lee85
Established Member
Anyone have an experience with the dml320 variable speed lathe. Rethinking of purchasing new for. £499.99
Record power dml320
- Thread starter lee85
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lee85
Established Member
Excellent , what work are you producing I've read it's also a good starter for someone like myself but should see me through for a longer time than most starters
I have a record dml320 and the extension bed. its a good lathe for a beginner. The limitations I've found are ..
- Max turning size (obviously)
- m8 bolts to attach it to workbench are ok enough but I'd prefer 'over-engineering'
- Combination of record & axminster (for the chucks) quality isnt the highest but, to be fair, is by no means bad
- General progression of wear & tear over the 9 months since I've had it is quite high ...but no problems so far
- Headstock doesnt slide or rotate but, on reflection, this may be a good thing as well since those features may possibly reduce its rigidity
- It's not a high precision instrument...but then its only £500 ...its still a much better lathe than I am woodturner!
For me, its an excellent machine which I'll be keeping. I'll probably buy a significantly better lathe if/when I want to do arty or high precision work ...but I wont be getting rid of the dml320 unless it somehow falls apart!
You can easily buy a better lathe ...but, imo, it'll cost a fair bit more
- Max turning size (obviously)
- m8 bolts to attach it to workbench are ok enough but I'd prefer 'over-engineering'
- Combination of record & axminster (for the chucks) quality isnt the highest but, to be fair, is by no means bad
- General progression of wear & tear over the 9 months since I've had it is quite high ...but no problems so far
- Headstock doesnt slide or rotate but, on reflection, this may be a good thing as well since those features may possibly reduce its rigidity
- It's not a high precision instrument...but then its only £500 ...its still a much better lathe than I am woodturner!
For me, its an excellent machine which I'll be keeping. I'll probably buy a significantly better lathe if/when I want to do arty or high precision work ...but I wont be getting rid of the dml320 unless it somehow falls apart!
You can easily buy a better lathe ...but, imo, it'll cost a fair bit more
lee85
Established Member
Pranks for the feedback. I think it will definatly suit me
lee85
Established Member
What sort of bench do you have the dml on I need to get something I've looked at the record power stands although specifically made for the lathe I still like the idea of a wooden bench
oops ... the biggest downside to the lathe somehow got deleted ... it's a bit underpowered for it's turning size capacity ...so you need to learn to love belt changes. Lowspeed range has enough torque for most things but not much top end speed, mid speed range easy to stall if you're greedy with your cuts.
CHJ
Established Member
dcmguy":75qnpgxy said:
Lack of torque not a bad thing for a beginner, reduces the risk factor in bad catch situations and instils better tool control and use, encourages tool sharpening.
As to whether it will become a frustration factor leading to an upgrade in power and speed control options though? all depends upon what niche of turning you settle into regarding type and size.
Dalboy
Established Member
I have pushed my lathes to the limit at one time or another but with sharp tools and the correct approach you can overcome some of the problems. That is not saying that for certain work a larger lathe is the better option after all like most machines they are designed to do a certain job at a certain range for example like drills they are rated to drill up to a maximum size bit for the material being drilled. My advice was always buy a machine where the majority of the work you wish to do is in the mid range.
Robbo3
Established Member
I have, in addition to my main lathe, I have a Draper mini lathe with a 250w (1/3 HP) variable speed motor. Although it is easy to stall, as previous posters have said, it teaches you how to use your tools correctly.
The only problem I struggle with is drilling into end grain with a 32mm sawtooth bit, but that's way over what it should be expected to cope with.
As you get more experienced you may have to curb your impatience & take smaller cuts but as it's only a small lathe you'll not be turning anything large enough to cause too much frustration.
The only problem I struggle with is drilling into end grain with a 32mm sawtooth bit, but that's way over what it should be expected to cope with.
As you get more experienced you may have to curb your impatience & take smaller cuts but as it's only a small lathe you'll not be turning anything large enough to cause too much frustration.
lee85
Established Member
Well the dml320 is now winging its way to me. The "work room" is ready for the arrival and I'm ready to get started on my journey
