Shop Fox W1704 Mini Wood Turning Lathe - Unboxing, Set Up & Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 พ.ย. 2021
- This video covers the Shop Fox 8" X 13" mini wood lathe. With it's 1/3 hp motor, does it have the power to do the job? What are it's strengths and weaknesses?
In addition to discussing it's pros and cons, we will unbox it, assemble it, and show you how everything works. A great buyer's guide for the inexperienced and the seasoned wood worker or wood turner.
See it on Amazon: Shop Fox mini lathe amzn.to/38l7XgA (paid link)
(Note: Paid links. As an Amazon associate, Deer Park Home & Shop earns from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to the consumer.)
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/ @deerparkhomeshop2471
Questions and suggestions are encouraged, so please feel free to comment, but please be tasteful and respect the opinions of others.
Our channel offers videos covering woodworking, tool reviews, and DIY projects. With that in mind, our goal is to provide comprehensive and easy to follow instructions and information geared toward the beginner and the tool challenged, but if you are an old hand, you will probably still learn a thing or two. - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
I forgot to say my friend...it is from YOUR video of this lathe I bought it 3 days ago. Always wanted to have a lathe and become proficient with it. Will give you an update after I attach it on my workbench and get to work. Your video is well documented...just to let you know.
Yes, let me know how it works out for you. Thank you.
Thanks for the review, very helpful!
I'm glad it helped! Thanks for watching.
Being in the market for a small lathe for my workshop, i greatly appreciate your review. Thank you.
Thanks for your interest Chris
Great video. Thorough and informative. Thank you!
Thanks Jim, I'm glad you liked it.
@@deerparkhomeshop2471
I ordered one off Amazon, today. It’ll be my first foray into woodturning.
@@jimmcculloch867 It's a great hobby and I wish you the best of luck with it!
Just received this lathe as a hand me down from friend. Perfect first lathe for me and can’t wait to get started. Watching videos now to get better acquainted. Great video!
That's a great friend to have! Thanks for watching.
Added a rocker switch to the motor so I can reverse the rotation...being that when sanding I can get rid of the fuzzy grain to make the ('whatever I'm making') come out to be as smooth as a baby's behind.
That's a great idea. I may do that to mine!
I have the same lathe in Grizzly. All the pros you mentioned I agree with. The con being 1/3hp. I wanted to be able to turn small bowls and larger than pen spindles such as duck calls. The con 1/3hp slows work down to a crawl. I have looked at 1/2hp motors to see if it’s possible. They cost too much. I hate that it’s limited by the motor because I really like everything else. Harbor Freight makes a 1/2hp mini that I wish I’d got. If I can sell and recoup some money, I’ll spend about $150 more for the larger Grizzly. Thanks for showing your video. I was hoping I had missed an adjustment.
And the problem is that most of these small capacity lathes have a 1/3 hp motor or less.
Hello, thank you so much for your answer. Me and my husband work making characters with different kind of woods and always wanted to try doing our tool handles and maybe more small projects.
I hope you can come to Peru we would like to meet you.
I think we are going for the shop fox for the price and the variable speed that also think is a super great feature
Thanks so much for your time and after watching your video feel more confident buying shop fox.
As soon as I buy any lathe I’ll let you know.
Thanks for getting back with me. If we ever make it to Peru we can try to meet. Good luck on choosing a lathe. You are obviously putting a lot of thought and research into it, so l will look forward to hearing from you when you buy one.
@@deerparkhomeshop2471 Hello, how are you doing, we just want to share with you that we already placed the order for the lathe and finally after all research we decided to buy the Rikon 70-150vsr. Thank you.
I have this exact lathe. The tail stock centre adjuster has broken after some serious use and abuse. Overall I think it was a great lathe to get started with turning.
Hate to hear about your bad luck with the tail stock, but it will motivate me to be more careful with it. Thanks for reaching out to me!
hay sir thank you for your video! im looking at one V
You're welcome. Thanks for watching it.
