What wood lathe should I buy? That is the question I try to answer in this comprehensive guide for beginning woodturners. Lathe preferences are an individual decision so this is my way of helping your discover what your needs may be.
I start out by asking three questions: What do I want to turn?, What is my budget?, and will this lathe give me room to grow? There are so many good projects to start with in woodturning. There are pens, bowls, platters, hollowforms, lidded boxes, ornaments, toys tool handles, and honey dippers to name a few. You need to get a feel for what you like to make. When budgeting your lathe you must remember that you not only have to buy the lathe but many tools along with it. chucks, chisels, sharpening system, etc. Growth is an absolute necessity in woodturning and life! Plan ahead and get a lathe you can grow into. In this video I talk about some of the specifications and features that you should become familiar with. First of all is overall size. I explain mini, midi, and full size wood lathes. I talk about features that are a must have and some that are nice to have. The capacity of your lathe is important and I take you through how to read the specifications so you know what to expect about the size of projects you can do. Some of these feature included are swing over the bed, distance between centers, spindle thread, morse taper, motors and drive systems. There are thoughts on whether or not you need a variable speed drive. I go over getting to know your tool rest banjo and your tailstock. Last of all we discuss the weight of a lathe and the materials they can be made from. I hope this tutorial is helpful to you in your woodshop!
Disclaimer: This video and description contains affiliate links. This means if you click on these links and make a purchase I will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!
Here are some of my recommended products and brands.
Full size lathes
Gold standard and considered by many turners to be one of the best!
(affiliate) https://amzn.to/2UGKtui
My lathe! (loving it!)
(affiliate) https://amzn.to/2V8CUvA
Benchtop variable speed
great brand! Great midi lathe!
(affiliate) https://amzn.to/2UXxzrb
Also another midi lathe I trust. less powerful motor.
(affiliate) https://amzn.to/2UXHVHu
Benchtop with pulley speed change.
(affiliate) https://amzn.to/2IHVfJF
music credit:
The Life and Death of a Certain K. Zabriskie, Patriarch by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/vendaface/
Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/
This video is for entertainment purposes only. geiserwoodturner is not responsible for actions that are unsafe. Be sure to read and understand how to safely operate your power equipment before you use it.
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