# Which Lathe?



## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Due to price constraints, right now I am pretty much limited to the *Grizzly G0462* or the
*Teknatool T32351 - Nova 1624 Lathe.*
If not one of these, then I will have to wait a year or so to buy the *JWL-1640EVS 16" x 40" * 

The striking feature for me on the *Technatool *is the low speed of 250 RPM.

The* Grizzly G0462 i*s priced well within my budget which is not always the best reason 

*The JWL-1640EVS 16" x 40". *The main feature here is a low speed of 40 RPM.but the price right now is prohibitive.

The slow speed is desired because the blanks are always out of balance and I am remembering the dances across the shop floor chasing the lathe. I havent turned in a very long time and its about time i resume my addiction. 

Do any of you own one of these and have used it for turning green logs into bowls? If so, what are your comments.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jul 4, 2018)

my HF lathe's minimum speed is around 700 rpm. I would LOVE to have one that can get 200-250.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Many moons ago I did a lot of turning. An addiction, really. I started with a nice Delta with pulleys. Grew out of it in about 3 months and got the one that looks like a cabinet on the left side. Was Variable Speed. Inside the cabinet were the pulleys that somehow changed speed automatically. At the end of the spindle with the pulleys was a spare pulley. I moved the belts over onto the spare pulley and it substantially reduced the top speed, Not as much as I would have liked, but better than what I had. The Jet listed in my first post has a low speed of 40 RPM. Perfect for large bowl blanks to get started. 
Laguna has a lathe with I think about 50 RPM. All of the slow speed ones are above $2K. Just slightly out of my budget mainly because I dont have any bowl turning tools. That will probably run around another thousand dollars if we include a bowl chuck. 
Bowl Turning is expensive to get into from the git-go. Once you can get past the lathe and tools. it is a quite reasonably inexpensive hobby if you can get logs to turn. Have Chain Saw Will Travel. I used to refer to it as Arkansas Road Wood. Whatever I could find on the side of the road.


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## Kerrys (May 2, 2016)

I have the Grizzly G0462. It is a decent lathe and over the four or so years I have owned it I have had no problems with it. A couple of things. The inability to turn it down to below about 625 rpm is a bit of a draw back although it hasn’t stopped me from turning out of balance blanks. The lathe is heavy enough it doesn’t walk around and a shelf can easily be added to place weiget if needed. When I purchased the lathe I had no experience turning and wanted a long bed, free standing lathe. It also had to be 110 volt. After turning for a number of years now I found I have no use for the long bed. I would have been better off getting a smaller lathe with better speed control.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

I like a antique lathe. They are usually cast iron all the way to the floor. That keeps them from walking across the floor.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

@Kerrys By stating 'out of balance blanks' I assume you are talking about logs and not milled stuff. That is what I am concerned with. I have known a lot of woodturners but you are the first with a Grizzly. Thanks.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

I'm trying to think of a woodworking application that would need to be turning as slow as 40rpm, but I'm drawing a blank. You'd have to be turning a massive blank that is mounted massively off balance to go that slow, and at that point it would be more beneficial to just find a different blank


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

A 12 to 14" chunk of log burl is not well balanced especially if trying to get bark inclusions into the form. They are heavy and out of balance. I have turned them at much higher speeds to start and the lathe will dance till it gets balanced. I have done it literally hundreds of times and now that lathes are set up to go that slow, I figure 'why not' if I can get that feature. Once balanced, I can crank up the speed.


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## Kerrys (May 2, 2016)

@Tony B yes blanks I have milled from trees on my property. When I say milled I’m talking about rounds cut in half with a chainsaw. Not very balanced.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

I've got a Jet 1642. Some blanks cut from logs or burls are often way out of balance. This lathe is cast iron and is fairly hefty. But one of these large out of balance blanks can get it shaking at a couple hundred rpm's. sometimes I'm turning at 50-60 rpms til I get it true don't up. Even then for a heavier blank, I might not get above 3-400 rpms. Check around for a good used one, they pop up from time to time.
Mike Hawkins


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

@Kerrys 
About the Grizz0462
Does the Grizz require any special bowl chucks or do all the normal brands fit the Grizz?

