Hi
Im thinking of trying my hand at
wood turning, I was thinking of
buying a cheap lathe first just to
see if I like the hobby. These go for about
£100 on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...category=63 3

Are these OK(ish) to start with? the only
problem I can see is the bed seems a little
on the feeble side, but that's no problem
for me as im a welder. I was just wondering
if the spindle, bearings, motor etc are reasonable.

Many thanks

BoB

bob wrote:
Hi
Im thinking of trying my hand at
wood turning, I was thinking of
buying a cheap lathe first just to
see if I like the hobby. These go for about
£100 on ebay...


For £109 you can get a new Jet mini-lathe, the discontinued model before
variable speed. MUCH better quality, and resale value.
http://www.rockler.com/findit.cfm?page=2441&sid=AF071
Just to show what it is, you'll probably find it closer to home--if you
do purchase through this link, I would get a tiny commission as an
affiliate. It would be my wages for efforts on our AAW chapter website.
Pretty sneaky, eh?

--
Ken Grunke
SW Wisconsin
http://www.token.crwoodturner.com/
Member, Coulee Region Woodturners AAW chapter
http://www.crwoodturner.com/



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Hi Bob,
I have cheap lathe that I paid £100 for from my local hardware store !! Its
branded "Faithful" . I bought it to see if I liked turning before spending a
lot more money. That was five years ago and yes, I do like turning!
However, a word of warning - you will spend more money on your chisels and
also a sharpening sysytem/jig. It is essential that you are able to sharpen
your gouges satisfactory.

If I was buying a starter lathe now, I would go for ther Axminster Perform
CCL at £170. http://www.axminster.co.uk/default.asp?part=ccl
IMO its worth the extra for a heavy frame and the stand which is included.
(I think the Perform is the same as one of the Delta range in the US - they
all seem to made in China and branded dependant upon the importer)

Bob,
The one you reference on Ebay has some serious drawbacks. While it may OK
for lightweight spindle turning, it lacks the torsional rigidity to turn
bowls of more than minimal diameters (though one member of this group has a
sinilar unit and likes it). It also has a high minimum speed. around 800 RPM
on 50 HZ (UK), and 1100 RPM on 60 HZ lines (USA). This is too fast for
unbalanced blanks the size that the specs claim for this lathe.

There are some low end lathes that are adequate for beginners. The Sears
monotube lathe clones are available from several suppliers. Harbor Freight
in the US has it for $129 USD. The next size up from this configuration is
the Jet 1236 clones. They are available from several outlets also. Harbor
Freight and Grizzly in the US and Axminister in UK. The HF version is put on
sale periodically for $169.00 USD. The Jet 1236 has some draw backs, but it
is used by many turners across the country, and turn out good work with it.
It has cast iron bed, and adequate tail stock, and a swivel headstock for
outboard turning or swivelled outward for better access for bowl turning.
I'm not sure what the exchange rate is now for pound vs dollars, but I think
you can find a better lathe than the on in your post for the sane price (100
pounds) or slightly more.
Just my opinion. YMMY

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX


"bob" wrote in message
...
Hi
Im thinking of trying my hand at
wood turning, I was thinking of
buying a cheap lathe first just to
see if I like the hobby. These go for about
£100 on ebay...


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...category=63 3

Are these OK(ish) to start with? the only
problem I can see is the bed seems a little
on the feeble side, but that's no problem
for me as im a welder. I was just wondering
if the spindle, bearings, motor etc are reasonable.

Many thanks

BoB

On Wed, 4 Feb 2004 16:41:45 -0000, "bob" wrote:

Hi
Im thinking of trying my hand at
wood turning, I was thinking of
buying a cheap lathe first just to
see if I like the hobby. These go for about
£100 on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...category=63 3

Are these OK(ish) to start with? the only
problem I can see is the bed seems a little
on the feeble side, but that's no problem
for me as im a welder. I was just wondering
if the spindle, bearings, motor etc are reasonable.

Many thanks

BoB


IMHO save your money. i bought one of these at a traveling tool show a
couple years back. a few things i found. no morse taper. odd threads
on the head stock. all set screws are too soft to be properly
tightened.they strip out and some will be striped out when you get it.
the bed flexes a lot. the motor is way under powered for anything
larger than pens.all turn knobs are realy cheap plastic and break with
very little effort. the spur center is a screw on thing that may be
crooked and.is poorly cast. [ at least mine was] a jet mini or delta
midi or fisch would be much better choices. i got rid of that anchor
before i finnished the second piece i tried to turn on it. bought the
fisch turning center and have been very pleased with it. YMMV....
skeez

Well, some sage advice has been given on this site in the past on this
subject and I will repeat it here :
I recommend you go to the AAW site;
http://www.woodturner.org/
Scroll down on the left side and click on "Finding a Local Chapter"

Contact a chapter in your area. If the club doesn't have the stuff (lathes
and tools) to let you play on, some member will. I wish I had gotten this
advice before I spent my money on a Grizzly and still ended up buying a
Oneway!

