Starting out in turning-- any recommendations for a total beginner? Handles and pens

[Matt Lau]

Hey Turner peoples,

I mainly hang out in the neander forum.
I'd like to rehab some old tools (drills) and new tools (unhandled rasps) with nice handles.
However, a springpole lathe is pretty big and a bit silly for my intended purpose.

Can you recommend a good starter lathe and tools?
I don't have a ton of space.
Mainly, I'd like to make some knobs, handles, and pens using some local firewood.

I'd like to start cheap and okay, and then pay good money for excellent if I fall in love with turning.

[Brice Rogers]

For making relatively small diameter things, just about any used lathe will work fine. Check on Craigslist or equivalent for an old Craftsman, Grizzly or even a Harbor Freight. Delta is an okay lathe but parts for the sheave are hard to come by. Your needs aren't very demanding and these lathes will probably work fine.

The drawback of these lathes are that their minimum rpm is perhaps 600-900. That is a concern if you are turning a 20 # block of wood 12" in diameter, but for handles and pens, that is not a concern.

Welcome to the vortex

[Mark Greenbaum]

Even an old Shopsmith with the drive and live center will work OK for spindle turning.

[James Tibbetts]

Try to find a wood turners group or club in your area. Most who are already bitten by the bug are happy to infect others.
Don't buy anything until you have exhausted this possibility. You will be able to see a multitude of lathes and tools. and likely be invited to learn on some of them.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Craig's list here has a plethora of used wood lathes within 100 miles. Some are far over priced and some seem a little to good. Three months ago, A guy in Woodbridge VA offered an old school floor model Delta for free. Harbor freight currently gets $329 for their floor model 12 x 34 inch variable speed lathe. I bought the Harbor freight new and before I even unpacked it, bought an identical lathe for $75 advertised on CL. A bench top would do for what you indicate, but be warned it rarely stops there. Attending a local club meeting is invaluable. Watch out for the lathe snobs. Some will try to impress you with their recent aquisition of a lathe that costs more then a used pick up truck. Having such a lathe is nice if you have the money. But the piece of wood being turned does not know or care how much was paid for the lathe. Unless it is an old tube bed lathe they vibrate to much.

[JohnC Lucas]

All you need is a good mini lathe. Jet, Grizzly, Nova and others sell them. You can often find them on Criags list. They will to a better job than a shopsmith or old Craftsman. I've owned both. The modern mini lathes are cast iron and run so much smoother. They also have good resale value if you decide you really don't like turning.

[Jed Hefley]

I picked up the Nova Comet II last October, and was pretty pleased for the first month or so. Jumped straight to radial segmented turning. After about two months, it left me craving more power. For what it is, I think its a pretty good little lathe. The only problem I have had with Nova is when I ordered another G3 chuck. (got tired of swapping between the cole jaws and the 2" dovetail jaws. The chuck that arrived looked like it had fallen off a truck, or when the machinist finished a part, he sidearmed the freshly machined part into a steel basket. (lots of dings) Oh, and for some reason, the chuck key only engages the gears in one of the two holes. Strange.

[Grant Wilkinson]

I'd look at any of the minis with a bed extension.

[Marvin Hasenak]

I'd like to start cheap and okay, and then pay good money for excellent if I fall in love with turning.

The Harbor Freight mini fits this category, cheap and small. https://www.harborfreight.com/5-spee...the-65345.html
Their set of HSS chisels will be more than you need, but at the price still a bargain. https://www.harborfreight.com/profes...-pc-69723.html

The lathe is a 2MT and 1-8TPI headstock spindle, the standard size for mini and mid size lathes. Other accessories will fit this and can be transferable to larger lathes.

But my advice like others is to check Craigslist for used stuff, you can save a bundle if you know what to look for.

[Jon Shank]

It's not a lot more money if you can afford the cost and space to go with a midi size like the Harbor Freight 12x33. If the longer tool isn't a problem you'll never be sorry to have the extra capacity, and extra elbow room when you're reaching over the ways. It's not much of a bowl lathe but for spindle work it is a heck of a bang for the buck. If you can go for a higher end lathe you will probably be happier yes, but I've been working on the HF for a couple of years including carefully doing bowls and I haven't had an issue at all.