I guess you thought about different ways to control the speed to get it slower. Maybe change pulleys? Any luck there?

Thanks 
Tony B


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## Kerrys (May 2, 2016)

Tony B said:


> @Kerrys
> About the Grizz0462
> Does the Grizz require any special bowl chucks or do all the normal brands fit the Grizz?
> 
> ...


Tony,

The 0462 has a 1 x 8 tpi spindle thread which I believe is fairly standard so I would assume it could take most of the chucks out there. I purchased a Grizzly branded 4 jaw chuck set with the lathe which has worked well for me. Now, take into account I have no experience with lathes and turning prior to my purchase of the 0462.

I have not explored many ways to slow the lathe down. I had a suggestion by another turner who said he changed the belt size on his and managed to lower the rpm. I can’t find his suggestion so I don’t know what belt he claimed to use.

Kerry


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Thanks Kerry

I had among other lathes in then past, a Delta with a cabinet under the headstock where there were the pulleys. It was variable speed and for some reason, there was an empty pulley sheave not being used. I just moved the belt over to that one. It slowed down the speed quite a bit. It was still a little, fast but still much slower. The lathe didn't dance across the floor nearly as much. 
I also just noticed that there is no handwheel in the back. I use it to slow down and stop the lathe when I need to inspect the bowl. 
I'm just trying not to spend $2K + on a lathe.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

I guess shaping a log for balance while the lathe is NOT spinning can be done the old way with a hand held grinder.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

*NOVA 1624 II* has a low speed of 215 RPM. It is also referred to as *Teknatool T-32351*
I can live with that and the price is reasonable $1,299. 
Is anyone here familiar with this one?. 
The ratings are all over the chart and there are not many of them.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

*Jet 1221 EVS has a low speed of 60 RPM.*
My concern here is the low weight of less than 200 lbs including the legs. 
It seems kinda small. I guess I will have to drive to Rockler or WoodCraft to look at it.
It may be too flimsy for turning a 12" log
Any comments?


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## Dave McCann (Jun 21, 2020)

Tony B said:


> *Jet 1221 EVS has a low speed of 60 RPM.*
> My concern here is the low weight of less than 200 lbs including the legs.
> It seems kinda small. I guess I will have to drive to Rockler or WoodCraft to look at it.
> It may be too flimsy for turning a 12" log
> Any comments?


Tony,

You might consider looking at this one, 
*Grizzly G0844 
14" x 20" Variable-Speed Benchtop Wood Lathe at Grizzly.com *


I have been very satisfied with it turning rough cut blanks up to the max it will accept.






































I started out by mounting the lathe to a custom built sawhorse style base weighted with bags of quickcrete. Once I established my preferred working height, I built a steel frame. The total weight of the lathe, the frame and the ballast is about 600 lbs.




















These two bowls are about 13 inches in diameter.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Thanks for the info

And..............NICE WORK


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Too bad I don't know how to weld or have the equipment to do it.
I'm impressed with that lathe also.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

@Dave McCann
What are some of the hardest woods you have turned. The reason I ask is because of the 3/4 HP.
Most lathes that turn bowls the size of yours are usually 1 HP or more.
I might call Grizzly and see if they have any stands that this will fit on.

How long have you had this lathe?

I see another small lathe in the background. What make/model is it and how do they compare?


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## Dave McCann (Jun 21, 2020)

Tony B said:


> How long have you had this lathe?


Purchased the Grizzly lathe just over a year ago. I have turned approximately 35 bowls to date on this lathe.



Tony B said:


> I see another small lathe in the background. What make/model is it and how do they compare?


