Lathe Rec's?

[alex grams]

I am sure this has been mentioned ad nauseum, but I am looking at possibly getting a lathe to start turning on.

Good articles for review? The main style of work I would be looking to do is spindle style work for accent columns on pieces. I may eventually venture into bowl turning, but that is not my goal at the moment. Accents such as the corner quarter columns in this piece (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=149996) are what I am looking at doing.

My budget for the lathe would be $1,500 +/- a few hundred, though possibly more depending how much more tool I could get for the best value. I realize I can expect to spend at least 500$+ more for tools, but I have been reading/debating on a midi with an extension, or a full size like the jet 1642VS-2.

Any articles or old threads I could have missed in my searches would be appreciated. Plus, since I don't pay attention to lathe's that much in my past, any sales that maybe run yearly that are coming up at the end of the year that would be good to keep an eye on would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[Andrew Kertesz]

Nova is having a sale on their lathes until the end of October. Best to contact your local Woodcraft to check their stock. The 1624 is $899.00 which leaves $$ for accessories, the DVR is $1699.99. Both of these are highly regarded on this site. There is also an ad on the AAW site for gentleman in Georgia that has a great deal on a 1624 with some great accessories included.

[Ralph Lindberg]

Alex
A couple of years ago Fine Woodworking did a review of lathes, their "best value" was the Teknatool Nova 1624. The advantage this might have is their bed extensions, I have seen enough added to allow turning of 8 ft poles. While this lathe also allows for turning bowls, up to about 14 inches (without the outboard setup)
That lathe is roughly in your price range

Of course the "best" lathe was the PM 3524, which also has bed extensions, but is a bit out of your price range

[Ralph Lindberg]

Bare in mind that the price Andrew posted is without a stand or extensions, adding those in bumps the price up some

[Tim Rinehart]

Alex, seeing the corner pieces in that piece you referenced, you may want to consider capability to add a 'packaged' design for fluting such as here. http://www.pennstateind.com/store/LIXSET.html
You can always make one up yourself for whatever lathe you choose, but I remembered seeing this and thought you'd want to know.
If you have space, the Jet 1642 is a great value and a nice heavy lathe, very stable. On sale, it's about in your price range. You may even find one used. I sold mine on CL for what I paid for it (also bought mine used) of about $1000.
If space is issue, of the midi lathes, the hands down winner typically comes up as the Delta 46-460. Plenty of power, reversible, variable speed, extendable bed.

[alex grams]

I had looked at the Nova DVR XP and the Nova 1624-44. Is the fully variable speed worth the extra $700? The 1624 can do 215, 360, 904, 1030, 1450, 2180, 2900 and 3660 RPM. Is going down to 100RPM from 215RPM worth that much more money? Would 215RPM suffice for most bowl turning, possibly excluding any large/abnormally shaped pieces?

The Nova being on sale sure is tempting at $550/$350 off.

They don't show much detail on the woodcraft website how the bed extensions are secured. Is there much concern when adding a bed extension of the bed flexing from any downward force? It has to be a pretty rigid anchoring mechanism I would think to have an extension which spans the head and tail.

[Andrew Kertesz]

The 1624 does include legs, although they are NOT cast iron. The bed extensions for the Nova line are bolted on and just contilevered for support. If you add more than 1 - 20" extnesion then you need to extend your support. I bought the 1624 because of the smaller foot print. If you are considering the Jet 1642 then look at the Grizzly 0698, about the same specs but $500 -- $600 cheaper than Jet.

[Prashun Patel]

I am a newbie to turning and have the Delta 46-460 which is way under your price range. I can offer this, though:

1. I love variable speed.
2. Don't get a lathe based on what you like to do now. Get the biggest and best one for your budget. Your sights will quickly get set much higher.
3. Save a good portion of your budget for tools and accessories. I've easily spent as much on this stuff as I did on my lathe.

[Philip Rodriquez]

The Jet goes on sale at the end of the month. The 2 HP EVS will be priced at $1,899.

Based on the feedback I've received, it is the unit I'm going to get. I've never turned... but I do not want to have to upgrade anytime soon.

[alex grams]

Prashun and Phil, I echo the sentiment of getting more than I need now so that I won't have to upgrade later.

Thanks for the sales info on the 1642.

[Duff Bement]

Speaking from experience, just make sure it has varriable speed.

[Lee Koepke]

I can see now why people have several lathes .... in my short month or so of turning, lathes are possibly the exception to the power tool rule about buy as much as you can afford (like with a table saw for example).

In my world, I can definately see me getting another lathe, not replacing this one. It would be a consideration, especially if you arent sure which direction you may turn.

[Thomas Canfield]

The variable speed is important if you want to start out with rough material and increase the speed to find a good operating speed. It is also helpful when starting a "delicate" turning to avoid a large torque in accelerating up to speed. It give a lot of extra flexibility. I have the Powermatic 3520B and really enjoy the variable speed.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I've turned on the Jet 1642 2hp. It is a really nice lathe. Good deal at 1900 or so. The 2 horse is nice to have. Same rating as the PM 3520. I have not turned on a Nova, so cannot comment on that. I've also turned on a PM. IF you can swing that price tag, I envy you..... The Jet should all you need as a starter, and is almost within your price range. If you outgrow the Jet, skip the PM and go for the VB-36.:D