I’m having a difficult time turning larger spindles. I’d love to be able to do small bowls. I have the Grizzly which is the exact same lathe. I wish I’d have spent another $100 and got at the least a 1/2hp from harbor freight. I agree with ALL the pros you listed. Really well made. I’ve looked at 1/2hp motors but haven’t found on that I believe will fit. And, they cost about half the price of the lathe. The con is 1/3hp. If I can sell mine and recoup a bit, I’ll get the larger Grizzly.
I appreciate your comment and agree with you. At the end of the video I gave this lathe a thumbs up for smaller pieces like coffee mills and pens, and I gave it a thumbs down for larger things like bowls, and really, I think a 12" lathe, or larger, is the way to go for bowls. You can get by by using really sharp chisels and light cutting pressure with this one, but it simply doesn't have the capacity or power to do the job.
Looking at the glass as half full, if you got one, you learn how to turn on a 1/3hp, you’ll for sure be able to turn on a larger higher lathe much better. This lathe will teach a person about physics. All I can do again is echo what you have said. Super sharp chisels, light pressure. I can only add periodically snugging the tail stock. Lol, beating the proverbial dead horse, I just wish it was a 1/2 hp because I love everything else about it! I can say that I have used it a lot since my last reply. I’ve turned and hollowed honey pots out of pecan and plenty of pecan spindles. So, I know that I will be able to use it to turn duck calls and make condiment bowls. Of course, as you said it’s very adequate for pen turners. I’ll definitely always use it because it’s small enough and portable that it can be used nearly anywhere. Because of all the pros of this lathe, there is absolutely no doubt that I will purchase the larger one that has the option of adding a longer bed. Thanks for making the video. Anyone who reads this can definitely make an informed decision before purchasing. Shop fox and harbor freight are the exact same. So, go with the best deal. I looked for a review before I purchased mine and to my knowledge, this is the only one. Is there a way to edit so that the harbor freight model? That may be helpful. Good turning to you and everyone.
@@kevinfontenot9463 I think you should have made the review, not me. You probably have more hours of actual work and you are turning a larger variety of pieces. I hope other folks will read your comments.
The problem with all of the 8 x 13 lathes I saw is that they all use a 1/3 hp motors. I considered a pen pal and it only had 1/6 hp, but it also had a much smaller swing, so this is hard to get around. Of course, the shop fox is variable speed, others are belt drive and they may actually perform better, but I don't know that for sure. I think Grizzly also offers a version of this lathe.
That was an awesome video review! Thank you! I came here bcs well this day and age they don't make things like they used to. I'm sold I will be placing my Amazon order hopefully today unfortunately its back at the $289 price! My question for is I dont have a use for turning bowls and want to add a drill chuck and a jaw chuck, I'm not sure what I should buy? I'm mainly buying this lathe for 1 to teach myself how to turn wood (been a woodworker most of my adult life but never used a lathe) 2 I'm wanting a professional look to my wooden model car and truck wheels! Thats really the only two reasons that I'm making this purchase.
First I apologize for not answering sooner. I somehow missed your message when I reviewed my comments. The main thing to remember when buying accessories is that this lathe uses an MT1 taper on both ends. Also the head stock is tapped for 3/4" x 16 TPI threads. I haven't bought these parts myself because I use my big lathe for this purpose. What you need is determined by the type of work you do. Since I am unfamiliar with modeling, I can't make any concrete recommendations for you. One thing to remember is that you only have 13" between centers, so how much capacity will you have left by the time you add a jawed chuck, a drill chuck, and a drill bit, and will that be enough for what you need to do? There are a wide range of these accessories available for these mini lathes and they are not usually brand specific.
To me, if you are new to wood turning, the most important purchase you will make is a good set of turning chisels and the equipment to keep them good and sharp.
I hope this has helped some and thanks for watching the video.
Hello, thank you so much for your video. I’m from Peru and I’m about to buy the shop fox lathe. My other option is the Rikon 70-105 1/2 hp but it doesn’t have speed control so between more power and speed control can’t make a decision.mI’m not thinking in making large bowls but some handle, candle holders and bowl lids .
