Cracked Lathe Bed Worth it?

[Chris Tsutsui]

I found a Laguna Platinum 14/43 lathe, and I'm trying to come up with an offer for it.

It's hardly been used at all and everything about it seems perfect, except that there's a hair line crack about 1.5" long in the center of one of the sides of cast iron bed.

Is this something that can be repaired or is the lathe junk?

Would $300 be reasonable or is that too low? It retails for around $900.

Thanks

[curtis rosche]

get a quote from a local weld shop to get that patched. you can weld than with the right welding rod. find out how the crack was made, like if the owner damaged it somehow. as long as you arent planning on maxing out the lathe with a huge spindle it should be fine

[Nick Hoffman]

It can be welded but welding on cast materials can be tricky, ie: get someone with knowledge on how to do it correctly.

A good place for advice and knowledge on the weld would be at: http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/communities/mboard/forumdisplay.php?f=3

I would be tempted to say used price -80% cost of casting, which could possibly turn to 100% if weld fails. You might even find a weldor there.

[Chris Tsutsui]

I have "zero" experience welding so I would have to take that piece to a weld shop and have an experienced welder take a look.

I'm not concerned if the lathe looks bad or not, I'm more concerned on how well it will work. I just don't want the lathe to crack.

[curtis rosche]

can you take a picture of it and post it? depending on what the crack looks like, it might not make a big difference

[ROY DICK]

Chris,
An exposed crack, could have problems that may not be seen.
I would pass on this, but that's just me.

Roy

[Robert Snowden]

Finding a welder to repair should be the easy part.Finding one that know's how to preheat and cool it down slowly is the key to welding cast iron.If it cool's down to fast it will crack again.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Chris - just my opinion, but I would pass on this lathe for a couple of reasons. First, I would be extremely concerned as to why the lathe bed cracked in the first place. If it was owner abuse - what else happened? If it was metal fatigue - what else was not cast properly? Also, if it were me - I would not want to have the hassles of running around to get the bed welded and hope that the welder knew what he was doing. As mentioned - lots of folks can weld - not that many seriously know how to weld cast iron.

Again - just my opinion - but I would pass on this one and look for a lathe I can turn on without all the hassles.

[Barry ward]

I wouldn't give more thana 100.00,If that,depending on the size of the crack.You could end up putting a big blank on it and it may break completly into. :confused:

[Richard Madison]

Another vote for what Steve said. Even if the bed could be successfully welded the welding process might result in some twist or warpage. I too would pass on that one.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I agree with Steve. I used to be a certified welder and have did some cast iron welds. Robert is right that you have to find some one who can do this type of weld. It needs to be pre-heated, then carefully welded, then cooled slowly. If not it isn't going to work. It is a crap shoot at best. Sometimes you have defective material inside and even a weld would not work very well and could continue to crack even after welding. I would definitely pass on this one.

[Jake Helmboldt]

Chris, in the event you are still considering the lathe, the 14/43 is essentially a clone of the Jet 1236 which can be found used in great shape all day long for around $300. I got mine new at auction for less than that, so unless the guy is willing to practically give it away I'd pass.

[Chris Tsutsui]

Thanks for the advice, I think I am going to pass on this lathe because the price ended up being higher than I expected. I didn't think to take a picture of the crack, I just noticed it and asked for the seller to give a new price quote because the crack wasn't mentioned in the CL ad.

The lathe is a showroom demo model that is barely used, and I think it's an 08 model. It's at Laguna Tools in irvine, a guy named Travis is selling it that works for Laguna.

I talked to him moments ago and he said that the owner of Laguna would give me a 1 year warranty on it for $575. He said if the crack gets any worse in a year, it's only $80 for the replacement cast iron piece and that it would be covered by the 1 year warranty.

So, $575 with crack and warranty... Or $650 with no crack and no warranty...

[Nick Hoffman]

I have "zero" experience welding so I would have to take that piece to a weld shop and have an experienced welder take a look.

I'm not concerned if the lathe looks bad or not, I'm more concerned on how well it will work. I just don't want the lathe to crack.

If you go to that forum and ask about the issue you will get answers from professional welders and possibly refereed to one in your area that can accomplish the work.

[Joseph M Lary]

I would get the replacement part up front and change it out now. if it cracked then it warranty thing .

[Jake Helmboldt]

I would get the replacement part up front and change it out now. if it cracked then it warranty thing .

I wouldn't get either at that price.

Chris, while a bit more the Nova 1624 is on sale at Woodcraft right now ($899). I've never used one, but it gets good reviews as a modest priced lathe that actually has good capabilities for a variety of turning.

[John Keeton]

Chris, in the event you are still considering the lathe, the 14/43 is essentially a clone of the Jet 1236 which can be found used in great shape all day long for around $300. I got mine new at auction for less than that, so unless the guy is willing to practically give it away I'd pass.That being the case, does this make this lathe the same as the HF 34706? If so, then a new one can be had for about $183 on sale with discount coupon.

[Chris Tsutsui]

Wow, you are right. The HF model looks like a clone of the Jet 1236

What makes this Laguna 14/43 different is that it has larger capacity and weighs 100lbs more. In addition the Laguna has a "totally enclosed fan cooled" motor. I wonder if this means it's quieter, i don't know...

The guy called me again today and said they'd sell the floor model 14/43 with NO CRACK for $620. These are negotiable so I'm debating if I should throw a counter offer...

