Never turned anything but pages and corners

[Cochese]

http://www.harborfreight.com/8-Piece...Set-61794.html

I bought the above set 5+ years ago. I bought it on sale prior to owning a lathe. Then I ordered a lathe from HF, which after months never showed up, sio I gave up and bought a Rikon from Woodcraft instead.

I am not sure how this set differs from the other HF set mentioned in other posts. It is $20 more, but specs are basically the same. I would not normally recommend cheap tools, but the HF tools are HSS and have enabled me to learn to sharpen without fear of screwing up a single tool that costs as much as this whole set (or more). I've been buying additional tools now to fill the gaps and I am buying higher quality. But I'd do the same all over again. I bought another cheaper set from HF recently (less than $20), and reground one of the tools for a special need, and to see how well the cheaper tools will hold up. For its limited amount of use, it's a cheap experiment.

That's the one I have. I think the more expensive set is on par with the Benjamin's Best mentioned previously.

[leehljp]

http://www.harborfreight.com/8-Piece...Set-61794.html

I bought the above set 5+ years ago. I bought it on sale prior to owning a lathe. Then I ordered a lathe from HF, which after months never showed up, sio I gave up and bought a Rikon from Woodcraft instead.

Good grief! I bought that set in early 2006 at HF in Reno NV while visiting a friend there. The price was either $24.99 or $29.99 back then. Seems like it was $24.99. More than tripled in price in 10 years.

[lrr]

Good grief! I bought that set in early 2006 at HF in Reno NV while visiting a friend there. The price was either $24.99 or $29.99 back then. Seems like it was $24.99. More than tripled in price in 10 years.

It's high robbery, for sure. You paid about $3-4 each per tool, I paid maybe $6-7 via the sale, and now people are paying an astronomical $10 per tool. I think we are getting gouged ... so to speak.

[MBG]

My concern is seeing a lathe with lots of chips in the paint. Mt lathe is 5 years old and not a single chip. But I tend to take really good care of my tools. Lots of chips to me says that lathe was used hard, or maybe jsut not well cared for. But I could be off base. Jet and Powermatic have 15% off sales this time of year (may have just ended), and Woodcraft runs specials often on Rikon and Nova lathes. If you decide to go used, just make sure you check alignment of headstock and tailstock. Easiest to do with live centers / dead centers mounted in headstock/tailstock, and see if the points align.

I bought a Rikon 70-100 midi lathe when I started. Great lathe, and perfect for turning pens, which was my reason to buy a lathe. Pretty soon I started doing all kinds of spindles (tool handles, pizza cutter handles, pepper mills, etc.). Once I got to the point of wanting to make tool handles, I ran out of room, lengthwise. If you need to drill a hole in the end of your turning blank, you typically run out of room to mount a Jacobs check, let alone putting a drill bit in it. I bought the 20" bed extension for my lathe pretty quickly after getting the lathe, and it greatly increased the usability.

I had been woodworking for 40+ years when I bought my lathe. I'm not sure why I waited. I find it incredibly fun, and rewarding.

This year I plan to try turning bowls. I bought a bowl gouge last year (unhandled -- I like to make tool handles!), and turned this handle for it. Maple with embedded green-colored veneer, with a walnut cap. The ferrule is a brass compression nut with the hex shaped removed during turning. Copper and brass are pretty easy to turn with HSS tools.

I'm like Lee I did flatwork for 40 years before really trying turning about a year and a half ago. I had an old Sears lathe (model with tube ways) that was on clearance for around $50 but it mostly sat. I tried it a few times for pens and spindle work but got frustrated. Looking at it now I think the frustration was due to the tailstock not aligning well to the headstock and poor quality tools. Then I found a great deal on a Delta 46-460 midi lathe on a woodworking forum and bought a set of Sorby tools with it and I found I could make chips! Next I wanted to make a bowl. I bought 10 cherry bowl blanks and a decent bowl gouge and I was getting more excited about turning. The Delta was a nice lathe but it had a 12" capacity so I sold it and upgraded to a PM3520B. Probably worth more than my car but it is a wonderful machine to use. Then there are other things to get - buffers, sanders, hollowers, chucks, live center, vacuum chuck, drill chucks, and tools. I'm currently finishing some handles for some carbide tools I made myself are seeing a post here.

So, determine what you want to make and get ready for many accessories. I wish I bought my 3530B from the start but since I bought the Delta used I really didn't take a hit on it when I sold it. I did loose a bit on some accessories since the spindle and MT were different.

Mike

[poolhound]

I'm like Lee I did flatwork for 40 years before really trying turning about a year and a half ago. I had an old Sears lathe (model with tube ways) that was on clearance for around $50 but it mostly sat. I tried it a few times for pens and spindle work but got frustrated. Looking at it now I think the frustration was due to the tailstock not aligning well to the headstock and poor quality tools. Then I found a great deal on a Delta 46-460 midi lathe on a woodworking forum and bought a set of Sorby tools with it and I found I could make chips! Next I wanted to make a bowl. I bought 10 cherry bowl blanks and a decent bowl gouge and I was getting more excited about turning. The Delta was a nice lathe but it had a 12" capacity so I sold it and upgraded to a PM3520B. Probably worth more than my car but it is a wonderful machine to use. Then there are other things to get - buffers, sanders, hollowers, chucks, live center, vacuum chuck, drill chucks, and tools. I'm currently finishing some handles for some carbide tools I made myself are seeing a post here.

So, determine what you want to make and get ready for many accessories. I wish I bought my 3530B from the start but since I bought the Delta used I really didn't take a hit on it when I sold it. I did loose a bit on some accessories since the spindle and MT were different.

Mike

That Powermatic lathe is one serious beastie and as you say easily worth more than some cars. Not something I guess one finds sitting on CL for $250!!

[lrr]

Mike,

I think we need to stick together. I plan to share your story with my wife, and stress to her the importance of me upgrading my lathe. I think I could live for the rest of my life being satisfied with the big Powermatic lathe!

I can certainly appreciate the value of tools to cars. I had my first new car at age 22. I have not had a new car since 2000. I think my wife and I are at the point where a new car just doesn't matter that much. We would rather spend our retirement traveling or buying other creature comforts. I'm willing to buy a car that is a couple years old, and let someone else enjoy that new car smell, and take the depreciation hit on it.

Note that this view of mine generally does not apply to tools, unless I can find an old classic to restore ...

[MBG]

That Powermatic lathe is one serious beastie and as you say easily worth more than some cars. Not something I guess one finds sitting on CL for $250!!

I know the PM is not in everyone's tool budget - what I meant to say was maybe try something used with some decent tools and don't spend a lot on other accessories till you decide you want to be a turner or not (never know you may join the mustard club).

Mike

[poolhound]

I know the PM is not in everyone's tool budget - what I meant to say was maybe try something used with some decent tools and don't spend a lot on other accessories till you decide you want to be a turner or not (never know you may join the mustard club).

Mike

No worries Mike I wasnt getting tool or budget envy Just simply looking at that PM and oogling at it like I might a Hummer I doubt I will ever own either but who knows if a lottery win may be in my future...

I guess I need to remember to buy a ticket first. That PM lathe would undoubtedly be in my dream shop although not so sure about the Hummer

[woodturner]

In the meantime I will find some Lathe 101 material to read.

A good way to learn is to join American Association of Woodturners http://www.woodturner.org/ and join your local chapter. Lots of great info in the magazine and website, and many local chapters provide instruction for beginners as well as loaning out lathes. That way you can learn the basics, see if you like it, and try different lathes before buying for a minimal cost.