Talk me out of a Harbor Freight Lathe

Find the closest turners club and contact them. Someone always has a
used lathe for sale, (American Assn. of Woodturners)
robo hippy

I own a 46-700, and its been good to me. The belts do need to be
replaced from time to time according to my buddy who has one as well,
but I've been using it (moderate use) for about 5 years and not
replaced mine yet. The stand is not to my liking and tended to vibrate
much too much so I built a big box and filled it with sandbags and
mounted the lathe on top, with rock solik results and mimimal
vibration. Mutt.

Sun, Nov 6, 2005, 3:22am (EST+5) [email protected] (Mr.=A0Moose), but
it's only 11:30 Sat here:
Okay, as I posted before, my lathe is dead <snip> I KNOW that I really
should not consider the ones at Harbor Freight, <snip> Are there some
actual valid reasons I should avoid these? (I'm looking at a 12"
capacity lathe)

It's your money, you're a big boy, spend it any way you want. I've
got a HF lathe, had it for years. $129 I think it was new, 39" between
centers, works great, much sturdier, "and" better quality, than severl I
saw for around $300. I made my own stand, plywood, and it doesn't walk,
or vibrade. Hmm, painted the stand white, should have painted it
yellow. But, did paint the lathe yellow.

Or, you can make your own. Any size you want, metal or wood, your
choice.



JOAT
If it ain't broke, don't lend it.
- Red Green

On Mon, 07 Nov 2005 15:39:58 -0600, Mike Berger <[email protected]> wrote:
> (someone else wrote)

>> Don't own one myself, but a good friend, who is a gunsmith and makes custom
>> black powder rifles (he presented one of his to Ronald Reagan in the oval
>> office, presentation of which made the cover of NRA mag way back when), owns
>> one and loves it. he is obviously very handy with metal working tools and
>> did a lot of customization to it, but he swears by it.

> Black powder rifles aren't really made with extreme precision
> anyway.

If his friend is the maker I think he means, then your statement is
amusingly and amazingly ill-informed.

Mr. Moose <[email protected]> wrote:

> Okay, as I posted before, my lathe is dead and really not worth
> fixing. (Old Craftsman, long tube stylem, bearings are shot, motor is
> salvaged, stand is crap.)
>
> I'm looking at a few options, and I KNOW that I really should not
> consider the ones at Harbor Freight, but with money tight right now, I
> really am tempted.
>
> Are there some actual valid reasons I should avoid these? (I'm looking
> at a 12" capacity lathe)
>
> Mark
>

<http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006ANS3/102-2635359-6308934?
v=glance&n=228013&n=507846&s=hi&v=glance>

Will last you a looooong time And hold resale value. While lots of folks
do decent work on HF, it'll lose 75% of its value when you walk out the
door. Also, I recommend Not buying HF unless you have a store near you
where you can get up close and personal with the product - it also helps
that it is easier to return the DOAs.

On Sun, 06 Nov 2005 04:15:02 GMT, Joe_Stein <[email protected]>
wrote:

>If money is really tight, try this...
>http://www.mimf.com/articles/lathe/
>
>I did, see it here...
>http://members.tfproductions.com/joebettystein/page5.html
>
>Have fun.
>Joe

Very cool, Joe, and it must be satisfying to do work on a lathe you
built yourself.

Mark

Mr. Moose wrote:
> Okay, as I posted before, my lathe is dead and really not worth
> fixing. (Old Craftsman, long tube stylem, bearings are shot, motor is
> salvaged, stand is crap.)
>
> I'm looking at a few options, and I KNOW that I really should not
> consider the ones at Harbor Freight, but with money tight right now, I
> really am tempted.
>
> Are there some actual valid reasons I should avoid these? (I'm looking
> at a 12" capacity lathe)

The HF lathe I have is a visual duplicate of the Jet to which you
received a link. At about 1/2 the price. Is it a duplicate in
quality? No idea but it is solid and works fine.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

hello,

HF has 3 lathe ranging from (sale prices) $89 to $189.