Then I saw another option that is at a good price and is 1/2 hp and has variable speed control but I’m afraid about the brand Mophorn,I have no idea and couldn’t find reviews just what I could read in Amazon. Do you have any advice please?
Hello Viviana, yours is the first comment I have received from Peru. I would love to see Machu Picchu but probably never will. It's on my bucket list though.
The Mophorn appears to be a decent lathe, but it's a 10 x 18 size which is larger than the Shop Fox, so hopefully it will fit where you need it to go. They say it is iron construction which is good and the variable speed goes down to 500 rpm which is useful in finishing with super glue because it won't create as much friction heat as the Shop Fox's minimum 750 rpm. The Rikon also has a 500 rpm speed. You do have to change belts on it, but those changes are smoother and faster than what I have to go through with my full size antique Craftsman. There are some youtube videos for this lathe, but I don't see any for the Mophorn.
To answer you question, I am unfamiliar with the Mophorn brand and can not, in good conscience, try to advise you on a machine I know nothing about. Like you I am getting all of my info from Amazon which appears to be the only place it's sold. I sorry I can't be more help but I would rather give you no advice than give you bad advice.
Thanks for reaching out to me, and I would love to
know what you end up with.
This is also the WEN. Basically, what colour machine do you like best.
I think its marketed under a few more house brands too. Thanks for commenting.
Great video I’m new to the hobby and considering one like it but a different brand,the only thing that’s worrying me is the 1/4 hp motor I would like to make bowls and boxes,while I understand it has size limitations I’m not really concerned about that cause I don’t really want to make big bowls,but being a problem on small ones is more that’s worrying me. Are you still using it? Have you turned any others bowls after this or other work? How did it fair up? Thanks 😊
Honestly, the Shop Fox has 1/3 hp motor and, in my opinion, it's a bit light for bowl turning. I mean it can be done but it takes a light touch and a lot more time for good results. I mainly use it for pens, salt/pepper shakers and other small diameter stuff. Before you buy that lighter 1/4 hp motor, be sure to do some research, read the reviews, etc. and see how others fair with bowls. There are several small lathes with 1/2 hp or better motors that may do a better job for you. Can't recommend one because I haven't turned on them, but it just makes sense that they would be better at this task.
Just got one of these. Agree with all the points made but haven’t seen or heard any discussion regarding tailstock alignment. Mine has way too much play causing significant wobble the closer you get to the tailstock end. Grizzly hasn’t been much help. In fact they really aren’t acknowledging the problem, despite the photos I sent clearly illustrating the problem. Does anyone have any tips or tricks?
Is the problem caused by the tail stock being out of alignment or is the quill assembly loose and wobbly? Also, I'm sure that when you install your work piece in the lathe, you are making sure that your live centers are both centered on each end. Actually mine was accurate right out of the box. I installed the side handle and the top spinner. When I slide the tail stock forward, I get an almost perfect point to point match with the head stock, and you should too.. If you just got it, I think I would return it
I’m looking for a small lathe for making custom duck calls. Looks like this is a perfect lathe for me. Thanks for the video.! Any chance you’re in Deer Park Washington..?
Thanks for watching my video and I wish you the best of luck with your duck calla. Do you sell them? We are in Deer Park, Texas, which is a suburb of Houston. Often times when I google things I get results for Deer Park Washington though. Is that where you're from?
@@deerparkhomeshop2471 yep, I’ll be selling them. I’m up here in Washington state. I’m by the coast
Beautiful state! I bet there's a lot of duck hunting in your area.@@vaughnprecision
For me and my use of a lathe, this review was close to perfect. The key was your essentially saying at the end of the session that the Shop Fox is excellent for people spindle-turning pieces up to 4" in diameter--such things as pens and salt shakers. I intend to use it for occasionally turning fishing lures that will never exceed 1 1/2" in diameter (and 10" in length). THANK YOU-for both your thoroughness and objectivity.
