy682]

thanks but just starting and at £65 is not that good enough.
CLARKES 4 SPEED WOODTURNING LATHE

4 speed Clarkes Woodturning Lathe for sale. 40ins Spindle Bed.

Total length 57ins (145cms)

Various chisels supplied with lathe. (8 chisels)

Ideal for making spindles, bird callers, chess sets etc.

Ideal first lathe, used condition with normal wear & tear marks

 

[CHJ]

Personally I think you would be much better putting the money towards a lathe with more compatible threads and taper fittings.

One of the smaller lathes with 1" X 8tpi threads and Morse taper tailstock facility will give you far less aggravation in obtaining chucks that fit, pen mandrels, drill chucks etc. all of which can cost you a significant percentage of the actual lathe purchase.

I can not stress too much how important I feel it is to start with a machine that takes popular industry standard accessories.

 

[Bodrighy]

Would you recommend a cheap, poor quality scroll saw which had a no regulation size blade to someone just starting out? Basically that's what people are saying. It isn't about how much you spend but abut the quality and compatibility of the accessories. Starting out you need something you can rely on and which can be added to as you improve. The lathe you are looking at isn't any of those things

Pete

 

[cowboy682]

so what you are saying is to leave well alone! my point is that it seemed cheap enough to start with plus you get the chisels and it`s not that expensive to start off with, l would like the idea of making pens but l also like the idea of making other things as well but l would like to get the experience {if a bad tool} to learn before laying out a lot of money to start off, l know alot of you guys will be saying you get what you pay for and you would be better to get a better machine but! l started out with a cheapo scroll saw and found out l liked it so l got a better one to which l am very happy with and did some good work with old cheapo one, l value all comments and advice good or bad,

Chas
I can not stress too much how important I feel it is to start with a machine that takes popular industry standard accessories.

forgive me if l am wrong but are you saying good accessories or not available for this lathe?
l am trying to understand and get my head around the info l am getting.

 

[cowboy682]

Pete
we must have posted at the same time you answered some of my post,
thanks

 

[CHJ]

forgive me if l am wrong but are you saying good accessories or not available for this lathe?
l am trying to understand and get my head around the info l am getting.

Just a few questions for you to gain a better understanding.

• 
  1. Check out the lathe spindle thread and see if you can easily get a decent chuck for it.
  2. Can you mount a Morse taper mounted drill chuck in the tailstock,
  3. Can you find a pen mandrel that can be driven without either a chuck or a headstock Morse taper.
  4. Do you fancy turning pen blanks between centres, can be done but not the most popular method, there again can you even fit a proper centre to the headstock in place of the winged drive centre.

 

[cowboy682]

CHJ
am l right in thinging more research is needed lol and l am being too quick to get started thought it would have been good to start with as l have said, l will take your`s and every-one`s advice this is why l like this forum

 

[KimG]

The tools you would get with the Clarke would not be good enough to turn a pen with either, small items need very sharp, good quality tools such as Sorby, Crown or Henry Taylor, Axminster also, to mention a few, and High speed steel at that, mainly because Carbon steel tools can be very tricky to sharpen properly without actually overheating the tool and losing the hardness. Always get the best you can afford, and if you can't afford it, save up till you can, otherwise you will lose whatever you spend. The old adage, buy cheap, buy dear, (because you end up having to buy twice) is very much applicable to this game.

 

[cowboy682]

thanks a lot guys it is off my list

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

If I could also point out my own experience with cheap tools...
In addition to the points Kim raised, cheap tools in the wrong hands could be lethal. I bought one of the cheap sets of tools when I first started turning. In my ignorance, I tried truing up a bowl blank using the spindle roughing gouge. There was a pretty bad catch which snagged the gouge and snapped the tang clean off where it meets the gouge proper. The gouge was thrown upward and bounced over my right shoulder landing outside the shed.
I reckon if anyone else had been stood there..........
As it stood, I was lucky it missed my face, shield or not.