Choosing a lathe for woodturning.

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CYNNYC

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Joined
12 Oct 2011
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Location
Clackmannanshire
Hello all,
i'm in a bit of a position, I used to turn wood 25 years ago. I have returned to it recently with a silly lathe that in effect is broken and non repairable. I wish to purchase a new one that will give me the best results im capable of for a budget of around £600.00. I need some impartial advice from folk in the know but with no axe to grind. At present time its between the
scheppach 1100 and record cl3.
I need help all comments gratefully recieved. Thanks in advance.

CYNNYC
 
hello and welcome,
I've only ever had one lathe (record cl2) so i am of no real help but this question pops up from time to time here on the forum, here are a few of the posts....
jet-lathe-which-one-t52578.html
help-with-laithe-choice-t52486.html
axminster-awvsl1000-or-cl3-record-power-t54203.html

there may be some info in there that proves helpful to you, but i am sure others will be along with their tuppence worth soon enough.
if its any indication, when i go to craft show demo's etc. most of the demonstrators seem to have little baby jet lathes, i dont know if that's because they're brill or just more portable than others :?
 
Hi

Dependant on what you are going to make " size wise "
This unit is good value for money

It has 2 MT headstock and tailstock tapers
M33 x 3.5 Chuck thread
Decent power
Decent capacity
Variable speed
Forward and reverse

http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ax ... rod834297/

Its a popular lathe

Currently out of stock " due to demand "

But its worth ordering

A review on the lathe is in this months Wood turning Magazine

:wink:
 
For the money I think Blister's suggestion is bang on.
If you find the between centres capacity is a bit short, the bed extension won't break the bank either at £120.

Unlike other variable speed lathes around that price point, it uses a proper inverter and three phase motor rather than the distinctly inferior DC motor set-up.

...and Axminster are a class outfit to deal with if anything goes wrong.

The only downside I can see is that there's no way to turn items bigger than 14" diameter but that's quite big enough for most applications.

Jon
 
Hi.

If it is of any help I have had a Jet 1220 for a while now and now problems, plenty of power and well made. I have variable speed and it does everything I want to do on it but then again most things I make are on the small side but you can turn 10inches over the bed and 20inches between centres and on top of that it has a five year warranty.

Geoff
 
Hello Gents, and thanks for all assistance, However I have another question!!!

One of you suggested the Axe 1000 and I have had a look!!!
what I cant figure is its near £200.00 cheaper than the scheppach 1100 but it looks identical and try as I might can find no difference in the spec???
Yours more confused than ever lol. Help me out please.

Thanks in advance CYNNYC #-o
 
CYNNYC,

You've now discovered the fact that those who have looked for any woodworking machine in recent years discovers at some point. When most things were put together in the country of the manufacturer/retailer, be it Britain, Austria, Germany or wherever they each produced their own designs. Nowadays the bulk (but not yet all) of the manufacturing is done in the Far East. The manufacturer has a range of standardised designs and the importer will tweak each design to give a product that they think suits their market or is perceived to be better than someone elses. At the 'high end' of the market some retailers may strip and rebuild machines in Europe but not many are done as labour costs are high. Many machines just come in different colours with variations in the supplied accessories. As an example a few months ago I bought a bobbin sander, no name on it just the basic safety and electrical data. This machine comes from at least four other retailers and needless to say four other colours with approximately a £100 difference between the highest and lowest price. I don't know the lathes you are looking at, I've a secondhand Myford ML8, but chances are they rolled off the same production line.

Tony Comber
 
That smart yellow paint job must be worth £200 of anyone's money - surely ;-)

Seriously though I suspect that the Axminster version may have slightly cheaper bits in it (possibly bearings) and maybe the castings are more unfettled - if that's the right word.

For one thing the switch gear looks to be in a different place between the two lathes and the Scheppach looks to have rubber bits on the bottom of the legs in the picture I saw. So it may be a bit better finished. Also note that this is borne out by the Hobby rating that Axminster give to the lathe.

I have no experience of either lathe but I did have the Axminster M950 which is pretty much a clone of these and was until recently sold by Axminster at a premium over the Axe 1000. Axminster used to also produce a range called Perform which was for their Hobby rated Chinese clones - my guess is that this was one of them in a former life.

All I would say, and this applies to the Scheppach as well, is that the Reeves drive variable speed as fitted here is ok and probably easier than changing with pulleys most of the time (Except when you forget to put it in a low ratio when you switch off!) but it's not a substitute for electronic variable speed.

I hope this helps
Jon
 
Gentlemen all,
I express my profuse thanks for the data you have given me, its quite a lot to think about. So im going to the Ingleston bash on saturday with my good lady wife to get an ogle and a feel for the machines. If anyone here is going then may bump into you there.
All the best and thanks again. CYNNYC
 
CYNNYC":29wnquvk said:
... So im going to the Ingleston bash on saturday with my good lady wife to get an ogle and a feel for the machines. If anyone here is going then may bump into you there.

dont forget the bright pink carnation in the buttonhole so you can be identified by the other forum members :)
 
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