Lathes

Lathes  hold a piece of wood or metal and spin it as a sharp bit cuts the piece into the desired shape, like a potter's wheel  for wood. They come in all sorts of sizes to accommodate all sorts of pieces and projects.  Determining exactly what you wish to use the lathe for before purchasing one is of the essence. The Mini-Lathe site has great introduction to what a lathe really does, how it does it, the dimensions, and the common terms. Plus, it has pictures and animation!

To help you get started, Gaylon Corely, About.com's woodworking guide, made a short list of his top three favorite lathes for woodturning.

Top Lathes for Woodworking

Powermatic 1352000  

Well-built lathe one step up from basic lathes, with a two horsepower, three-phase motor.

  • The headstock and tailstock can accommodate a variety of wood pieces and allow work from almost any area of the bed.
  • The cast-iron legs almost eliminate vibration during use.
  • Price: about $2600

Jet 708359 

A perfect lathe for starting out, but with enough features for veterans.

  • Digital readout precisely tracks turning speeds.
  • Cam-lock levers make moving the headstock and tailstock quick and easy.
  • Cast-iron legs designed to reduce vibration and also hold a storage shelf.
  • Price: about $1700

WivaMac DB801Vario  

This is the smallest of the WivaMac lathe line and can be purchased as a bench-top model or on a A-frame stand.

  • Runs smoothly and the controls are easy to learn and use.
  • One-horsepower, three-phase motor supplies consistent power and up to 2400 rpm.
  • Provides substantial woodturning ability and excellent construction for a very reasonable price.
  • Offers flexibility for those with limited workshop space.
  • Price: about $2800

Types of Lathes

There are several lathe models to fit your work needs. Be sure to choose one with adequate power, but remember more powerful models can get expensive.

Micro Lathes 

Under 30 lb. Adequate for very working small items.

Mini Lathes 

Portable, small, and inexpensive. 15" capacity. 1/2hp.

Benchtop Lathes 

Standard size, lightweight, and less expensive. 3/4hp.

Stationary Lathes 

Large production machines with lots of power. Pricey. 1hp.

Bowl-Turning Lathes 

Most expensive, heavy, slow, but powerful. 1.5hp.

Lathes Can Do...

  • Woodworking if you hold a tool against the spinning wood to cut, sand, or polish it.
  • Metalworking if have a metalworking lathe  that has different gears, speeds, and power needed to let you grind metal. Don't forget to lubricate your tools or you'll get some nasty sparks.
  • Metal Spinning fashions spinning metal around a mold so that you can make for yourself a bowl, a vase, or anything else symmetrical. Such models are bowl-turning lathes. 
  • Glassworking lathes spin molten glass over a flame for work with a tool or to blow.

Features

  • Weight is important and needed for completing heavy-duty tasks. Bolting down the legs is an option for lighter benchtop models.
  • Power (hp) ranges according to the model type. The more power, the more mass the lathe can handle.
  • Speed (rpm) varies with model type. In general, expect a range of 500-3000rpm. Variable speed control is best, usually found on mechanical systems, which tend to be more expensive.
  • Accessories can greatly enhance a lathe. Mini-Lathe will tell you all about them.

What Else You Need To Know

Lathes are complex creatures with lots of measurements. Here's what everything means:

  • Swing Over Bed and Swing Over Carriage are the diameters of the piece being worked: the size limit for a piece before it hits the bed and the carriage of the lathe, respectively. A 7x12 lathe has a 7" swing over bed and all 7x lathes have a 4" swing over carriage. What does the 12 measure, you ask?
  • Distance Between Centers is the second measurement in the dimensions of a lathe. It describes the maximum length your piece can be to fit on your lathe. A 7x12 lathe can hold a 12" piece of wood (that can have a maximum of 7" diameter hanging over the bed and a 4" diameter rotating over the carriage).
  • Diameter of Spindle Through-Hole measures how wide the hole in the spindle is. The piece cannot go through the spindle if it is any larger than the through-hole. On most 7x lathes, that is 3/4".

Table of Measurements

To recap:

  • A 7x12 lathe has
    • 7" swing over bed
    • 12" distance between centers
    • 4" swing over carriage
      • 3 Morse Taper spindle
    • 3/4" spindle through-hole diameter
      • 2 Morse Taper tailstock
  • A 9x20 lathe has
    • 9" swing over bed
    • 20" distance between centers
    • 5" swing over carriage
      • 3 Morse Taper spindle
    • 3/4" spindle through-hole diameter
      • 2 Morse Taper tailstock

External Links

Jointers

Planers

Woodworking Routers

Sanders 

Power Saws

Additional Links

  • Mini-Lathe - A very detailed photo schematic of a lathe. It's a few years old, but makes the whole lathe process very clear.
  • Sawdust Making - Explains the parts of a lathe with a nice picture.
  • Wikipedia - Introduction to the lathe.
  • Mini-Lathe - An in-depth documentation of all the things a lathe can do to metal.