I've never used a lathe but I always thought turning looked like a lot of fun. So I'm getting a lathe for Christmas but I'm a little clueless about what to get with it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I've never used a lathe but I always thought turning looked like a lot of fun. So I'm getting a lathe for Christmas but I'm a little clueless about what to get with it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
As much as you can. Really depends on what you want to turn. Ok, for a chuck I would get the Nova G3. Turning tools is a decision you will need to make. If you go with carbide type you can put off sharpening. I don't like carbide, but it is up to the turner. If traditional I'd start with the Benjamin's Best from PSI. Not real pricy and good for learning sharpening. Basic tools are a skew, roughing gouge and parting tool for spindle type work. If you do bowls you will need bowl gouges. Sharpening; the Rikon slow speed grinder. 1/2 hp will work, but 1hp would be better. And you will need supplies like sanding paper, finish, etc.
I'm sure others will add some additional recommendations.
William has you off to a good start. Some other suggestions would be a face shield for safety and some type of dust protection. Also consider taking some classes and joining you local American Association of Woodturners chapter. There are several good books for beginners. Have fun!
Get some books and/or videos and read up on tools and accessories to help guide you into what you need. The safety stuff is very important to know before you start, as you don't want to learn the hard way.
Maybe add a good dust mask and face shield. I like the 3M industrial respirators with P100 filters.
Besides that, do you have ideas about what kinds of things you would like to make, at least at first? For example, some things might benefit from a Jacobs chuck on a morse taper #2 to fit the tailstock to allow you to drill holes. Turned pens are an extremely easy beginner project - even my Lovely Bride made one and she's not qualified to operate a screwdriver. To turn pens you will need a pen mandrel, some pen hardware kits, bushings and drill bit for the kits, and wood pen blanks.
A chuck, of course, as William mentioned, the Nova G3 is perfect. Since a mini lathe is great for smaller things, some pin jaws and some 35mm jaws can be extremely helpful.
Some wood turning blanks to play with. Mylands Friction polish is great for instant finishes for small things (except not for pens IMO)
For a starter set of tools:
- parting tool
For spindle turning:
- roughing gouge
- spindle gouge
- skew chisel
For bowl turning:
- bowl gouge
- round nose scraper
A great accessory for any lathe is a bandsaw.
I could recommend some books too, if you read. (Some are YouTube only)
An extremely valuable "accessory" would be some instruction right off the bat. Sign up for a turning class or some one-on-one instruction. Find a woodturning club in your area.
If you are new to woodturning I recommend starting with spindle turning and learn to use the skew chisel right off the bat. So many people are needlessly afraid of the skew. When I teach beginners the first tool in their hands is the skew - it is perfect for learning the basics of how the edge and bevel interact to cut the wood. Takes less than 1/2 hour to learn the basics. Once you learn that, other turning comes easier. Spindle turning will teach you the fine tool control that will let you turn anything.
JKJ
Scott, lots of good suggestions, but you haven’t mentioned a budget. Unless you have a deep budget, I would advise you to prioritize your purchases. The basics would include the G3 and a sharpening setup. Turning with dull tools or improperly ground tools is frustrating and can be dangerous. So, the Rikon grinder and a Oneway Wolverine system, along with the Vari-grind jig would be the second purchase. I agree with JKJ that spindle turning in the first thing to learn, so buy a couple of spindle tools - 3/8” spindle gouge and a 1” skew. Benjamin Best tools from Penn State are a good buy for starter tools. Do not buy a set and do not buy large tools. The mini lathe will not be stout enough to take aggressive cuts with large gouges. After you learn sharpening and get reasonably proficient with spindle turning, buy a bowl gouge and try a bowl.
The amount of money one can spend on turning toys is endless. Take your time until you find what interests you and then buy the appropriate tools for the task.
I would try to take a class or find a mentor before buying anything. Then decide what you would like to turn. The tools needed for bowl turners is different than a penturner will need.
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. You all gave me a lot of food for thought.
Ideally I'd like to start making pens and then make some small bowels. Thanks again.
If you're getting a mini-lathe, and you have the option/resources, step it up to a midi-lathe. There are some "gifty/crafty" projects that just can't be done on a mini-lathe, 'tis too short. Who wants a 12" backscratcher, other than a kid?
Variable speed if possible.
Other useful accessories:
Calipers. Here's an example. https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p...?term=dividers
The faceshield is a must. Turning throw lots of small stuff and occasionally larger stuff atchya. (Caught a 3"x6" snowman blank in the faceshield Sunday, didn't have the scroll chuck tightened down on the tenon.)
So, in order of priority, repeating much of what previous replies have included:
Faceshield.
Facemask/filter.
Turning tools (see above posts)
Stuff for sharpening said turning tools IF they are not carbide. Carbide tools can be sharpened, a simple diamond stone will do the trick. If you already have a bench grinder, then you can get by for now by putting on a decent wheel.
Sandpaper.
Finishes. Shellac is a simple, easy to apply finish you can start with, easy to find, inexpensive.
Calipers. Gotta measure diameters, best way to do it. (Open End wrenches can be used for some smaller diameters.)
Live Center
Scroll Chuck.
Like everyone suggested, the G3 is a great chuck. The one thing I would do is buy the insert version vs the direct thread version. If you have the insert version and you buy a new lathe all you need to do is change the insert. If you have direct thread chuck you'll either have to use an adapter or sell the chuck and by a new one that fits your new lathe.
i agree. I made that mistake, however I kept my mini lathe, so not too bad.Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug W Swanson
Thanks, that's the sort of knowledge I didn't know about. I'll look for the insert version.