I don't know why, but I have found woodturners to be the most friendly bunch
of folks of any organization I have ever belonged to. Could be the
"absorption process" from all the different woods we work with, or it could
be from getting hit in the head during the learning curve!

Regards
Lewis

--
The clock of time is wound but once and no man has the power to tell just
when the hands will stop. At late or early hour, now is the only time you
own. So live, love, and toil with a will. Place no faith in tomorrow for
the clock may then be still.


"bob" wrote in message
...
Hi
Im thinking of trying my hand at
wood turning, I was thinking of
buying a cheap lathe first just to
see if I like the hobby. These go for about
£100 on ebay...


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...category=63 3

Are these OK(ish) to start with? the only
problem I can see is the bed seems a little
on the feeble side, but that's no problem
for me as im a welder. I was just wondering
if the spindle, bearings, motor etc are reasonable.

Many thanks

BoB

In message
"bob" wrote:

Hi
Im thinking of trying my hand at
wood turning, I was thinking of
buying a cheap lathe first just to
see if I like the hobby. These go for about
£100 on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...category=63 3

Are these OK(ish) to start with? the only
problem I can see is the bed seems a little
on the feeble side, but that's no problem
for me as im a welder. I was just wondering
if the spindle, bearings, motor etc are reasonable.

Many thanks

BoB


As you refer to Ebay UK and quoye in pounds sterling I think you may be
in the UK. The Association of Woodturner of Great Britain can give you
the location of a local club which may have a lath available for loan
or the association itself may be able to help rather than spend money
now.
Try www.woodturners.co.uk for info
--
Dave Lawson

As you refer to Ebay UK and quoye in pounds sterling I think you may be
in the UK. The Association of Woodturner of Great Britain can give you
the location of a local club which may have a lath available for loan
or the association itself may be able to help rather than spend money
now.
Try www.woodturners.co.uk for info
--
Dave Lawson

Hi
Lots of good advice, I will go away and rethink my plan
of action. I was doubtful that they would be any good.
I do like the look of the Axminster Perform as suggested
by Woodshavings.
Thanks again to everyone for the advice, off now
to the woodturners.co.uk site.

BoB

"bob" wrote in message
...
Hi
Im thinking of trying my hand at
wood turning, I was thinking of
buying a cheap lathe first just to
see if I like the hobby. These go for about
£100 on ebay...


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...category=63 3

Are these OK(ish) to start with? the only
problem I can see is the bed seems a little
on the feeble side, but that's no problem
for me as im a welder. I was just wondering
if the spindle, bearings, motor etc are reasonable.

Many thanks

BoB


One thing I try to remember from my Grandfather is "Don't waste your money
on something you wouldn't sell to a friend." Or something like that.
In other words, invest in a better lathe. If you find you don't like it (but
I doubt it) you can always sell it to someone else, as long as you take care
of it. But if you buy something junky you probably wouldn't want to saddle
someone else with it.

Certainly. For learning that you really need a better lathe. Barry


"bob" wrote in message
...
Hi
Im thinking of trying my hand at
wood turning, I was thinking of
buying a cheap lathe first just to
see if I like the hobby. These go for about
£100 on ebay...


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...category=63 3

Are these OK(ish) to start with? the only
problem I can see is the bed seems a little
on the feeble side, but that's no problem
for me as im a welder. I was just wondering
if the spindle, bearings, motor etc are reasonable.

Many thanks

BoB

My wife gave me a grizzly for my birthday a couple years ago.
Within a week I had spent twice what she spent just so I could
sharpen my chisels etc. Since then I purchased better chisels.
Shoot even the chuck that I purchased cost more than the lathe.

However, I'm now hooked and waiting for my Nova DVR to arrive.
I have several hundreds of dollars of wood stacked up in my study
waiting for a better lathe and spring (I also have more than several
hundred dollars of exotic hardwood boards stored in my study also).

A learning lathe is just that a lathe that you learn on. Like most
hobbies. If you want to try it do you buy the best and most expensive?
Some people do but I would not recommend it. I've seen too many
people spend lots of money on real expensive equipment that never
gets used. It ranges from fishing gear, camera equipment, boats, tractors,
and what ever you can think of. Its like sending a kid to the best
university if your not sure they are ready for college. It likely to be
a big waste of money.

