First Lathe

[Chris David]

Hello, I am a new member of Sawmill Creek and this is my first forum post. I am looking to buy my first wood lathe and am hoping you will share your thoughts on some options I have found. My interest is in spindle turning for furniture, and, naturally, I am wanting to spend as little as possible initially while I test out the craft.

Vintage machines interest me, but I want to steer clear of things that do not have a #2 morse taper. There are two used machines that caught my attention recently. One is a Delta 46-111 which I can probably get for $200.
500056

The other is a Delta 46-541 with variable speed that I can probably get for $300.
500057

These are not photos of the actual machines for sale, but representative of their models.


I can handle rebuilding the reeves drive on the 46-541 if necessary. I also don’t have reservations about setting up either machine with a 3 phase motor and VFD for variable speed.

The question is, would either of these machines be good for my needs, and/or would one be better than the other?

I thank you for any opinions you can offer.

[Jason Edwards]

Either one of those machines will be fine for spindles. As many on here will tell you, they not the first choice for bowls due to swing and not going slow enough. The old reeves drives can be noisy and when worn can cause some vibration. If you're comfortable doing a VFD and three phase motor, those set ups are hard to beat - and you'll be able to dial down the speed if you decide to do bowls. You are wise to want #2MT in the spindle and tailstock. Welcome to the "vortex" that is woodturning !

[Reed Gray]

Find the nearest club and ask. You might get a better lathe. I would not take a Reeves drive lathe, even if it was given to me. I have turned on them a couple of times and the variable speed lathes are far better. Less time fussing around with the machine to dial in making it work like you want it to work. If you are just going to turn spindles, then any 12 inch lathe will work if the bed ls long enough. A 1 hp motor would be ideal. However, even though you may not want to at first, you may get into bowls. For me, I did about 2 spindles, and then went straight to bowls.

robo hippy

[Chris David]

Jason, I appreciate the reply. I have read warnings about reeves drives before, and the fact that the first response to my post cautions me about them gives me incentive to believe I should avoid them if possible. If my ultimate plan is to outfit a machine with a 3 phase motor and VFD, then I guess that is another reason to buy something without a reeves drive. I like that the 46-111 gives the option of running the motor belt out of the back as well as the bottom, giving more flexibility in mounting and configuration, while the 46-541 does not.

This is probably as case where I should keep things simple and go for the 46-111. My gut has been telling me this. I just wanted to make sure there was not some seriously compelling reason to go with the 46-541.

Thank you.

[John King]

Checkout forum at American Association of Woodturners. https://www.aawforum.org/community/ Ask same question. - John

[Kevin Jenness]

If you expect to turn vessels of any size you will outgrow either of those lathes quickly and it would scarcely be worth retrofitting them with motor/vfd. If you just want to get your feet wet or are more interested in small or spindle work they will serve unmodified as a first lathe. If the Reeves drive on the second lathe works well I would suggest that one for convenience and more speed options (and maybe a bit more mass) but don't waste your time rebuilding it and steer clear if it doesn't run smoothly. I did some work on that model of lathe and it was ok within its limits.

Keep in mind that your investment in tools and accessories will soon out strip the lathe's cost, and if you upgrade you will not want to have to replace chucks and the like to fit a different spindle size. If there is a turning club in your area see if you can get some mentoring, try out different lathes and ask around to see if any members are looking to offload an old one. I have had decent results buying and selling used tools on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, which has a woodturning tool exchange.

[Chris David]

All:
Thank you for your thoughtful replies. I have a couple statements and questions.

I hope this is not blasphemous, but, while I admire other people’s work, I honestly have no interest in turning bowls. Hypothetically, I can see myself maybe wanting to do something larger as an architectural detail, but, even at that, I can’t imagine needing more than a 12” swing. Who knows? You guys have been down the path and probably had your ambitions evolve. Maybe mine will too.

I checked the web for local clubs, and the closest one is over an hour away. With three young kids in athletics and developing their social lives, I can’t afford to spend whole evenings away.

