Another new lathe

[Brett Luna]

I've been thinking about trying my hand at turning for a long time. Well, I was poking around CL yesterday and stumbled upon a Delta 1440 for $300 and jumped on it. It even came with what appears to be some OneWay laser hollowing accessories. That'll wait until well after I learn the basics, though. Time to connect with the local turning club, pick up a book or two, watch a bunch of videos, buy some basic tools, etc.

[Jon McElwain]

Brett,

Congratulations on the new lathe! I believe that this lathe is similar to (if no the same as) the Delta 46-715. I had the 46-715 as my first lathe and it served me well. People bemoan the reeves drive, and eventually you may want to upgrade to a VFD, but for $300 you'll be well outfitted for the time being. A quality chuck and a few select turning tools will last you a long time.

I see you're in Peter's Creek. I just moved south from Juneau to Colorado. I REALLY miss Alaska...

Good luck with the turning!

Jon

[Thom Sturgill]

Good luck with the new lathe, sounds like you've got the right plan. IMHO videos work better than books for most things, but the book can give valuable informations too. Careful on using You-tube - there are many excellent videos and some that are quite questionable and as a new turner you might not know which you are looking at. Most clubs have either a formal mentoring program or you can at least find someone willing to show you the ropes.