Ofcourse it is up to you to decide what is too much to spend just
to see if you like it. For some it is $100. For others it is $500 (or
pounds if your a brit). How much would you fell OK putting out
for the trash collection next year or giving away to a friend? That
is how much you should spend to see if you like doing it. The cost
of the other stuff will be what hurts your pocket book.

bob wrote:

Hi
Im thinking of trying my hand at
wood turning, I was thinking of
buying a cheap lathe first just to
see if I like the hobby. These go for about
£100 on ebay...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...category=63 3

Are these OK(ish) to start with? the only
problem I can see is the bed seems a little
on the feeble side, but that's no problem
for me as im a welder. I was just wondering
if the spindle, bearings, motor etc are reasonable.

Many thanks

BoB

On Wed, 4 Feb 2004 19:03:16 -0000, "Woodshavings"
wrote:


If I was buying a starter lathe now, I would go for ther Axminster Perform
CCL at £170. http://www.axminster.co.uk/default.asp?part=ccl
IMO its worth the extra for a heavy frame and the stand which is included.
(I think the Perform is the same as one of the Delta range in the US - they
all seem to made in China and branded dependant upon the importer)

Absolutely agree about the Perform CCL, it's an excellent tool.
Add a wooden shelf on the stand and load it with something heavy
(wood?) and really solid. Everything works nicely and feels secure.
No plastic except for the on/off switch.

Mark.
(CCL = Cheap Chinese Lathe?)

My only additional comment would be that if you buy a cheap lathe to try out
woodturning, at least buy one with standard threads. I had a cheap Grizzly
with 1"x12 threads. When I finally bought a decent lathe I had to get rid
of the 4 jaw chuck, face plates, screw chuck, sanding disk, etc because they
were such weird threads. As you buy more tools, you can still use those, but
you can't use many of the lathe attachments.

Earl

"Darrell Feltmate" wrote in message
...
Sorry, I am not sure who started this thread, but I think an observation
is in order. Most of us who turn a lot started on cheaper lathes. They
turns wood around and let us attack it with sharp tools. Now I have a
better lathe than when I started. It lets me turn wood around and attack
it with sharp tools. I still have and use that first lathe, a Canadian
Tire monotube with 3/4" x 16 spindle. It turns a lot of pens and
spatulas these days not to mention the occasional bowl for old times
sake. People complain about the monotube. It is not a $5000.00
heavyweight but it is a lot of fun.
--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS, Canada
http://www.roundthewoods.com
************************************************** ***********
Darrell,
I'll back you up on the monotube. I started on one also, the HF version with
the 2 piece tube. In the beginning, I didn't llike that and spent some time
smoothing out the transition between tubes. Now that I have the bigger Jet
1236, I've removed the second tube section and have a mini. Unbolt that
section and you have a 16 inch platter/bowl lathe (requires a separate tool
rest) so long as you don't over load it with heavy cuts, or put a load on
that's too unbalanced. If you stay within the limits of the machine, you can
have a lot of fun with it.

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX

Sorry, I am not sure who started this thread, but I think an observation
is in order. Most of us who turn a lot started on cheaper lathes. They
turns wood around and let us attack it with sharp tools. Now I have a
better lathe than when I started. It lets me turn wood around and attack
it with sharp tools. I still have and use that first lathe, a Canadian
Tire monotube with 3/4" x 16 spindle. It turns a lot of pens and
spatulas these days not to mention the occasional bowl for old times
sake. People complain about the monotube. It is not a $5000.00
heavyweight but it is a lot of fun.
--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS, Canada
http://www.roundthewoods.com

Darrell, when did you replace your "Craftsman"? (wink-wink)


"Darrell Feltmate" wrote in message
...
Now I have a better lathe than when I started.

James
I still have the 15" Craftsman. It is my main lathe and I am very happy
with it.
--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS, Canada
http://www.roundthewoods.com

These "cheap" lathes you look at in the flyers at a nice reduced price and
say "hey I'd like to try that" and you do and it becomes a valued part of
your life.

How many people would never ever turn a piece of wood if these lathes
started at $2000-$3000-$5000....

I turn as a hobby and get great enjoyment out of my "Canadian Tire" lathe.
Of course, I'd love to have a nice expensive lathe....but I can't afford it.

