The best advice I would give to beginning turners is to buy a used lathe cheap to see if you want to continue turning or not. If you do then get the lathe you want and if not you don't have much invested.
Being brand new to the hobby, I'm edging towards used, purely down to budget. The only thing that worries me is I wouldn't know if I was being sold a lemon. Would you consider doing a video on what to look for when buying used? Or point me in the right direction. Cheers.
Thanks. I'm new to the hobby. Started watching turning videos about 2 years ago to help with insomnia (not an insult)😂. I became obsessed and now want my own set up. I found this video after watching hundreds of adverts disguised as reviews. Yours was no nonsense and told me everything I needed to know. Cheers
I'm 68 years old and retired. Thinking about buying a lathe for turning pots for turkey calls. Pretty overwhelmed on everything I need. The Grizzly T25920 looks like a good unit but tooling components has me confused on what all I need. Very good video, thankyou and I will keep being a sponge soaking up information.
Just looking into getting a lathe so I very much appreciate your advise, wisdom and experience on this topic. Straight forward, no non-sense, and informative. Thanks !!
Super helpful! Thanks! Sorry to see you don’t do many new videos…I get it, they are a lot of work. Appreciate the ones you have and you are a super teacher🙌🏻
I have been turning for a few years now and need to upgrade my 14" general lathe. I love the lathe but have outgrown it and I'm testing its limits. Mainly the weight of blanks at 13.5" by 6" that I'm turning. Your video is a good reminder of the elements involved in choosing a new lathe and it was was well worth watching. Thanks.Montana Wood Art Bozeman MT.
Thank you! It was hard to do this subject justice. As you know there is much more than I could ever include in a video. I’m always glad if this helps in your decisions! 😀
Very well thought out and informative. I sure wish I would have seen your video before I bought my lathe. Your video hit many more points about needs and wants. As it turns out my choice of lathe was just right for me and your video would have saved me a lot of time. Following your points led me to the lathe I have and, for what it's worth, I suggest anyone watching this video to watch it a few more times and really concentrate on the questions and points brought out. You will save yourself time and possibly heartache if you follow Jason's advice and guidance. Sorry for the long comment. Thank you, Jason.
Thanks Scott! I’ve really been a tool junky for a long time. I love to understand why you need all these fancy features that manufacturers build in to their products. Great to hear the praise! Hope this video helps some woodturners!
Some of the best things to know about wood turning lathes. I am looking at buying a lathe, and do not know a lot, this helped me understand what I need to look for, and how to shop for value. Thanks.
im from philippines and i really like this kind of work . hope someday i can buy that kind of lathe :( i have my own but improvise . just for ballesters only . i really love doing cups bowls etc. but for now , imagination :)
Excellent video! It has been a good help when deciding which lathe to buy. Would it be possible with a shopping guide for woodturning tools too? Perhaps showing the difference between cheap and expensive tools, the pros and cons of buying a set of tools, which ones to buy first if not buying a set? I think I wouldn't be alone wishing for such a guide without the sales pitch. 🙂 (I'm not sure I use the correct terminology, but with "woodturning tools" I mean the gouges, chisels, etc that are used when woodturning.)
Thanks so much! A guide to buying woodturning tools would be a great idea! Yes You are using the correct terminology. I call them turning tools but I have heard them called Chisels, gouges, and knives ext. Which tools to buy first is also a great video idea. I’ll get working on videos, but just as a thought my top three would be a spindle roughing gouge, a 3/8” spindle gouge, and a parting tool. If you plan on making bowls a 1/2” bowl gouge would be a great starter as well.
The older green lathe from Harbor freight are cheap (okay but cheap) But the Bauer lathe put out by harbor freight is a lot better with a bigger swing and larger motor (1HP) and variable speed .. Not bad for the money..@@Geiserwoodturner
This video is very informative and helped answer my many questions. I don’t like to ask in stores because I feel and I am just being sold to.... I watched your challenge video and found this afterwards! Great video!
Thanks John! I often feel the same way about being sold to. I like to make my own decisions about if I think a feature will be helpful or not. Thanks so much for watching!
@@Geiserwoodturner You know, I meant my comments. Your advice on a wood lathe is full of precious information. The only video I watched that sums it all up. Thank you. I am looking forward to watch more.
I like the advice and/or question asking: Does it give you room to grow? I think all lathes can evenntually turn into a "growth mechanism" depending on where you want to grow to....if you want to become a pro at woodturning, you will start as a beginner and advance throughout time (hopefully saving money) until you have enough money for a bigger lathe. this will be your next one....and on and on....until you are woodturning full sized stair rails, circular tables, maybe pool tables, but that is a massive project for way later on...Mind you that's saying that you end up really liking woodtuning, if you don't or just see it as a hobby, beginner may always be a wonderful fit for you, because a beginner wood lathe and tools can make enough stuff for hobbyists that will allow you to enjoy the craft, but if you want to advance, that's gonna take more money, time, tools, etc. to succeed. The experience is nice, but it's all up to the person. So answering the 'room to grow' question....Solution to that is: It's all up to you. Plus, if you can sell your lathe work for cash to others, that always helps for further growth :)
I like the way you put this. It makes me think of a question I heard at a professional conference once. The question was “what are you doing to improve yourself?” We should always be improving ourselves and if we are not, something is wrong and we should examine ourselves. Maybe there is something new to try or learn. Great comment!
After watching your video I've decided I'm going to buy the Record herald , was going to buy a smaller lathe for £150 for starting off but think I will just go with the larger herald think all in with chuck etc will be about £1000 , hopefully get a black friday deal tomorrow. 😀
If you have some room, but not a lot for any one machine, you might consider a Shopsmith mark 5 or 6 or 7. It's many tools in one, including a lathe, and you can get extras like a bandsaw attachment. They are not cheap, especially new, but when you consider all you get in one machine, the price becomes reasonable. If you have the space for dedicated machines, no you probably don't want one, but for us guys with small workspaces, they make more things possible than say just a lathe (they're also a table saw, and a drill press and horizontal boring machine, and a few other things depending on what attachments you have.) Used they can be down right reasonable for what you actually get.
