Buying Your First Lathe
A lathe is the necessary machine that woodturners use for turning wood by means of a rotating drive which turns the piece being worked, against gouges and chisels specialized for that purpose. When buying your first lathe, I think it is best to not splurge on an expensive piece of machinery, which can be quite the capital investment, but rather start with a mini lathe to build interest or determine whether you are indeed interested in turning or not. Mini lathes can be bought at an affordable price, and can often turn objects 18 inches long and 10 wide, but determining your interest can also be done by registering and attending local woodturning classes at your local woodturning club. When I started turning, I initially bought a mini lathe from Harbor Freight which grew my interest in woodturning before I bought my full-sized lathe.
When buying a mini lathe, one factor that mustn't be overlooked is a sturdy bench/desk to place it on to raise it to a suitable height and minimize vibration.
However, when it does come time to purchase your first lathe, there are many factors that must be taken into consideration. Firstly, you must decide what you want to turn because this will help you determine what dimensions you will turn, helping you decide what lathe to choose, as all lathes turn different dimensions. For instance, if you are interested in turning only bowls, then a long lathe would not be necessary for you and you would want one with a larger swing, versus if you wanted to turn chair legs or baseball bats. A ubiquitous term you will hear when discussing and purchasing lathes and one I used above, is “swing”; swing refers to the maximum diameter of something you can turn on a lathe, or just twice the radius. Lathe measurements are often written as the “swing” multiplied by the bed length, which is the maximum length of turnings you can make. For instance, my lathe is the “Laguna Revo 18x36”, with 18” being the swing and 36’’ being the bed length.
There are a lot of details to pay attention to when buying a lathe, and something not to overlook is the required voltage. I live in America where standard outlet voltage is 110 volts, but certain lathes require 220 volts as it increases their horsepower.
Another important detail that you must understand is the difference between “multi-speed” and “variable speed” lathes. Multi-speed lathes can usually turn at just three of five speeds, and the speed is changed by shifting the belt on the belt drive. On the other hand, variable speed lathes are more convenient, as the adjustment of speed is practically infinite, and is controlled by the turning of a dial. Speed is a very important aspect of turning; when turning smaller diameter objects, the speed must be much higher than larger objects such as bowls. However, this does not mean that multi-speed is no good; I personally used a multi-speed lathe for a couple of years, and I did not find that changing the belts was a nuisance, and I was able to do it in no more than five or ten seconds, but it is something to take into consideration, as variable speed lathes tend to be much more expensive.
An important feature that should not be overlooked is the quill extension. On every lathe, you will notice the “tailstock”, which is the sliding piece that pushes the wood up against the driving force, whether it be a chuck or a spur. The tailstock has a little “wheel” on its end, and when you spin it, it extends the quil, pushing the wood. A longer quill is better and makes for more convenient turnings down the road.
All lathes come with “banjos” which is the sliding part of the lathe with secures the tool rest. Tool Rests come in all shapes and sizes, and are made of different materials such as high-carbon steel(best) or cast iron(worse). Some toolrests are much better quality than others, but do not let that affect your purchasing decisions, as they are not too expensive and can be interchanged easily for your turning needs. Tool rest posts are standardized for a few sizes, so it is not difficult to find one that fits your lathe.
In reference to buying a lathe, there are several options: ordering online and getting it delivered, in-store purchasing, or buying used and picking it up at someone's house. If you are getting your lathe delivered, be prepared to pay a high shipping cost of at least a few hundred dollars. Lathes will be unloaded with a forklift, as full-sized lathes can weigh well over 600 pounds, so ensure you are home at the time of delivery to direct the operator to where you want the lathe set down, whether that be in your shop, or maybe the back of your truck. Speaking of trucks, they are a necessity when picking up lathes at a store or at someone's house, as they cannot fit in the typical S.U.V. Many woodworking stores will not keep lathes in their inventory because they take up a lot of space, so it is a must to call before going to make sure they have it in stock or order it for you to pick up at their location once it arrives in the future. Just be prepared for them to tell you it may be a while until they can get it to you. Another option is contacting a local lathe dealer who you can arrange a pick-up time with. The final option for acquiring your lath would be finding one on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or eBay. However, the lathes on these websites are often old/vintage lathes built for turning spindles(longer objects), and less suitable for bowls. It is very difficult to find a more recent lathe model on these websites, and oftentimes, if you do, they are not at much of a discount, but obviously, there can be exceptions. If you buy your lathe new, it is a good idea to have a friend/helper assist you in the unboxing and assembling of the lathe, as the parts can be extremely heavy and almost impossible to bolt together on your own.
Lathe prices vary quite a bit. For example, I bought my first mini lathe for just over $150 from Harbor Freight, and I still use it today on occasion. However, most new lathes are far more expensive, with a full-sized wood lathe ranging from $3,000 all the way to $9,000. My personal lathe cost me $3,000, which is one of the cheapest full-sized lathes. A newer category of lathes are called “mini lathes”, and are a medium size; they range in price from just over a thousand to a couple thousand dollars.