the 2 lower end ones are not good. The main problem is that the "bed" part
of the lathe, which is critical to maintain the alignment of the heads and
the center is sheet metal and will bend under slight pressure.
the more expensive one (which comes with a stand BTW) is much better with a
cast iron bed and a good motor. this is the one that I intend to buy and at
<$200 on sales prices, it is not beatable...

of course, like any HF tool, it is only good for occasional non perfection
seeking usage. which is the case for most hobbyist.

regards, cyrille

"Mr. Moose" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Okay, as I posted before, my lathe is dead and really not worth
> fixing. (Old Craftsman, long tube stylem, bearings are shot, motor is
> salvaged, stand is crap.)
>
> I'm looking at a few options, and I KNOW that I really should not
> consider the ones at Harbor Freight, but with money tight right now, I
> really am tempted.
>
> Are there some actual valid reasons I should avoid these? (I'm looking
> at a 12" capacity lathe)
>
> Mark

J T wrote:
> Sun, Nov 6, 2005, 3:22am (EST+5) [email protected] (Mr. Moose), but
> it's only 11:30 Sat here:
> Okay, as I posted before, my lathe is dead <snip> I KNOW that I really
> should not consider the ones at Harbor Freight, <snip> Are there some
> actual valid reasons I should avoid these? (I'm looking at a 12"
> capacity lathe)
>
> It's your money, you're a big boy, spend it any way you want. I've
> got a HF lathe, had it for years. $129 I think it was new, 39" between
> centers, works great, much sturdier, "and" better quality, than severl I
> saw for around $300.

Amen JOAT, and who cares if it loses 75% of its cost as you go out the
door. Its being bought to use, not to resell. I paid $79 for mine
(36066) 2 years ago and have no intention of shitcanning it. Paid 3x
that for my Jet midi and I'm pleased with both. Not all of us can
afford nor want to afford a $5000 Nova or whatever the tool gatherers
and the professionals can afford.
John

Dave Hinz <[email protected]> wrote:

> On Mon, 07 Nov 2005 15:39:58 -0600, Mike Berger <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>> (someone else wrote)
>
>>> Don't own one myself, but a good friend, who is a gunsmith and
>>> makes custom black powder rifles (he presented one of his to
>>> Ronald Reagan in the oval office, presentation of which made the
>>> cover of NRA mag way back when), owns one and loves it. he is
>>> obviously very handy with metal working tools and did a lot of
>>> customization to it, but he swears by it.
>
>> Black powder rifles aren't really made with extreme precision
>> anyway.
>
> If his friend is the maker I think he means, then your statement
> is amusingly and amazingly ill-informed.

It might be true for the kit guns that people buy and assemble. I'm
not sure, it's been a long time and I've not seen many of them, anyway.
Custom-made muzzleloaders are an entirely different breed from the
mass-produced ones. Well, depending on the gunsmith, too.

W Canaday <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> On Sun, 06 Nov 2005 04:42:59 +0000, Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
>
>>> Mr. Moose wrote:
>>>> Are there some actual valid reasons I should avoid these? (I'm
>>>> looking at a 12" capacity lathe)
>>
>> Yes, they are generally not well made compared to other brands.
>> Worth waiting for a quality tool, IMO. The gratification of a cheap
>> tool will not last nearly as long as the wait to buy a good one.
>
> I'll do my best to respectively disagree. I do good work on my HF
> 12x36. The wood goes round and round and I cut off the parts I want to
> then I sand and finish and sell them.
>
> What part of this equation doesn't make sense to you? If you are
> buying a tool to earn money with, buy the cheapest one that will do
> the job rather than missing income opportunities while you save for a
> 'better' one. I've been turning only about a year. My HF lathe long
> ago paid for itself and the wood keeps going round and round and
> round. Just like on a Nova except not as slow (stay awake when
> chucking!) and I don't have as much expense to recover before putting
> money in my pocket.
>
> Some day I'll probably get a Stubby or a Woodmaster -- "The Whole
> Enchilada" makes my eyes glaze over. Or maybe even one of the bigger
> Novas. But I'm making money right now instead of waiting for the day I
> could afford what the tools snobs think of as an entry level tool. And
> that, for me, is the name of the game.
>
> Bill
>

Finally, a voice of reason.

