how to spend it?

[curtis rosche]

i was told at Christmas that as a graduation gift (as long as i dont decide to let the grades slip) i will get $1,000 to buy a lathe. i cant put my own money in with that because i gotta save for college.

what are the biggest lathes that are availible for that amount?

or should i look into just getting a big old patternmakers lathe? i know i can get one that is much bigger and heavier for the same cost as a smaller new lathe, but then there is no waranty, and possible a little bit of work to get it in top shape.

[Matt Ranum]

Wow thats pretty cool. I can't help with the decision but keep in mind if you may want to move it to another location in the future and how easy/hard that might be.

Good luck on picking one. Its always nice to shop with money thats not yours.:p

[Bernie Weishapl]

If you plan on taking it with you to college Curtis I would think about the Delta 46-460 VS. Bigger is not always better. This would be fairly easy to take with you but if you get a big old powermatic or oliver, etc. you just can't pick them up and go. I gave my nephew a Delta that he took with him to college and is just tickled to death to have it there and to be able to turn. Also probably a Nova 1624-44 lathe which is pretty good for the money and around $1199.

[Bob Hallowell]

This looks sweet, Looks like a laguna clone

http://www.grizzly.com/products/18-X-47-Wood-Lathe/G0698

[willie sobat]

I agree with Bernie. Being young means being mobile and often living in temporary conditions. I would consider as portable a lathe as you can get that will still meet your turning needs. You can always weight it down with sandbags. Good luck and congratulations.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Also agree with Bernie's suggestion - plus that would leave a little extra cash for tools, new chuck, etc.

[Reed Gray]

Curtis,
What ever happened to the lathe you were building? You may be able to build one better than you could buy, and portability is important till you settle down.

robo hippy

[Thom Sturgill]

The Delta with extension and the reversible Nova G3 chuck are about $900 at woodcraft. That would leave you a little for a new gouge or two. One extension gives a 42" bed and you can still add another if you want to do l-o-n-g spindles.

The Jet 1220VS is about the same price, but does not reverse. Either would give you a 'transportable' (as opposed to 'portable') solution that you could take to college with you.

[George Guadiane]

Curtis,
I have a Powermatic 3520 (which I love), and I'm DETERMINED to get that Delta 46-460 so that I can travel with it and do demos... I gotta say, having seen it up close, it is the closest thing to my big lathe that I could imagine, AND it has indexing. It might seem expensive for a :small" lathe, but it has a great motor, it's VS and reversible.

[Jamie Straw]

+1 for getting a "portable" lathe, and having some $$ left over for tools and chucks. The lathe itself is just the beginning when it comes to purchases. Re: portability...I still regret losing the piano I couldn't take with me when I went to college.:( I paid for it with my own money when I was about 14, but when it came time to go away to school......

[Jim Underwood]

Seems like that basic (no DVR) Nova lathe was about that much...

[John Sanford]

If you're taking it with you, don't forget power. Wherever you end up will almost certainly have 120v power, but 240v that you can get to? That's iffy.

[curtis rosche]

the lathe will most likley stay at home, and if it does come with me,,,,, my brother and i are sharing a house just off campus, and it has a huge garage,,,, mobility is not important...

as for the lathe i was thinking about building,,,, i dont really have enough time to do it right. and making something junky is just a waste of money.

[Richard Madison]

Might be best to leave it at home for the first semester or even the first year. Help avoid the temptation to turn instead of study.

[Jon Lanier]

Might be best to leave it at home for the first semester or even the first year. Help avoid the temptation to turn instead of study.

Are you kidding? Leave it at home and that's all he'll think about. Take it with him... he can't 'purge' his system. :rolleyes:

[curtis rosche]

so what is the best choice?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Buy the Delta...leave it at home......come home on weekends for Mom's home cooking, free laundry service and turning for a little stress relief after semester exams!:eek::D

[Steve Mawson]

What Ken said, sounds like the perfect plan. Good luck in school, boy college seems like a long time ago.

[Richard Madison]

Curtis,
Have you read Shawn Patel's thread on "Starter lathe tools - - -"? Might want to wait for some reviews on the new PSI lathe. I like the speed ranges better than those of the Delta (just from reading the specs), but would be good to read some hands-on reviews.