I started turning on a shopsmith so they have a place in my heart. At this point they are a little limited as far as the lathe goes but a great machine for small spaces.
well it's a lathe th-cam.com/users/postUgkxN9zrzkkhnjUF5PQbuA_B1gYdsfCu9k6z but it wasn't what i would have anticipated. Headstock, tailstock, carriage apron are manufactured from aluminum now not cast iron. The spindle diameter for the bearings is too small allowing for a few play in the spindle so I am using some blue Loctite to take out the play.
Good question that needs a really long answer. Maybe I’ll do a vid on the subject sometime. Short answer is lots of different places. Neighbors, hardwood suppliers, online, yard waste disposal piles. That’s just a few sources. Just keep turning! once people know you turn, wood will just start showing up!
The trick is in the little details. Thank you for an excellent breakdown! God Bless. I do wood cnc and hand engraving. And Tansu boxes from start to finish. If you need help or advice, let me know. Happy to pay forward! Thanks again.
I have been woodworking forever and had never turned on a lathe. I was NOT going to drop upwards of $2000 on a lathe not having any idea if I would even like it. I opted for a Delta. I think it's called a "midi". Couldn't be happier. Under $1000, handles most everything I wanted to do to learn and fits in my tiny space available. It of course has its' limitations but the quality was very good for the price. Now, two years later I am ready for a full size lathe but have no plans of getting rid of my Delta. FYI, it is a new Delta, not an old school Delta which I would have preferred. Now I am ready to drop $2k, maybe even $3k on a decent full size lathe. I wish I had gotten into turning decades ago. Fun and practical.
The question is which bigger lathe!? Your video was a good one and showed every single available option out there for lathes in general but I don't think I saw a l preference towards one or the other. In my search I "think" Laguna offers the most bang for buck? I was looking at the 18/36. I have a few Powermatic tools and they have been great but not cheap. I may go that route if I am able. No one wants to make such a large investment and find out their 600 pound, $4k lathe is not up to the task. Rather than getting a lathe that already has everything on it it may be more prudent to buy one with upgradability and add things on as time goes on and the need arises for other features.@@Geiserwoodturner
@@johnbauby6612I think if I was to recommend something it would be Powermatic. It is a bit more $ though. My experience with my Laguna lathe is that it is adequate. I’ve had the chance to upgrade more than once and have not however. Over the years I’ve worked through most of the quirks and problems and I’m satisfied with my 18/36. It does what I need it to do and that is what counts. If I were to upgrade it would be to a Vicmarc or Robust lathe, but they are high end and pricey. So I guess in summary Laguna is adequate and a good value for the money but you may have tool rest banjo and possible electronics issues. I’ve heard good and bad about customer service. Powermatic is a great machine, more expensive. I’ve heard that they have less problems but can have some. I’ve heard they have great customer service. I hope this helps some. 😊
This had a ton of useful information. I'm building my shop without sparing expense, so the detailed explanation about options, and what makes the extras worth the higher cost was very helpful. Great video, keep em coming.!
I'm stuck in indecision! I have a budget 1216 midi lathe with EVS. I tried turning a 12" bowl on it, I managed to get it done but felt very sorry for the lathe and promised I wouldn't do that to it again! Apart from that it has been a great lathe. My first thought was to get one of those generic Reeves drive long bed lathes, just for turning bigger projects. And keep my midi lathe for smaller projects. That's about all my budget would allow at the moment. Also, I'd have to get rid of some stuff to make room for it. Most advice seems to be don't buy budget gear. Also, as much as I like my midi lathe, upgrading to a decent solid built machine is appealing, except for the budget! Conundrum, do I get the 2nd budget lathe to compensate for what mine can't do, and use that until I can afford a decent lathe. Or do I just wait until I can afford a decent machine. And how long will that take?
Thanks watching! I think this is a conundrum for most of us. Do I get only what I need or do I get by and save for what I want? I’ve been there many times and there is no easy answer. The best advice I can give is keep your eye out for the best possible deal for your budget. There are many alternative ways to find a good lathe if you look hard enough even on a budget. For instance schools often have equipment they are getting rid of for auction. A good machine is definitely worth the wait. I honestly believe if we intend on growing our woodturning abilities and we concentrate on what will best help us do that, the right lathe will find it’s way to us. If you are considering the Reeves drive, I know a guy that owns one. He’s rebuilt the Reeves drive twice now and still loves the lathe. I wish you the best!
@@Geiserwoodturner Thank you, that's really helpful. I will focus on getting the lathe I want rather than compromise and get one that will fill in. I appreciate the suggestion of getting a used machine, but my little local turning shop stocks the lathe I want, and I tend to want to support them as much as I can. It's pretty much a mom and pop store who make you a coffee when you go there! I always spend too much there! Thanks again. In addition, I saw a review of the budget lathe I was thinking of getting and the biggest complaint was poor build quality, so that also helped!
i am a teen That is into woodwork and i was thinking what lathe i should get i have £200 and i obnly need something small that can do small bowl a file handle or anything around that any recommendations?
It sounds like you may be from the UK. I’m not totally familiar with prices and brands in your area, I did a quick search and found a Record Power lathe for £239 from Yandles. I’ve heard they are a good brand. Other than that you may look for a used mini lathe. Search for some woodturning groups in your area and they might be able to help you locate a good lathe.
I went thru this 45 years ago and made my own lathe.. My purpose was to make larger bowls.. The result was made from 3 inch maple with one inch shaft with 8 threads per inch. I put 4 pulleys top and bottom.. speeds varied from 250 to 4000 rpm. I made over 800 bowls with lather but was always to fast for out of round wood.. mostly oak firewood that was green, turned twice..10 years ago I made a new lathe from twin ibeams.. I bought a phase converter that took 220 single phase in and output triple phase.. The converter allows speeds from 1 rpm to 4000.. The result is off the charts.. This lathe takes up to 38 inches in diameter and is a brut.. The lathe weighs in at 450 pounds.. it’s has split second casters to allow movement.. that pick up and drop easlie..I have 2 4 bolt flange pillow blocks on each end and the sky is the limit.. Cost was $660.. I never worry about out of rounds anymore.. The lathe weighs so much it can’t shake anymore…. I just keep turning.. My wish is folks think about this.. a buddy that welds completed all the welds in’ 4 hours.. The inverter box cost $180 with 2 .5 hp. Motor.. This thing is amazing..think all.. save your money.. I have pictures of it on fb..enjoy your hobby at lower costs.. 😁😊👍. over 50 years I have turned over 1100 bowls that have been given away to old friends, retired good bye and sweet old ladies that needed a lift.. my way to make society happy..
