First Lathe

[Fred Childs]

I’m looking for some advice on my first lathe. I do some woodworking in the winter as a hobby. Not as much as I would like but what time allows. I would like to get a lathe soon to make some table legs for an upcoming project. After that who knows. I have found with most things it’s better to get something nice that you can grow into rather than something of poor quality that can make some tasks a struggle. I have been watching the used market and not too much comes up for sale locally.
I found a Hegner HDB 200 with copy attachment locally that is about 20-30 years old that is selling for about $650 but like many things I am sure that is negotiable. It has variable speed from 800 to 2800 via a belt stepped pulley system.

Would this be a good starter lathe I can grow into or an old relic that I would soon want to replace? Is the price about right or way out of line? Any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks

[Tim Malyszko]

I was like you looking for used equipment, but decided to buy new since at the time, I didn't know the first thing about what makes a good quality lathe. Even if I came across a brand that I knew had a good reputation, I didn't know what to look for in person to determine whether or not it had been abused. If I did buy one used at the time, I would have only done it if an experienced turner accompanied me.

I started with the Jet 1014i about 6 months ago and it was the perfect starter lathe for me. It gave me the ability to turn bowls and other vessels up to about 9" in diameter and I've since added the bed extension, which gives me the ability to turn spindle work up to 40" in length.

The Jet 1014i runs around $250 and the extension can be found for around $65, so you can get a brand new setup for around $315.

As far as a copy attachment goes, I would suggest not purchasing one or worrying about it unless you are doing dozens and dozens of the same thing. After practicing for a while, I can now successfully copy spindles without the use of a copy attachment. You will too with practice.

Good luck with your decision and happy turning.

[Brian Weick]

there are several , and I mean several threads on this - just do search "what lathe to buy" and it will come up with several. As far as old Relic-and replacement ~ In my opinion- it's the other way around,just depends on how large of a lathe you will need and what you like to turn, but your just starting to turn and become familiar with wood lathes. What is your budget for the Lathe, and what do you plan on turning mostly? there are a lot of good lathes out there - Powermatic, Jet , One-way, and especially to me- the Robust lathe which is really cool. It's a matter of personal preference, where do you plan on doing your turning ~ between centers or outboard, are you planning on turning bowls/pens/spindles. Just do a search if you like and you will get a lot of opinions and suggestions -all good but you have to make the decision in the end. Mustards & Mayo ~ respectfully ~powermatic and jet seam to be popular- go look at the "turner members and their lathes thread just to get an idea- you may be surprised?:)
Brian

[Steve Schlumpf]

Welcome to the Creek Fred! You don't mention where you are located - but another thing to consider is to join a local turning club. The members there can offer valid advice as well as info on used lathes for sale.

[Marvin Hasenak]

If the Hegner looks good and does not look like it has been abused I would consider it. They still make that lathe so parts are available and it is pure quality, not a big bowl lathe but a great spindle lathe. Any tool with the name of Hegner is welcome in my shop anytime.

Marvin

A new HDB200 is $1600, don't know how much has changed over the years, but most likely some changes have been made. Then add in the cost of the duplicator and you have a lot of dollars worth of equipment if it has been taken care of and not abused.

[Fred Childs]

Thanks for the responses and ideas. Some asked questions so I'll try and answer where I can.

What will I be turning- the first thing will be cherry table legs. From there I don't know. I think my work with a lathe will be primarily as part of making furniture. I don't ever see myself making pens or small things. I do think it may be fun to try a bowl.

I will guess that most of my work will be between centers.

I don't have a fixed budget. I would like to keep it around $500 if possible but it's all relative. I have to admit I am a bargain hunter. I know a really nice lathe is well more than $500. But sometimes people get tired of their toys (myself included) and sell a gently used item at a discount enabling me to get a nice tool at an affordable price.

My main goal is to get a lathe that will work well and grow with me as my skills progress. I am sure I can find and old $100 lathe but in 6 months I would probably be itching to replace it.

I have searched the web a little and read up a bit but came across very little information on the Hegner. I haven't seen any of the popular brands I see in this forum come up for sale used locally. I also don't know how to value such an old item. Show me a sea kayak and I could pick a fair price within 5 or 10% in no time. On a lathe I'm just not sure.

Thanks again

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Fred.....Welcome to the Creek!

The only problem I'd have with that lathe is the low speed. I started on a Jet VS Mini. It's lowest speed is 500 RPM.....That sounds slow but it's way too fast when you first put on an unbalanced blank to rough it out. It will sure get your attention! 800 RPM with an unbalanced blank would eliminate the need for coffee for a while!

Keep in mind, that the lathe is really cheapest part of turning. If you buy a new lathe for say $400......You can and will spend more than that to buy turning tools, attachments.....a chuck......the list goes on and on.

The inmates here gave me a Jet VS Mini, a SuperNova2 Chuck and tools about 23 months ago..........BEFORE I bought a new lathe I had a couple 1000's of dollars invested in tools. I just bought a PM3520B with a extention bed for over $3,000. Then, of course, there were some tools I'd bought for the Jet, that I had to buy adapters for to fit the new bigger lathe........are you getting the picture?

But I'll also tell you.....I just came in from the shop and I am about 1/2 the way finished with my first project on the new lathe. I smile a whole lot more since I found turning! It's addiction! Turning is the closest thing to instant gratification among the forms of woodworking.

Good luck!

[Jim Becker]

Fred, 800 RPM is a bit north of where you want to be for roughing out bowls. That sounds like an excellent spindle machine, however, but that may not be what you want. Consider a nice mini lathe as a "starter" since it will take you a long way and still be useful if and when you upgrade to a larger machine.