As far as woodworking machines go, a lathe is a character unlike any other. It is the singular machine that, along with its operator’s skill of craft and a small selection of cutters, allows the operator to create art from a singular piece of wood. No other woodworking machine can do that- table saw, jointer, planer, drill press… even a router can’t. Lathes are far more personal and a lot less… utilitarian than any other woodworking machine, and even many human-powered tools.
A recent forum discussion on searching for one’s “last lathe” got me to thinking, in particular about my last lathe. I’ve been a hobby-turning craftsman since 1995, almost 29 years. I started with what today is considered a small lathe (12” swing, and there were few that got much bigger back then without being a gap-bed), and it was a really bad machine. After a couple years I moved “up” to a smaller (10” swing) lathe of far greater quality, and my woodturning joy blossomed. A few years later I had the opportunity to swim in the deep waters and I bought a 24” swing machine of the highest caliber. For a long time, that wonderful Clydesdale of a lathe did everything I asked it to do and it did it with perfection. A few years later its “little brothers” of the brand found their ways to my shop (same quality, smaller sizes), and in time I found I gravitated to using the smaller machines more than the larger machine. My turning interests, for several reasons, were smaller than larger. Today, I own only one lathe, a 16” swing short bed Vicmarc VL200. (A large lathe by 1990’s standards, medium today.) In a few months it will be joined by the 6th lathe of my "career", a Oneway 1224 with bed extension, so I can do longer spindle work. Between the two machines, I will be pleased and satisfied. Last lathe... ha!
The moral of my story, for me (and maybe for a few others out there), is that a high-quality lathe that serves all of your wants and needs may not necessarily be a lathe of the largest physical capacity (combined with its expense). I wholly endorse buying the highest quality machine your budget can afford (even if you have to save for a while longer), but before you start searching for that “last lathe”, understand a couple things:
1- In reality, it may not be your last lathe. My “last lathe” certainly wasn’t, and I finally sold it a couple years ago.
2- Even though you can’t possibly know where your turning interests will be in the future, really do your homework, have a conversation with yourself over many days and weeks, talk with your turning buddies about how large of a machine you not only want, but need. Find photos, and real-life samples, of work that interests you, and determine how large of a machine you’d need to make something similar. Ask yourself where your real turning interests lie now, and if they might be there, or elsewhere, down the road.
Giant bowls and deep hollow vessels may be a challenge to make and provide great satisfaction, but will you still want to make them after you make 10 or 15? (Maybe you will.) Where will you find good quality large wood? (Maybe this is not an issue for you.) Who wants the large finished pieces, either received as gifts, or to be bought from you as you make your living (as in a profession, or as in simple cash flow for your hobby. Maybe you do have a market for large turnings.) What will they be used for? What will become of them down the road? Recently, somewhere, I came across something where the crafter/artist asked themselves if their work could be destined to be an unwanted $5 item at a garage sale in a few years. It made them refine what they make and how they market it to the world, and they are happy and content with their decision. Do you think that may be more likely with large, cumbersome-sized work vs. small pieces that can easily be enjoyed and incorporated into the life of the recipient?
Some truths:
1- A large lathe can do everything a smaller one can, but not the opposite.
2- Hmmm, that’s not entirely true, a smaller lathe can do everything a large lathe can, the work is just on a smaller scale, but not of lesser quality, aesthetic, or appeal.
3- Reasonably-sized wood of usable quality is usually easier to find than large pieces for 15” bowls.
4- A high quality, smaller capacity lathe will cost less than the same quality large lathe, leaving cash available for other needs in your craft.
5- If your woodturning is a hobby and your greatest joy comes from giving a heart-felt piece of art to someone close to you, is a 4” diameter piece going to be treasured less than a 14” diameter piece?
6- For a majority of turners, expensive 2 and 3 horsepower motors are simply not needed. My 1 to 1.5hp motors (1.5 on the 24” lathe) proved that for many years with many projects.
I have a 16” albatross, err… I mean bowl, that I made from a 20" log- it sits (barely) on top of a bookcase, and it serves no purpose at all, functionally or even as art. The “wow factor” for others lasts about 5 seconds. It does not fit in anywhere in our home. I may as well give it a Viking funeral in the neighborhood pond. In retrospect I could have used that piece of log to make a lot of smaller pieces of art that would be treasured far more in my home and elsewhere. A 10” bowl will tastefully hold several pieces of fruit on your dining table, and it will fit in with its surroundings. A 5” bowl will hold a bag of your favorite candy. A 3” diameter hollow vessel will hold a very nice arrangement of dried plant life on a side table or desk.
If you want and need the largest capacity lathe, by all means, buy it, use it and love it. I understand, and there is no need to defend your decision. If you want it, but your reality says you don’t need it, then don’t feel obligated to buy that $5000-8000 tank of a lathe, for any perceived reason.
