union Graduate/Jubilee - searching for a lathe - need help

[BritishLathe]

Hello.

My name is Fabian Mayer, I live close to Munich (Germany) and I am studying forestry...

I have been captivated by wood many years ago. About 8 years ago my family and I went on holiday to Bozen and I bought a few tools and some arollar pine? (pinus cembra) and started carving. I liked it but I had big difficulties in making bowls and in carving hard-wood. Some years passed by and I found out about turning this year.
Over an internet forum I found some people who where turning and so I dried to turn some things and was fascinated immediately. But most of all I liked turning bigger bowls (for fruits, salat,..). One only needs one tools for it and a bowl is such a good present or useful and nice object...

Well, so I started looking for a lathe but I had soon to find out that a lathe for turning bowls has to be a solid and heavy lathe and that it is very expensive, at least to expensive for me (%$§ student life :x ). A friend of mine bought a Union Graduate bowl tunring lathe over the internet in GB and the price-performance ratio for such a lathe is very good.

So I decided to buy a Union Graduate or Union Jubilee 5 weeks ago but I habe been quite unsuccessful, unlucky and at the moment I am very disappointed.. I bid on ebay 200 but it was nit enough.. I bid 250 it was not enough... I found a Union Graduate for 50 but the seller did not answer on my questions. I searched the internet about Union Graduate/Jubilee but I only found lathes in very good condition and too expensive for me (400-1500). I need a frequency converter for turning bowls and that will cost about 130. A friend of mine drive to GB every 3 weeks and he could pick up a lathe for me but that would cost another 65.

So I think I have to search for an old Union Graduate or Jubilee and I have to restaurate it. My only concern is that that is going to be very time consuming and in the end I have to pay even more because I have to chance all kind of things like bearing or whatever.

So at the moment I am depressed and don't know what to do. It is kind of difficult to arrange things when I live in Germany and there are just too many people looking on ebay..

I would be very thankful if somebody would help me. You can also write me an email at [email protected] .

Kind regards,
Fabian

PS
I don't know how good my English is so please excuse my spelling mistakes,etc.

 

[dickm]

There's a Union Jubilee advertised in the Highlands edition of Scot-ads this week, but the guy wants 600GBpounds for it, which sounds distinctly too expensive to me Especially if you friend has to drive to Aberdeen to collect it!

 

[Paul.J]

Hello Fabian and welcome to the UKW
Sorry i can't help with your search,but i'm sure one of our more experienced turners can help,maybe point you in another direction from the UG and Jubilee.Something more affordable perhaps.
Good luck in your search.
Paul.J.

 

[Anonymous]

Herzlichen grusse Fabian!

Wie gross wollen sie ihre bowls machen? Die Graduate ist nur einem murghlichkeit.. :shock:

Es tut mir sehr leit, Ich hab nur wenig Deutsch :roll: ...zuruck zu English...

take a look at the lathes used by some members on this forum (Member's lathes)...
you may find a cheaper lathe capable of coping with the size of bowl you require.

Another point is that graduate parts (for refurbishment) are also quite expensive.

If my command of German was half as good as your command of English I'd be a happy man :wink:

 

[Slim]

DBKeighley in Leeds had several Graduates and Jubilees the last time I was there, but I don't know how expensive they are.

 

[BritishLathe]

Good morning.

Yes, 600 is far too much money for me because I have to add 200 for the frequency converter and the transport costs.
A lathe would probably be too expensive for me so I would be satisfied with a bowl turning lathe.
I really like the Union Graduate(Jubilee), it is a small, heavy, good looking kind of lathe. Most of my bowls would be from 25-45 cm in diameter but I would like to turn plates and stuff with 60,80, cm as well.

Oldsoke, Paul,... So what would be an alternative to a Union Graduate/Jubille ? I haven't seen other bowl turning lathes yet. I mean I have seen some but they were ugly like this one 190132970326 on ebay
? and I turned 2 bowls on a Union Graduate which wasn't even fixed to the ground and I really liked it.

A friend of mine drives around London, he would drive a few hours for me but not to Aberdeen.. :?

@Slimjim81
I didn't find anything on your site but thanks for the hint I am going to check again...

:?
Kind regards,
Fabian

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Fabian

Welcome to UKW. It might be helful, in the future, to complete the location in your profile.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[BritishLathe]

Good idea I forgot about that, I changed my profile..