That is a 1960's vintage Sears Craftsman lathe. 12 inch by 36 inch size. Three speeds 750, 900 and 1200 rpm. No reverse, #1 morse taper, instant start up to turning speed, spindle is threaded for 3/4" x 16 threads. I picked the lathe up used at an auction in town about 35 years ago. Turned 2 or 3 bowls using the faceplate and glue block method and then it sat unused for many years. I retired 3 years ago and revived my interest in turning. Turned another 3 or 4 bowls on this lathe and decided I would upgrade.

BOWL ON FACEPLATE;









COMPLETED BOWL USING A GLUE BLOCK AND PARTED OFF (done on the Craftsman lathe)









The Grizzly is 14 inch by 20 inch. Variable speed with reverse 250-720, 600-1700, and 1200-3550 rpms. With a soft start up which helps tremendously when dealing with unbalanced loads. The spindle is bored for #2 Morse taper and threaded for 1" x 8 threads. I added a Nova Chuck bundle and made my own carbide tools with carbide inserts purchased off Ebay. I use traditional tools as well.



























Tony B said:


> What are some of the hardest woods you have turned.


Most of my stock is freshly downed town trees that I gather at the town yard waste site. Typical woods are Soft Maples, Box Elder, Butternut, Green Ash (ash borer going thru town) Walnut and Hickory. The hardest piece in terms of cutting resistance was also probably the most unbalanced load as well. I'm not even sure of the wood specie but I am guessing from the Ash tree family. This piece was bone dry and like a rock. It did clean up well.


































As far as the HP rating; I would say it is adequate unless one wanted to do a steady diet of at capacity work. Anything rough cut to round on a bandsaw, up to 11 inches works very well for me.
Anything 12 to 14 inches, that is out of balance, will require lighter cuts. Once those are trued up and the speed can be increased, I can carry on as usual.
The variable speed does come at a reduction of torque when the variable speed dial is near minimum in any of the three speed ranges. Very rarely am I using anything but the two lower ranges, and certainly not for bowl work.

For my needs, the specs and price of this particular lathe are a good fit. YMMV but I am happy with my purchase.

Good luck going forward.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

I was a professional turner around 35 to 40 years ago. Turning is what got me into woodworking. I have had several commercial shops in various locations. I retired from woodworking and Offshore work on the rigs about 10 years ago. I am just now getting back into woodworking and trying to fill my shop which is a 10x30 bay in a mini-storage unit. What I should have done was buy a lathe first. My plan was to buy a lot of used stuff. Except for an old radial arm saw, everything else was bought new. not too many used woodworking machines turn up in the Houston area, and the ones that do are higher cost than a new one. The market on used stuff in general has gone crazy.
Anyway, this seems like an impressive lathe. Generally, I didn't turn much stuff over 12" diameter. I did a lot of Hollow Forms. I never had a lath that was only 3/4 HP and that is why I have been looking at the larger lathes. 
This may work for me.
I dont weld and so I will have to find a 'ready made' stand for it. Maybe some kind of steel table. 
One more question.............have you had any problems with this including when brand new out of the box. Problems like missing parts or damaged parts?
Thanks in advance.


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## Biotec (Mar 14, 2021)

you can see the sears and craftsman logo model look like a 113.228160. 12" swing very similar to the one i have.
low speed 875 to 3460 rpm .. with 1725rpm 1/2 hp motor..









my father used it to make parts for the toy trucks / cars he made.


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## Bob Bengal (Jan 2, 2021)

Tony B said:


> I dont weld and so I will have to find a 'ready made' stand for it. Maybe some kind of steel table.


Why not make it out of 3/4" ply etc?


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

I seriously doubt that a wooden stand would stand up to the way I turn. I could be wrong, but I dont think so. I havent turned any logs in a long time, but I remember how my old Delta Lathe would dance along the floor while I was turning. I was a wild man on a lathe and suppose that is something that hasn't left me yet.
I havent figured out yet how much a bowl chucks, sharpening system and gouges etc. will cost. I think at least another kilobuck.
I just cant find anything worthwhile on the internet and I live near a very large city - Houston, Texas.


