question about Lathes

[Meiglan]

Hi there,
Seems like there are a lot of folks with lathes....I see the end products and I am justifiably jealous lol.....I have been checking out locally available products and I found this one at House of Tools....the price is right but I am not sure if it is a decent product...so here is my question....has anyone ever used or owned this particular lathe, and if so, is it worth buying to see if I like turning....http://www.houseoftools.com/product.htm?pid=204547#....

Thanks Jayne

[lucky788scroller]

Jayne, for the price, it doesnt seem like a horrible machine. One nice feature is it has a 1 X 8TPI headstock like many other brands, so accessories should be easily located. For minilathes, I still think the little Jet is a sweet one, and someday I will get a mini,because that can travel ,unlike the fullsize one I use now.I see its variable speed, but I am not sure how the speed is adjusted, but even a belt change for speed adjustments is relatively quick and easy. For small turnings like pens, small bowls and candleholders, it should work nicely for you. You will quickly realize that the lathe itself is relativly inexpensive once you start looking at good HSS turning chisels,and 4 jaw self centering chucks. Sure is fun though! sorry I have no experience with this particular lathe , just offering my opinion. Dale

[bearfretworks]

Depends what you want to do with a lathe Jayne. The one you posted is small, light, and has a relatively high minimum speed. It looks best suited for pens. The specs would allow you to turn a small bowl up to 8".

[Randy]

Jayne: All of the preceding comments are right on target!! For the price it looks like a pretty good deal. That being said, if it won't handle the projects you want to pursue, it would not be a good buy at half the price.

Ideally, it would be better to have a #2 Morse taper rather than a #1 and the 750 RPM low end turning speed is somewhat faster than is ideal.

Tell us a little more about the types of projects you are contemplating and we can do a better job of offering advice.

[Randy]

Originally Posted by lucky788scroller

.....One nice feature is it has a 1 X 8TPI headstock like many other brands, so accessories should be easily located.....

Maybe and maybe not???

If you look an the spec sheet, the spindle thread is called 1" x 8 in one place and 3/4" x 16 in another. Generally speaking, the smaller lathes like this one tend have the 3/4" thread. It would be a good idea to check with the vendor to be certain which thread size is correct.

[Randy]

That Canwood lathe appears to be vety similar, if not identical, to the TurncrafterPlus sold by PSI.

PSI TurncrafterPlus

There are a couple of minor differences in the specs; but I suspect they are due to rounding differences and the way values are measured/calculated rather than being real differences.

[Meiglan]

Thanks everyone for your comments......to be honest I don't have any particular items that I want to turn...probably pens and small bowls and things....I remember my dad working on a home made lathe that he made from a treadle sewing machine, that is part of the reason that I am interested in turning...so it is a combination of nostalgia and envy at what some of you are turning out that has piqued my interest.....I took a beginners turning seminar at Lee Valley Tools about 5 years ago and made a little round box...it was fun and fast but we were working on a big lathe that I don't need and have no room for...maybe I should just hold off for a bit and see if I can locate a used Jet around.....which brings me to another question....if a lathe is being sold used, is there something in particular to check to see if it has seen better days?? Again thanks for all the help.....

Jayne

[lucky788scroller]

Mainly the bearings in the headstock. If you grab the headstock spindle, it should be firm, and not be able to move in or out or back and forth. Other then that, I cant think of much trouble things if it will run at the variable speeds and sounds ok, and vibrates little.Many times you can tell how much use the lathe got by looking at the toolrest and seeing how much wear it has.A lathe is much like a scrollsaw in this aspect. Most used machines were bought with big dreams that never materialized, and most have very few hours of use on them. Dale
PS: Randy brings up a good point, I was certain it was a 1 X 8 TPI until I looked at that one he posted, now Im not sure. It could be either size, because it is also very similar to a Wilton brand minilathe, which I believe does have the 1X8 spindle.

[William Young]

I don't really think that one would be a good buy at all. The motor is only 1/3HP and there is no headlock and no indexing feature which you will eventually want on a lathe . With 1/3 HP you would be limited to pens and very small turnings only and it would be a real dissapointment if you tried some bowls or vases or a hundred other nice things you can make on a lathe.
The full feature Jet with 1/2 HP motor can be bought for $299.00 and is worth every dollar. It is recognized as the best bang for the buck in a mini lathe. Very well built, quiet as a mouse and a pleasure to use.
You can even get the same Jet lathe with 1/2 HP but without the features mentioned above for a lot less money ($208.98)but I went through that stage and now have the new updated model that was not available when I got my first one.. . The newest model Jet Mini lathe has some features that used to be found only on very expensive lathes.
A lathe is something you will have for many years and get an extreme amount of pleasure from using it. Best to go for quality right off the bat instead of getting the cheapest under powered one and be handicapped for lack of features and get discouraged from turning in a short time.

W.Y.

Edited for typos. Where I said the Jet mini lathe has a 3/4HP motor it should have read 1/2HP. I have corrected that. Still a big difference though when it comes to power of a lathe.

[Meiglan]

Thanks again....think I will wait a bit and go with a Jet Mini...

Jayne