Newbie Lathe.... any recommendations?

DeVore

I've got myself a nice set of chisels and that's great but I'm finding I want to do more defined/symmetric stuff and also things like lamps and bowls too.

So, I've decided to commit a few hundred quid to this and look into getting a lathe. I initially thought a computer controlled lathe would be great as I could design in computer where I feel more comfortable.... but jesus christ those things are expensive! Best I could find was into the 1000s... :eek:


So, I will stick to the non-digital kind for the moment



Can anyone recommend a lathe suitable for a complete noob?

kadman

DeVore wrote: »

I've got myself a nice set of chisels and that's great but I'm finding I want to do more defined/symmetric stuff and also things like lamps and bowls too.

So, I've decided to commit a few hundred quid to this and look into getting a lathe. I initially thought a computer controlled lathe would be great as I could design in computer where I feel more comfortable.... but jesus christ those things are expensive! Best I could find was into the 1000s... :eek:


So, I will stick to the non-digital kind for the moment



Can anyone recommend a lathe suitable for a complete noob?

Non digital is the way to go, you wont learn anything about woodturning methods with a cnc lathe.

Great bargains out there now in the lathe department. Lots of choice across the board.

So whats the budget.........ballpark figure. For any serious lathe work, from spindles to bowl work..........the more weight of the machine, the better in the long run to minimise any vibration of the workpiece while turning.

The old cast iron lathes come up at very reasonable money. A few years ago Jubilee,s were getting 2000+, same machines now can be got for 500ish.

Donedeal is your friend for lathes:D

recipio

All depends on your budget. The main considerations are the 'swing' ( distance from the bed to the centre of the spindle ) and the length of the bed.
I have an old Tyme Avon lathe which works for me but the thing I would like to have most is variable speed - worth paying for imho.

recipio

PS stick to the newer brands - you will soon want to get a 4 jaw check and other holding devices so the headstock thread needs to be compatable. I've seen some pre WW1 lathes out there and they are totally obsolete.

recipio

Even a 4 jaw chuck

DeVore

Thanks for the feedback all!

Its funny, I'm into a lot of "sub-culture" stuff from comics to martial arts and all of them have their own impenetrable language for the new comer! I'm finding I have to google every second word in wood turning but I think its definitely something I might find myself getting into now.

I bought a house and it had an old run down garage that I put some time and cash into and now its a very nice work shop. I've no idea why I wanted a workshop but since I don't drive, I definitely didnt need a garage


So, I've decided that while chiseling out bowls is one thing, I could probably kill myself with a lathe and that maybe I should go do a few classes first. So thats what I'm going to do. Then I'm going to come back and have a think about buying my own lathe. Definitely variable speed from the research I've done and probably in the 4-500 euro range. (IE something functional but beginner-friendly).

Thanks for the feed back... I had a look at CNC's lathes and while it would be great to use my computer skills to design stuff, it would defeat one of the reasons why I want to do this in the first place. Plus... WOAH they cost a lot

DeVore

So, I have found this one: https://www.whraitt.ie/p/rp_dml305_lathe_

and its on offer this week.... hmmm.... got great reviews too and seems perfect. Decisions decisions...


Another question: I turned my car garage into a workshop but its pretty much sealed up (has two smallish windows)... so I feel like I need a dust extractor as I find the sawdust is catching in my lungs and that cant be good

I'm looking at this: https://www.whraitt.ie/p/rp_cx2600_chip_collector_ which seems to have gotten good reviews too but its not cheap. My question is: Am I over doing it? Do I need something like that?


Thanks for all your help!

Prenderb

Howya - you will probably spend more on the accessories (gouges, chucks etc.) than on a beginner's lathe! So once you've gone to the nightclass / class and decided what you like the most that'll help you choose a lathe. Record Power's a great brand, but every lathe has it's drawbacks and advantages. I'd try and restrain myself till I had a couple of lessons and knew what some of the ins and outs are!

Dust control is certainly something to be concerned about - but you could start off with a small investment in decent dust masks which will help a lot before an investment in dust control machinery.

