Delta Midi 46-460 Capability

[Robert Knight]

Hello all,

First of all let me say that this is a great forum. I have been only reading the info over the last few days and not posting anything up until now. The question I have is regarding the capability of this lathe. I am an avid banjo player and recently discovered that I have a cracked banjo rim (for those of you that don't know, it is the round wall of the banjo that the head or banjo skin gets attached to). Anyway, I have always loved to use the wood lathe in shop many years ago and now have a good reason (at least to me) to get a lathe. I have listened to comments about various lathes that you guys have been talking about and I am drawn to the Delta Midi 46-460 for a few reasons.

1) That is about my price range for the lathe itself (700 to 800). I understand that additional tools, chucks, etc equal additional expense. Those expenses I can chip away at over time.
2) As one of the projects I need it to do is to be able to handle the dimensions of a banjo rim which are 12" diameter, 3" deep and 3/8" thick.

Can I do this with this lathe? :confused:

It's not a deal killer if I can't. It's not like I need to make banjo rims everyday and eventually I would love to get into other nice creations.

Thanks for all your help. My budget is 700 to 800 and would prefer to buy new as I know very little about how to assess a used machine at this point.

[Michelle Rich]

maybe..if the banjo rim is really 12 inches, you might have a tight squeeze in the approx 12 inch capacity of the delta..I'd look into a 14-16" lathe if you will be doing lots of banjos.

[Cory Norgart]

especially if your banjo (tool rest holder) :) is under your work, you will only get about ten inches, I would definately go bigger if 12 inch is the size you are looking to turn the most..

[Peter Lamb]

The swing on the 46-460 is 12 1/2 "

[Prashun Patel]

The issue is that the FINAL dimension of the banjo will spin freely, but you will have to cut the blank almost perfectly round, and will have to mount it perfectly in the center. If you don't, you'll have to do some planing or remounting. It's doable, but you might consider it a hassle after several (DAMHIKT). If I were doing a lot of these, I'd get a larger lathe.

I've had my 46-460 for a couple years, and I would say the largest bowls I comfortably turn are about 11".

[Scott Lux]

Robert, where are you located? Maybe someone near you has one you can take a test spin?

[Robert Knight]

I would appreciate that. I'm in Greensboro NC. Let's say that the next size up is what I need to give me comfortable clearance , is it going to be a significant price jump?

[John Keeton]

Robert, regarding the Delta 46-460, it is an excellent lathe and the power will be sufficient for your intended use. However, I would encourage you to study and consider the methods in which you will need to secure your work to the lathe in determining if the swing is sufficient. I have never worked on banjo rims, so I don't really know how they are constructed. But, I have turned various laminated rings for various purposes.

The swing on the Delta is 12.5" as noted, but really you have only 1/4" of extra room given the nature of swing capacity. So, if you need to grasp the rim from the exterior for any reason (Longworth chuck, cole jaws, etc.) you will not have near enough clearance.

For most, grasping/chucking issues occur as one progresses and tries different things, but for you, since you are contemplating a very specific need for the lathe, these considerations should be foremost.

Just a thought.

[Joe Bradshaw]

Robert, there are many turners in the Greensboro area. And like most turners, they would gladly let you into their shop/studio to let you try out their lathes. Also, check out thee woodcraft store. They can be very helpful.

[Robert Knight]

I have posted a picture of a variation of the jig used to turn banjo rims. I think if I shoot for a rim no greater than an OD of 11" I "might" be ok. If not I'll find someone to take on the job. Regardless, I have decided to go with the 46-460 (thanks to everyone's sound advice). Funny thing Joe, I just got back from The Woodcraft Store. I brought my 12yo daughter with me and she was so taken with everything that I signed her up for a basic turning class in October. Thanks again.

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