I have a buddy that built his own lathe. He is a machinist by trade and can pretty much do anything he sets his mind to. If you have the means and the know how, go ahead and build. Thanks for sharing about your lathe. 😀
@@PoisonShot20 you can visit me my name is Terry Tenley and if you search that you should fine me. My last name is kind of rare and only about 120 peeps in usa with the same spelling. My grandfather was Amish which i am not.. i live in the mountains of central california.. Near lake Tahoe..
Hey Jason, I am Lender and I’d like to start my own business here in the Cayman Islands and I’d like to start turning these wooden things to put flowers and also small bowls to use like sugar for the coffee and stuff, basically like to specify in a few things for decoration and also to give it some of use, so, what do you think it will be like a list to start…?????!!!
Hey Lender, this question has more answers than I can give in a short comment. For now the main thing you need is experience. Learn all you can and try it out! A basic list would include a wood lathe, turning tools, a chuck, drill bits, and the list goes on from there. You can go high tech or low tech (people have been woodturning for thousands of years). Find something you want to make and figure out what you need to make that project. Try to find experienced woodturners that can help you along the way. Hope that helps! Welcome!
great video new wood turner myself so thanks and cant wait to watch your turning videos and i myself will be uploading some turning stuff on my channel
I don’t have a video at this time on this subject. Interesting topic though. I’ve only ever used lathes with a sliding headstock. Both would make it possible to get the lathe bed out of the way for outboard turning. The only differences would be in the comfort of the user and price of attachments needed to outboard turn. There are some advantages to either one might make a great video! Thanks
This is the best lathe buying video - I have seen! Do you have a pie in the sky best full size lathe you would recommend with all features excluding limitations of cost ….what is considered the best out there ?
Good question! I am torn between the Robust American Beauty or the Vicmarc VL300. Neither of which I can afford. I have demonstrated on an American beauty and it is a well thought out machine.
Thanks cool advice, i have just purchased (not got yet) a mid sized lathe Record DML320 (i am in the UK) I have just ordered a Record Power SC3 Geared Scroll Chuck Package. Your video has convinced me i have done right. I now need to educate myself before leaping into a buying a starter pen turning kit. Cheers Paul
This is great! I’m so glad this video helped. I tried to keep it generic enough that it would help wherever you are. Besides there aren’t any lathe manufacturers filling my pockets with money so......🙂 Enjoy the woodturning!
Here are some brands I’d recommend. After that you have to determine the size and features you need. I’ve never made pipes yet so I can’t tell you. If price is no issue I’d go with Robust, Oneway, or Powermatic. Otherwise jet, Nova, and Laguna make great lathes. I hope this helps.
Hi, Thank you very much for the quick reply and information. I have been researching the Laguna Series of Lathes and they look very good and have as well pretty good reviews everywhere.
Thanks as this was a good info video. I checked out all these lathes on their Amazon links you attached and except for the $4500 Powermatic everyone had some good and also some very bad reviews with most of the complaints being manufacturing issues like bolt holes missing or not tapped out correctly and even a break in the frame and terrible shipping from Amazon. I believe if these lathes were purchased from a more reputable dealer a lot of these problems would go away. I just retired and am getting back into woodworking and although I can afford the Powermatic. (No brag I worked all my life to save my money) I'm leaning more towards the Laguna lathe. I am more into pens and small bowls and such. Thanks
That’s great info. I’d never read reviews from amazon about Powermatic. Just talked to people who have owned them. If you want a spare no expense lathe look into robust lathes. I’ve personally turned on one and it’s premium.
@@Geiserwoodturner Thanks do you have a LINK. As I said I retired and was also blessed with inheriting most of the wood from my Uncles wood shop of over 60 years. I literally have boxes and buckets full of hardwoods of all sizes and species including some nice pieces of Ebony plus huge slabs weighing from 50 to almost 300 pounds of Maple and Walnut and others. If I lived to be 100 I could never use it all because he never threw any wood away. As soon as I decide on my lathe I plan on getting busy practicing. Next I want to buy some top quality turning tools as the money I won't have to spend buying wood can be used for better equipment. Thanks
I don’t have a link for Robust tools they only use reputable dealers and well known woodturners as dealers. Check out Sam Angelo (Wyomingwoodturner), or Carl Jacobsen on TH-cam. Also I think craft supplies Usa is a dealer. As for top of the line turning tools I like Thompsonlathetools.com by Doug Thompson or D-way tools.
@@Geiserwoodturner Thanks I took a look and they look like top quality and the prices don't look bad. Gonna do some more research to get the correct ones for pens and such. Thanks again
Actually found the American Beauty lathe on the Woodcraft site but if I spent $8000 on a lathe it would take a week to get my wife's foot out of my Ass
Great video, want to start wood working, I would like to only buy a lathe once and would like to do big things, have a nice budget what would u recommend lathe, tools ect. Thank you
If you only want to buy once and large capacity is what you want. I would look into Robust, Vicmarc, or even Oneway or Powermatic lathes. I listed them in order of my preference but all are good trusted brands. If you go with a Powermatic on Amazon click on one of my links before you do. 😉😆😁 it won’t cost you anything and I’ll make a small commission. But seriously they make a 24” capacity lathe with a sliding headstock for outboard turning if you want to go larger. I’m really in love with the Robust American Beauty as well check it out. I wish you well!
