Laguna 18/36 - yay or nay for beginner?

[David Walser]

John -- There are lots of good threads in this forum that discuss chuck recommendations. Allow me to make two recommendations:

First, consider the SC4 chuck from RecordPower. It is a clone of the Supernova2 chuck from Teknatool, but the RecordPower has slightly better fit and finish and seems to be made from slightly better materials. One advantage of these chucks is that any of the jaws from Teknatool, Sorby, or RecordPower will fit any of the chucks from these brands. That gives lots of options. I have, IIRC, three SC4 chucks and use them frequently. I have no complaints. I prefer my Vicmarc chucks, but I cannot say they are worth the $50 - $100 (depending on the size) they cost more than the SC4.

Next, consider NOT buying a chuck. Instead, buy, and learn how to use, faceplates. Chucks weren't available to woodturners until relatively recently. (IIRC, the first became widely available in the 1990's.) Before that, woodturners used faceplates. The advantage of chucks is speed. If you're turning for a living, that's a big deal. If you're a hobbyist, it's not nearly as big a deal. While chucks have the advantage of speed, faceplates have lots of advantages over faceplates. I'll only mention three: 1) They're less expensive, so it's practical to have several. B) As long as you keep your work mounted to the faceplate, the work can be taken off and on the lathe without worrying about the blank being off center. It's hard to remount a blank into a chuck and have it be perfectly centered. That's not an issue with faceplates. In my shop, I typically have several projects going at once. Some of them are mounted to their own dedicated faceplate. When their turn to go back on the lathe comes, they'll be perfectly centered. III) Faceplates hold more securely and introduce less vibration. This compares a blank mounted in a chuck with a properly sized and shaped tenon (or mortise) with a blank that is properly attached to a good glue block that is properly screwed to a faceplate.

As I said, I use chucks. I also use faceplates. I think most new turners would be well served learning how to use faceplates before adding a chuck or two to their arsenal. I wish I had learned that way. However, as often as I have shared that advice, I seriously doubt anyone has taken it. So, let us know how you like your RecordPower chucks!

[tom lucas]

Any of these will serve you well: Laguna 18-36, G0766, Jet 16-40, Harvey T60, PM 3520. There are others too but the price gets up there.

I've had the G0766 for 3 years now. Good lathe. Consider bed length too if you think spindles might be in your future. Right now I think the T60 is the best bang for the buck and if I were buying now and couldn't afford an American Beauty I'd likely get the Harvey.

As for chucks, I have Vicmarc and Nova SN2's. The Vic is far superior but it cost a lot more. The Nova's are a good value and a great place to start. They do the job (mostly). Many like Oneway. I don't care for their keys. If I buy any more chucks, They'll be Vicmarc.

[John Kananis]

You guys are really helpful, thanks again, all great info. For sharpening, I use a slow(er) speed grinder when absolutely necessarily but most sharpening is done by hand. My water stones don't see much use any more as I've made the switch to the Lee Valley steel plate and water based diamond paste from gramercy...a friend had recommended and I poo-poo'd it initially but I'm kind of hooked on the system.

[Greg Parrish]

For what it's worth, there is a Laguna 24/26 for sale on FB Marketplace in TN for what seems like a good price. I just came across the listing. Not my listing mind you. Provided it runs, it seems to be about 1/2 price of a new one. Just a little surface rust on the top of the ways. Easy to clean that up. The picture shows the vacuum pump setup and two laguna lights also. If I had somewhere to put it, I might be making a road trip right now. LOL

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace...1-aec9df5b89f2

[John Kananis]

Oh man, road trip to Tennessee is not in my future but that does seem like a great deal.

[Tim Elett]

I have been turning with the 1524 and have done 14 inch bowls and small handles for tools,be careful turning green wood or the bed ways will end up like the one in the picture. RUSTY!

[Richard Coers]

What's that old saying about lathes? You can turn small stuff on big lathes, but not big stuff on little lathes. Pull the trigger!

[Prashun Patel]

Turning tool sharpening is a different beast than plane and chisel sharpening. You'll want to look at your grinder again and consider adding some jigs to it.

[John Kananis]

Ok, I think I'm convinced... I'll be ordering in the next 30 to 45 days or so.

And Prashun, I'll look into sharpening jigs. No chance to freehand?

[Kevin Jenness]

No chance to freehand?

You definitely can sharpen freehand on a grinder. It takes practice to get a consistent shape and to remove a minimal amount of steel, that's why jigs are so popular. At typical turning speeds your tool travels a mile through the wood every three minutes or so, so frequent sharpening is necessary. CBN wheels are very popular for bench grinders as they cut fast and cool and maintain their diameter. To hone high speed steel you will probably want a diamond card. To buy all the tools and accessories you will be pointed to you may need a platinum card. Remember, you are only one new tool away from expertise.

[Dave Keele]

No chance to freehand?

John, I'm a woodcarver and have freehand sharpened my carving tools since 1980. When I got a little more serious about turning 3 years ago, I thought I had a fair handle on sharpening and turning tools would be no problem. Boy, was I wrong. I ended up with the Wolverine system and can now do a fairly decent job. I think at a minimum you'll need a platform and a way to reset it at same angles to repeat grinds with minimal material loss.

[mike ash]

Woodworker Wisdom is "Buy Once".....but I seem to be a slow learner and it took me a few lathes to get where I needed to be!!! One considerations I don't see mentioned is the cost of the various attachments that are specific to the swing of your lathe (ie...a steady rest, Sphere jig...etc). Those can add up. Good luck!!!

[Bernie Kopfer]

John when I retired 10 years ago I gifted myself a PM 3520 and have turned everything I wanted to turn on it. I can think of no reason to not starting big. Have a bunch of Nova chucks that work wonderfully. But the older models tighten counterclockwise and that is a bit of a pain, but the newer models fixed that problem. Do not mix the two types! Makes me wish I had the Record or Vicmarc.
You raise another question and I'm going to take a chance on it. Carbide or traditional??? This raises the hackles of many turners but hear me out.
I learned on Carbide tools (an old traditionalist taught me after he had "moved" to carbide) and have turned everything from spindle to bowls etc. That said I am at the present time transitioning to traditional tooling, bought a Sorby ProEdge sharpening system and am relearning to turn. What a pain in the arse!! Even after years of turning comfortably on carbide I discovered that the learning curve is steep and mentoring is almost required. Carbide tools are easy to learn, safer and and you have the satisfaction of becoming proficient quickly. But they are slower, leave a rougher surface and might cost more in the long long run. I am switching because I wanted to learn something new (an old age thing) and will be doing much more turning in the future. If an individual says they would like to learn to turn and do not intend to do it frequently, as in several time a week, there is no way I would recommend anything but carbide tools. So seriously consider your goals both short and long term, find some turners including carbide tool users and listen to their experiences. Welcome to turning!

[Prashun Patel]

You can do it many ways.

A popular method is a slow speed grinder + a CBN wheel + a modular platform system that allows you to grind skews and scrapers as well as gouges. People (and I) advocate for cbn wheels because they tend to be more balanced and durable than friable wheels. As a result they give a keen edge, quicker, and do it longer.

You'll find it out on your own as you start: quick, repeatable sharpening is necessary for lathe turning.

[John Kananis]

Ok, added a tormek t4 and the turners kit to the list. Anything else to consider?