"Darrell Feltmate" wrote in message
news
James
I still have the 15" Craftsman. It is my main lathe and I am very happy
with it.
--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS, Canada
http://www.roundthewoods.com

"Wayne M. Slaney" wrote in message


These "cheap" lathes you look at in the flyers at a nice reduced price and
say "hey I'd like to try that" and you do and it becomes a valued part of
your life.

I suspect that these cheap lathes are equally responsible for aborted
avocations in turning as well. Two stories: #1, My father-in-law bought a
cheap lathe with two thinwall tubes for a bed many years ago. Both the
headstock and the tailstock flex outward under even light pressure, and the
motor bogs under light application of a roughing gouge. He turned one or
two pieces of firewood and gave up. The thing sits in a corner of his shop,
collecting dust. Last weekend he tried my Jet 1442 and spent over two hours
turning a fairly intricate spindle. Now he's talking about getting one for
himself. Story #2: Mine. I began turning as a middle school student in
Woodshop. The lathe was competent, and I made several items, two of which I
still own and use. Subsequently I talked my father into a cheap lathe, and
to promote brevity, I gave up soon after failed attempts to use the POS.
Now with a decent lathe, albeit a relatively inexpensive one, I'm having a
ball and my learning curve is steepening.

How many people would never ever turn a piece of wood if these lathes
started at $2000-$3000-$5000....

Fortunately they don't. My Jet 1442 cost me $767 with another $200 in
tools. A Delta 46-715 is even less. A Jet, Fisch, or Delta mini is far
less. Cheap lathes are simply that: cheap. A beginner probably needs a
competent lathe as much as does an experienced turner--perhaps even more.

Max

Cheap is a relative term.

What is expensive for one person is cheap to another.

When I mention how much I spend on wood and tools to some people they
gasp. However, others say if it is something you like to do and it cuts
down on the cost of sessions from your analyst than it is not too
much. The ones that gasp always also gasp when they see some of the
things that I make.

Maxprop wrote:

"Wayne M. Slaney" wrote in message




These "cheap" lathes you look at in the flyers at a nice reduced price and
say "hey I'd like to try that" and you do and it becomes a valued part of
your life.



I suspect that these cheap lathes are equally responsible for aborted
avocations in turning as well. Two stories: #1, My father-in-law bought a
cheap lathe with two thinwall tubes for a bed many years ago. Both the
headstock and the tailstock flex outward under even light pressure, and the
motor bogs under light application of a roughing gouge. He turned one or
two pieces of firewood and gave up. The thing sits in a corner of his shop,
collecting dust. Last weekend he tried my Jet 1442 and spent over two hours
turning a fairly intricate spindle. Now he's talking about getting one for
himself. Story #2: Mine. I began turning as a middle school student in
Woodshop. The lathe was competent, and I made several items, two of which I
still own and use. Subsequently I talked my father into a cheap lathe, and
to promote brevity, I gave up soon after failed attempts to use the POS.
Now with a decent lathe, albeit a relatively inexpensive one, I'm having a
ball and my learning curve is steepening.



How many people would never ever turn a piece of wood if these lathes
started at $2000-$3000-$5000....



Fortunately they don't. My Jet 1442 cost me $767 with another $200 in
tools. A Delta 46-715 is even less. A Jet, Fisch, or Delta mini is far
less. Cheap lathes are simply that: cheap. A beginner probably needs a
competent lathe as much as does an experienced turner--perhaps even more.

Max

Bob, as Max points out, if by cheap you mean shoddy, it's not OK(ish).
If it honestly performs to its advertised specs (no matter how
limited) then you can make an informed decision as to what level you can
reasonably afford to begin.
That is OK. Lots of adequate & affordable lathes are available these
days. A pile of metal that looks like a lathe but doesn't function like
a lathe (unless its user is very expert) might be OK as affordable metal
sculpture, but it isn't a lathe.....and isn't OK(ish) for a aspirant
turner. IMHO! Arch

Fortiter,

good point

so this guy needs to know what is 'cheap' and adequate



Arch wrote:

Bob, as Max points out, if by cheap you mean shoddy, it's not OK(ish).
If it honestly performs to its advertised specs (no matter how
limited) then you can make an informed decision as to what level you can
reasonably afford to begin.
That is OK. Lots of adequate & affordable lathes are available these
days. A pile of metal that looks like a lathe but doesn't function like
a lathe (unless its user is very expert) might be OK as affordable metal
sculpture, but it isn't a lathe.....and isn't OK(ish) for a aspirant
turner. IMHO! Arch

Fortiter,

"william kossack" wrote in message

The ones that gasp always also gasp when they see some of the
things that I make.

To paraphrase Martha Stewart, "that's a good thing."

Max