If money is really tight, try this...
http://www.mimf.com/articles/lathe/

I did, see it here...
http://members.tfproductions.com/joebettystein/page5.html

Have fun.
Joe





Mr. Moose wrote:
> Okay, as I posted before, my lathe is dead and really not worth
> fixing. (Old Craftsman, long tube stylem, bearings are shot, motor is
> salvaged, stand is crap.)
>
> I'm looking at a few options, and I KNOW that I really should not
> consider the ones at Harbor Freight, but with money tight right now, I
> really am tempted.
>
> Are there some actual valid reasons I should avoid these? (I'm looking
> at a 12" capacity lathe)
>
> Mark

Harbor Freight has a dozen different lathes, some good, some bad. Which
were you considering? I have the 34706 which I've been happy with. It was
$170 on sale and I picked it up from the store. Don't pay full price.

"Mr. Moose" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Okay, as I posted before, my lathe is dead and really not worth
> fixing. (Old Craftsman, long tube stylem, bearings are shot, motor is
> salvaged, stand is crap.)
>
> I'm looking at a few options, and I KNOW that I really should not
> consider the ones at Harbor Freight, but with money tight right now, I
> really am tempted.
>
> Are there some actual valid reasons I should avoid these? (I'm looking
> at a 12" capacity lathe)
>
> Mark

Black powder rifles aren't really made with extreme precision
anyway.

Swingman wrote:

> Don't own one myself, but a good friend, who is a gunsmith and makes custom
> black powder rifles (he presented one of his to Ronald Reagan in the oval
> office, presentation of which made the cover of NRA mag way back when), owns
> one and loves it. he is obviously very handy with metal working tools and
> did a lot of customization to it, but he swears by it.

Congrats! I think you got a fine deal. 46-700 search results on the Delta site:

http://search.bdk.com/search?ie=latin1&site=delta_pub&output=xml_no_dtd&client=pentair_delta&lr=&proxystylesheet=pentair_delta&oe=latin1&restrict=delta_pub&q=46-700&submit.x=10&submit.y=6&submit=submit

--
Alex - "newbie_neander" woodworker
cravdraa_at-yahoo_dot-com
not my site: http://www.e-sword.net/

On Mon, 07 Nov 2005 15:39:58 -0600, Mike Berger <[email protected]> wrote:

>Black powder rifles aren't really made with extreme precision
>anyway.

(Gestures with rolled up newspaper...)

Bad Mike! Bad! Bad! Bad Mike!



Maybe this was actually posted by Bay Area Dave in disguise.......?

>
>Swingman wrote:
>
>> Don't own one myself, but a good friend, who is a gunsmith and makes custom
>> black powder rifles (he presented one of his to Ronald Reagan in the oval
>> office, presentation of which made the cover of NRA mag way back when), owns
>> one and loves it. he is obviously very handy with metal working tools and
>> did a lot of customization to it, but he swears by it.

Well, problem solved, a Delta 46-700 showed up on Craigslist, and I
picked it up, complete with stand, for $275. It also came with a few
neat turning books, a video, and, even better, a 5 gallon bucket full
of lathe chisels and tool rests! There are several very nice Sheffield
gouges in there, and some other not-so-nice but grindable into seful
tool chisels as well. Atleast 15 chisels, new they would have cost
well over the $275 I paid for the lathe to start with!

It's not the "perfect dream" lathe, but it will last a couple years
and get me through the craft fair season, and I can always sell it for
what I paid for it, even less since I got all the cool goodies with
it.


Thanks to everyone for the good input and information, it was quite
helpful.

