First lathe

[Allen (AJ) Breese]

I'm thinking about getting my first lathe, without breaking the bank. My first question is has anyone hand any luck turning say 2 18" spindles / legs & joining them together to make a 36" spindle / legs, what I'm thinking is with a stud. My next question is how low of a speed should I look for, I don't see my self doing any thing any bigger diameter than may be 12 - 14 inch's? Any other input would be helpful. Thanks

[Chris A Lawrence]

Whats your budget? Hard to recommend something without it.

[Alex Zeller]

Try to think of everything you might do. Is your plan just spindles? What will they be used for? What other equipment do you have? Wood blanks for bowls and vessels tend to be out of balance and require much lower speeds. Are you open to buying a used lathe?

[tom lucas]

I would look at the < $600 new for a first lathe. I like the Grizzly G0844 due to the 14" swing. Many times you'll want to turn over the banjo and that eats about 2" of your swing. Unfortunately, the G0844 is currently of stock. Another issue is the length. It's only 20" and they don't list an extension explicitly for this model. Though one of the other extensions may work. On that, you'd have to call Grizzly. Their extensions are very reasonably priced. The Nova 1624 is another option. Though it's about $1200.

I would also looked used. Many good makes out there.

Don't know about the spindle splicing. You see it on bed posts, but usually above the load bearing parts. Might depend on the weight load expected for the application. I suspect how you separate them will matter too. I think you'd want some sore of ball and socket design so they support one another once assembled.

[Allen (AJ) Breese]

I would say 500 - 1000 range.

[John K Jordan]

I'm thinking about getting my first lathe, without breaking the bank. My first question is has anyone hand any luck turning say 2 18" spindles / legs & joining them together to make a 36" spindle / legs, what I'm thinking is with a stud. My next question is how low of a speed should I look for, I don't see my self doing any thing any bigger diameter than may be 12 - 14 inch's? Any other input would be helpful. Thanks

I would worry about the join giving out in a chair leg - they can get a lot of abuse. Maybe it would work if reinforced with a steel rod 8-10" long.

If you can find a used Jet 1642 or similar it will do everything you want - variable speed (low or high), plenty of power, can turn long spindles, bowls up to 16" diameter, whatever. I've had one for over 15 years. But I don't know what a current fair used price is today - I bought a second one used for around $1500 maybe 5 years ago.

As always, it's highly recommended a new turner attend meetings at a local woodturning club. We've had a number of people join the club even before they had a lathe just to learn more about turning and what kind of lathe might be best for them.

JKJ

[Bill Bukovec]

I would recommend that you stay away from the Delta models with Reeves drives (if you buy used) . Delta no longer sells the replacement Reeves pulleys.

[Thomas Wilson80]

I’ve been looking for used lathes for the last 2 1/2 years in Chicago metro region for a 16”+ lathe and have only seen a couple come up on Craigslist and one through local club that I recently joined, but none for less than $2000 and they didn’t seem to come with significant accessories - a jet 1640 for around $2200, a Grizzly G0766 for over 2k, and a used 3520A for $2500.

Maybe ive missed some but the used market seems pretty scarce and I’m pretty much resigned to saving up and buying new.

[tom lucas]

A 3520, if in good shape, would be a great buy at $2500. A G0766 is ~ $2100 new. Yeah, there are some who want near full price, or more simply because they overpaid. Also, try fb market place. And the suggestion to join a club is really good advice. Often times you'll find a member who is selling a lathe. And the wealth of information shared can't be underestimated.

[John Keeton]

I think you will have trouble getting what you want in your price range. As to the glued leg, 36” is a long leg. Table height is 30”, chair height is 17”. I guess you could be talking about straight back chair legs, but those are usually much longer than 36”. In any event, IF the mortise and tenon were properly done and IF the glue was the right glue and IF the join was properly done, then it should be stronger than the wood itself.

[Alex Zeller]

When I first started looking at new lathes (before the import tariff) the Grizzly G0462 was at the top of my list. It's a reeves drive unit vs the more expensive electronic variable drive models. But it was well under $1000 with shipping (with the added tariffs it's still in your price range). It's got plenty of power and if you feel the need for it others have converted them to EV. The bed is plenty long enough so you shouldn't have to worry about gluing two spindles together. It seams to fit your budget and requirements.

[Brice Rogers]

....has anyone hand any luck turning say 2 18" spindles / legs & joining them together to make a 36" spindle / legs, ...how low of a speed should I look for, I don't see my self doing any thing any bigger diameter than may be 12 - 14 inch's? Any other input would be helpful. Thanks

1. If you are joining two 18" spindles to make a 36" spindle is will work if it is ornamental. I would probably put a dowel between the sections. Trying to glue end-grain isn't going to be very strong. But I would not trust joining two sections for chair legs.

2. If you're doing things 12 - 14 inches in diameter, and not pre-balanced, I would want to be able to drop the speed down to perhaps roughly 300 rpms until it was closer to being balanced. Also, sanding above 350 or 400 will get the sandpaper hot. If you are turning small spindles (<4") you could probably get by with double or triple that.

Just my opinion on the speeds. Someone may say that they would be comfortable running 50 or 100 rpms higher or need to run a bit lower.

[Reed Gray]

For making a tall side or reading lamp, you could use a 'jointed' spindle. Very little stress on one of them. I would not do it for table or chair legs, unless they were really thick, and then I would only use at least 3 inch thick lumber. You would need to turn a tenon about 1 3/4 inch thick, about 2 inches long and drill a hole in the other piece for the fit. Too much trouble as far as I am concerned....

robo hippy

[Sam Beagle]

I’ve found that Facebook market place is the best. Broaden your area though. I just got a oneway lathe last week for 550 bucks w 18 gouges and chucks and tooling. Thing is like new. It’s a small one (1018). But great value.
Also got 2 Delta midis for 50 each. Of course I gotta drive to philly to get them though. But they were well worth it

[Bill Jobe]

Don't forget to factor in the cost of DC if you are just starting out.