Record CL3-48 Lathe

[ewen jessiman]

I am am currently looking to purchase a beginners lathe.

Have been offered a record CL3-48 lathe, Does any one have any info on the lathe? How much would it be worth?

Would it be suitable for a beginner or could someone recommend a lathe for a beginner.

Thanks

[curtis rosche]

if its cheap and you have money get it, you can always get a bigger one later. i dont know about the lathe but pretty much anything works to start with

[curtis rosche]

i ggogled the lathe, it has to small of a motor for outboard turning. it looks like a good starter if it is cheap

[ewen jessiman]

They are asking $800 CAD for the lathe with a Oneway power chuck

[curtis rosche]

im not expert for prices and what its worth, wait for one of the other guys thoughts

[Benjamin Dahl]

ewen, I was not familiar with that lathe so I googled it. I guess it depends on what you are wanting to do, but it looks to be aimed at those who primarily want to do spindle work. the specs say if you swivel the head you could do a 30" bowl but I would be very wary about that. the website I saw selling them is England has it listed at 430 pounds if you don't pay the tax.
Two alternatives would be the rikon 12" or jet 12" lathes. many people here have those and seem generally happy.
hope this helps.
Ben

[robert hainstock]

Description

Professional wood lathe with 3/4 HP motor and 4 speed pully system giving speeds of 425, 625, 905, 1360 and 2000rpm. Fine grey iron head stock with bronze tapered bearing which is infinitely adjustable. The head stock can rotate to allow up to 30 bowl capacity.
Features at a glance

- 3/4 16tpi spindle size
- head stock and tail stock are 1 morse taper
- allows for long hole boring
- solid steel hard chromed bed bars to resist corrosion
- excellent surface for tool rest and tail stock
- 48" capacity between centres
- 12" bowl capacity (over bed) 30" bowl capacity (swivel)
- adjustable phosphor bronze bearing
- weight 95kg


This looks like the lathe I started out with forty years ago.
The worst problem with mine was the tube ways shaking when I did spindle work. Also the 3/4 16TPI accessories were hard to come by. In spite of those drawbacks, I managed to turn a whole bunch of stuff over the years. I would point out that the head didn't swivel on mine which was sold by Sears, and didn't have the motor buolt in.
I would also be suspicious of those BRONZE bearings which have to be kept lubed at all times.

[Harvey Mushman]

This was my first lathe. She was a fine machine and far beyond a beginner's lathe. I remember paying about $1200 for it new in the early 90's. I gave it to my nephew a few years back and it is still working just fine after all these years. I had to replace the on-off switch and the bronze tapered bearing....Ya do have to lube these things once in a while!

I'd offer $700, but with the Oneway chuck, it is worth considering at $800......Is the seller throwing in any tools?

I made a ton of great bowls with this lathe. It was able to handle some very unbalanced large manzanita and I turned some nice 18-20 inch bowls with the headstock rotated. I also remember coring out some bowls with the McNaughton center saver tool....That was a tough go though.

I say, go for it! It is a quality lathe, maybe a bit under-powered for the very large stuff, but none-the-less something that will do pretty much anything that need it to do as your skills advance.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Ewen that lathe is underpowered and overpriced.
You can buy a Delta Rockwell for about $250.-- , just go onto Kijiji and search for wood lathe, and you will find lots of wood lathes, I'd prefer a cast iron bed and real ball-bearings over the bronze bushings and round steel bars.
I just had a quick look and there were several lathes in the Toronto area also in London and Windsor, didn't look any farther, as Ottawa probably has some also, where are you located ??

[Paul Girouard]

I have the next size up , longer bars , maybe a little bigger motor.

I say it's a bit over priced for a used lathe unless it was used very little and / or cared for very well.

I know it's a good basic machine, the head swivels for bowl turning and would highly recommend Keith Rowley's book on turning he also uses a Record lathe so his jigs and tips are right down the line for a swivel head lathe.





I mounted mine a solid core 1 3/4 thick door and stout legs.



Link to book : http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?FamilyID=7099

I'd buy the same lathe again , it's been a great addition to the shop.

If they have more tools, the deal your looking at looks better.

Good luck.

[Rick Apt]

I, too, am very happy with my Record Power. Harvey is correct in that it is "far beyond a beginner's lathe". My set-up is rock solid and has the Record steel stand and the outboard bowl rest . Can not comment on large projects as the largest bowl I have ever turned is 18".

I have a Jet mini and between the two lathes can (currently) turn everything I want.

The gentleman I purchased it from was upgrading to a Powermatic, as I assume I will someday.

[Harvey Mushman]

Ewen that lathe is underpowered and overpriced.
You can buy a Delta Rockwell for about $250.-- , just go onto Kijiji and search for wood lathe, and you will find lots of wood lathes, I'd prefer a cast iron bed and real ball-bearings over the bronze bushings and round steel bars.
I just had a quick look and there were several lathes in the Toronto area also in London and Windsor, didn't look any farther, as Ottawa probably has some also, where are you located ??

GEEZ! Leo...$250???? You must be a tough haggler! The chuck alone retails for about that! We already mentioned the power concerns. Unless you are hoggin' out some 20 inch bowls, 3/4 hp is not much of a issue. It is a fine machine....smooth and quiet. It might not be your cup of tea, but I've owned this Record and prefer it over the Delta. It all comes down to personal preference.

Keep in mind that the Deltas in this price range won't have a rotating headstock. So, you would be limited to the swing over the ways.

[Gordon Seto]

If update is remotely in the future, I would stick with something that uses with either 1" X 8 TPI or 1¼" X 8 TPI spindle thread sizes and #2 Morse Taper. The accessories are expensive. I am not a fan of spindle adapter, it may introduce misalignment and a good one cost about $60.
The 3/4" X 16 and #1 Morse taper are the standard for sub mini lathes currently. I can't imagine the 3/4" diameter spindle with a hollow of #1 MT on turning a 30" blank. Most of the popular 10" mini lathes, such as Jet and Delta are using 1" X 8 with #2 MT spindle. The majority of lathes with 16" diameter swing and larger use 1¼" X 8 or M33 spindles.

[Harvey Mushman]

Gordon....Good point. Remember what Clint Eastwood said..."A man has to know his limitations." I wouldn't be turning any 30 inch blank on the Record.

When I moved from my General Lathe to my Oneway, I had to deal with a #3 MT tailstock when I had a boatload of #2 MT goodies. I had to change out a few backplates on my chucks. Fortunately, I kept the General as a second large lathe and so now I'm very adaptable.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Harvey to each his own I suppose, yes the Oneway chuck does put some extra value in there, the swivel head is a liability IMO, so are the steel bars and the too small headstock spindle an MT, all IMO.
Can a new turner learn on it ?, sure, but he could buy a brand new Delta Midi for instance, and a new chuck and still have money in the bank, then try reselling either later if he would want to upgrade, it'll be a whole lot easier to get his money back with the Midi, thats my way of looking at it.
The $250.-- I was referring to is the going price for a Delta Rockwell around here.