By the way, I agree with Kevin (below) that the 8" x 13" Shop Fox is the same lathe as the identically sized Grizzly. However, the warranties on these two machines are NOT the same. The coverage on the Shop Fox is two years, whereas it's just half that on the Grizzly. To me, this difference is significant.
The actually sell it under a number of brand names. Wen and Harbor Freight and maybe others. Thanks for your kind comments.
Just ought the same lathe. Got mostly for pen turning. Have been trying to find chuck and drill bit attachments for it. And anything else I might need. New to the hobby. Did you buy anything like this and if so what did you get and where? Thanks for taking the time to make this video
Actually, my big lathe has the same size spindle so all of my accessories fit on the shop fox. When buying add ons you mainly need to know that the head and tail stock use an MT1 Morris taper, and the spindle threading is 3/4" x 16 tpi. Chucks and accessories are fairly universal and most are not brand specific. I did purchase my pen turning mandrel from Rockler, but I purchased most from Amazon. Hope this helps. If not, send me a comment.
You can find it on Amazon. You will need the thread adapter for your chuck. For your tail remember M1 not M2.
@@kevinfontenot9463 Thanks for the info Kevin.
I just purchased this lathe got it unboxed and set up. I noticed that the 3 mounting areas are threaded holes. Could you tell me what bolts you used and how you went about making the holes for mounting it?
I have never mounted mine because I move it out of the way until I need it. I'm trying to design a mounting system that will allow me to use it on the same table as the big lathe, and will probably make a video on that when it's done.
I couldn't find a bolt size in the Shop Fox manual. A 5/16" bolt is just about right but it will only thread up about three turns. I tried to contact them about this, but I haven't heard from them. When the time comes I am going to take the lathe with me to the hardware store and let them help me size the bolts.
@@deerparkhomeshop2471 Thank you for your advise on the accessories, I called the number to Shop fox thats printed on the manual, I spoke with a very nice lady in customer service and she directed me to technical support they told me that those mounting bolt threads are a M8-1.25 metric bolt. I went and bought the bolts yesterday and they thread up nicely. Gonna get it mounted either today or tmrw. Thanks again!
@@kevinbrister8801 You had much better luck with them than I did, but I didn't use the number in the manual. I just went to their website and the "contact us" thing. So lesson learned. Thank you for reaching out to me again. I am going to write down the bolt size in my manual and now I won't have to lug my lathe down to the hardware store.
I used this vid to set up this exact lathe a couple months ago, the only problem so far is the vibration, I put a wooden ball about 2.2 pounds and the whole thing starts vibrating a lot and it moves all around the table, I tried bolting it down but the vibration is so strong it takes te bolts out from above or down and it even gets to move the table which is a pretty heavy table...I dunno what to do about this any advise or ideas? I´ve been thinking about some sort of industrial sponge or something like that to sit the lathe over it and avoid the contact with the table but Im not sure. Thank you!
Mine vibrates some but I am able to secure it to the bench. Make sure that the tail and head stocks are in alignment. The points should line up when the tail stock slides up and is tightened. Your work piece may be chucked up too much off center causing excess vibration. If vibrates like this with no work piece, it may be defective.
@@deerparkhomeshop2471 Thank you! I realized the weight of the piece was the issue and it was causing the vibration indeed, it goes smooth with any other piece. Thanks
That's great. Glad you didn't have to go through the hassle of a return.@@abrahamcoronell4519
Hi, thats the only mini lathe that is in the market in my country, do you think that it will works for making flutes?
When you say flutes are you talking about musical instruments or are you asking if you can cutting a flute lengthwise on your work piece?
@@deerparkhomeshop2471 yes; I mean the musical instrument
@@diegocalvorodriguez First, I have never made a flute so I am not the best person to ask. This lathe can only turn pieces up to 13" (33 cm) and flutes are usually longer than that, so it seems to me that you would need more capacity. There are some videos on youtube that show people making flutes, so you might google those.
Where did you get your tools?
