• January Turning Challenge: Thin-Stemmed Something! (click here for details)
  • Conversations are now Direct Messages (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to John Lucas for "Lost and Found" being selected as Turning of the Week for January 13, 2025 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Lathe for Pen Turning

C

Carroll Courtney

Joined
Mar 2, 2009
Messages
1
Likes
0
Besides being new here,I all also new to pen turning.I have turn only 3 pens in the pass couple of yrs.I have my eye out for what I think is a good lathe for pen turning which is the small Jet in the used dept.I have only seen them in stores and never have tried one out, or talk to anyone about them other than now.Is this a good lathe for turning pens and topps,stoppers? I know (I believe it)that you get what you pay for,but I have a budget and can't spend big bucks on a small lathe.I see alot of no names out there and I see alot of lathes with different names,but look the same.What would you guys and gals suggest for a good starter lathe for this beginner to pen turning?Thanks for the help and suggestions-----Carroll
 
Carroll if budget is a issue the Jet 1014 is a great lathe for pen turning and the Rikon 70-100 is also a good lathe to start with. The Rikon is $329 and the Jet mini is $349. Jet does have a 5 yr warranty also.
 
I have the Jet 1014 with variable speed. It is listed at Craft Supplies (www.woodturnerscatalog.com) @ $454.99, though I got it for far less last year ($329 if I remember right). I have put this lathe through it's paces turning everything from pens to bowls and hollow forms. It has stood up incredibly well. It is a very high quality machine for the money, and it's non-VS brother is just as good and significantly cheaper.

I can't comment on any other lathes for lack of first hand experience, but I have heard good things about the Rikon that Bernie mentioned and the Turncrafter Pro from PSI ($229 for the VS version). The PSI lathe seems to be too good to be true to me, though. Maybe someone else can post that knows more.
 
if you want to turn pens and small bowls only i suggest looking on craigs list, garage sales and even ebay for a shopsmith in your area. regardless of their listed size i feel they are as good as any mini lathe for the same type of work. if space is a premium shorten the tubes by 18" and you'll have a "mini" shopsmith. with variable speed also a decent table saw for cutting blanks and a great drill press for drilling your blanks. many come cheap and have extra bandsaws, belt sanders and even jig/scroll saws.
 
I use a Rikon mini lathe... Woodcraft has it for around $250... it has a 12" swing which makes a good size bowl as well should you want to try one. It is a well built machine, and I like it very much. It has a good warranty.

When I bought mine, I checked out mini lathes... Jet, General, Steelecity, and Rikon and hands down, Rikon IMHO was the best of the bunch.

Easiest belt change.
Good speed range.
Best point to point alignment.
Heaviest of the bunch.
Very smooth operation... no vibration.
Runs quiet.

Downside... not a electronic variable speed machine vs ... but vs on a mini doesn't work all that well, big power loss. Making pens, stoppers etc. you don't need all that much power but if you move up to bowls platters and such power would become an issue.

I think you should look at at a Rikon before you make your final decision.

Joe G.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top