DIYbanter - View Single Post - Looking for advice for purchasing a wood lathe and tools

Ecnerwal

In article .com,
wrote:

* 360 degree swivel headstock?

180 degrees is more than enough, if any. 90 is more typical of the
swivel-heads. 0 is generally fine.

* Variable speed (how variable)?

Nice, but can be retrofitted, too.

What is your advice as far as which tools to start out with?

As usual, I'll suggest that the best bang for your buck will come from a
used unit. There is little to go wrong on a lathe.

The classified ads. If you have an "all classified ad paper/website",
that, too.

craigslist for your area (start at craigslist.org if you are not
familiar with it, find the one closest to you.

Any realtors you can find (they are often interested in getting large
tools out of houses before sale.)

Estate sales.

In most cases if the prior owner has either passed on or gotten out of
woodturning, the tools and accessories are either part of the package,
or available at quite reasonable cost if you ask.

Morbidly yours, with 2 big lathes that came from the estates of folks
who won't be needing them anymore. I expect that they would be happier
to have them being used than getting scrapped.

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