OK here's my problem, I inherited a lathe from my father, its a chimerical lathe from the1920's the spindle is about 1 1/2 with a alum. face plate frozen on it! every of my turning friends tell to junk it and get a newer lathe! On the other hand I would like to fix and bring it back to life any suggestions?
I’m not an expert on restoring lathes and without a lot of info I can only give some advice. Spray it with a good penetrating oil and let it sit overnight. If you can get wrenches on it great. I recommend tapping on the one on the faceplate with a mallet rather than a straight twisting motion. If you don’t mind destroying the faceplate a pipe wrench might work. A small amount of heat might help expand the metal. I’ve heard of people just cutting down till they almost reach the threads and splitting it off with a cold chisel. I hope some of this helps. Good luck with your project.
You will be happier with the results the more tackle woodturning one step at a time. Sounds like you are on the right track. Thanks for watching! I hope you are turning those logs and stumps soon.
Unfortunately I’ve not yet made pool cues. I’m also not an expert on CNC machines or Metal lathes. I specialize in working wood with hand tools. While I am sure wood pool cues could be manufactured on a metal lathe or cnc I’m not the one to help you with that. I would suggest finding someone with experience making pool cues and see if you could talk to them or get them to mentor you.
Hi, great video, very well presented and informative. My question, I wish to purchase a lathe for turning my own topwater fishing lures but am unsure of the size (motor capacity) I will need to do this? Some of the topwater lures are for big fish so I would be starting with wood sized in diameter 100millimeters by 100millimeters. I also noticed that a manufactured lathe can bear many different brand names and it is a little confusing reading reviews. Could you please tell me what manufactures you would personally recommend? Thank you very much.
I’d be happy to recommend some brand names. I just didn’t in the video because I wanted to keep it unbiased. Most lathes should be able to handle the size you are talking about. You might want to think about if you want to expand to bigger items later. (I know I did). I’d probably recommend a lathe with a 12” swing or better. Usually a good brand with a bigger swing will have a motor to match. Some good brands include Jet, Laguna, Nova. I’ve heard good and bad about Grizzly full size lathes (but I know people that love them). If you can afford it the top of the line lathes would be Powermatic, Oneway, Vicmarc, and Robust. I own a Laguna Lathe and I like it. Jet, Nova, and Laguna all have 12” swing variable speed lathes now that are comparable in price. I hope this helps! Happy turning!
The best advice I would give to beginning turners is to buy a used lathe cheap to see if you want to continue turning or not. If you do then get the lathe you want and if not you don't have much invested.
Good advice
Being brand new to the hobby, I'm edging towards used, purely down to budget. The only thing that worries me is I wouldn't know if I was being sold a lemon.
Would you consider doing a video on what to look for when buying used?
Or point me in the right direction.
Cheers.
Thanks. I'm new to the hobby. Started watching turning videos about 2 years ago to help with insomnia (not an insult)😂.
I became obsessed and now want my own set up.
I found this video after watching hundreds of adverts disguised as reviews.
Yours was no nonsense and told me everything I needed to know.
Cheers
This has been thus far the best and most detailed of any video I’ve watched explaining the in and outs of choosing a lathe. Thank you!
Thanks!
Had to break out the pen lol
No, thank you.
I'm 68 years old and retired. Thinking about buying a lathe for turning pots for turkey calls. Pretty overwhelmed on everything I need. The Grizzly T25920 looks like a good unit but tooling components has me confused on what all I need. Very good video, thankyou and I will keep being a sponge soaking up information.
Excellent video and coverage.
Very helpful information. Thank you!
Very clear simple advice. Thanks
Nice job!!
GREAT JOB...THANKS...
BEST 'intro to lathes' video I've seen! Thank you.
Thanks! I hope it was helpful!
Very nicely done, sir. The information you said you would provide, plus some. No BS. Nice video!
Just the video I was looking for before buying a lathe. Perfect amount of detail.
Glad it was helpful! Good luck
I am thinking about buying a wood lathe. Thanks so much for your time explaining the options. Happy turning.
Just took a wood turning class yesterday. Now I'm looking for my first lathe. Thanks for pointing out the things to look for and some specifications.
Best review i have ever seen, grazie mille for that
Excellent informative video in a week where I'm shopping for my first wood lathe.
Just looking into getting a lathe so I very much appreciate your advise, wisdom and experience on this topic. Straight forward, no non-sense, and informative. Thanks !!
Thank you! That is exactly what this video was intended for. I’m glad to hear it was helpful.
Excellent video for a beginner looking for basic to look after and avoid mistakes on lathe purchasing. Thanks
I thought I knew most things about lathes, but you proved there is always more to know. Thank you for that.
This is a really good video. Lots of information; no too long.
Thanks so much!
Super helpful! Thanks! Sorry to see you don’t do many new videos…I get it, they are a lot of work. Appreciate the ones you have and you are a super teacher🙌🏻
Detailed, yet succinct. Very nice video!
Thanks
Detailed and helpful, thank you for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Helpful advice. Thanx
well done; I've had my Laguna like yours now for several years. Solid lathe.
Laguna doesn’t do too bad for the price!
By far the most informative video I have watched so far.
Thanks I wanted it to be packed with information! Thanks for watching!
I have been turning for a few years now and need to upgrade my 14" general lathe. I love the lathe but have outgrown it and I'm testing its limits. Mainly the weight of blanks at 13.5" by 6" that I'm turning. Your video is a good reminder of the elements involved in choosing a new lathe and it was was well worth watching. Thanks.Montana Wood Art Bozeman MT.
Thank you! It was hard to do this subject justice. As you know there is much more than I could ever include in a video. I’m always glad if this helps in your decisions! 😀
Very well thought out and informative. I sure wish I would have seen your video before I bought my lathe. Your video hit many more points about needs and wants. As it turns out my choice of lathe was just right for me and your video would have saved me a lot of time. Following your points led me to the lathe I have and, for what it's worth, I suggest anyone watching this video to watch it a few more times and really concentrate on the questions and points brought out. You will save yourself time and possibly heartache if you follow Jason's advice and guidance. Sorry for the long comment. Thank you, Jason.
