TriStar Lathe...every heard of it?

[David Gunn]

Has anyone here ever heard of a TriStar Lathe. It is made in China. It has a 3/4 hp motor. The bed looks to be about 36"-40" or so. I can get one real cheap. I really don't need a lathe and have never used one. But it is one of those to good to pass up deals. Just wondering if anyone has ever heard of it. I can get a set of cheap gouges and such thrown in for free, which makes it harder to pass up.

[john frank]

David; There's no way to learn quite like getting your feet wet. Trouble is, learning on substandard equipment, lessens the chance you'll enjoy lathe work enough to do much of it. I'm not advocating going out and buying top of the line for a few thousand either. Just a heads up to look it all over good objectively. usually when somethings real cheap, theres a reason behind it. Good luck though, and I hope you get to enjoying turning. It really is lots of fun and a great stress reliever.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

David,

In turning, like a lot of things, you generally get what you pay for. If I was starting turning today, I'd look really hard at a Rikon mini or a Jet Mini. They are not the most most expensive nor the most inexpensive lathe but they both have a generally good reputation among turners. I still have my Jet VS Mini and a recently purchased PM3520B.

Keep in mind, the lathe is really the cheapest part of turning. The tools, finishes, sanding materials, and new gadgets and gizmos will keep you broke.

For turning you really want a complete faceshield not goggles. You can buy a cheap face shield for $12-29 that will completely cover your face for the odd times when that piece you are working on decides to go into orbit and reshape your nose, cheeks and forehead.

BTW...the inmates here gifted me with a lathe and tools 2 years ago. I used to have a hundred dollars in my billfold all the time. I spent nearly 18 months turning in my nearly finished shop using 2 construction lights for illumination while $700 of new fluourescent fixtures and bulbs sat in the corner gathering dust. I probably was given about $1100 worth of tools, videos, lathe, etc. I spent 3 times that much in the next 18 months on tools and extras. Just recently I spent over $3,000 on a new lathe. I have never in my life found anything that approaches "instant gratification" like turning. I smile a lot more these days!

Good luck with your decision.

[Josiah Bartlett]

If the lathe runs smooth and takes standard accessories (like it has a MT#1 or MT#2 taper and 1"x8tpi threads), you can get pretty far with it if you have good quality chisels. Putting sandbags on the stand to hold it to the floor helps as well. If the tool rest is junk (most are), you can get good quality aftermarket ones to replace it, or make one from barstock if you can weld. As long as you can get the lathe to run at the speed you need and not vibrate or stall, you can do decent work with it.

A cheap lathe will frustrate you at times and may not do a good job with large bowls, but for spindles and things it will be fine. If you got it cheap or free you can always upgrade later. Buy the best gouges and chucks that you can afford, and don't try to use spindle gouges to turn bowls, you will hurt yourself.