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## Dave McCann (Jun 21, 2020)

Tony B said:


> One more question.............have you had any problems with this including when brand new out of the box. Problems like missing parts or damaged parts?


(as a bit of my background) I worked in a precision tool and die shop for 40 years and was known thru out the shop as "the guy that was the perfectionist". For the 15 years before that, I was responsible for maintenance and repair of everything in inventory for a DIY general rental center. Didn't matter if it was a broken typewriter, punch fountain, lawn mower, garden tiller, camping RV trailer or Case crawler dozer, if it was broke, I studied it, tore it down and fixed it.

Back to your question;
Everything came in good condition and nothing was missing. I was pleased with everything I saw during unpacking and assembly.
One issue came up after a few hours of turning. The lathe started randomly tripping the breaker. Traced the problem down to a couple loose mounting screws holding a circuit board inside the variable speed control unit. Easy fix, in which I reinstalled the loose screws with a drop of thread locker on the threads.




Tony B said:


> I was a professional turner around 35 to 40 years ago. Turning is what got me into woodworking. I have had several commercial shops in various locations.
> Anyway, this seems like an impressive lathe. Generally, I didn't turn much stuff over 12" diameter. I did a lot of Hollow Forms. I never had a lath that was only 3/4 HP and that is why I have been looking at the larger lathes.


I too have been impressed with it. It is NOT a commercial production lathe. Yet given that it is in the "bench top" category, it does an outstanding job within the parameters of bench top lathes. 

I ran larger milling machines and metal lathes in the machine shop. It was not uncommon to remove 50lbs of material in a few minutes. I really enjoyed taking big hogging cuts and watching the chips fly.
This machine will NOT do that, it was not intended to do that. Again, as long as your expectations are realistic, I am guessing you won't be disappointed.

As to a proper work platform for the lathe. I built the rolling stand from steel because I had the ability to and needed to have good lighting anywhere I rolled it to. I just work in an unheated garage at my home. Any sturdy wooden work bench with a lower shelf that will hold 200-400lbs of ballast would be fine.


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## Dave McCann (Jun 21, 2020)

Tony B said:


> I havent turned any logs in a long time, but I remember how my old Delta Lathe would dance along the floor while I was turning. I was a wild man on a lathe and suppose that is something that hasn't left me yet.


Tony,
Slow down man!!!😁😁😁 You did say you are retired now, right? 😎


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

LOL
Sometimes I forget how old I am.
BTW, a wooden workbench for the lathe would take up more room than I can afford to loses. I am trying to keep my shop as 'open' as possible. I like a decent amount of actual working space and I dont like clutter. Having a 10 x 30 workshop is a challenge for the way I like to work, The saving grace in my shop is the rear slopes up to 12 feet roof. That gives me some overhead storage of the less used stuff. Right now, I am thinking you may have my solution. The G0844 seems to be just right. It is priced well below what I expected to pay. My only concern now is the 3/4 HP, but the photos you show of the bowl 'blanks' you start with indicated that the G0844 is up to the job. 
I been looking at some of these crazy carving tools that would make quick work of balancing the log. Chain saw looking blades mounted on a angle grinder. What I really would like is in the over $2k category and I just cant get myself to spend that kind of money on a lathe. So I started looking in the $1200 range. Then you pop up.with this. I also realize that once a log is close to being balanced, it doesnt require as much HP - the gouge becomes a slicer rather than a chopping ax. 
I will be giving it a lot of thought. 
Thanks again.


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## holtzdreher (Jul 20, 2016)

Rather than fuss with expense of a Lath capable of all speeds, you might want to consider a primary lathe and a second lathe for slow speed rounding till balanced tasks. I can't remember what forum I saw it on, A guy took an old 1920's industrial lathe headstock and mounted it as a bowl lathe using a jack shaft to reduce the speeds. He got the thing down to something like 38 RPMS and could boost it up to just under 300. Even better, the spindle threads were the same size, so he could just shift the face plate to the modern lathe when the piece was balanced. .I bought an old wooden ways lathe from the same era for $10 and I think I may do the same thing. i.s. mount the cast iron head stock on a heavy bench for use as a bowl lathe until the blanks are balanced. . ..