Thanks Scott! I’ve really been a tool junky for a long time. I love to understand why you need all these fancy features that manufacturers build in to their products. Great to hear the praise! Hope this video helps some woodturners!
Very interesting and informative. I'm new to wood turning. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks! Wishing you the best as you get into woodturning.
Some of the best things to know about wood turning lathes. I am looking at buying a lathe, and do not know a lot, this helped me understand what I need to look for, and how to shop for value. Thanks.
So glad I could help!
This is a great video for learning the basic, need-to-know parts of a lathe. Thanks!
Thanks, I’m kind of a tool geek! 😆
Thank you. Very informative
Thanks so much!
im from philippines and i really like this kind of work . hope someday i can buy that kind of lathe :( i have my own but improvise . just for ballesters only . i really love doing cups bowls etc. but for now , imagination :)
Nice! Keep going, it was many small miracles that led to my lathe! I hope things work well for you.
@@Geiserwoodturner thankyou. done clicking the subscribe :) God bless sir.
Thanks for the video dude! I'm looking into buying a lathe and I have no idea what im doing. This video was incredibly helpful.
Glad I could help!
Excellent and informative video. Thank you. I subscribed.
Glad you liked it! Thanks for subscribing!
Excellent video! It has been a good help when deciding which lathe to buy. Would it be possible with a shopping guide for woodturning tools too? Perhaps showing the difference between cheap and expensive tools, the pros and cons of buying a set of tools, which ones to buy first if not buying a set? I think I wouldn't be alone wishing for such a guide without the sales pitch. 🙂
(I'm not sure I use the correct terminology, but with "woodturning tools" I mean the gouges, chisels, etc that are used when woodturning.)
Thanks so much! A guide to buying woodturning tools would be a great idea! Yes You are using the correct terminology. I call them turning tools but I have heard them called Chisels, gouges, and knives ext. Which tools to buy first is also a great video idea. I’ll get working on videos, but just as a thought my top three would be a spindle roughing gouge, a 3/8” spindle gouge, and a parting tool. If you plan on making bowls a 1/2” bowl gouge would be a great starter as well.
Great video. Kudos for the variety of shots and B Roll.
Thanks Mike! Great to hear! I’ve had many good ideas from your channel as well. Thank you 😁
Very good advice,
Thank you 😊
I have a Harbor Fretght and I love it
I know lots that love harbor freight lathes! Great!
The older green lathe from Harbor freight are cheap (okay but cheap) But the Bauer lathe put out by harbor freight is a lot better with a bigger swing and larger motor (1HP) and variable speed .. Not bad for the money..@@Geiserwoodturner
Good video. Thanks for sharing
Thanks so much
Very much good info. Thanks
This video is very informative and helped answer my many questions. I don’t like to ask in stores because I feel and I am just being sold to.... I watched your challenge video and found this afterwards! Great video!
Thanks John! I often feel the same way about being sold to. I like to make my own decisions about if I think a feature will be helpful or not. Thanks so much for watching!
I got a 1948 delta homecraft 3ft lathe with a motor and chisels for 120$. I consider myself very lucky to snag that one
Nice! Now on to an obsession you will cherish!
choose a lathe depending on what you’ll use it for and how often.
Awesome video, thank you very much. Your detailed descriptions on wood lathes are great.
Thanks! I have read a lot of tool catalogs, and done a lot of dreaming! 🤣
@@Geiserwoodturner You know, I meant my comments. Your advice on a wood lathe is full of precious information. The only video I watched that sums it all up. Thank you. I am looking forward to watch more.
Very helpful. 🙂
I like the advice and/or question asking: Does it give you room to grow? I think all lathes can evenntually turn into a "growth mechanism" depending on where you want to grow to....if you want to become a pro at woodturning, you will start as a beginner and advance throughout time (hopefully saving money) until you have enough money for a bigger lathe. this will be your next one....and on and on....until you are woodturning full sized stair rails, circular tables, maybe pool tables, but that is a massive project for way later on...Mind you that's saying that you end up really liking woodtuning, if you don't or just see it as a hobby, beginner may always be a wonderful fit for you, because a beginner wood lathe and tools can make enough stuff for hobbyists that will allow you to enjoy the craft, but if you want to advance, that's gonna take more money, time, tools, etc. to succeed. The experience is nice, but it's all up to the person. So answering the 'room to grow' question....Solution to that is: It's all up to you. Plus, if you can sell your lathe work for cash to others, that always helps for further growth :)
I like the way you put this. It makes me think of a question I heard at a professional conference once. The question was “what are you doing to improve yourself?” We should always be improving ourselves and if we are not, something is wrong and we should examine ourselves. Maybe there is something new to try or learn. Great comment!
@@Geiserwoodturner Thank you, thank you :)
I found a vintage shopsmith and installed a dc treadmill motor with speed control,,, works very well,,
Nice! I love that kind of ingenuity 😀
@@Geiserwoodturner thanks,, it has unbelievable power and very quiet and smooth,,,and I can adjust to any RPMS
Thank you very informative
Excellent presentation Sir - Thanx
Cool thanks! Although I don’t go by “Sir”. I’m just a regular guy. 😁
After watching your video I've decided I'm going to buy the Record herald , was going to buy a smaller lathe for £150 for starting off but think I will just go with the larger herald think all in with chuck etc will be about £1000 , hopefully get a black friday deal tomorrow. 😀
Nice! Good luck with finding a deal!
Thanks, wonderfully informative and loved the woodchuck!
Thanks! I spent hours learning how to put the woodchuck photo together. Now I’ve forgotten everything! Pretty normal I guess.
If you have some room, but not a lot for any one machine, you might consider a Shopsmith mark 5 or 6 or 7. It's many tools in one, including a lathe, and you can get extras like a bandsaw attachment. They are not cheap, especially new, but when you consider all you get in one machine, the price becomes reasonable. If you have the space for dedicated machines, no you probably don't want one, but for us guys with small workspaces, they make more things possible than say just a lathe (they're also a table saw, and a drill press and horizontal boring machine, and a few other things depending on what attachments you have.) Used they can be down right reasonable for what you actually get.
