New to Turning - My First Lathe (Mini)

[David B Thornton]

So I picked this up today (along with many other things) from a guy that's selling off his father-in-law's woodworking collection as his health has gone downhill. I've always wanted to get into turning and although I don't have the cash right now to pick up a larger one, I wanted to start small and I figured this one would be just fine for me to begin on.

Mini_Lathe_1.jpgMini_Lathe_2.jpg

It's a Mini Klein Design by Bonnie Klein. I don't know the year as all of my searches haven't had much info on this particular mini lathe, but it runs very smooth and true and came with a ton of extras, including a few chucks, calipers, etc. and a set of Diamic turning tools. I looked up the tools and found that they seem to be pretty good quality, but I don't know anything about turning though, so I could be wrong.

Anyways, I paid $40 for everything, which I'm very happy about. Does anybody have any details on this mini lathe?

[Len Mullin]

David, if you paid only $40.00 for it, and I don't doubt that you did, but, that's as close to stealing it as a person could possibly get. Good buy, it's all you need to get started with, and it didn't break the bank. Good luck and happy turning, if you decide that you don't like turning, you'll have no problem getting your money back as there are people who would love to own one of Bonnie's lathes.
Len

[William C Rogers]

That is stealing! Fantastic buy. You can make a lot of things with the lathe. Have fun turning.

[daryl moses]

What a deal! You will enjoy it i'm sure.

[Thom Sturgill]

That's a TAIG lathe. Bonnie sold them for awhile. Go to Lee Valley Tools for current sales prices -$290 for the lathe alone another $115 for the motor. The full set of Bonnie Tools are available from Packard Tools. They are made by Henry Taylor which is a very respected brand - sell for $225 for the set.

You got a VERY good steal. I've been looking at that set for turning doll house scale. Only about 3 1/2 diameter can be turned.

[Dennis Nagle]

That is a great deal and as the vortex pulls you in deeper and you decide you want a bigger lathe, you should keep it just for pens and such.

[David B Thornton]

Thanks for all the great info. As everybody has noted, I got a great deal and am looking forward to working with it, although it may be another week before I find the time to put it to actual use. I also got a bunch of Maple Burl blocks from the same person for a killer deal, so that will be exciting to use once I use it for a bit and get comfortable enough to jump into a small burl block.

Can anybody suggest the best book for learning?

[Reed Gray]

There is at least one club in the Seattle area. Huge learning experience, and most clubs will have a library, and mentors, and probably contacts close to you.

robo hippy

[David B Thornton]

Well, I just threw a piece of wood in there to practice and mess around with for the first time and will be finding a permanent place for this in my shop. I already want to buy a larger lathe, but realize that I'm just excited and should practice with small bowls, pens, etc. and see where it takes me. Yup, I'm hooked.