Brand new is $810.

Just the other day I had a gift card at Sears and almost bought the Craftsman Midi Lathe for $400, but I decided to use the gift card towards something else...

So it's either time to make an offer on the 14/43 with no crack, or keep searching craigslist for a possible better deal... :confused:

[curtis rosche]

jump on it. i dont think you are gonna find a better offer. the floor model may be used. but you know that it hasnt been abused. normally they wont let you put a big out of balance peice on it to test it out

[Jake Helmboldt]

Wow, you are right. The HF model looks like a clone of the Jet 1236

What makes this Laguna 14/43 different is that it has larger capacity and weighs 100lbs more. In addition the Laguna has a "totally enclosed fan cooled" motor. I wonder if this means it's quieter, i don't know...

The guy called me again today and said they'd sell the floor model 14/43 with NO CRACK for $620. These are negotiable so I'm debating if I should throw a counter offer...

Brand new is $810.

Just the other day I had a gift card at Sears and almost bought the Craftsman Midi Lathe for $400, but I decided to use the gift card towards something else...

So it's either time to make an offer on the 14/43 with no crack, or keep searching craigslist for a possible better deal... :confused:

Chris, don't be deceived by that "larger" capacity. The minimum speed on that lathe is too high (600 rpm) for a 14" piece, especially if it is an out of balance bowl blank. If it is a finished piece then it would be at the upper end of the safe speed range. I modified my 1236 to add a lower speed and it is still too high for a big out of balance blank, even at 12". Laguna isn't known for their lathes and this model demonstrates why.

[Rob Cunningham]

I modified my 1236 to add a lower speed and it is still too high for a big out of balance blank, even at 12". .
Jake
I don't want to hijack the thread, but could you shed a little light on your modification to lower the speed. Thanks

[Chris Tsutsui]

Chris, don't be deceived by that "larger" capacity. The minimum speed on that lathe is too high (600 rpm) for a 14" piece, especially if it is an out of balance bowl blank. If it is a finished piece then it would be at the upper end of the safe speed range. I modified my 1236 to add a lower speed and it is still too high for a big out of balance blank, even at 12". Laguna isn't known for their lathes and this model demonstrates why.

I still havn't purchased the lathe, but I'm supposed to go in today to take another look at it and there was a good chance I might go home with it.

I would like a lathe that can go down to at least 400 rpm. :(

Either I'm going to have to stick to 8" wide pieces or smaller on this lathe, or I'll have to look into modifications to reduce the speed. Since the motor is enclosed, I doubt there's much room for modifications as far as pulleys.

I've been really itching to start wood turning though.

You reminded me why I should just get a Jet VS mini lathe that can do bowls at lower rpm. It seems like this lathe would be good for table legs.

[John Keeton]

Jake
I don't want to hijack the thread, but could you shed a little light on your modification to lower the speed. ThanksRob, I don't know about how Jake modified his 1236, but one method is here (http://www.chrisbillman.com/Projects/LatheSpeed.htm).

Sorry to prolong the hijack, Chris! So, have you gotten any further with the decision making process??

[Barry ward]

I have the Nova 1624 and it will go down to 216 RPMs 1 1/2 HP and I LOVE IT.I won't go into it,but as for lagunas warranty and service,oh never mind.Anyway,you can't beat Nova's service,as they are up there with the best of em.

[Jake Helmboldt]

Jake
I don't want to hijack the thread, but could you shed a little light on your modification to lower the speed. Thanks

Rob, the link that John provided is the mod I made. It gives a considerably slower speed and makes a big difference for those "bigger" (it's all relative) bowls. It was a very easy mod.

[Gordon Seto]

How often have you heard about cracked lathe beds! That may tell you something about the quality. The relatively short 1 year factory warranty may also reflect what confidence the manufacturer has about their products.

3/4 horsepower for a 14" lathe is on the anemic side. The new Delta Midi has 1 HP. That is a 12-1/2" lathe without the possibility of turning larger items outboard.

Don't just look at the price, and overlook the warranty, after sale service and the resale value.

If I were the distributor of this lathe, I won't allow a cracked demo lathe to be unloaded at any price; I would have shipped it back to the factory ASAP. I would ensure that by studying what went wrong, this won't happen again and protect the reputation of the brand.

[Chris Tsutsui]

Well.... I had my van emptied out and scheduled to pick it up, but then reading some posts yesterday I decided to cancel. A lot of good points were brought up in this thread.

The Laguna lathe spins too fast... It is also missing a piece or two like a knockout rod and something else...

Laguna had the lathe on hold for me, so if anyone wants to buy it from their warehouse in Irvine then go ahead... It seems like a decent lathe but I read that the castings might be outsourced to China. I always thought laguna tools were EURO, but maybe not all of them... The bandsaw I have from Laguna says it's made in belgium.

I'd rather just save that $650 or whatever and put it towards a better lathe that I know I will be 100% satisfied with. One that goes down to 0 RPM. I just know at some point or another I will want the speed to go below 600 rpm, and after talking to the guy at Laguna he said it's not an easy fix to lower the RPM.

I will just be patient and keep searching craigslist on a weekly basis, or save for a better model.

After thinking about the projects I want to make, most of them would be bowls, maybe some rough edge bowls, platters, and rarely would I make table legs.

Thanks for all the advice... I probably could only resell the lathe for like $300-400. If the lathe bed had a crack, then the CL resale value would drop tremendously.