 

[CHJ]

Hi Fabian, I don't know if you have found the listing yet but you may find the list of members lathes helpful if you then search on the type of work produced on them.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... 986#166986

I understand your desire for a robust lathe like the graduate but please do not let your inability to locate or afford one stifle your desire to turn wood. Obtain the best you can afford for the time being and keep you eyes open for your ideal in the future.

 

[Slim]

@Slimjim81
I didn't find anything on your site but thanks for the hint I am going to check again...

They are not listed on the website, but they definately have them. You would need to telephone them to ask for a price.

 

[BritishLathe]

Yes, I had a look at the listing but it doesn't help me anything. I don't know the price, I don't know how they look like, don't know their advantages and disadvantages, don't know which one can be used for turning bigger bowls, how heavy they are,etc.

I just found a Sagar Wood Turning Lathe which looks very similar to a Union Jubilee actually. What is the difference.. ?

My situation won't change for the next years. I think with a Union Graduate I would be happy for the next 10 years or so..

@Slimjim81
Oh, thank you, I just wrote an email maybe...

 

[Paul.J]

It sounds like you've made your mind up and want one of these lathes Fabian.
So stick with it and get what you want,else you will only be disappointed with something else if it's not upto the job.
Again,good luck with your search.
Paul.J.

 

[BritishLathe]

No, its not that I made up my mind yet and know exactly what I want but I want to turn bowls with about 25-45 cm in diameter and I only got little space in "my" garage. So which lathe ?? I have only found a Graduate and Jubilee so far. I turned a bowl on a lathe which costs about 7000, weights 900 kg or something like that.. absolutely awesome but thats way out of reach...

Well I keep you up to date and would be glad to get some other opinions, hints,...

Kind regards,
Fabian

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Fabian
A local school is closing and seeling off two graduate lathes by auction on Sat 28th July in Peterborough... take note of buyer's premium and VAT!!
http://www.peacockauction.co.uk/pages/catalogues/

 

[jurriaan]

If you're German, you'd better look and ask around in the German woodturners forum at http://www.drechslerforum.de.

There's a lot of solidly built German lathes around, like my own Geiger, with 4 ft spindle length and 12" inboard spindle height. It weighs somewhere around 500 kilos, all of it in cast iron. Of course, if you really have a small space, such a long lathe may not fit.

Your best bet is an small advertisement in a local newspaper, from someone who's inherited such a lathe, perhaps, and is looking for someone to take it away for free.

Also, keep in mind the extra costs when turning big bowls: gouges, chuck, sharpening tools, chain saw, personal protection, engine hoist to get the blank on the lathe....

Kind regards,
Jurriaan

 

[BritishLathe]

Hi Jurriaan,
I saw you at the drechselforum.

As I wrote, I don't have a lot of space and money and I want to turn big bowls with at least 25-50 cm in diameter. A friend of mine bought a Graduate in good condition for 250 in GB, payed 65 for the transport to Germany, 130 for a frequency converter, 30 for an arm rest, 200 for a Axminster chuck.. That makes about 1000 € and a heavy German lathe with a frequency converter, option to turn at least 50 cm in diameter, Axminster chuck, costs more than twice as much and 1000 € is about the absolute maximun what I can pay...

But I am still searching, I would be very glad if you could help me. Maybe I should start a thread in the drechselforum although it isn't very promising in my eyes...

Regards,
Fabian

 

[jurriaan]

So did you buy the Wadkin Bowl Lathe on ebay.co.uk that was just sold?

 

[colin macdiarmid]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Harrison-Jubilee- ... dZViewItem

 

[Slim]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Harrison-Jubilee-wood-lathe-woodturning-turning_W0QQitemZ250149966974QQihZ015QQcategoryZ3126QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

That seems like a good price. DBkeighley are selling them for around £600. Look like its in good condition as well.

 

[BritishLathe]

Yes, I bid 256 in the very last 20 sekonds on it but as you can see I had bad luck again (I am quite pissed, its gone for 261) and I don' think I can get a lathe on ebay there are too many people watching and quite often people cheat to achieve higher prices I even think it happend to me with the Wadkin.

@speanwoody
Thanks a lot, 350 would be still a good price for it but I only have 256 and my friend doesn't drive up to Scotland and I won't get that lathe for 256 anyway I don't have to wait 5 days to find that out.

:?
Well, now I don't know how to continue.. I wrote a few emails to some dealer in GB but I had no success.
Fabian