Wood Lath Question

[Charlie H.]

Hey y'all thanks for the replies, sorry about the spelling error but at least it gave a few folks something to talk about even if they don't know much about a lath either :-) If I hang out here very much I assure you it won't be the last time I am caught spelling something wrong.

To everyone who shared some info about lathes and the components that make them unique I appreciate the information very much. I had not really thought about how very critical the mass and weight is to this particular tool, but it makes perfect sense that this tool perhaps more than any other needs the weight to simply stay in one place. I can now see real benefits of the bigger is better theory for the parts that hold and support the piece that is rotating too since it may never be balanced and at times may be dangerously out of balance. Wood turning is not something I have given a lot of thought to and I don't know if a lathe is in my future or not. Some of the projects I am looking at suggest turning some of the pieces. I think I can cut them round enough with a scroll saw but we will see. My curiosity was tweaked so I thought I would ask what to think about when pondering the merits of a lathe.

Charlie

[George]

Sorry, actual is "into best balance possible."

Followed by "balance your turnings" later in the post.

[George]

Once again, you're ignoring physics and the easy way to counter the situation - a proper stand. Wastes the effort of the piece in trying to compress the incompressable versus limiting the lift on a strictly inertial basis.

What do they deserve? They deserve the poor outcome of the lousy technique which they continue to follow. Rather than applying their noggins to turning, they apply the turnings to their noggins. Simple things like not nibbling the ends, or my particular favorite, starting between centers with the spur center driving are easily avoided.

You begin by listening and not whining and picking nits. It is not that a piece is out of balance. It's _always_ out of balance. What you do is the best you can to control the effect of the conditions. For example - if you read and think, you realize that the closer to center the imbalance is, the less significant it is, and the difference is geometric. Trim what won't be there in the resultant piece prior to mounting to gain an advantage . As you thank Sir Isaac for reminding you about mechanical moment, you check on his angular momentum equations and realize that the worst thing you can do is speed up the lathe, as some, believe it or not recommend, to counter a resonant condition. Turning as slow as you can stand to is really a great idea.

Oh yes, did I mention that you buy a lathe and build or buy a rigid stand which does not allow elastic collisions to exacerbate out-of-balance conditions? It doesn't have to be heavy. You've got the whole earth as your counter if you want it.

[Bruce Barnett]

What do you want to do with it?

If you want to make pens, then $200-$300 is a fine price. If you want to make 20" bowls, then you need to spend more money.

For instance, which describes what you want to do: Spindle Bowl Faceplate Tubework (pens/pencils,etc.) Mass Duplication Ornamental Columns for porches Chair legs

[Barry N. Turner]

Most lathes aren't "good" or "bad", they are just better suited for the task at hand. With that said, some lathes really aren't suitable for any task. This would be any of the contraptions designed to be powered by an electric drill and the really cheap and flimsy stuff from China. If you intend to turn only spindle work, almost any decent lathe will do, as long as you are able to satisfactorily hold and spin the work at an acceptable speed. If you want to do bowls and larger diameter work, the requirements increase. The capacity or "swing" of the lathe and slower speeds are more critical.

For almost any kind of work, the heavier the lathe the better. With more capital outlay, you generally get a better lathe. If you buy a really crappy lathe that doesn't work well, you may decide you don't like the hobby, when what you really don't like is the crappy lathe. I've never heard anyone complain that they bought a lathe that was "too good". Buy as much quality as you can afford. A Jet Mini is a very good small lathe and can be obtained for $250 to $300.

Barry

[Leon]

I have had a cheapie and a medium quality one. Cheap ones are light weight and tend to be noisier and have more vibration as a result. Cheap ones bearings tend to be a source of the noise and vibration. And ultimately, cheapey ones require a wrench to make live end and tool rest adjustments. You absolutely do not want to have to use a separate tool to make minor or major tool adjustments while working on a project. Better lathes have toolless adjustments.