18 year old woodturner, a bowl lathe recommendation

[John Vorberger IV]

Hello everyone,

I’m a new member. I have been woodturning for several years now, but I’m starting to realize I want a bigger and better lathe. I currently turn on a Harbor Freight 10x18 wood lathe, which was the most I could afford several years ago when I was 14 years old.

Now, I’m 18 years old and have a little bigger budget. I mainly turn bowls, sometimes from blanks, and sometimes segmented bowls. I also do segmented vases. However, I rarely turn anything over 15 inches long. My main consideration is swing over. I would really like at least 12 inch swing, but something bigger, like 18 inches, would be preferable.

I could fairly easily afford a lathe up to $800 or so. In that price range, I really like the Laguna 1216 because of its outboard capability. I doubt I would turn bowls outboard, but I’m making a segmented torus, google it if you don’t know what I’m talking about (about 20 inches in diameter), that would benefit from outboard turning just to sand it smooth once finished.

Alternatively, I could save up a little more money and spend up to $2,000 on a lathe. For that price, I really like the Laguna 1836. I wouldn’t be totally against buying a Grizzly lathe, but I’ve read mixed reviews about them.

Thank you for taking the time to help a young woodworker. Any recommendations in the $800 range and the $2000 range would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

John

 

[George Guadiane]

The Jet 1221VS has a 12 1/2 inch swing. It's still a countertop lathe but it has all the bells and whistles that the big dogs do. It has a one hoarse motor is reversible and even has a setup for indexing if you want to carve.
ON SALE, it comes in under budget... It holds a lot of resale value, probably more than any other "starter" lathe. I have a Powermatic 3520 and have owned several of the 1221s. I use them till I don't need them and sell them to people like you who want to upgrade.

 

[hockenbery]

I have a 1221vs for hauling to places. It is sweet little machine with a big heart.
As George ditto.

It’s bigger brother the Jet 1640 is a lot more lathe and more $$

Keep your eye out for used lathes. Most have plenty of life in them and cost is likely to be within reach. If you are part of local AAW chapter they often circulate used lathe notices when members have a lathe they wish to sell.

 

[Tom Albrecht]

Welcome to the forum.

I think you are wise to avoid the Grizzly stuff.
I also think that no matter what you end up with now, it won't be your last lathe.
"I rarely turn anything over 15 inches long." ---Is probably something you will change your about down the road.

 

[Mike Johnson]

The 12" harbor freight lathe is a Chinese Jet lathe knock-off design which will get you the 12" swing and also provide outboard turning. This lathe is by no means a quality piece of equipment but will provide several years of hard use with the typical failures coming from the belt, on/off switch and die cast reeves pulleys that wear out over time. Turn unique items that can be sold for a profit and you can make enough money from this knock-off lathe in a couple of years to purchase a brand new Powermatic or Oneway lathe that will last a life time. If you have money in your pocket put it to work by locating a lathe that needs a little work make the repairs and sell it for a profit or keep it for yourself. There are a number of people that find old lathes and refurbish them and sell them for double or triple the investment. You need to know which lathes still have parts available some models become obsolete over time and then repair parts become difficult to source. Some of the Chinese built lathes can also be a problem sourcing spare parts depending on the dealer support and parts they consider "spare". A VFD is by far the best option for speed control as it can always be replaced with a new one. If you can find a lathe that uses a standard Nema motor frame design these can also be replaced easily when they go bad or be rewound. Most of the off-shore built lathes use a cheap design motor which usually use a non-Nema standard frame which makes it difficult to replace the motor with a commonly available made motor here in the states. You can also purchase a quality built lathe which will hold it's value over time if you take care of it. Put your $800 to work now and you can be Bill Gates in 50 years or buy the quality lathe and be happy turning for the next 50 years.

 

[robo hippy]

If you are selling your bowls, then you would want to be able to turn up to 16 inch diameter. Anything over that size is more of a specialized market. You can turn bowls that size with the 12 inch lathes, but the head stock bearings are not designed to do a lot of work in that size range. For any thing resembling 'production' work where time is money, you want 220 volt, 1 1/2 to 2 hp. motor, and variable speed. These are essentials for lots of bowl work. Years ago, I bit the bullet and got a 3520A, which at the time was around $2800. It paid for itself 3 times the first year I had it, which means it paid for all the 'extra' things I also needed..... I was already a vendor at the local Saturday Market. Best bet for you, and value would be to find a good used lathe. Best way to find one is to get in touch with the nearest turning club. Even if they are not close to you, they are a good resource, and you can probably find some one from the club who is fairly close by.... I considered myself a 'semi-pro' which means I made enough money to support my habit and pay a few bills, but not enough to make a living at it. That would have made it more like 'work'....

robo hippy

 

[Richard Coers]

At that budget you better scour Facebook Marketplace and SearchTempest for Craigslist. Forget new! I happened upon a 1 1/2hp Jet 1642 for $1000. Actually, I've seen 3 sell for that price in my area including the one I bought. As Robo said, good machinery makes money, it doesn't cost money. Start an official business with it and deduct the machinery cost from your taxes.

 

[Mike Johnson]

When upgrading to a bigger machine half of the battle is transporting and setting up the machine in the new location. You can keep a look out for a decent machine that comes available in your area that you can travel to easily. You live in the Northeast region of the country which is usually a good market for used equipment. Make sure you have access to a pickup truck when you find a deal on a used machine, the better deals get snapped up quickly. Do some research on the different machines out there and have a price in mind that you are willing to pay. Sometimes you can purchase the lathe and all of the accessories and sell off the extra items you don't need. A moving cart is handy to have when moving a machine from one location to another. Purchasing a new larger machine and having it shipped to your residence can sometimes be a problem, many freight companies do not like to deliver to a residence and if they do they charge an extra fee for the trouble. It is usually easier to have the machine delivered to a business account that has a loading dock to unload freight or they have a forklift to unload the crate from the truck. This is where a dealer can be of help when purchasing a new machine if you can pick it up at their store. Craigslist is a good place to check on a daily/weekly basis for used machines in your area.

 

[Bryan Lisowski]

Welcome to the forum.

I think you are wise to avoid the Grizzly stuff.
I also think that no matter what you end up with now, it won't be your last lathe.
"I rarely turn anything over 15 inches long." ---Is probably something you will change your about down the road.

Why would he or anyone be wise to avoid Grizzly? Laguna, jet, Powermatic all have issues, but if your budget doesn't allow for a $4000+ lathe.

 

[John Vorberger IV]

Thank you for your help everyone!

I am sort of torn between a smaller name brand or a larger Grizzly model. There is a Grizzly 22x47 Inch Lathe for sale for just over $2,000.

 

[Bill Blasic]

I'm not a fan of the Grizzly lathes but get the 22 X 47 even if you have to do the tech work to fix a problem which may or may not happen. You will be much happier with the bigger lathe vs a midi. There are many happy turners using Grizzly lathes.

 

[robo hippy]

The Grizzly lathes do require longer tool rest posts than the standard lathes. No idea why they make their banjos so short... One straight tool rest can do a lot, but the specialty rests do come in handy, especially for bowls. Mostly due to time saving and being able to keep your tool anchor spot closer to the work.

robo hippy