You should keep an eye out on the s/h markets because you might get a "package" from a retiring (or not-quite-as-enthusiastic-as-I-thought-I'd-be) turner - I got a lathe, gouges and chuck for a great price last year. (I've since upgraded the lathe, though....)

recipio

Try and take a trip to one of the bigger UK woodworking shows and you will see plenty of good lathes on offer. ( There is show in Nottingham on 28/29 th of March )
The difference between lathes from China ( like the record ) and quality lathes is often not a whole lot of money but a lifetime of satisfaction.
Lathes are hard to set up extraction from - you need the most powerful extractor you can get set to take the waste as it comes off the tools.
The Record extractor will still blow dust through the top bag - try and invest in an extractor with a cartridge top at least.

woodturner

The Carpentry Store in Naas have a few Jet and Axminster lathes on display. If you're anywhere near them you should pop in and have a look. Leave the wallet at home though so you won't buy anything on impulse. You'd be like a kid in a sweet shop.

Stanirish

a cx2600 is a chip extractor, more designed for getting chips out of a planer thicknesser and large waste particle, than controlling dust. Unless you go for the expensive filter for the top, you will still have dust circulating in your workshop - consider a Rsde1 or dx1000 for fine dust, or an AC400 for hanging from the roof, to keep the air clean.

blue5000

would it be better to get one of those(trend?) helmets instead of spending money on dust extractors for each machine in the workshop?

DeVore

I thought of that too... the price isnt much different if you only have one machine (which I will) and it means there is still dust in the air and chips on the ground. But I must say, I do quite like the look of them...

Alun

Unless you have something the size of McLaren's F1 wind tunnel doing the extracting you'll always have chippings on the floor, plus if you're doing it right you'll have big long uninterrupted shavings, not chips and no extractor will get rid of those. It's dust you should really be worried about, I have an extractor set up similar to the dx1000 referenced above with a nozzle close to where I'm sanding and even then it doesn't get everything so you'll need a face mask of some sort anyway. You can get 'hoover' attachments like this one for some dust extractors to allow you to hoover up all the chips and stuff from the workshop floor afterwards.

DeVore

Ok that makes a lot of sense I guess. That dx1000 does look like the lad for me. I dont mind sweeping the floor of the workshop of chips, its the dust that worries me. Thanks!

DeVore

Ok, so... I had a good week this week and I decided to treat myself.... took a deep breath and bought one of these:
https://www.whraitt.ie/p/rp_dml305_lathe_

along with a set of these https://www.whraitt.ie/p/rs_67hs_turning_tool_set_6_

and that DX1000 dust filtering vacuum.



These are going to be the worlds most expensive bowls.

blue5000

Best of luck with that DeVore. Did you go to the shop or buy online? What length is the bed?

DeVore

I bought online on the site I linked (www.whraitt.ie)... the length of the bed is 393mm between centres.

Prenderb

Enjoy!

You should get yourself a copy of Keith Rowley's book (amazon have it at http://www.amazon.com/Woodturning-Foundation-Course-Keith-Rowley/dp/1861081146) as an introduction to the hows and wherefores of it. I must say though that it won't beat a practical lesson / nightclass type thing, but great to have.

Another thing that's vital to the woodturner is a method of sharpening the gouges. Many use a bench grinder. There's lessons to be had in that, aswell! (Aswell as being more satisfying, a sharp gouge is a safer gouge).

Start using branches to make cylinders, foot massagers, that sort of thing before working up to bowls...big difference between spindle turning and bowl turning because of the grain direction.

DeVore

I bought a bench grinder last week in fact, though I have yet to secure it to my work table so I had to hand sharpen the carving tools I have. No bother as I used to be a cobbler many many moons ago, so sharpening is something I'm comfortable with.

I've decided to take night classes in Malahide too, but they dont start for 5 weeks. I'm probably not going to do anything with the lathe until then ... mostly for safety reasons!!

I also have a hand carving project to finish for my folks 50th wedding anniversary so we'll see how that goes before then

DeVore

So..... Whraitt were very efficient and my lathe arrived today (the poor delivery guy wasnt impressed by how heavy the box was! Its made from cast iron after all).

I've decided to leave it in the box for fear of losing a finger before I learn how to use it. The DX1000 also arrived and... I had this vision of it being about the size of one of those mini-Heineken kegs, sitting on my table. Its almost the size of a full on keg!! Its a lot bigger than I was expecting but ... ok!

The Robert Sorby set of turning tools are lovely, very solid feel to them and nicely crafted. Sharp too!!

The last thing was a Mylands High Gloss finish which I took out of the box, read the safety instructions and then put back in the box because it might as well have said "if opened, may cause Death". That stuff sounds .... nasty!



So, no I understand that I have some MORE expenditure coming.... I need a visor, preferably one which blows air and a calipers and an adze.