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

I barely have room for one lathe. Even at that, it will be a tight squeeze. I refuse to encroach on any more floor space as long as I can help it. Two lathes, while great idea is just too much for my shop.


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## Mason Mia (Apr 13, 2021)

Nice Creative 😍😍


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

@Dave McCann

I wonder if I could impose on you one more time.
Tech Support at Grizzly told me that they have a Lathe Stand D4657 for $196 which seems reasonable. However, I learned to not trust Tech Support. When you have a chance, can you tell me what the spacing dimensions are for the 4 mounting bolts? 
I think their lathe stand D4657 might be a tad too short in length. 
Also if you have any photos pf the wooen stand you built.
Thanks in Advance


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## Dave McCann (Jun 21, 2020)

Tony B said:


> @Dave McCann
> 
> I wonder if I could impose on you one more time.
> Tech Support at Grizzly told me that they have a Lathe Stand D4657 for $196 which seems reasonable. However, I learned to not trust Tech Support. When you have a chance, can you tell me what the spacing dimensions are for the 4 mounting bolts?
> ...


Tony,
I sent you a message (conversation).


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

Dave McCann said:


> Tony,
> I sent you a message (conversation).


Thanks Dave. I just needed some reassurance that a wooden stand would work. 
I'm still leaning toward the Nova 1624 even though the price differential is is staggering. I was initially concerned about the 3/4 Hp. My SIL now has my last Jet lathe and I couldn't remember the HP rating. I wanted to make a comparison because I did a lot of work with it and figured that that would be my minimum standard. I was surprised when he told me it was 3/4 HP. And* that* is what put the Grizz back in the running. 
By the time I get some chucks and bowl gouges I will still be way under $2K total with the Grizz. 
Right now I dont have time for a lathe so it will be on hold till at least the fall and after Hurricane Season. 

Thanks a bunch for all of your help.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

I am also looking at the Laguna 12 16. Main attractive features to me are 1HP and low end speed of 50 RPM. 
Dont really know for sure how slow I would like it to go. I could save a bunch of money on that Grizz that Dave has, which has an attractive price tag. 
I think maybe later on this week or early next week, I will take a trip to WoodCraft Houston SW just to look at a lathe and see how slow 250 RPM looks. That could be the determining factor.

The Grizz with the stand would be around $850. The Laguna Revo with the stand will be about $1350. 
Thats quite a difference. I could get a bowl chuck and some tools for the Grizz for the same price as the Laguna Lathe only. Tough decision.


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## Bob Bengal (Jan 2, 2021)

Tony B said:


> I think maybe later on this week or early next week, I will take a trip to WoodCraft Houston SW just to look at a lathe and see how slow 250 RPM looks.


When I'm trying to imagine what a RPM is like I often convert it to revolutions per second, in this case 4.2. Something 14" diameter has a circumference of 44", at those revolutions a speed of 183" per second. Like something 1/3 the diameter turning at 750 RPM.


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## sanchez (Feb 18, 2010)

I have the Rikon 70-220VSR, but I've used that Laguna 1216 at Rockler for a bowl turning class. I really liked it. I would buy one if I was in the market for a lathe right now.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

There is a big difference in perception with a spinning 12" disk to be a platter and a 12" unbalanced log 10" long log to become a bowl. Turning a plate/platter which is fairly balanced symmetrically and weight-wise, I would start turning at a fairly high rate of speed and finish off at the highest speed the lathe will go. On the other hand, even at a speed of 600 RPM, the log will be quite intimidating. My lathe will start dancing. and the sound and wind produced by the log can be quite scary. Even when the bowl is finished, the weight/mass is still not balanced due to bark inclusions and varying density.


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