bonny":2rfd18dx said:
I did read that i would be better buying the biggest and best that i could afford instead of getting a cheap one,only to change it a few months down the line.
That's good advice - a machine that you can "grow into." One or two basics first:
You can turn small stuff on a large lathe, but not the other way round.
There is no substitute for weight - the heavier your lathe is, the more stable it will be (and there are things you can do to improve stability too).
The lathe is only the starting point. Next comes the tools and accessories, which is where the slope starts to get a bit slippery.
Tools must be sharp, so a sharpening system will be required - only a couple of the turning tools are flat.
The work needs to be held firmly in a way that it can be easily accessed - that often (but not exclusively) means a chuck. Scroll chucks are the "friendliest" - and often the most expensive. Get one that uses an insert system - that way, if you change lathes way down the line, the chuck will migrate for the cost of a new insert if the thread is different.
Lathes with cast beds are inherently the most stable, generally speaking. There is a vast range of these machines now available, many from the far east. Look for around 1000mm (39") between centres and a swing over the bed of around 410mm (16"). A variable speed motor has the advantage of being finely adjustable to "tune out" resonance in an unbalanced piece, as well as to vary the operating speed easily. I would look for a machine with a belt/pulley drive shaft and an electronically-variable speed controller. A swivelling headstock increases the flexibility of bowl and platter turning.
The
Perform CCBL(as mentioned by Powertool) is quite well specified - could do with a little more power probably. The
Perform CCL is similar, just a bit less sophisticated. Either would make a good lathe to start with and give you the opportunity to grow into some fairly large turned items.
Turning is a lot like photography - there are those who swear by Canon, Nikon, Pentax, etc. and wouldn't use anything else. I'm delighted with my lathe (Hegner, probably not a beginner's machine) and would thoroughly recommend it, but there will be almost as many opinions as there are turners, so get ready for some more of those!
Ray.
