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Hiya everyone

P

Peter Isbister

Apprentice Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2015
Posts
2
Location
WoburnSands
First Name
Peter
Peter is my name.
No wood turning experience. Small workshop/shed.
Woburn Sands is where I live, on the outskirts of Milton Keynes UK.
I would like to begin pen making.
Please would someone advise me which small lathe I should begin with?
Thanks in advance, sorry if I have missed previous posts on this, apologies.

Regards Peter
 
Walter

Walter

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Apr 22, 2013
Posts
2,698
Location
Amble on the sunny Northumberland coast.
First Name
Walter
Welcome to the forum Peter.

We would be able to give you better advice on a choice of lathe if you gave us a budget. However, here is what I said to someone on another forum recently.

"It is possible to get a new hobby spec lathe with VS from Axminster for £300 but unless you only intend it for occasional use and light work then I would suggest that you need to spend a bit more.

You really need something with an inverter and three phase motor rather than the toyland rheostat controlled DC motors on the hobby Axminster and similar small lathes. DC motors belong in model railways IMHO. I will not mention any names but I can stop some of these cheap machines by gripping the handwheel.

The minimum spec I would personally find acceptable is on something like the Axminster trade series AT1416VS at about £750 ot the Record Power DML305VS at about £800

The main difference between those two is in the spindle threads and Morse Tapers. The Record is 1mt and 3/4" x 16tpi whilst the Axminster is 2MT and M33 x 3.5mm. The latter is becoming the standard for larger lathes and would be my preference as it would mean that you could re-use chucks and drives etc should you ever upgrade to a bigger machine.

If your budget will not stretch to that then I think you would be better looking for a good second hand machine or saving money by sacrificing the VS."

This is of course just my opinion.
 
Vic Perrin

Vic Perrin

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Feb 23, 2014
Posts
8,215
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Rugeley Staffs
First Name
Vic
Hi Peter and welcome to the Forum. I would support everything that WALTER has said. One thing he wouldn't say but I will is to get the book that he has done on Pen Turning. You won't go far wrong by following the advice in his book.

:thumbs:Vic:thumbs:
 
Penpal

Penpal

Grand Master
Joined
May 26, 2013
Posts
25,342
Location
Canberra AUSTRALIA
First Name
Peter
Welcome to another Peter in supporting the remarks already put forward if you can look for a wood group near you check out their lathes travel around where you live and give deep thought to your purchase run it past the forum before you buy chances are one of us will know or have experiences that may assist, resist buying large numbers of fascinating chisels again kick around your thoughts all of us bitten by the bug have a story to tell how we bought excess of most everything on impulse following demos etc.

Enjoy the forum fellowship mate.

Peter.:thumbs::thumbs:
 
Grump

Grump

Grand Master
Joined
Aug 17, 2013
Posts
10,504
Location
Stevenage
First Name
Brian
Hi Peter and welcome to the nuthouse, I am just down the road from you in Stevenage.
You're welcome to trot over and play here, you'll soon get the idea and the feel of a couple of lathes to help make your choice easier init?
PM for address, if Neil is about we can drop in on him in Hitchin he might let you play with his if he can get near it?
 
Twister

Twister

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Jun 18, 2014
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2,202
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kent
First Name
Steve
Welcome to the forum Peter

I have the AT 1614 VS and happy with it

Steve
 
P

Peter Isbister

Apprentice Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2015
Posts
2
Location
WoburnSands
First Name
Peter
Thanks to everyone for all the welcomes and good advice.

I, thinking pens, had not reckoned on such large machines to start off the hobby!

Anyway, I will revise my thoughts, Thanks again
Peter (I)
 
Twister

Twister

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Jun 18, 2014
Posts
2,202
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kent
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Steve
Peter Isbister said:
Thanks to everyone for all the welcomes and good advice.

I, thinking pens, had not reckoned on such large machines to start off the hobby!

Anyway, I will revise my thoughts, Thanks again
Peter (I)
Click to expand...

Hi again Peter

pens are a fun hobby, but u will get the itch to make something else
a small bowl, a goblet

then it will be...what is the biggest thing I can get on my lathe?

cant advise on best lathe, but can say once the addiction sets in, you will want something just a bit bigger and then a bit bigger and then....u get the idea:funny::funny:

Steve
 
chas_41_uk

chas_41_uk

Registered
Joined
Mar 13, 2014
Posts
10,034
Location
Manchester
First Name
Chas
Welcome to the asylum Peter:thumbs:
Be warned turning in general is addictive, pen turning even more so.
You will end up eating drinking ans sleeping pen turning :wink:
Mainly cos you'll have spent all your money on tools, blanks, pen kits etc etc :whistling:
 
ni9eofse7en

ni9eofse7en

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Jan 16, 2015
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1,786
Location
Morley
First Name
John
I would follow up on the offer of local assistance and look for details of a local woodturning club, where you may get to try other units before considering purchase. I think it has been said by Walter, consider a good second hand unit rather than buying a no name cheap unit till you know where the hobby will or wont take you. Don't buy loads of tools you can get away with very few to start with, but I am sure guidance from those offered will help steer you in the right way.

Just be aware it can become addictive after your first items are produced, at this moment in time there is no help for those addicted to woodturning or other forms using lathes. Some clubs do offer lunch time sessions where you can sit down and talk about the addiction or evening sessions where you can meet professionals who will offer you all the help they can. But in the end, you will find yourself looking at piles of wood destined for log fires and thinking I could make something with them, and when the gales blow you will be out looking for fallen branches that may just yield something worthwhile. Enjoy :thumbs:
 
Dalboy

Dalboy

Executive Member
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Mar 20, 2014
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7,681
Location
Kent
First Name
Derek
Hi and welcome. I would take up the offer. I was not so fortunate and had to learn from books and the like, luckily I had some woodworking knowledge which helped understanding grain etc.
 
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