New to woodturning

[Stigmorgan]

Hi everyone, I have had an interest in woodworking most of my life but never really had the time or finances to seriously get into it, for the last few months I have been watching as many YouTube videos as I can to learn about woodturning, finally I have found a little lathe that I can afford at the minute, it's a record junior, I was wondering what you guys think of it, it needs a clean up but looks ok.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

£30? Go for it. As you move on you'll find it very limiting, but the tools etc. you will need will still be useful with a bigger/better lathe, and you can sell it on again for that money.
Get yourself a copy of this - https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/Sear ... ISBN-_-all

 

[Stigmorgan]

I only plan on making smaller items to start with and will upgrade as my skills improve, this should allow me to produce some decent sized bowls and vases. I've been watching Al Furtado the rebel Turner on YouTube a lot lately, I really like his style of turning.

 

[Chris152]

If it works, I'd say it's great for that price.

 

[Woodchips2]

It's a sturdy little lathe and relatively easy to change the speeds. I used a similar lathe for more than 10 years and turned hundreds of items. A scroll chuck is very useful but more important to be able to sharpen your tools and learn the basic techniques. Regards Keith

 

[Robbo3]

Make sure you use a (somewhat misnamed) thread protector. You need it to remove the drive centre because the lathe doesn't have a hole right through the spindle to allow the use of a knock-out bar, ie it's a solid rather than hollow spindle.
All the previous advice is good, so enjoy.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Just been to pick it up, it needs a little clean up from being stored in a barn but it seem solid enough, the guy showed it working so at least I know it runs, no tools or anything so I know I'm going to be looking for next, might even cut and sharpen some old breaker points into some tools to get started as I have a few of those laying around.

 

[marcros]

There are some turning tools for sale on the forum if you have a look.

 

[SVB]

Make sure you use a (somewhat misnamed) thread protector. You need it to remove the drive centre because the lathe doesn't have a hole right through the spindle to allow the use of a knock-out bar, ie it's a solid rather than hollow spindle.
All the previous advice is good, so enjoy.

I learned this the hard way on a machine I was using at a college once.

I did wonder, what diameter bar the headstock was and whether drilling through dia 6.2mm to allow a 6mm KO bar would be practicable using tailsock drill or whether over that distance drill wander / errors would be too great and wreck the thing rather than improve it.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Don't think I will be modifying this lathe much, would like to add risers to allow bigger pieces but don't think that's possible, haven't really had time to look at it as I picked it up Monday evening and left for a holiday Tuesday morning, I do know that I want to get a set of jaws for it if I can, don't really want to rely on the face plate all the time, a lot of the wood I have at the moment is heavy oak, silver birch and a lot of blocks from pallets that have been stripped down. Also have a few blocks of oak sleeper from an allotment I installed recently.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If you are thinking seriously about chucks, consider a https://www.toolpost.co.uk/woodturning/ ... versachuck - if you move on to a bigger/better lathe you only have to change the backplate.

 

[Dalboy]

If you are thinking seriously about chucks, consider a https://www.toolpost.co.uk/woodturning/ ... versachuck - if you move on to a bigger/better lathe you only have to change the backplate.

I agree that it is a good chuck and has the facility to change the backplate if upgrading as well as being able to take various makes of jaws, but it is a heavy chuck maybe a lighter one for this lathe

 

[Phil Pascoe]

A fair observation.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Got home last night feeling fairly happy with myself, just before heading home we found an antiques and collectibles shop, right at the back of the store I found a pile of old gouges and chisel, some in fair condition others quite rotten, I picked out 2 different size gouges a skew chisel and a chisel that has a 45 degree point, the 2 gouges need some cleaning and sharping but they will do to get me started, will upload some pics of them later to get your opinions

 

[MusicMan]

Looks like a good catch, and you'll learn sharpening too. Don't forget that thread protector/chuck remover or you'll be cursing the first time you want to get a chuck or faceplate out!

 

[Dalboy]

Looks like a good catch, and you'll learn sharpening too. Don't forget that thread protector/chuck remover or you'll be cursing the first time you want to get a chuck or faceplate out!

A thread protector will not help in removing a chuck or faceplate, the protector is removed when using a faceplate or chuck.
But it is an essential piece to have for turning between centres and using a 2 or 4 pronged drive centre.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Will look into thread protectors, at the moment I only have a face plate so anything I turn will have to fit on that.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Ok so I was mistaken a little, I didn't get the pointed gouge/chisel, here's a pic of the 4, am I right in thinking the 3 gouges are spindle gouges? They are pretty thin so don't thing They would suit heavy work. The skew looks like it's been made from a price of scrap bar and has no markings, the thinnest gouge has "w marples & sons" cast steel stamped into the neck, the dark handled one has "WARRANTED" stamped into it and the final one has "J.FROST CAST STEEL" stamped into the steel and "HITWINN" stamped into the wood with what I assume is someone name stamped in a few places on the handle S.PRIOR

 

[Dalboy]

Sorry to disappoint you but three of those are not turning chisels and the forth (skew) could be homemade from a file which could be dangerous. The bottom three are woodworking chisels.
Not what you want to hear.
I know they be a little more expensive but buy from a good woodworking shop that sell turning tools better be safe than sorry

 

[CHJ]

Endorse Derek's comments about those. The loads turning tools can encounter, especially if you get a catch can be sufficient to bend or even snap those at the tang, even correctly specified turning tools can fail under severe mishaps.