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Woodturning (rec.crafts.woodturning) To discuss tools, techniques, styles, materials, shows and competitions, education and educational materials related to woodturning. All skill levels are welcome, from art turners to production turners, beginners to masters. |
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#1
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how do i know what size lathe to get??
I have looked at several sites for lathes, and have seen lathes that
say 12in. wood lathe, or 15in. wood lathe. is this the limit the the wood length you can you?? I am looking for something that can make a baseball bat (33in.). What should i look for? |
#2
Posted to rec.crafts.woodturning
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how do i know what size lathe to get??
wrote: I have looked at several sites for lathes, and have seen lathes that say 12in. wood lathe, or 15in. wood lathe. is this the limit the the wood length you can you?? I am looking for something that can make a baseball bat (33in.). What should i look for? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The numbers you have cited above refer to the "swing" of the lathe. The swing is the largest diameter which will fit over the ways. It is TWICE the distance from the spindle to the ways. To turn a baseball bat, you need a swing of about 4"--any lathe you encounter is going to exceed that. The toolrest assembly attaches to the ways, and the bat is going to have to clear that too, so you really need a little more swing than 4". You also need a little extra swing because the piece you start with is going to be fatter than a baseball bat until you finish it. The more critical measurement is the length from spindle to tailstock. Every attachment you use, and the tailstock itself, use up part of the length. If you start with a wood length greater than 33", you have to take that into account. The Jet 1236 would probably do the job. Harbor Freight has a Chinese knockoff with lower quality, but still usable, for much less money, especially when it goes on sale (which happens fairly often.) |
#3
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how do i know what size lathe to get??
Nerp
Leo is mostly right about the numbers. He is simply too trusting of advertisers :-) Unfortunately there is no standard of measurement for lathe size. For instance a 15 x 40 lathe may mean a swing of 15" diameter or of 15" radius over the ways. This does not account for the space taken up by the tool rest. The 40 is _supposed_ to mean the lathe will turn a spindle of 40" length but does not generally account for the distance taken up by the ends of the spur and tail stock centers let along a chuck. It can take some reading of the fine print to determine exactly what the lathe gives. On the other hand a lathe needs to swing a diameter of 4 1/2 inches to accomodate a 3" square baseball bat blank. Any lathe on the market that handles a spindle of 38" or more should be fine. --- God bless and safe turning Darrell Feltmate Truro, NS http://aroundthewoods.com http://roundopinions.blogspot.com "Leo Lichtman" wrote in message ... wrote: I have looked at several sites for lathes, and have seen lathes that say 12in. wood lathe, or 15in. wood lathe. is this the limit the the wood length you can you?? I am looking for something that can make a baseball bat (33in.). What should i look for? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The numbers you have cited above refer to the "swing" of the lathe. The swing is the largest diameter which will fit over the ways. It is TWICE the distance from the spindle to the ways. To turn a baseball bat, you need a swing of about 4"--any lathe you encounter is going to exceed that. The toolrest assembly attaches to the ways, and the bat is going to have to clear that too, so you really need a little more swing than 4". You also need a little extra swing because the piece you start with is going to be fatter than a baseball bat until you finish it. The more critical measurement is the length from spindle to tailstock. Every attachment you use, and the tailstock itself, use up part of the length. If you start with a wood length greater than 33", you have to take that into account. The Jet 1236 would probably do the job. Harbor Freight has a Chinese knockoff with lower quality, but still usable, for much less money, especially when it goes on sale (which happens fairly often.) |
#4
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how do i know what size lathe to get??
Measure the size of your garage/shop, get one that JUST fits...
wrote: I have looked at several sites for lathes, and have seen lathes that say 12in. wood lathe, or 15in. wood lathe. is this the limit the the wood length you can you?? I am looking for something that can make a baseball bat (33in.). What should i look for? |
#5
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how do i know what size lathe to get??
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