I have been wanting to get into bowl turning / carving for awhile now. I don't have the money to buy a real lathe yet. I don't care to turn spindles or aynthing like that, as I am just fascinated (sp) by bowls. So, I have a $75 gift card for the BORG (Men) and they have this Mini Lathe on sale for $69 and I was wondering if it is worth getting or not. All I want to do is see if this is for me or not. I have this endless supply of black walnut and this is all I think of doing with this stuff as I don't have a sawmill handy.
Scott... I honestly don't think a $70 mini lathe is going to make you happy... if you don't have precision, you aren't going to be happy with the results.. (google this NG for comments on the Harbor Freight mini lathe)
I'd suggest the Jet Mini lathe.. if you shop (usually Amazon) you can get it for $200 or less, or send me a few hundred pounds of that black walnut, and I'll ship a new mini to you *g*
Scott, if you had listed where you are located you might have a lot of people willing to trade for that walnut. I have 3 lathes, but lack good walnut. Glenn Hodges Nashville, GA
Just this advice. If you just want to "sample" woodturning, try to find a woodturner near you. He might be willing to give you a quick lesson or two..........and let you see what turning on a quality lathe is like. The problem with buying a cheapie is that if you have problems, you may not know if its you or the lathe." Seriously, I haven't seen any good lathes for $69.00. About the most economical way to start would be with a Jet Mini at about $200 or find a used lathe in the classifieds.
================================================================== Not to "Cut down" anyones comments, I believe that you will get a decent lathe, if you buy the Wilton.
A little history. When Menared first started carring this lathe, it sold for $139.00. They have had it on sale several times. I believe that to get the 69.00 price tag, you have to send in a rebate for
10.00.
I have a very small shop and can't afford the room needed for a full sized lathe, so I bought a Jet Mini. Wouldn't trade it for any other of the same size on the market.
That being said, last summer, I was doing a lot of Turning Demonstrations and the Jet got a little heavy to lug around. I looked at what was out there, looking for a lighter lathe that didn't give away much in quality. I ended up with the Wilton. For doing small turnings - bowls up to 8" diameter - and pen turning, it is very good.
What you are giving up is the handles are plastic vs steel on the jet. You don't get an outboard wheel, and the Morris Taper is a MT1 instead of MT2. Also the spindle is 3/4' x 16 tpi . Since you get faceplates and turning centers with the lathe, not much of a problem. A plus with the Wilton vs my Jet is that it has Variable Speed.
I ran it for six weekends and am happy with it's performance. "Just one OLD man's opinion."
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