Wanting to keep the cost of entry low, what really are the chances of my scoring a better machine in the $300 range by contacting a club?

The 46-111 comes with some chisels, and the 46-541 with the reeves drive supposedly comes with 21 chisels and some other accessories.

If there is some other machines I should specifically be searching for, let me know. I don’t mind fixing things up. In fact, that is part of the fun for me. I just want to wind up with something that is enjoyable to use and within my budget.

[Kevin Jenness]

Keep in mind that a 12" swing over the bed means more like 8" over the banjo. Not that restrictive but a consideration. There are many brands of used lathes out there, but $300 isn't much to spend to get a decent one. General 160, Powermatic 45, Oliver, the list goes on. The main things to look for are a solid flat smooth bed, stout headstock, spindle and tailstock that line up, smooth running spindle w/ little runout, a sturdy base, banjo and tailstock that slide easily and lock down solidly, solid motor w/ safe wiring and convenient controls and reasonably easy speed changes. Either of the units you are looking at will probably do what you want within your budget assuming they are in good working order. The Reeves drive is more convenient but potentially problematic. Some Reeves drives were better than others and I don't know specifically about the Delta. You might could get a read on that at owwm.org My old General's drive was fine with an occasional shot of grease.

[Thomas Wilson80]

As stated, the cost of the lathe is a small fraction of the money spent. If chisels are included, that could save you some money depending on the quality. A lot of included chisels are garbage and you’d be better off spending a couple hundred dollars to get 3-4 high quality chisels (for spindle turning I’d recommend a good skew, parting tool and spindle gouge bare minimum….I use my spindle roughing gouge a ton for spindle work but a skew can do the job too). Sharpening tool (slow speed grinder and wheels, jigs such as Oneway Wolverine system for the spindle gouge, etc.). A chuck is extremely useful for both spindle and bowl turning, which will cost $100-200. PPE is a must and includes a faceshield and lung protection (mask/respirator, dust collection). Other miscellaneous items can add up too (calipers, finishes, etc.).

I’m not posting this to discourage you, only to let you know what to expect if you are totally new to the hobby like I was. Many people here refer to woodturning as the “vortex” because you get sucked in and it consumes your thoughts, time, and spending money. That has certainly been the case for me, who started with a free Harbor Freight mini lathe to make ornaments from fallen branches…..I got sucked in and wanted a better lathe so quickly bought a used mini Jet for $300 then more and more wanted larger capacity and then I bought a Laguna 2436. I enjoy turning everything from small spindles to hollow forms and bowls. I am still fairly inexperienced but have dropped a lot of money on tools, jigs, equipment, safety, books, etc. But I get a huge amount of enjoyment and pleasure from woodturning and have no regrets.

Good luck with whatever you choose. I’ve found this forum extremely helpful in addition to certain YouTube videos (Brian havens is great at explaining tool use for beginners in addition to others). Joining a local club was extremely helpful for me, though I didn’t join for a couple years as I’m in a similar situation as you (young kids, busy job and little time), but since then it has become more of a priority and has been extremely helpful, especially at the beginning.

Tom

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Hello, I am a new member of Sawmill Creek and this is my first forum post. I am looking to buy my first wood lathe and am hoping you will share your thoughts on some options I have found. My interest is in spindle turning for furniture, and, naturally, I am wanting to spend as little as possible initially while I test out the craft.

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

There exists a retired barrister, first name, John, surname, Keeton. He dared drop into the dungeon to make a very similar statement and did buy his first lathe. IIRC he did turn a few spindles for furniture but that wasn't what got him fame in the turning world! Be wary! Be very wary! LOL!;):rolleyes::D

I am afraid I don't have any knowledge about the two lathes you describe, so I can't be much help there.

Welcome to the world of spin!

[Chris David]

All:

I understand what you are saying about turning involving much more equipment than just the lathe. That is why I need to be conservative on the cost of the lathe itself for now.

Truth is, I have been swirling in the vortex of woodworking since I was a kid, and accumulated more equipment than a non-professional should have. Now I think I need a lathe too!