I started turning on a shopsmith so they have a place in my heart. At this point they are a little limited as far as the lathe goes but a great machine for small spaces.
@@Geiserwoodturner well I've never seen a mulittool of any kind that is the best at anything, but if you don't have much space, they're brilliant.
well it's a lathe th-cam.com/users/postUgkxN9zrzkkhnjUF5PQbuA_B1gYdsfCu9k6z but it wasn't what i would have anticipated. Headstock, tailstock, carriage apron are manufactured from aluminum now not cast iron. The spindle diameter for the bearings is too small allowing for a few play in the spindle so I am using some blue Loctite to take out the play.
Very helpful video. Thanks for taking the time to produce one that considers so many different points without promoting a specific brand.
Your welcome! I really tried to make it not brand specific. Besides I figured I don’t need to advertise a product unless they are paying me!
Great video! Now I feel confident to buy a lathe. All because of the amazing detail you provided. Thank you! Subscribed for sure!😍
Thanks. I tried to include enough information so you could make your own decision rather than just telling you what to do. I’m so glad it helped! 😁
This is far away most helpful video I've seen on the subject. Thanks very much
Thanks! I worked the hardest on this video more than any other because I wanted to pass on the knowledge.
Brother, you did it. thanks again. Another question for you if you don't mind. Where do you find logs, wood for turning? I live in the northeast.
Good question that needs a really long answer. Maybe I’ll do a vid on the subject sometime. Short answer is lots of different places. Neighbors, hardwood suppliers, online, yard waste disposal piles. That’s just a few sources. Just keep turning! once people know you turn, wood will just start showing up!
Fair enough. I believe that. Thank you
Great video! Highly informative. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks much!
The trick is in the little details. Thank you for an excellent breakdown! God Bless. I do wood cnc and hand engraving. And Tansu boxes from start to finish. If you need help or advice, let me know. Happy to pay forward! Thanks again.
I have been woodworking forever and had never turned on a lathe. I was NOT going to drop upwards of $2000 on a lathe not having any idea if I would even like it. I opted for a Delta. I think it's called a "midi". Couldn't be happier. Under $1000, handles most everything I wanted to do to learn and fits in my tiny space available. It of course has its' limitations but the quality was very good for the price. Now, two years later I am ready for a full size lathe but have no plans of getting rid of my Delta. FYI, it is a new Delta, not an old school Delta which I would have preferred. Now I am ready to drop $2k, maybe even $3k on a decent full size lathe. I wish I had gotten into turning decades ago. Fun and practical.
Great! Woodturning hooks ya! I wish you well in your search for a bigger lathe! 😀
The question is which bigger lathe!? Your video was a good one and showed every single available option out there for lathes in general but I don't think I saw a l preference towards one or the other. In my search I "think" Laguna offers the most bang for buck? I was looking at the 18/36. I have a few Powermatic tools and they have been great but not cheap. I may go that route if I am able. No one wants to make such a large investment and find out their 600 pound, $4k lathe is not up to the task. Rather than getting a lathe that already has everything on it it may be more prudent to buy one with upgradability and add things on as time goes on and the need arises for other features.@@Geiserwoodturner
@@johnbauby6612I think if I was to recommend something it would be Powermatic. It is a bit more $ though. My experience with my Laguna lathe is that it is adequate. I’ve had the chance to upgrade more than once and have not however. Over the years I’ve worked through most of the quirks and problems and I’m satisfied with my 18/36. It does what I need it to do and that is what counts. If I were to upgrade it would be to a Vicmarc or Robust lathe, but they are high end and pricey. So I guess in summary Laguna is adequate and a good value for the money but you may have tool rest banjo and possible electronics issues. I’ve heard good and bad about customer service. Powermatic is a great machine, more expensive. I’ve heard that they have less problems but can have some. I’ve heard they have great customer service.
I hope this helps some. 😊
This had a ton of useful information. I'm building my shop without sparing expense, so the detailed explanation about options, and what makes the extras worth the higher cost was very helpful. Great video, keep em coming.!
Thanks I’m glad to know this was helpful! More videos on the way soon!
Nice video, very very informative ! Thank you
Thanks for this!
I hope it helps!
I’d love to own that Laguna!
It’s a good lathe! I recommend one!
Very informative thank you for this it's what I needed to see for helping me determine my next lathe purchase.
Thanks for watching. I’m very glad I could help!
Some great and helpful advice, thank you 😊
I’m glad it helped! 😀
Thanks, I sure learned a lot.
I’m glad it was educational! Keep on learning and let it become an obsession. Just kidding..... but seriously though.
Mini jet step up pulley. Good enough for most projects
I can’t deny Jet makes a good lathe! Thanks for the comment. 🙂
Nice. From India
Thanks! Great video.
Very helpful ty
I'm stuck in indecision! I have a budget 1216 midi lathe with EVS. I tried turning a 12" bowl on it, I managed to get it done but felt very sorry for the lathe and promised I wouldn't do that to it again! Apart from that it has been a great lathe.
My first thought was to get one of those generic Reeves drive long bed lathes, just for turning bigger projects. And keep my midi lathe for smaller projects. That's about all my budget would allow at the moment. Also, I'd have to get rid of some stuff to make room for it.
Most advice seems to be don't buy budget gear. Also, as much as I like my midi lathe, upgrading to a decent solid built machine is appealing, except for the budget!
Conundrum, do I get the 2nd budget lathe to compensate for what mine can't do, and use that until I can afford a decent lathe. Or do I just wait until I can afford a decent machine. And how long will that take?
Thanks watching! I think this is a conundrum for most of us. Do I get only what I need or do I get by and save for what I want? I’ve been there many times and there is no easy answer. The best advice I can give is keep your eye out for the best possible deal for your budget. There are many alternative ways to find a good lathe if you look hard enough even on a budget. For instance schools often have equipment they are getting rid of for auction. A good machine is definitely worth the wait. I honestly believe if we intend on growing our woodturning abilities and we concentrate on what will best help us do that, the right lathe will find it’s way to us. If you are considering the Reeves drive, I know a guy that owns one. He’s rebuilt the Reeves drive twice now and still loves the lathe. I wish you the best!
