This series of articles will come out once a week for the next four weeks and will be displayed on the “Beginning Woodturner Page” found on the header bar of this page. My hopes is that at the end of the four week series that you will have a basic grasp on what tools, equipment, references, and information you might need to enter into the wonderful world of woodturning. You may also subscribe to this blog for free by signing up through email or the RSS reader of your choice. If you have further questions I am always just an email away. Email Me!

NOTE: This article will be updated and evolve throughout the process, so please check back.

Part one will focus on “The Lathe” and making an informed choice on the most important tool in the woodturners arsenal. I will focus on the decision between a mini lathe and a full size lathe, cost, electricity needs, and we will discuss your seriousness of the pursuance of the hobby of woodturning. I will also give examples of what can and cannot be produced on lathes of different size and power.

The Lathe - this picture was sourced from a Wikipedia Entry called Parts of the Lathe

Mini-Lathe vs. Full Size Lathe

Mini Lathes

There are many producers of electric lathes on the market today and I am not going to get into deep discussion about what brand of lathe to buy, but rather I’ll talk about the features and benefits of the lathes discussed. Common producers of mini lathes are:

Jet, Turncraft, Rockler, Grizzley, and many more. Local or internet retailers can be found by googling the names of these makers for more information.

The difference between a mini lathe and a full size lathe is really very small in terms of parts and pieces. The major difference however is Size , Power, & Capabilities.
For the beginning woodturner I would make this decision based mainly on what it is that you would like to turn. A mini lathe can handle:

Pens
Wine Bottle Stoppers,
Small Plates & Platters
Small Bowls & Hollow Forms,
Spinning Tops

There are many very qualified and successful woodturners that make their living turning small items, and many turners that I know that turn exclusively beautiful pens and pencils. Do not make the mistake in associating a smaller lathe with lesser skill. This is simply not true. If you are looking to enter the hobby or field of woodturning and have less than $500 to spend on everything to get started, you will want to consider a mini lathe. I have found throughout the years that when purchasing tools, always buy the best you can afford. If you take care of your mini lathe it will hold it’s value.

Full Size Lathes

Common Producers of Full size lathes are:

Powermatic, Delta, Oneway, Grizzley

The added feature to having a larger lathe is quite significant to the experienced woodturner. You are able to turn much larger items with greater ease.
Here is a sample of items that can be turned, but not limited to, on a Full Scale Lathe:

Large Bowls or Vases
Large Hollow Forms
Large Artistic Pieces
Large platters or Wall Hangings

From a personal note, without giving manufacturer, I found that after one year on my mini lathe that I had outgrown it in terms of what I wanted my lathe to do for me. My interest was to be able to turn larger items with more power and accuracy. This led me to purchasing a full size lathe. However, I do still use my mini lathe for items such as my wine bottle stoppers and childrens toy tops. Also, to be completely transparent, I was working on my mini lathe sometimes 4-5 hours an evening and I was also looking for a machine that could withstand the rigors of my constant use. Purchasing the mini lathe firs was a good ove for me as i was able to master many of the basics before moving on to a larger machine. At this point I knew woodturning was my passion and not a fleeting hobby.

Lathe Options & Features

Electronic Speed Control

The main upgrade found from one lathe to the next in the mini and full size lathe category is ESC. (Electronic Speed control) ESC allows you to have constant and nearly infinite control over the rate of speed at which the lathe spins the wood. If there is no electronic speed control then the speed of the lathe is usually changed manually by hand. this is done by switching the pulleys that the belt rides on inside the headstock of the lathe. Most mini lathes that do not offer ESC have four fixed speeds. These speeds are adequate for a beginning turner and for someone who is testing the waters to see how serious they are about the hobby. Non ESC units are usually more affordable than thos that offer ESC. If you are sure that you will be serious about woodturning and are interested in purchasing a mini lathe I highly recommend ELC.

Moveble Headstock for Outboard Turning

Some lathes will offer you a moveable headstock for outboard turning of larger items. The headstock in this situation will rotate away from the bed of the lathe so that the piece being worked on has more capacity to spin. If you feel you need this extra capacity it is important that your lathe has enough horsepower. The further you get away from the center of gravity the heavier the load is on the motor making it more likely to stall or slow down. This will effect the quality of your cuts. So if you are looking into having outboard turning capabilities be sure to do your homework and research. Forums are always a good place to get honest information on a particular machine.

Additional Resources

“A Beginners Guide to Woodturning” by George Flavell & Dick Veitch. Made available by the South Auckland Woodturners Guild.

Terry Scott

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008 at 6:23 pm and is filed under Community, Woodturning Projects. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.