I have been watching a lot of YouTube videos about spindle turning, and am really impressed by the people who can do almost anything with just a skew, I don’t intend on going crazy with all kinds of knives, but would rather have a few quality tools as cheap stuff would probably make things harder and cause frustration. I have been looking at the WEN sharpening system to get started as it looks to be reasonably functional for the price.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Chris,

I hope you understand I was just ribbing you! I was given my first lathe, a Jet Mini, tools and wood by the idiots here. I didn't put up the several hundreds of dollars worth of lighting I had for a couple years while I learned to turn. Then I bought a PM-3520 B, a bandsaw, and Oneida DC. I stopped turning long enough to finish the shop. Turning in the woodworking world is the closest thing to instant gratification, IMHO.

Enjoy the process!

[Chris David]

Don't worry, Ken. I totally understood your intent. The funny thing is that I know damn well where this road leads. I have to pretend otherwise for now or I won't get started.

[Bernie Kopfer]

I helped a friend get started turning. He found an old delta lathe, made it work. Turned out a bunch of stuff that his wife liked so when he suggested that he needed a bigger, better lathe she insisted he get one right away - and get this- made him buy himself a new bandsaw too. Maybe Chris you will luck out too!

[Chris David]

Bernie,

My wife was pleasantly surprised about my new interest in spindle turning, so I am off to a good start!

[Edward Weber]

Let me add a little bit more,
Reeves drive get a bad reputation for a couple of reasons.
One, they usually have a high minimum speed, starting at say 400rpm, too fast for roughing out larger diameter items like bowls.
Two, no reverse, this is more of a problem when sanding items on the lathe
Three, maintenance, if you don't maintain them properly, they will fail and can be difficult for some to repair.

IMO, this doesn't mean they're a deal breaker. if the choice is between no lathe and a reeves drive model, I'll choose the reeves drive all day. My starter lathe (which I still have) not only taught me a lot, but also produced a fair amount of good work before I upgraded.
If this is a first or starter lathe and you're interested in spindle work.
I suggest, get the reeves drive for less money and start turning. When you're ready to upgrade, there are always options.
If you're waiting for the perfect deal to come along, you might be waiting a while.
good luck

[Chris David]

All: My search for my first lathe continues. The two we discussed earlier were sold before I had the guts to pull the trigger. Something just came up for sale in my price range that caught my attention. It is a Walker Turner L1152. It has #2 morse taper centers. Spindle is 1" O.D with 12 treads per inch, right and left hand threads, and has a 5/8" hole through its length. 15 1/2" over gap, and 12" over bed. It does have a reeves drive. Do you think this would be a suitable machine?

If the reeves were to give me too much trouble, I would have no issues dumping it and putting in a 3phase motor with a vfd for speed control.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I turn a few bowls, but my love is spindle turning. Bowls and large diameter spindles require slower speeds than most Reeves drive lathes can supply. My Delta 46-525 only gets down to about 240 rpms. still too fast for large diameter work. Some of the old Delta floor models do have gap beds for minimally larger face work, like platters. normal spindle work can be done just fine on an old belt hopper lathe. A buddy still uses an old 10 inch cast iron Craftsman from the 1930's or 1940's, and he uses it almost every day for spindle work in his business.

I hate to see a person by a beginner lathe that will not do want he needs once he gets started. Some go out and buy $2,000 lathes that turn out to be more than they could ever use, some buy little 8 x 10 mini lathes and out grow them in about a month. It isn't just the lathe, the chucks, chisels, abrasives, finishes, shop supplies, etc. Over the weekend, I noticed that my 100 ft roll of 1 inch wide 400 grit emery cloth was almost gone. Time to reorder. A lathe is just the weight, that starts you on the long down hill slide, accumulating extras as you go. A slippery dark slope .

Some turners are involved in a tool escalation. Accumulating every new tool and accessory that comes along. I have been guilty of it. It is as though we are all just one more tool away from turning greatness. Some where in the after life, a group of old style bodgers is laughing hard. wood still spins and chisels still cut like they did a millennia ago. They turned out beautiful works, with out all the fancy advances.