theblindwoodturner":2q7wfyx9 said:
My apologies for offering phone based consultations. perhaps if you'd read my comment about my health, you'd realise that there's a fair bit of time I feel absolutely tired and typing's my last priority at times.
So sorry about that guys. I don't profit from advice, etc.
anyway there's a thread I replied to stating suitable lathes, their detail, etc. I'd advise finding that.
Lew's earlier post...........
OK here's my £3.75 inc VAT worth lol. Buying a lathe as a beginner can be frustrating. There's so many places selling lathes, different manufacturers, different options to go with, etc.
The trick about buying a lathe is this:
Think about what you want to do on the lathe...
Do you want to turn bowls, hollow forms, spindle work, etc?
What distance between centres do you need or want?
Do you need variable speed or speed change via pulley shift?
Do you need something portable or floor standing?
There are various options to consider. Here are some do's and dont's when buying a lathe.
DO:
look into the specifications of the mathe and compare each lathe,
contact the supplier or manufacturer and discuss anything you need to know,
check out the warrenty plan for the lathe for your cover if something goes wrong,
Look at the accessories you are going to need,
consider expansion as you get further into turning. some of us turning folk either have one lathe or a few on the go, etc.
DON't:
Go and buy a cheap product. here's some tell tale signs. price between £150 and £200, cheap quality materials, imports, suspect brands (sorry to say NuTool as an example, B&Q own, challenge, etc),
Spend money on a lathe which is going to last 5 minutes and die a horrible death (examples including cheap motors catching fire, soft steels, flimsy leg stands, etc,
Rush into the first lathe you see, spend time instead researching the market and learn each technology and feature so you know what to expect,
Buy a small lathe and expect to produce big projects from it,
Buy a lathe that feels inadiquate, ensure you save up as much money as you can for a quality lathe which lasts.
I'm sure there's many more points to raise but because I'm a young blonde hamster with a faulty brain lol.
A lathe is a tool like anything else you use, they have weaknesses and strengths and can be temperamental at times. Don't give up just because something goes a bit on the cookoo side. Believe me, time, patience and confidence will get you everywhere in the turning world.
Here are some good makes to consider....
Record Power, Axminster (not the cheap models), Jet, Poolewood, Teknatool (Record power as a distrobutor) there are other professional makes as well.
If you want a lathe for a reasonable price but need something substantial, look into a used Harrison union graduate. most of them come as 3 phase from schools or businesses. they are very reliable, substantial and heavy duty. They can support bowls inboard upto 12in and 16 in outboard, etc. they can be converted to single phase or an inverter installed to utilise a 3 phase motor and use single phase 13A mains.
Throughout my time as a turner, both as a demonstrator / tutor and a workshop based turner for production and commission based works, I've used various makes, From Record Power who I have endorsed for a number of years, Axminster, Jet and teknatool. as well as union graduates and some unusual and specialist lathes including copiers and the likes of. For me, I can tell a high quality lathe from a copy in 15 minutes on a simple series of tests as well as a thurough tactile series of observations and in some cases take aparts which send shockwaves of horror to some people. Please don't perform a take apart of a lathe unless you are fully competent and the company showing the product off know you as a buyer.
Here are some recommended models I've worked with in the past.
Record: DML 305 and VS models (these are great for demonstration work as well as general turning. well made and reasonably priced), CL 1, 3 and 4 series are well known and decent machines capable of most turning jobs but beware... the headstock can undo itself and walk across the bed on occasions. The nova series of lathes are very well priced and offer a real degree of flexibility not just in use but also in expandability. you can make these lathes a custom solution to your needs and make them as long as you want to. The MAXI series of lathes made by woodfast in America are also very decent. The maxi 1 is a well built lathe and offers the user some nice advantages for high capacity turning. the Maxi 2 again the same but slightly bigger and a fixed head. however this model does not feature a reverse switch which is a problem if you are used to inboard turning and want to use that same position outboard.
Axminster: AWVSWL1200, AW1416VS. I refer to these particular models as the build quality and standards are very good for a woodturner setting out or even for a demonstrator.
JET: JWL-1220, JWL-1220VS, JWL-1642 and the higher end lathes for serious turners like the 3520B and 4224. The first two models listed I recommend for someone starting out who wants a reliable lathe for a very decent price. These are also widely used as demonstartion lathes at trade and turning shows. The third model is several steps up for some getting more serious into turning and needs larger capacities with a very reliable and solid built design. the higher range are high spec machines for production turning and large capacity turnings.
Lathes including the Wivamac series and Vicmarc I recommend for intermediate and pro turners due to price and high pedigree.
In my opinion and from an engineering background, the use of inverters and direct pullies as well as the DVR technology are the way to go. the use of a lathe where there is a speed lever is to be avoided. The reason for this is due to belt torsion. each speed is created by expansion and contraction of the opposing spindle plates therefore creating wear to the shoulders of the belts as well as heat build up and increased wear of the belt. these are not easy to replace in certain models.
