Recomendations for a hobby lathe?

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Recomendations for a hobby lathe?

Demeter

709 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 391

Trusted

One NZ

#141058 28-Feb-2014 11:12

I'm thinking of taking up woodturning as a hobby. I'm only planning on making very small objects like pens and hairsticks, so I don't need a full-sized bench lathe. I'd be turning acrylic blanks and occasional exotic hardwoods - no metal. Not yet anyway hehe.

Any members here with recommendations for a machine? I'm hoping to spend <$1000 if possible. Also some names or links of suppliers would be brilliant. Everyone I've asked has told me to check Trade Me, and tbh I don't really know what I'm looking for so some advice from an experienced turner would be amazing. :)

TIA!
Lon

This is a filtered page: currently showing replies marked as answers. Click here to see full discussion.

kiwigander

231 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 43

#998435 3-Mar-2014 21:28

A few thoughts:

1. Your best bet is to contact your local or nearest woodturners' or woodworkers' guild or society for advice. You will find such groups will comprise people who are only too happy to help a novice.

2. If you're in Auckland you can visit Carba-Tec, who carry a number of small lathes.

3. If you get advice from an experienced woodturner or woodworker you can buy Sieg lathes through TradeMe (Carba-Tec sells, or at least sold, them also).

4. If you aren't able to get any independent advice and do want to go to a machinery shop, take along a bloke who can at least translate for you. (Not intending any sexist insult here - my wife is a keen woodworker)

jasonh

35 posts

Geek
+1 received by user: 1

#1000410 6-Mar-2014 22:42

Yes, there is carbatec, they sell the smaller jet lathes which I hear are ok. The smallest one gives you plenty of $$ left for chisels etc.

http://www.carbatec.co.nz/jet-lathes_c22254

Machinery house also has a few under $1k but I can't see any brands there that would make me want to take a chance on them, general Chinese stuff.

http://www.machineryhouse.co.nz/Wood-Lathes

Jet equipment is chinese/taiwanese and it has fairly good quality compared to the other generic chinese stuff.

Of course some pop up on trade me from time to time. The mini / midi lathes are all you need to look at for the size work you are talking about.

andrewNZ

2487 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1461
Inactive user

#1000522 7-Mar-2014 08:41

Don't know a lot about wood lathes, but you may need to look into which ones allow you to use a chuck of some kind rather than the regular wood turning spike jobby to hold the material. I imagine a chuck would be an extra.

I'd actually advise visiting a few small machinery/tool shops (hand tool house, the tool shed, places like that) and see what they have to say. It you tell them you have no idea, they should be able to tell you all you need to know.