Hi guys I have been building things for 30 some odd years, but
never worked with a lathe. This Christmas I will buy a new one and
start doing some turning. I would like to keep it under $1000. Do
any of you have a good suggestion as to which brand and model to get??
It mostly be used to turn bowls, not spindles.
Thanks Lee
Fri, Jul 6, 2007, 6:17pm (EDT-1) [email protected] (Lee=A0Tollett)
doth claimeth:
Hi guys =A0 =A0 =A0 I have been building things for 30 some odd years,
but never worked with a lathe. This Christmas I will buy a new one and
start doing some turning. I would like to keep it under $1000. =A0 Do
any of you have a good suggestion as to which brand and model to get??
It mostly be used to turn bowls, not spindles.
That's a lot of money to spend on a tool you've never used before.
If you buy one, then don't like it, can I have it?
Why not make your own? Couple of car transmissions, electrc motor,
screp metal, welder, paint to make it purty, no prob. I figure bowl
lathes are a lot more sinple then regular lathes.
JOAT
I do things I don't know how to do, so that I might learn how to do
them.
- Picasso
Lee Tollett wrote:
> Hi guys I have been building things for 30 some odd years, but
> never worked with a lathe. This Christmas I will buy a new one and
> start doing some turning. I would like to keep it under $1000. Do
> any of you have a good suggestion as to which brand and model to get??
> It mostly be used to turn bowls, not spindles.
>
For bowl turning on a budget, I suggest the General Maxi-lathe VS. It has a
swivel head as well as electronic speed control. Sells for around $500-$550.
And you can get an extension bed if you want to do long spindles.
Don't get it confused with their other Maxi-lathe without those features.
Now spend the rest of that $1000 on tools and sharpening :-).
--
It's turtles, all the way down
Crossposted to rec.crafts.woodturning
Lee Tollett <[email protected]> writes:
> Hi guys I have been building things for 30 some odd years, but
> never worked with a lathe. This Christmas I will buy a new one and
> start doing some turning. I would like to keep it under $1000. Do
> any of you have a good suggestion as to which brand and model to get??
> It mostly be used to turn bowls, not spindles.
I have a Jet 12x36 ($500 on amazon). Keep an eye on the lower RPM's. I
like it a lot, but I wish I could go slower than 550 RPM's for bigger
bowls. But a lot of the lathes in this price range (Jet, Delta) can't
go much slower. As a novice, alarge chunk of wood spinning at 500RPM
is scary. Some beef up the Jet 1236 with plywood and sand to prevent
vibration. The bigger Delta/Jet lathes are better at reducing
vibration, but the lowest speeds are about the same. I think the $900
Jet goes to 450rpm.
The Nova 1624-44 ($1000) goes down to 218RPM, and I am envious of that
low speed.
Also - expect to pay a lot for tools and sharpening equip eventually.
For starters, look for a sale on the Woodcraft slow-speed 8"
grinder. ($95 today, about $80 on sale) Also get the Harbor Freight
HSS lathe chisels ($37 today). I don't remember if they go on sale
often.
That set doesn't include a decent bowl chisel. So that might be about $50 more.
The HF set will let you practice your sharpening techniques on cheap steel.
It's easy to spend as much on tools for the lathe as on the lathe itself.
I think I'm around 3x-4x now.
If you are serious about bowls, the Nova would be a good choice over a
Jet or Delta (says a Jet owner). However, if your total price is
$1000, you won't have much for tools.
http://www.teknatool.com/products/Lathes/1624/Nova%20_1624.htm
Lee Tollett wrote:
> Hi guys I have been building things for 30 some odd years, but
> never worked with a lathe. This Christmas I will buy a new one and
> start doing some turning. I would like to keep it under $1000. Do any
> of you have a good suggestion as to which brand and model to get??
> It mostly be used to turn bowls, not spindles.
>
> Thanks Lee
Thanks guys for all the info. I will post about what equipment
finally hits the shop.
Lee
Hi Lee,
Lucky you--get to drool over a new lathe!!!
One nasty secret about buying a lathe is that the lathe cost is just a
starter.
You really need-- a grinder (not necessarily a slow speed one), with a
white, blue or pink wheel.
Some chisels--some people swear by the Harbor Freight ones, I've never
used them.
A scroll chuck.
A better live center
The above will set you back around $400 to $500 if you get anything of
decent quality.
One way is to buy a mini-lathe which uses the same size accessories as does
a regular size. I like the JET, but there others. Then when you get more
serious you can upgrade the lathe and keep using the same accessories.
I have a JET 1442 and love it dearly. It has limitations, but it has kept
me amused for 2 1/2 years, and I'm still happy with it.
Enjoy!!!
Old Guy
"Lee Tollett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi guys I have been building things for 30 some odd years, but never
> worked with a lathe. This Christmas I will buy a new one and start doing
> some turning. I would like to keep it under $1000. Do any of you have a
> good suggestion as to which brand and model to get??
> It mostly be used to turn bowls, not spindles.
>
> Thanks Lee
"Lee Tollett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi guys I have been building things for 30 some odd years, but never
> worked with a lathe. This Christmas I will buy a new one and start doing
> some turning. I would like to keep it under $1000. Do any of you have a
> good suggestion as to which brand and model to get??
> It mostly be used to turn bowls, not spindles.
>
> Thanks Lee
Nova 1624-44. Best buy out there on a very nice piece of equipment.
Doesn't have the bragging bells, nor does it whistle. It's got just what
lathes should have, like power, rigidity and good bearings.
http://www.teknatool.com/products/Lathes/1624/Nova%20_1624.htm
It's presently a buck under, USD.
In article <[email protected]>,
Lee Tollett <[email protected]> wrote:
> Hi guys I have been building things for 30 some odd years, but
> never worked with a lathe. This Christmas I will buy a new one and
> start doing some turning. I would like to keep it under $1000. Do
> any of you have a good suggestion as to which brand and model to get??
> It mostly be used to turn bowls, not spindles.
>
> Thanks Lee
The Meca of turners
http://www.woodturner.org/vbforum/forumdisplay.php?f=2 ... and some
lathe suggestions http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0462 (it's not a 2HP
lathe, more like 3/4) and
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=34706
and
http://www.amazon.com/JET-1014VSI-Variable-Speed-Indexing/dp/B000MIWG6Q/r
ef=pd_bbs_sr_2/104-3688770-8197550?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1183774219&sr=8-2
--
--------------------------------------------------------
Personal e-mail is the n7bsn but at amsat.org
This posting address is a spam-trap and seldom read
RV and Camping FAQ can be found at
http://www.ralphandellen.us/rv
Lee Tollett wrote:
> Hi guys I have been building things for 30 some odd years, but
> never worked with a lathe. This Christmas I will buy a new one and
> start doing some turning. I would like to keep it under $1000. Do
> any of you have a good suggestion as to which brand and model to get??
> It mostly be used to turn bowls, not spindles.
>
> Thanks Lee
Hi Lee,
Mosey on over to rec.crafts.woodturning and ask the folks there. My
Delta cost around $700 but you can spend $700 more on turning tools,
chucks, faceplates and supplies. Easily.
--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA
The key to flexibility is indecision.