@@Geiserwoodturner Thank you, that's really helpful. I will focus on getting the lathe I want rather than compromise and get one that will fill in. I appreciate the suggestion of getting a used machine, but my little local turning shop stocks the lathe I want, and I tend to want to support them as much as I can. It's pretty much a mom and pop store who make you a coffee when you go there! I always spend too much there! Thanks again.
In addition, I saw a review of the budget lathe I was thinking of getting and the biggest complaint was poor build quality, so that also helped!
Bought a powermatic lathe in February, still waiting for the bed extension. Now they are saying July
Oh man hope you get it soon and can turn longer stuff soon.
Dust collection is good to have when sanding.
i am a teen That is into woodwork and i was thinking what lathe i should get i have £200 and i obnly need something small that can do small bowl a file handle or anything around that any recommendations?
It sounds like you may be from the UK. I’m not totally familiar with prices and brands in your area, I did a quick search and found a Record Power lathe for £239 from Yandles. I’ve heard they are a good brand. Other than that you may look for a used mini lathe. Search for some woodturning groups in your area and they might be able to help you locate a good lathe.
@@Geiserwoodturner would parkside be a good one?
@@lucaskeys6092 no idea never heard of it.
I went thru this 45 years ago and made my own lathe.. My purpose was to make larger bowls.. The result was made from 3 inch maple with one inch shaft with 8 threads per inch. I put 4 pulleys top and bottom.. speeds varied from 250 to 4000 rpm. I made over 800 bowls with lather but was always to fast for out of round wood.. mostly oak firewood that was green, turned twice..10 years ago I made a new lathe from twin ibeams.. I bought a phase converter that took 220 single phase in and output triple phase.. The converter allows speeds from 1 rpm to 4000.. The result is off the charts.. This lathe takes up to 38 inches in diameter and is a brut.. The lathe weighs in at 450 pounds.. it’s has split second casters to allow movement.. that pick up and drop easlie..I have 2 4 bolt flange pillow blocks on each end and the sky is the limit.. Cost was $660.. I never worry about out of rounds anymore.. The lathe weighs so much it can’t shake anymore…. I just keep turning.. My wish is folks think about this.. a buddy that welds completed all the welds in’ 4 hours.. The inverter box cost $180 with 2 .5 hp. Motor.. This thing is amazing..think all.. save your money.. I have pictures of it on fb..enjoy your hobby at lower costs.. 😁😊👍. over 50 years I have turned over 1100 bowls that have been given away to old friends, retired good bye and sweet old ladies that needed a lift.. my way to make society happy..
I have a buddy that built his own lathe. He is a machinist by trade and can pretty much do anything he sets his mind to. If you have the means and the know how, go ahead and build. Thanks for sharing about your lathe. 😀
@@Geiserwoodturner wish I could share pictures.. I am not a machinist. my lathe is simple, very useful and cheap but built to take abuse..
Where can I see the pictures of your lathe? FB name?
@@PoisonShot20 you can visit me my name is Terry Tenley and if you search that you should fine me. My last name is kind of rare and only about 120 peeps in usa with the same spelling. My grandfather was Amish which i am not.. i live in the mountains of central california.. Near lake Tahoe..
AWESOME ADVICE!!!! THANKS!!!
Glad you liked it! I’m open to suggestions for other videos on what you think would be helpful.
Hey Jason, I am Lender and I’d like to start my own business here in the Cayman Islands and I’d like to start turning these wooden things to put flowers and also small bowls to use like sugar for the coffee and stuff, basically like to specify in a few things for decoration and also to give it some of use, so, what do you think it will be like a list to start…?????!!!
Hey Lender, this question has more answers than I can give in a short comment. For now the main thing you need is experience. Learn all you can and try it out! A basic list would include a wood lathe, turning tools, a chuck, drill bits, and the list goes on from there. You can go high tech or low tech (people have been woodturning for thousands of years). Find something you want to make and figure out what you need to make that project. Try to find experienced woodturners that can help you along the way. Hope that helps! Welcome!
great video new wood turner myself so thanks and cant wait to watch your turning videos and i myself will be uploading some turning stuff on my channel
Thanks for watching! I’m a big fan of woodturning vids on TH-cam so let me know when you upload I’ll go check it out!
Do you have a video showing the advantages/ disadvantages of a sliding headstock vs. a swivel headstock?
I don’t have a video at this time on this subject. Interesting topic though. I’ve only ever used lathes with a sliding headstock. Both would make it possible to get the lathe bed out of the way for outboard turning. The only differences would be in the comfort of the user and price of attachments needed to outboard turn. There are some advantages to either one might make a great video! Thanks
Just great! Thank you very much!
This is the best lathe buying video - I have seen! Do you have a pie in the sky best full size lathe you would recommend with all features excluding limitations of cost ….what is considered the best out there ?
Good question! I am torn between the Robust American Beauty or the Vicmarc VL300. Neither of which I can afford. I have demonstrated on an American beauty and it is a well thought out machine.
Well done review, very informative
Thanks cool advice, i have just purchased (not got yet) a mid sized lathe Record DML320 (i am in the UK) I have just ordered a Record Power SC3 Geared Scroll Chuck Package. Your video has convinced me i have done right. I now need to educate myself before leaping into a buying a starter pen turning kit. Cheers Paul
This is great! I’m so glad this video helped. I tried to keep it generic enough that it would help wherever you are. Besides there aren’t any lathe manufacturers filling my pockets with money so......🙂
Enjoy the woodturning!
Thank you for taking the time for this. Much appreciated.
Very informative video.. Thx a lot 👍🏼
Thanks so much for watching! I hope it helped.
THANKS FOR THE EXPLANATION
I am a smoking pipe mater what lathe would you recomend. Price is not an issue, thank you for the great video.
