Which lathe would be best for our first lathe.

[MaryG]

Hello everyone,

Aplogisies for posting in the wrong area.  I am trying to find our first wood turning lathe.  I have been to the Axminster shop to look at a couple and thought it would be best to ask people who have knowledge working with wood and lathes.

I have seen these three and unsure which one is best.

Jet JWL 1051 £383

Axminster hobby series starter package £360 (I was told you can only use it for 100 hours a year & maybe we should go for the trade series)

SIP variable cast iron lathe £329

Any advice would be welcome as which would be the best or what you would recommend for a first lathe. We would be making bowls and plates.

Thank you
MaryG

[seventhdevil]

get a second hand one first to see if you like it.

once you've used a lathe of a certain size without breaking the bank then you can look at buying a new lathe that would better suit what you desire to turn.

my current history is a cheap lathe bought off my boss which was a nutool bench top lathe. that was rubbish but it got me hooked.

the next was an SIP 01490 48" lathe that was much better but i outgrew it within 3-4 years.

once i'd saved the pennies and realised i could make some money from turning i bought a Jet 3520B from axminster and got the shop floor model for a 5% discount.


asking which lathe is best will be the same as asking what wood is the best to turn and everyone will have a different answer at different times in their turning careers.




in answer to your question i believe the first option is no longer available, the second is very limiting with regards to size and i don't know which model you are referring to for the SIP.

[Wood spinner]

Hi , When you say we is it you and your partner ?
What do you want to make ? , Most people who start turning buy a small lathe then realise they can only make small items  things like pens , light pulls , small boxes , when it comes to bowls they then realise they can only make saucers 

Have you both turned before ? If not maybe best to have a days tuition with a professional or join a local club ( They normally have a lather ) Best to buy once and buy correct saves wasting money 

[MaryG]

Thank you for your help.

I was trying to surprise my husband this Christmas. Axminster shop did say they had a day where you could come in for drop in sessions during the week. Unfortunately due to work this is not accessable to him. 

[Les Symonds]

I'm a professional turner with a big lathe at home, but in my little studio workshop, where the public can wander in to watch me turning, I have a JET, very similar to the one that you've mentioned above. Quite frankly, I'm amazed at just how good it has been. I use it to turn all the smaller items for my shop (key rings, light-pulls, bottle stoppers, pens etc), but I also turn stool legs & tops, candle sticks and small bowls on it. There isn't much to choose between the JET and the Axminster lathe, and both are currently available, so I'd say that as long as these offer you the capacity that you want, then either would be fine, but I cannot speak for the SIP machine as I have no experience of them.

As others have mentioned, your main concern will be outgrowing the lathe, so just think carefully about the size of bowls/spindles that you might eventually want to turn.
Les

[Lazurus]

How about booking a day with a professional turner as a Christmas present, with an IOU for the lathe itself. As has been said it will be down to your husbands aspirations that will dictate the capacity of the lathe you purchase, he may be happy with turning pens and smaller items but if it is bowls and platters a larger capacity will be required. A day with a good turner will show what can be achieved and give some guidance. I started with a Axminster AWL900 which served me well for over a decade, but I am lucky enough to now have a VB 36 which eventually I will grow into.....
Buying a used machine usually gives better value with the tools etc. that come with it, there are many members here who I am sure would help if a suitable lathe was located and needed the once over. It is not just the lathe but sharpening equipment, tools and gadgets that add to the cost.

Stuart