Jon

[William C Rogers]

Well don't buy a lathe with tube ways. Midi lathe is fine, but would need a bed extension to get any length on the handles. Many turn on the HF 12x33 lathe and they come up on CL a lot. I would also suggest you get a chuck and your will need a drill chuck. I like the Nova chucks. I have the Penn state drill chuck and the HF drill chuck and prefer the Penn state. Starting tools Penn State or Hurricane HSS tools are ok. Starting tools are a parting tool, 3/4 or 1/2" skew, 1" gouge, 3/8 or 1/2 spindle or bowl gouge. A 1" scraper is also handy. Many will say not to buy a set as you won't use some, but when you don't have anything it is sometimes cheaper to get a set and repurpose the ones you don't use. To sharpen, the slow speed 1/2 hp Rikon will work, but the 1 hp is better. Some also use belt sanders, work sharp, etc. There are also jigs for sharpening if you need them.

[David Bassett]

OK, you've got the basic blah, blah, blah, (bigger is better, etc.) and suggestions for several possible scenarios. You need to narrow down your choices based on what you are really wanting to accomplish and what is readily available for you locally.

There are two points that I think are overlooked or undervalued by experienced skilled turners. (And, if you intend to build skill and become an accomplished at turning, that is the appropriate weight in the judgment.) My sense, from reading what you've said, is you are looking to be a more casual occasional turner. I.e. a tool handle here, a set of chair spindles there, and so on. If you just want to occasionally crank out the round stuff and get back to your bigger project, you also need to consider "aids" to help get the job done without hours of practice. The big two on my list for that category turner are:

1- variable speed. Not the old reeves drive sorta' slow, if it's not broken, but the I really need to see this in slow motion to build confidence 50 rpm slow. (BTW- for any given task faster is better, as long as you don't go to fast, and that's why with experience, both confidence and judgment, you'd just set the belts to the correct ratio and be happy and successful.) I'm sorta' between my hypothetical occasional and experienced turner. I first turned over 45 years ago and have turned intermittently since. I'll get into it and the feel will come back and then I'll layoff for a while and that next blank is pretty nerve wracking and error prone. With variable drive I often keep nudging the speed up by 50 rpm as I relax and get the feel back, until I'm finally back to reasonable speed. (One the experienced turner would have started with.)

2- carbide insert tooling, like Easy Wood Tools gouges (scrapers). This will be controversial and I hesitate to mention it. (Because (a) I'm bound to get flamed, and (b) you really can get better results with traditional tools used with skill.) But if you won't be turning enough to build and maintain skills, these are a way to get something done and get back to your real project. Two examples of this approach are Chris Schwarz uses and recommends them to crank out the bits of round work he needs (without becoming a proper turner.) And, Scott Phillips has been using them for his wife on his TV show, to show how to turn spindles for various craft projects. (E.g. candlestick.) The most articulate argument I've heard for these tools was from an instructor (I wish I remembered his name) that uses them in all his beginning classes, even though he uses traditional tools in his own work. He says it is important to ensure each student has a successful first experience and that 90% of his students later try traditional tools and the ones that carry on and become serious about turning all transition. Another plus, if you limit yourself to only insert tools, is that you don't need to have a sharpening setup.

[Alex Zeller]

As someone who is also just starting out I can't offer much. I will say that turning is much more complex than I first thought. David's suggestion of carbide insert tools is one that took me the longest to decide on. It really comes down to do you want to learn how to sharpen your tools? That is kind of a skill in it's self and one you can spend quite a bit of money on. But with the skill and the tools you will also find doing things like sharpening drill bits and depending on what tools you buy things like lawn mower blades. Carbine insert tools will allow you to bypass that so you can focus on just turning. They cost more so it could cost you more in the long run if you really like turning.

As for a lathe, you can look around for used but it's kind of hit or miss. I was going to go with a mid price midi lathe or about the same price the Grizzly G0462 (16"x46") that would do most of what I thought I might do. I ended up just deciding to get a lathe the size that I would eventually want with electronic variable speed for more than twice the cost of the midi lathe but one that I doubt I will outgrown it's capabilities. If going new I would either buy as cheap as possible, like a Harbor Freight bench top lathe with the idea that it's a disposable tool (very little resell value) with plans on keeping it knowing that it's not the best quality. Or investing more than you might of thought and getting a name brand midi lathe that will have a good resell value if you decide you like turning and want to upgrade but will offer enough features to hopefully delay upgrading while still fitting in your limited space.

[Matt Lau]

Just FYI,
I sold a King Seeley late that was maybe 12x 30. It was taking up a bunch of space, and I didn't see the point of keeping it. I'd never used it since buying it...and I sold it at a profit.

I'm looking into something fairly small for now...since space is at a very tight premium right now.
Something small enough for me to put on a shelf or a flip/top stand...

[Matt Lau]

I'm thinking of maybe getting a WEN, or if it's better...something nicer.

Mainly, I'd like to make nice presents for people with wood that I have sitting around.
I have quite a lot of flamed maple and air dried walnut...and a ready source for Plum wood.