A good starting lathe

[Jay Jolliffe]

I've done very little turning. Just fooling around. Never made anything. What would be a good first lathe to start with. I did have a chance a few years back about 6 to get a Conover lathe for free in excellent condition. At the time I had no interest or space for the lathe. Now I think I'd like to try turning out. I don't want to do anything big. I'm a machinist buy trade but haven't done that in years. I know a metal lathe is a lot different than a wood one. Any ideas would be helpful.

[Tony De Masi]

Two things come to mind but neither one of them will answer your question but will get us going in the right direction.

1. What is your budget?
2. What do you think you would be turning?

Keep in mind that most times what we think we will be turning seems to grow very quickly.

Tony

[Nancy Laird]

I've done very little turning.... Now I think I'd like to try turning out.

Jay, your best bet would be to find someone with a lathe and try it out before you sink the $$$ into a lathe, only to possibly find out that you don't like it. You can also go to your nearest Woodcraft and take a class to see if it's something you want to do.

Barring those two ideas, the least-expensive way you could find out would be to find and purchase a USED mini-lathe to try turning some small stuff. Then....if you find that you like it, that you're good at turning, you can sink the bucks into something larger that will last the rest of your life.

Just my .02.

Nancy

[David Sallee]

Nancy has a great point.... try before you buy.. (if you can)

If you can't.. I'd go with a Jet mini lathe to start to see if you like it... it's only 249 with plus a 25 dollar rebate from Jet... if ya do, great, keep turning... If you find out you don't like to turn, you could easily get MOST of what you got in the lathe back by selling it on here or ebay... ( I've been looking for the past 3 months and no one wants to give up the Jet mini which should tell ya something)

I just got my Jet mini yesterday and LOVE it... I did toss around other brands but the Jet won out hands down because of the replies and reviews I got here and other forums ...

Good luck and have fun!

Dave

[Glenn Hodges]

Tony I would do what Nancy suggested try one out before you buy any lathe. I know a guy that bought one on ebay and he asked me after he bought it what I thought. I told him it would not even make a good boat anchor, and a sorry excuse for a lathe. It was a waste of money. I would join a woodturning club BEFORE buying a lathe. Most of the members would invite you over to try out their lathes. Lathe considerations incompass money available for purchase and what you entend to be turning.

[Andy Hoyt]

Hey, Jay!

Come on over to China one of these days for a club meeting.

You especially might be interested in the June meeting - everyone gets to turn that day, even those that arrive via ferry boat.