Probably been asked a thousand times, what lathe to buy?

[helphil]

Morning all.

I have been looking to buy a second hand lathe for a while. But I am looking for a lathe which will allow me to turn bowls over 12 inchs wide.
I am happy to go with either a stand or a table top one, or one with a swivel head or have a dedicated bowl turning section at the head stock.
Problem is it can't be too heavy as its going into the shed so a 800kg union Graduate is out of the question :-(. though i have been told that a heavy cast iron one one help with stability when turning.

Also my budget is around £300. I don't suppose someone has made a list in another thread of suitable lathes or would be able to point me in the right direction.

I am in Sheffield and only have a ford focus for transport, so an easy commute would be ideal.

Thanks in advance.

Phil

 

[gregmcateer]

Phil,
I'd suggest doing a search of the threads on here, as there will be plenty of input and experience.
Also, if you haven't already, go to your local woodturning club, who will almost certainly have members very happy to help and advise (and may even have a lathe for sale if someone is giving up, or up- or downgrading. You'll save a fortune in time and money by seeking help from experienced people!!
To help you find a club near you, go to the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain;
https://www.awgb.co.uk/club-map/
Good luck with it

 

[AJB Temple]

Whatever you do, don't buy a lathe until you have had some instruction. You need to realise the differences in lathes and tools. I bought my lathe, then went on a course. That was a mistake!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

And buy a newer edition of this - http://www.waterstonesmarketplace.com/b ... &hs=Submit

 

[helphil]

I have done some work on a friends record cl1 or 2 i think and another friends myford and looking to join my local club. But the record was too small for what i wanted and the myford was a beast. So really wanting something in between. I am keeping an eye open the auction sites to see what comes up but with there being so many I thought someone else might have had my issues and found a mid-range lathe that could turn about 12- 15inch bowls.

Thanks for the support.

Phil

 

[alanw]

Hi, I've got a Myford Mystro and I find it does exactly what you're looking for in a lathe. It's definitely not a beast but I've turned 15" bowls in some very hard wood and it coped very well. It does help to have the stand bolted to a concrete floor or ditch the stand and bolt to a heavy duty wooden bench fixed to a wall. Good luck!

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I echo the advice of joining your closest wood turning club or association before shelling out any money. The (free) advice and guidance you'll get from that environment will be worth it's weight in avoided mistakes and the cost of joining any turning club is negligible. Probably the greatest single benefit will be the chance to try out different lathes in one of their practical workshop days to really get the feel of how they suit you and then secondarily, the opportunity of accessing good quality 2nd hand machines through that network. The club will be for local members and therefore any 2nd hand kit purchased through it will be close to you. The concentration of knowledge and skills at these friendly and interesting places can't be overstated.

 

[Dalboy]

I would also recommend joining a club or finding a competent turner near you.

When buying a lathe especially second hand check that it is capable of doing what you want and also check the attachment sizes ie thread size and morse taper. Some of the older lathes you may have the problem of finding chuck to fit due to the silly thread sizes.