# my first piece of FBE



## brandon (Sep 16, 2014)

So I just received a package from Kevin of some bearings for one of my projects and to my surprise he include an FBE blank and while I'm sitting here admiring it I'm thinking to myself that I really want a lathe now and I happen to know where I can get one for $100 or less I just don't know anything about them I'm going to see if I can get some pics of it and post them and I would like some input if you ladies and gents wouldn't mind

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kevin (Sep 16, 2014)

brandon said:


> So I just received a package from Kevin of some bearings for one of my projects and to my surprise he include an FBE blank and while I'm sitting here admiring it I'm thinking to myself that I really want a lathe now and I happen to know where I can get one for $100 or less I just don't know anything about them I'm going to see if I can get some pics of it and post them and I would like some input if you ladies and gents wouldn't mind



You are thanking me now, but you'll be cursing me $10.000 from now. 

 

Since this is really a thread where you're asking for input on a lathe I'll move it to the general woodturning forum - you'll get more exposure there.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 2 | Funny 3


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## brandon (Sep 16, 2014)

Oh ok thanks


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## Sprung (Sep 16, 2014)

$100 for a lathe can be a real good deal, depending on the lathe. Does it come with any tools, chucks, or any other accessories? Post some pics and you'll certainly get some knowledgable people to chime in on whether or not it's a good lathe or a good buy.

I'm a new turner myself and I will say this: the lathe is the cheapest part of turning. My lathe was given to me, but since I received it almost a year ago I've spend at least a few hundred, probably a little more than that, on a starter set of lathe tools, a low end chuck, a pen mandrel, faceplates, centers, and various other things. I didn't buy all those things at once - but a little bit here and there as I had the money to. That also assumes you've also got a way to sharpen the tools. Sharpening jigs can be made from scrap wood that is laying around, but add on the cost for a bench grinder too if you don't have one yet.

Congrats on getting a piece of Kevin's FBE! I've got some myself that I've been hanging on to for almost a year now waiting until I'm confident enough to turn a bowl out of the largest piece of it I've got. I haven't turned any bowls yet, but once I do and get a few under my belt, I'll be mounting that piece up on the lathe...


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## MikeMD (Sep 16, 2014)

Brandon, you think Kevin is kidding, don't you? Yeah, $100 could be a steal, but it could also be a waste of time and money. Bottom line, there are things you want and don't want in a lathe...no matter who you are. Not that no one turns on a tube lathe, but you don't "want" one. So, if the lathe you are considering is a tube lathe (Ridgid and others), don't get it. The problem with 'old' lathes (1950's Deltas, for example) isn't that they were bad, but rather they were really spindle lathes that 'could' turn bowls. Unfortunately, their lowest speed is WAY too fast for anything over about 7-8", even though it has a 12" swing. Now there are many thing you WANT in a lathe...even if you don't know it yet. You WANT variable speed (with a knob). You WANT a larger swing than 12" (even though you don't have wood for that...yet). You WANT more than 1 1/2 hp (though that would be an upgrade from most 12" lathes and sounds like it would be enough).

The best advice I can give you is to take a lesson. Woodcraft, if you have one close enough to you, is a great place to take a class. That will give you an introduction to lathe turning. From there, I would join a local (or as local as you can find...1 hour away really isn't all that bad in the long run) turning club. Clubs are listed on AAW's website. At the club, you can find a mentor...someone that will take you under his/her wing and guide you. From that person and others in the club, you can find out and get a feel for what will suit your needs, and what is in your budget. By taking a class (likely you'll turn on a mini/midi lathe...probably Jet), and by getting mentored (might get to turn on a Jet 1642 or maybe even a PM3520), you'll get the feel for different lathes. One club that I'm a member of has a member that actually hosts turning at his home for any member that wants to come...every Monday night. He has 4 or 5 lathes. So, everyone that shows pretty much gets a chance to turn.

My point is that there is a LOT to learn, know, and figure out about lathes and which one will fit you. I went through a few myself, and wish I had listened to others that pretty much said the above advice (in not so much detail...). I would have saved a LOT of time, and a bunch of money.

Hey, I'd still like to see what lathe you are going to look at. It might be a really nice mini/midi that, even if it isn't your lathe of choice for the long haul, might be a great second lathe to keep around. Just about every serious turner I know has at least least a mini/midi as a second lathe. And the second lathe is usually a mini for turning small items like pens or bottle stoppers or finials (tall pointy things on the top of hollow forms).

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## SENC (Sep 17, 2014)

MikeMD said:


> Just about every serious turner I know has at least one lathe.



Just curious, Mike, but what do the serious turners without a lathe turn on?

Brandon, notwithstanding Mike's faux pas, he gives some good advice. If you have decent access to Woodcraft, and AAW club, and/or other turners... use them! I was the other guy... didn't have access (that I knew about at the time), so just bought a lathe and started learning. (I did, though, buy and read a few books befoe buying so I wouldn't screw up too bad.) I don't regret it, but I would be more proficient and efficient had I learned the right way to do things.

I'm not as opposed to tubes or other less than ideal lathes - if you use it for a year or two, love turning, and choose to upgrade, you eitther hace a 2nd backup lathe or something you can likely sell for close to the $100 you have I it,. I think the biggest matter is knowing how you mount the work-holding tools (chucks, drives, etc.) to the lathe. If MT2 tapers on head and tailstocks and 1"×8tpi thread on the headstock, then the tools you buy will almost certainly work on future lathe upgrades, either directly or with readily available adaptors.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## brandon (Sep 17, 2014)

The reason I am considering this particular lathe is because it belongs to my wife's uncle and it is being stored at his daughters house along with two other lathes. She was just going to give it to me to free up some of her storage space (my wife says its pretty big) but he wasn't having that lol. He said I could have it for a little cash. I'm going to see if she will send some pics today. Thanks guys


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## MikeMD (Sep 17, 2014)

Hehe, Henry, that's pretty funny. I bet I had you scratching your head on that one... I fixed it. Thanks for pointing that out. What was in my head didn't translate to paper (in this case virtual paper) well.


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## MikeMD (Sep 17, 2014)

Well, I for one, am looking forward to seeing what lathe it is. Could be a gem. Could be like someone giving you a car for $100...then it takes you $2000 to get it on the road. Wasn't the deal you though it was. I mention this because there are lathes with variable speed (manual) called a Reeves drive. Some manufacturers made good ones (Powermatic, for example), others make less than stellar ones that are frustrating, hard (if not impossible to fix), and could be hazardous. I know a turner that wanted to get rid of his lathe that had a Reeves drive. A buddy of his wanted to buy it, but the first guy wouldn't sell it to him. It was a dud. Some Delta and Grizzly lathes had really bad ones. Again, I'm looking forward to what you might be getting for $100. And I really hope that it'll work out.


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