Here are some brands I’d recommend. After that you have to determine the size and features you need. I’ve never made pipes yet so I can’t tell you. If price is no issue I’d go with Robust, Oneway, or Powermatic. Otherwise jet, Nova, and Laguna make great lathes. I hope this helps.
Hi, Thank you very much for the quick reply and information. I have been researching the Laguna Series of Lathes and they look very good and have as well pretty good reviews everywhere.
nice
Great video, loaded with a lot of good information, but those of us wearing hearing aids wish you wouldn't use the irritating background sounds.
Thanks for watching! Even though the irritating sounds. I’m working on it thanks! ☺️
Thanks as this was a good info video. I checked out all these lathes on their Amazon links you attached and except for the $4500 Powermatic everyone had some good and also some very bad reviews with most of the complaints being manufacturing issues like bolt holes missing or not tapped out correctly and even a break in the frame and terrible shipping from Amazon. I believe if these lathes were purchased from a more reputable dealer a lot of these problems would go away. I just retired and am getting back into woodworking and although I can afford the Powermatic. (No brag I worked all my life to save my money) I'm leaning more towards the Laguna lathe. I am more into pens and small bowls and such. Thanks
That’s great info. I’d never read reviews from amazon about Powermatic. Just talked to people who have owned them. If you want a spare no expense lathe look into robust lathes. I’ve personally turned on one and it’s premium.
@@Geiserwoodturner Thanks do you have a LINK. As I said I retired and was also blessed with inheriting most of the wood from my Uncles wood shop of over 60 years. I literally have boxes and buckets full of hardwoods of all sizes and species including some nice pieces of Ebony plus huge slabs weighing from 50 to almost 300 pounds of Maple and Walnut and others. If I lived to be 100 I could never use it all because he never threw any wood away. As soon as I decide on my lathe I plan on getting busy practicing. Next I want to buy some top quality turning tools as the money I won't have to spend buying wood can be used for better equipment. Thanks
I don’t have a link for Robust tools they only use reputable dealers and well known woodturners as dealers. Check out Sam Angelo (Wyomingwoodturner), or Carl Jacobsen on TH-cam. Also I think craft supplies Usa is a dealer. As for top of the line turning tools I like Thompsonlathetools.com by Doug Thompson or D-way tools.
@@Geiserwoodturner Thanks I took a look and they look like top quality and the prices don't look bad. Gonna do some more research to get the correct ones for pens and such. Thanks again
Actually found the American Beauty lathe on the Woodcraft site but if I spent $8000 on a lathe it would take a week to get my wife's foot out of my Ass
straight up.. thanks
What lathe should i buy WELL I AM WAITING
Ha ha. I’m going to have to tell you a Robust American beauty then. 🤣
Great video, want to start wood working, I would like to only buy a lathe once and would like to do big things, have a nice budget what would u recommend lathe, tools ect. Thank you
If you only want to buy once and large capacity is what you want. I would look into Robust, Vicmarc, or even Oneway or Powermatic lathes. I listed them in order of my preference but all are good trusted brands. If you go with a Powermatic on Amazon click on one of my links before you do. 😉😆😁 it won’t cost you anything and I’ll make a small commission. But seriously they make a 24” capacity lathe with a sliding headstock for outboard turning if you want to go larger. I’m really in love with the Robust American Beauty as well check it out. I wish you well!
OK here's my problem, I inherited a lathe from my father, its a chimerical lathe from the1920's
the spindle is about 1 1/2 with a alum. face plate frozen on it!
every of my turning friends tell to junk it and get a newer lathe!
On the other hand I would like to fix and bring it back to life any suggestions?
sorry about missed words im writing this at 3:00 am
I’m not an expert on restoring lathes and without a lot of info I can only give some advice. Spray it with a good penetrating oil and let it sit overnight. If you can get wrenches on it great. I recommend tapping on the one on the faceplate with a mallet rather than a straight twisting motion. If you don’t mind destroying the faceplate a pipe wrench might work. A small amount of heat might help expand the metal. I’ve heard of people just cutting down till they almost reach the threads and splitting it off with a cold chisel. I hope some of this helps. Good luck with your project.
Woah this is a little overwhelming.
Id love to get into woodturning logs and stumps, but i guess id better slow down and look at what i need.
Ty
You will be happier with the results the more tackle woodturning one step at a time. Sounds like you are on the right track. Thanks for watching! I hope you are turning those logs and stumps soon.
I want to make pool cues, please help me can i buy cnc metal lathe? 🙏🏻
Unfortunately I’ve not yet made pool cues. I’m also not an expert on CNC machines or Metal lathes. I specialize in working wood with hand tools. While I am sure wood pool cues could be manufactured on a metal lathe or cnc I’m not the one to help you with that. I would suggest finding someone with experience making pool cues and see if you could talk to them or get them to mentor you.
New subscriber....thanks for the tips.
Thanks for following! More Videos to come! If you have any ideas for videos send them my way we’ll see what we can do?
Hi, great video, very well presented and informative. My question, I wish to purchase a lathe for turning my own topwater fishing lures but am unsure of the size (motor capacity) I will need to do this? Some of the topwater lures are for big fish so I would be starting with wood sized in diameter 100millimeters by 100millimeters. I also noticed that a manufactured lathe can bear many different brand names and it is a little confusing reading reviews. Could you please tell me what manufactures you would personally recommend? Thank you very much.
I’d be happy to recommend some brand names. I just didn’t in the video because I wanted to keep it unbiased. Most lathes should be able to handle the size you are talking about. You might want to think about if you want to expand to bigger items later. (I know I did). I’d probably recommend a lathe with a 12” swing or better. Usually a good brand with a bigger swing will have a motor to match. Some good brands include Jet, Laguna, Nova. I’ve heard good and bad about Grizzly full size lathes (but I know people that love them). If you can afford it the top of the line lathes would be Powermatic, Oneway, Vicmarc, and Robust. I own a Laguna Lathe and I like it. Jet, Nova, and Laguna all have 12” swing variable speed lathes now that are comparable in price. I hope this helps! Happy turning!
@@Geiserwoodturner Thank you for the advice, it is very much appreciated.
Harbor Freight best buy for the money