Thomas Lum wrote:
> Does anyone have recommendations for small lathes that would be
> suitable for this hobby?
I have one of the mini-lathes (7x10) that are made in China and sold
under various brand names (all the same, don't be fooled by the prices).
It has been an excellent hobby lathe and it is accurate enough for our
purposes. There are a large number of standard tools and accessories
that work with the lathe and replacement parts are readily available as
well. The mini-lathe is bigger, stronger and less expensive than the
Sherline, but still small enough to fit nicely on a benchtop.
If you decide on the mini-lathe, get the one with the longer bed, which
only costs a few bucks more (steel doesn't cost much). You probably
won't need the extra length for turning things, but it gives you more
room between the tool post and tailstock which makes things easier when
switching tools or doing multiple operations. If you want to come by
the workshop one day and look at mine just let me know.
I also have a "mini-lathe" from the WW-II era that was made for
hobbyists back then. It's a 10x20, but is still light enough to fit on
a benchtop and store away when not in use. When properly set up (which
is the key to working on all lathes), it does a great job as well for
our purposes. I use it primarily for truing up wheels.
Frank P.
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