Thanks for your time and consideration, and I hope it helps those in the future who will be asking themselves about their “last lathe”.
A recent forum discussion on searching for one’s “last lathe” got me to thinking, in particular about my last lathe. I’ve been a hobby-turning craftsman since 1995, almost 29 years. I started with what today is considered a small lathe (12” swing, and there were few that got much bigger back then without being a gap-bed), and it was a really bad machine. After a couple years I moved “up” to a smaller (10” swing) lathe of far greater quality, and my woodturning joy blossomed. A few years later I had the opportunity to swim in the deep waters and I bought a 24” swing machine of the highest caliber. For a long time, that wonderful Clydesdale of a lathe did everything I asked it to do and it did it with perfection. A few years later its “little brothers” of the brand found their ways to my shop (same quality, smaller sizes), and in time I found I gravitated to using the smaller machines more than the larger machine. My turning interests, for several reasons, were smaller than larger. Today, I own only one lathe, a 16” swing short bed Vicmarc VL200. (A large lathe by 1990’s standards, medium today.) In a few months it will be joined by the 6th lathe of my "career", a Oneway 1224 with bed extension, so I can do longer spindle work. Between the two machines, I will be pleased and satisfied. Last lathe... ha!
The moral of my story, for me (and maybe for a few others out there), is that a high-quality lathe that serves all of your wants and needs may not necessarily be a lathe of the largest physical capacity (combined with its expense). I wholly endorse buying the highest quality machine your budget can afford (even if you have to save for a while longer), but before you start searching for that “last lathe”, understand a couple things:
1- In reality, it may not be your last lathe. My “last lathe” certainly wasn’t, and I finally sold it a couple years ago.
2- Even though you can’t possibly know where your turning interests will be in the future, really do your homework, have a conversation with yourself over many days and weeks, talk with your turning buddies about how large of a machine you not only want, but need. Find photos, and real-life samples, of work that interests you, and determine how large of a machine you’d need to make something similar. Ask yourself where your real turning interests lie now, and if they might be there, or elsewhere, down the road.
Giant bowls and deep hollow vessels may be a challenge to make and provide great satisfaction, but will you still want to make them after you make 10 or 15? (Maybe you will.) Where will you find good quality large wood? (Maybe this is not an issue for you.) Who wants the large finished pieces, either received as gifts, or to be bought from you as you make your living (as in a profession, or as in simple cash flow for your hobby. Maybe you do have a market for large turnings.) What will they be used for? What will become of them down the road? Recently, somewhere, I came across something where the crafter/artist asked themselves if their work could be destined to be an unwanted $5 item at a garage sale in a few years. It made them refine what they make and how they market it to the world, and they are happy and content with their decision. Do you think that may be more likely with large, cumbersome-sized work vs. small pieces that can easily be enjoyed and incorporated into the life of the recipient?
Some truths:
1- A large lathe can do everything a smaller one can, but not the opposite.
2- Hmmm, that’s not entirely true, a smaller lathe can do everything a large lathe can, the work is just on a smaller scale, but not of lesser quality, aesthetic, or appeal.
3- Reasonably-sized wood of usable quality is usually easier to find than large pieces for 15” bowls.
4- A high quality, smaller capacity lathe will cost less than the same quality large lathe, leaving cash available for other needs in your craft.
5- If your woodturning is a hobby and your greatest joy comes from giving a heart-felt piece of art to someone close to you, is a 4” diameter piece going to be treasured less than a 14” diameter piece?
6- For a majority of turners, expensive 2 and 3 horsepower motors are simply not needed. My 1 to 1.5hp motors (1.5 on the 24” lathe) proved that for many years with many projects.
I have a 16” albatross, err… I mean bowl, that I made from a 20" log- it sits (barely) on top of a bookcase, and it serves no purpose at all, functionally or even as art. The “wow factor” for others lasts about 5 seconds. It does not fit in anywhere in our home. I may as well give it a Viking funeral in the neighborhood pond. In retrospect I could have used that piece of log to make a lot of smaller pieces of art that would be treasured far more in my home and elsewhere. A 10” bowl will tastefully hold several pieces of fruit on your dining table, and it will fit in with its surroundings. A 5” bowl will hold a bag of your favorite candy. A 3” diameter hollow vessel will hold a very nice arrangement of dried plant life on a side table or desk.
If you want and need the largest capacity lathe, by all means, buy it, use it and love it. I understand, and there is no need to defend your decision. If you want it, but your reality says you don’t need it, then don’t feel obligated to buy that $5000-8000 tank of a lathe, for any perceived reason.
Thanks for your time and consideration, and I hope it helps those in the future who will be asking themselves about their “last lathe”.
. It all started big, way too big, my big lathe could swing 1m and 1.5m between centres. What was I thinking? Seriously, now I have no idea. But its all boiled down to one lathe that is an amalgam of both considerable smaller than when I began. My last lathe will be what ever I have in the shop when I pass