Mark

> Mr. Moose wrote:
>> Are there some actual valid reasons I should avoid these? (I'm looking
>> at a 12" capacity lathe)

Yes, they are generally not well made compared to other brands. Worth
waiting for a quality tool, IMO. The gratification of a cheap tool will not
last nearly as long as the wait to buy a good one.

So, by that statement you're implying that the tool, a lathe here, is
the arbitor of the craftsmanship and not the craftsman? I saw an article
a long time ago in a magazine about a guitar maker, a profession I think
you're agree requires a great deal of precision, in Mexico who's only
real power tool was a skilsaw mounted upside down in a kitchen table to
function as literally, a table saw! Its the craftsman, NOT the tool!



Mike Berger wrote:
> Black powder rifles aren't really made with extreme precision
> anyway.
>
> Swingman wrote:
>
>> Don't own one myself, but a good friend, who is a gunsmith and makes
>> custom
>> black powder rifles (he presented one of his to Ronald Reagan in the oval
>> office, presentation of which made the cover of NRA mag way back
>> when), owns
>> one and loves it. he is obviously very handy with metal working tools and
>> did a lot of customization to it, but he swears by it.

--
Joseph Connors
The New Golden Rule:
Those with the gold, make the rules!

On Sun, 06 Nov 2005 04:42:59 +0000, Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

>> Mr. Moose wrote:
>>> Are there some actual valid reasons I should avoid these? (I'm looking
>>> at a 12" capacity lathe)
>
> Yes, they are generally not well made compared to other brands. Worth
> waiting for a quality tool, IMO. The gratification of a cheap tool will not
> last nearly as long as the wait to buy a good one.

I'll do my best to respectively disagree. I do good work on my HF 12x36.
The wood goes round and round and I cut off the parts I want to then I
sand and finish and sell them.

What part of this equation doesn't make sense to you? If you are buying a
tool to earn money with, buy the cheapest one that will do the job rather
than missing income opportunities while you save for a 'better' one. I've
been turning only about a year. My HF lathe long ago paid for itself and
the wood keeps going round and round and round. Just like on a Nova except
not as slow (stay awake when chucking!) and I don't have as much expense
to recover before putting money in my pocket.

Some day I'll probably get a Stubby or a Woodmaster -- "The Whole
Enchilada" makes my eyes glaze over. Or maybe even one of the bigger
Novas. But I'm making money right now instead of waiting for the day I
could afford what the tools snobs think of as an entry level tool. And
that, for me, is the name of the game.

Bill

"Roy" wrote in message ...
> Small world. I suppose you're a member of the Wood workers Club of
Houston, too, aren't you. If
> so, see you Saturday. I'll be the one with the WWCH hat on.

Nope ... don't belong to the club, but I did take Chris to raise at one
time, sort of ;) ... (bought one of his rifles when he first started out,
the long term loan of a truck at the time, and took him along on a Mexican
dove hunt with a bunch of my clients back in the high roller days of the oil
bidness, which he'll never forget, or live down, cuz I taught him a thing or
two about wing shooting, IIRC).

AAMOF, and back on topic, he's the guy who told me about HF when it first
opened here in Houston.

> Funny you posted this. At the T.A.B. two weekends ago, a couple of us
were "wondering whatever
> happened to Chris". Nobody has seen him in a coons age, and only Badger
and a few others remember
> how he got his camp name. Tell him Lomax was back for his first doin's in
6 years, and the next
> T.A.B. is the last weekend in January up near Palestine this year. The
usual directions: look for
> pie plates, bring wood and water.

Funny ... although I haven't seen him in a long while myself, I do listen to
him on KPFT on occasion. But, as it happens, I will see him this Saturday.
I'm hired to sub on bass for a band at a local music festival and I
understand that Chris's band will be playing on the bill.

Besides being an artisan with the rifles, he's also a talented
multi-instrumentalist who's done work in my recording studio down through
the years. AAMOF, I engineered and produced that album ("Pecos Wind"?) that
he did years ago with the likes of Kenny Baker, Uncle Josh Graves, Byron
Berline, Charlie Cline, Roland White, Beppe Gambetta, to name a few ... that
boy can hang with the best musically.

