I'm thinking about "going over to the dark side" and adding a small wood lathe to my shop repetoire. FWW recently did a head to head comparison of several small/mid size lathes, and the Penn State Turncrafter Commander (with bed extension) caught my eye. I like the power (1 hp), relatively small size, it's variable speed and appears well suited for doing general shop lathe work w/o being either too small(ie underpowered) or too large (bulky and not precise). It seems priced well (around $500.00), and has a good reputation.
The advice that I'm seeking is this: What accessories are considered to be a "must have" for a lathe? I would presume some assortment of tooling, but what about chucks, etc? I don't foresee turning any bowls, so a vacuum chuck is probably not needed, but more likely things such as tool handles (probably the primary use), spindles, legs, etc.
Thanks much.
Scott
12/29/10 UPDATE BELOW!
The Slippery Slope has commenced! I brought home an "as-new" Delta 46-460 tonight thanks to a referral from NCWW member Shamrock! The package even included a set of Wood River turning tools, a pen making kit (mandrell, etc), some turning books and additional tooling! I'll have to see if I can hire Alex to teach me how to use it (or trade him some wood in exchange for tutoring!) All that I need to do is order the extension kit and I'll have a really nice package.
The seller is a super nice fellow named Tom; he's retired military and a great guy to work with. He has a brand new Porter Cable Drill Press and Band saw still for sale, including some nice rolling stands, in case anybody is looking for something along those lines. Check out his post on the Raleigh Craigslist for more info.
I know... no pix, didn't happen, so here is the proof!
The advice that I'm seeking is this: What accessories are considered to be a "must have" for a lathe? I would presume some assortment of tooling, but what about chucks, etc? I don't foresee turning any bowls, so a vacuum chuck is probably not needed, but more likely things such as tool handles (probably the primary use), spindles, legs, etc.
Thanks much.
Scott
12/29/10 UPDATE BELOW!
The Slippery Slope has commenced! I brought home an "as-new" Delta 46-460 tonight thanks to a referral from NCWW member Shamrock! The package even included a set of Wood River turning tools, a pen making kit (mandrell, etc), some turning books and additional tooling! I'll have to see if I can hire Alex to teach me how to use it (or trade him some wood in exchange for tutoring!) All that I need to do is order the extension kit and I'll have a really nice package.
The seller is a super nice fellow named Tom; he's retired military and a great guy to work with. He has a brand new Porter Cable Drill Press and Band saw still for sale, including some nice rolling stands, in case anybody is looking for something along those lines. Check out his post on the Raleigh Craigslist for more info.
I know... no pix, didn't happen, so here is the proof!