The lathe came from Amazon. My big chisels are Shopsmith brand, purchased probably 25 years ago. The smaller chisels are Woodline brand purchased about 10 years ago at a tool show. Hope that answers your question, if not let me know.
I’ve got one of these and the fuse in the plug keeps blowing. 🙈
Please clarify. My lathe does not have a fuse in the plug. Do you mean that when you turn it on it trips the breaker?
@@deerparkhomeshop2471 no in British plugs we have a fuse in. In my lathe it’s a 5amp fuse. we also have an MCB circuit breaker. My lathe also has a 5 amp quick blow fuse in it too in the control box.
@@daviddoyle2085Well I learned something new! How old is this unit and have you always had this problem, or is this a recent development? If this was happening here I would assume that the motor is drawing more current than the breaker could handle, or there might be a short in the motor or lathe circuitry. Your British lathe is a little more sophisticated than it's American counterpart though, and I'm a better turner than electrician, so don't take that as gospel. Hope you get it up and going!
@@deerparkhomeshop2471 yeah over here they like a lot of fail safes on things. I’m not sure how old it is but it only happened a few days ago. I was just finishing making a bowl and applying beeswax and then the fuse blew, I changed the fuse and it immediately blew again after. I was wondering if it was the power supply. I checked the brushes and they were fine as they didn’t have much wear at all. I was thinking of getting a slightly more powerful motor set for it but it would be nice to get this one back up and running.
@@daviddoyle2085Since you've had it awhile, I would suspect a short . As a matter of fact the troubleshooting section of the manual says just that. By the way, f you don't have a manual you can download one from this website www.manualslib.com.
I just got it for very close to that amount.
Great! Nothing feels better than a good deal.
10:10 ''super glue finish'' Could you elaborate?
They make thin super glues that are specifically designed for turning. Very popular among pen turners. It gives a high gloss, extremely durable finish. Basically, you turn your speed down to 500 rpm or less. Put a little super glue on a rag, and apply it to the spinning piece. The friction of the turning piece will cause it to harden and cure in a few seconds, so you want to use light pressure and keep your rag moving up and down the length of your piece. Search for "super glue wood turning finish" on youtube. There are a number of videos that will teach you the technique.
@@deerparkhomeshop2471
Thanks much, I guess today
the term super glue has become the
generic, like Kleenex, I've found
some 'thin CA' on amazon, I'm
pretty sure this is exactly what
I'd need.
Can you tell me what this pen
turning is about, is this the latest
craze or what, is it about actually
making (writing) pens on a lathe?
I just ordered my lathe a yesterday
so have been watching lots of
vids, and so many comments
about pen turning, but haven't
quite figured out if it really is
about thousands of people
making pens on a lathe lol.
Thanks, great video. 👍
@@bikersoncall First CA is the same as super glue, but you can experiment with different types of polish, varnish or other finishes.
Second: You can actually turn writing pens, mechanical pencils, salt & pepper shakers, ice cream scoops, etc. on your mini lathe. They make great gifts. It's not a "craze". People have been doing it for many years. Like you, I had never heard much about it until I got interested in wood turning.
Third: To see what's available, take a look at Penn States Industries, Rockler, Woodcraft, and other on-line stores. Even Amazon has lots of supplies and kits.
@@deerparkhomeshop2471 Thanks.
@@bikersoncall Good luck!
The quality of the machine itself is more than likely fine. But the fact that it runs MT1 tapers is an issue
So you would like to be able to use an MT2 or bigger? My big lathe also uses an MT1 so I'm not sure how much difference it would make.
@@deerparkhomeshop2471 the difference is the amount accessibility of MT1 specs attachments
@@justinfletcher7630 I see. I do know that some of the small lathes offer the MT2. Rikon, Jet, Delta, etc>
@@deerparkhomeshop2471 yea my craftsman 10x12 is and delta midi 14x 20 is MT2 AS WELL
thred locker
Good idea.
bla bla bla
Too detailed? Boring? Let me know.