I'll mention that you were asking about him in the wild woods of Usenet.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 11/06/05

"Mike Berger" wrote in message
> Black powder rifles aren't really made with extreme precision
> anyway.

Neither are most wood turnings ...

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 11/06/05

Small world. I suppose you're a member of the Wood workers Club of Houston, too, aren't you. If
so, see you Saturday. I'll be the one with the WWCH hat on.

I also have a copy of the American Rifleman you mention. Somewhere I've also got the Post/Chronicle
feature about him bagging a 10 point with a .40 flinter he made.

I've got one of his rocklocks stocked in cherry. Apparently the only one he ever made out of
cherry, as he developed an allergy just before he got to the finishing stage on it. Chris will
remember this rifle (besides the allergy) as he sweated bullets trying to make a silk purse out of a
sows ear with the lock. He told me he spent over 20 hours tuning it as an experiment to see if you
could make a great lock out of a cheap lock. You can't, but he did improve it to a linen purse
quality. Actually, the frizzen still throws great sparks, but the lock needs better internals for a
quicker cock fall. I knew that from dry firing it before I bought it, but heck, when you REALLY
want something, that little bit of common sense seems to hide or something. Actually, this is not a
problem for someone who holds his shootin' iron rock solid, but I'm one of those who have to squeeze
a round off as the target wiggles by.

He does excellent work, and his fancy rifles are truly works of art. Mine is a "poor boy" style of
about 1810-1820. I get it out and shoot it every now and then for fun, and have been known to hit a
barn from the inside with it.

Funny you posted this. At the T.A.B. two weekends ago, a couple of us were "wondering whatever
happened to Chris". Nobody has seen him in a coons age, and only Badger and a few others remember
how he got his camp name. Tell him Lomax was back for his first doin's in 6 years, and the next
T.A.B. is the last weekend in January up near Palestine this year. The usual directions: look for
pie plates, bring wood and water.

Well, I managed to really wander OT here, but at least I did mention wood, which is better than some
of the other topics. Keep yer powder dry,

Roy


On Sun, 6 Nov 2005 00:13:09 -0600, "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote:

>"Mr. Moose" wrote in message
>
>> I'm looking at a few options, and I KNOW that I really should not
>> consider the ones at Harbor Freight, but with money tight right now, I
>> really am tempted.
>
>Don't own one myself, but a good friend, who is a gunsmith and makes custom
>black powder rifles (he presented one of his to Ronald Reagan in the oval
>office, presentation of which made the cover of NRA mag way back when), owns
>one and loves it. he is obviously very handy with metal working tools and
>did a lot of customization to it, but he swears by it.
>
>Strictly FWIW ...

On Mon, 7 Nov 2005 10:26:49 -0800, "AAvK" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>Congrats! I think you got a fine deal. 46-700 search results on the Delta site:
>
>http://search.bdk.com/search?ie=latin1&site=delta_pub&output=xml_no_dtd&client=pentair_delta&lr=&proxystylesheet=pentair_delta&oe=latin1&restrict=delta_pub&q=46-700&submit.x=10&submit.y=6&submit=submit

Thanks, I'd seen that, but thanks for the effort.

Just turned a practice spindle, seems to work well though I need to
really adjust the rattly pulleys and probably replace the belt. And
master the freakin' skew chisel, but I think I'll take on the easy
stuff first. :)

Mark

"Mr. Moose" wrote in message

> I'm looking at a few options, and I KNOW that I really should not
> consider the ones at Harbor Freight, but with money tight right now, I
> really am tempted.

Don't own one myself, but a good friend, who is a gunsmith and makes custom
black powder rifles (he presented one of his to Ronald Reagan in the oval
office, presentation of which made the cover of NRA mag way back when), owns
one and loves it. he is obviously very handy with metal working tools and
did a lot of customization to it, but he swears by it.

Strictly FWIW ...

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 10/22/05