Bought Ridgid WL1200 Lathe - Now what?

[Jaime Tan]

Hi everyone,

Been lurking for a bit. A while ago I bought a new in box Ridgid WL1200 Lathe off Craigslist for $100. It's been sitting in a box in my basement workshop unassembled.

1. Should I assemble it or get rid of it for something better? I've read mixed reviews on the unit.

2. If I were to keep it, are there any upgrades/modifications to be made, e.g., homemade base, etc.?

3. What tools should I get (usable quality, nothing pricey)?

Thanks!

[Curt Fuller]

I started with that very lathe. I must have put about 200,000 miles on it. It's a typical pipe bed lathe so you'll have all the problems associated with a pipe bed, like having a hard time keeping the tailstock aligned. And it turns a little fast at it's slowest speed, 700 rpm if I remember right. But for a hundred bucks you should be able to have a couple thousand bucks worth of fun on it. The levers to tighten the banjo and tool rest were pretty flimsy aluminum and I twisted them off but I just replaced them with bolts and a wrench. Put that thing together and make some shavings. It'll teach you enough that you'll know what you want when you buy your next lathe.

The only suggestion I have for tools other than standard turning tools would be to buy a chuck that uses a threaded insert. The Ridgid has a 3/4" x 16tpi spindle and any lathe you get later will have a larger spindle.

The stand was more than adequate for the lathe. You won't be turning anything too big on it anyway.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Jaime - looks very simular to the lathe I started out on - which was a Craftsman mono-tube. Cheap way to get started in turning. Like Curt I put a lot of miles on the old lathe and eventually figured out what I wanted to turn and what I was going to need for a new lathe to help make that happen. The lathe you have should work out just fine.

My Craftsman also had the 3/4" - 16tpi spindle and I bought a Oneway Talon with a threaded insert - worked great! When I bought the new lathe I just picked up a new insert for the chuck. There are lots of different chucks out there that use threaded inserts - so you shouldn't have any problems finding one. A word of caution - the lowest speed on your lathe is going to be around 875 rpm and while you can turn bowls at that speed it can and will get a little exciting if the blank is out of balance.

Have fun with it and be sure to post some pictures of your turnings!

[Tom Sherman]

Jaime, put that puppy together get some tools and start making shavings. Check into some of the Harbor Frieght tools make sure that they are High speed steel IIRC they are around 50 bucks for a set. You'll need to have a way to sharpen them, a 6 or 8 inch grinder with AO wheels and a jig of some sort to get repeatable angles on your tools. by the way congratulations on joining the party. When you get her up and running remember that we like pictures.

[Andy Livingston]

Yep, I started with that one too. I had a great time with that lathe. It won't be your last lathe, but that was 100 bucks well spent. Have fun!

[robert hainstock]

I used a similar lathe for thirty years before I got a better one. It will help you to make chunky things round, Investigate the HF tools, and happy spinning. :)
Bob

[Jaime Tan]

Thanks to everyone for your thoughtful and encouraging responses! I feel more assured that the lathe is good enough to turn on and put my concerns about the lathe to rest. Thanks again!

[Jim Underwood]

Any frustration you have with the quality will only increase your appreciation for the next one.

But my initial reaction was the same as everyone else...

Put it together and turn that puppy on! Make shavings! Have fun! Think about another lathe some other time. You got one - GO!:)

[Brian Poor]

Definitely use it and learn to turn. Start small and simple.
Study up on how to grind your tools early on.

Good lighting, a comfortable working height, maybe a little time spent watching another turner.

[Cyril Griesbach]

Jamie, along with the good advice you've already gotten...go here

http://www.woodturner.org/community/chapters/members.pl?submit=Chapter+List

And find the AAW chapter nearest you, contact them and get to their next meeting. There you will find some nice people willing to help get you started in the right direction. Much better than waiting several years to do this like I did.

Cyril