trying to decide on wood lathe

Tying the Lathe together into one piece

I lucked out while looking for a something strong enough to mount the lathe and motor to so that I could make it portable. The motor is a separate piece and is supposed to be mounted to the work bench, but I need to move it out of the way when not using it in my tinny shop.

I found this 1/4" Aluminum that was just the right size for a base. I did not have to cut it at all and only needed to drill holes to mount the lathe and the motor which was really great because the last time I tried cutting this type of aluminum, I went through a bunch of Saw-Zaw blades and it looked terrible. I picked this up about 20 years ago thinking I could used it someday and it finally happened. I had a few other opportunities to use it, but it never quite worked because of its odd shape.



I Mounted the Motor and Lathe to the Aluminum base





I’m going to mount HD Door Hinges to the Aluminum base so I can fold the lath up out-of-way. I only had one hinge because I used the other one for something else.

I still have to buy the cutters. I just haven't decided whether to just one or two to make what I need or buy a whole set.

Right now everything is on hold because I lost my two dogs in the desert on Monday and I just can't think about the lathe right now.

Oh no Joe, that was another story altogether.

I took my dogs out in the desert to give them a chance to run a little plus I needed to walk a little myself and really love the desert. My wife and I decided to let go of the leashes so they could run and they took off down the road only to be picked up by a passing van. The dogs really ran fast and were over a mile away when the van stopped. The people in the van could not see us running toward the dogs and left.

For some reason they have not contact us yet even with the phone numbers attached to their collars.

Turning plane knobs should be fairly easy. I had no need for a lathe for many years, until I had a client with an antique Singer sewing machine cabinet to be restored. It was one of those with the lift lid that folds back and you rotate the machine up and fold the lid back down. The cabinet part had four tiny drawers with tiny turned knobs with a detail on the edge. It was missing one knob. I hunted all the sources I had at the time (no internet), for a similar knob in red oak.

Well I got on the lookout for a lathe. Funny thing, about a week later I saw a floor model in one of those Odd Lot/Big Lot stores, and it was a floor model for $65. Such a deal. How could I turn that down. It was an Asian import...nothing exotic. It only came with a spur bit.
It was a 14" x 40", but the head doesn't rotate for bowls...I don't think. It is a 5 speed (stepped pulleys) model. The next weekend I decided to go to the flea market to look for turning tools. We have a huge one here called 'Swap Shop'. It's on a 10 drive in theater property, and they also have indoor booths for sellers, plus all the drive in space. Well I found another Asian product...a turning set with I think 8 tools...long handles, and it was less than $20. They came in a cardboard box.

I never worked on a lathe before, and so I gave it a shot. I couldn't believe how easy it was. I knocked the knob out in about 15 minutes, sanded it, and finished the cabinet, but mounted the new one on a different drawer, and asked the client to pick out the one I made. She picked the wrong one.

Since then, I've used it for making newels, balusters, and spindles. So, the less than impressive lathes can be a very useful addition to a shop.

So if I were to buy just one or two cutters, what would you recommend to just make a knob for now?

Alright thanks Cabinetman