Found a $99 mini-lathe...I can buy with my recall money!

[Harry Thornton]

I learned about the Craftsman RAS recall on the SMC forum and my check should arrive next week. I found a Wilton mini lathe from Amazon for $99 and it looks pretty good albeit small. Rick at General Industrial Supply has it for $89 but I am in Atlanta so shipping would be expensive. Wilton is made by WMH Tool Group who makes Jet and Powermatic so the quality should be good.

http://www.wmhtoolgroup.com/index.cfm?area=shop&action=detail&iid=139156

Question: Other than chisels, which I already have, what else will I need immediately? I keep hearing folks on this forum talk about the expense related to turning. What costs so much? Chucks? Big wood blanks? What?

[Dan Lanicek]

If I remember correctly, from when I was mini lathe shopping, the Wilton is has a 2/5 hp motor with an 8" swing and 12" between centers. Just be sure that that is what you want. That is mighty small!

Besides tools you'll need a grinder and face shield.

[Harry Thornton]

that is not what I want but I can live with it. I want to turn turkey call pots and strikers. In case you don't know, the pot is a 4"x1" disk that is hollowed out. The striker is about 8-10 inches long and is turned like a spindle. I think I would rather have a good quality, variable speed, little bitty lathe than a big piece of (relative) junk. Price is very important to me right now.

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Evening Harry:

I bought the Wilton as a "Traveling" lathe. I do demonstrations and my Jet was enough heavier and I wanted to add the extention to my Jet, so it made sense. I used it for four months last year, and for it's size it does a nice job. For small work, you don't need a 2hp motor. That said, I will be looking for a Good FULL sized Lathe, so I can do larger things.

Bruce

[Gary Max]

I will agree that you can keep very busy on a small lathe. I just added a mini to my shop a couple of months ago and love it. The list of things that you can turn on a mini is never ending.

[Harry Thornton]

What kind of chuck do you use with your Wilton? I don't have a lot of money to spend on a chuck right now. Are you aware of a cheap one that will get the job done?

I am not a turner yet. I may become one if I like it a lot but right now I am just trying to find a better way to make turkey calls. A fellow call maker told me to inquire about accessories available for the Wilton. Have you had a problem finding what you need for your Wilton?

Thanks, again for the feedback. I am getting pretty excited about this little lathe. It could be the beginning of a new hobby.

BTW, if anyone is interested, General Industrial Supply has these things at scratch & dent pricing. Rick is going to call me back with a price delivered to Atlanta.

[Ken Salisbury]

BTW, if anyone is interested, General Industrial Supply has these things at scratch & dent pricing. Rick is going to call me back with a price delivered to Atlanta.


Good supplier choice. GIS is a supporter of SMC and they will treat you right.