I convinced myself that I want to get into wood turning, and almost bought a Rikon midi lathe, model 70-1516VSRK.
Frankly, I still might.
ToolGuyd has some unspent equipment funds for the year, and I’ve considered this Rikon lathe before.
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There are a few projects I’d like to make – mainly round trays and cylindrical-shaped objects, and a lathe is the easiest tool.
I’ve done my research and this is the same model that I short-listed last year.
Rikon is known for good quality, good customer service, and this machine offers ample power, convenient variable and adjustable speed, and it ships with a chuck you can add different jaws to, rather than it being a separate purchase.
I figured I’d get this and a universal stand. If the lathe deserved permanent floor space, I’d build a mobile cart.
I’ve tested a midi-size lathe before (wasn’t a fan of the machine quality). This size isn’t light, but I know I can lift and move it to a shelf.
So, I figured I’d pull it out for projects and put it away in between.
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However, wood turning has a learning curve – am I ready to revisit that?
Just as I was about to place an order, I asked myself 2 questions. Is there something else I need right now instead? Is this something I like the idea of, or something I will really get into?
I’ve already got my hands full, and so this is going on the “maybe in a few months” list.
I bring this up because it’s a common trap to fall into.
At this time, I’m looking to downgrade from a SawStop cabinet table saw. I purchased it fully knowing its time in my workshop would be limited, but I thought I would be moving to a sliding saw. Instead, I want to move back to a jobsite saw that I can pull outside when needed.
The SawStop has more power, a nicer fence, larger table, and works with full-size accessories such as miter gauges. However, I have a pending project that requires ripping 6ft and 8ft boards, and haven’t been able to clear the space for it. So what’s the point of having a full-size cabinet table saw if it sees less use than a portable jobsite-type table saw?
I can find the space for a wood lathe, and ToolGuyd’s sample budget can accommodate it. But how much time will it really take to get into? Am I ready for the skill-building work right now?
It feels like I made a very grown-up decision to hold off. The Rikon with Z3 chuck is still at the top of my list.
“What’s a midi lathe?” See: There are 3 Sizes of Wood Lathes
Jared
Wood turning is fun – and messy. And a little dangerous. It includes way more purchases than just the lathe though. For one thing, you’ll need some chisels – and then you’re hit with the next big choice: HSS or carbide.
HSS tools are cheaper, but then you need the skill and accessories to sharpen them quickly and well. E.g. do you already have a Tormek or are you willing to at least buy a sharpening guide for a bench grinder? Are you skilled and diligent enough to just use diamond stones to do it by hand?
If not, then carbide is better – but those tools cost more and you’ll need to buy consumables. I would probably just go this route if I was starting over.
Will that lathe let you turn the diameter of object you want to make?
Then you’ll need finishes, sandpaper, protective gear, a vacuum setup (unless you’re comfortable with chips and dust everywhere), drill chuck, etc. Plus you’ll use all kinds of other tools in the process (which I realize you likely already have anyway). E.g. drill press, bench grinder, belt sander, etc.
I’m not trying to dissuade you. A wood lathe gives you options you wouldn’t otherwise have. I’ve used mine to make the odd metal piece too. It’s fun – and it feels like you can make something fast.
I’ve heard people give the advice that you should get the largest lathe you can right from the get go, because the weight and capacity are things you’ll appreciate over time. It’s not that I think that’s untrue, but I have only a small benchtop and a medium bolt-down lathe and I think it’s perfectly reasonable to start small. It’s the sort of thing you’ll only regret if you decide this is your true calling and you really wish you could turn large things.
frobo
A second chuck is also highly recommended. It’s much faster to change chucks than to reconfigure a chuck’s jaws from internal to external and back again.
MM
Good points all around.
Generally speaking I am a big believer in heavy stationary machinery. In fact right now I am finishing up the stand I built for my new belt-and-disc combo sander. I sourced materials at the local recycling yard: a semi-truck wheel rim, piece of 8″ oil well casing pipe, and some 3/8″ plate steel. The stand weighed about 200 lbs before I dumped a sack of play sand in the pipe.
However in this case I agree with you and I think you can actually do a lot with a fairly light machine. If you’re serious turner and you know you will be using the lathe a lot then absolutely get the heaviest model you can afford but this model is absolutely fine for a beginner. Mass is nowhere near as important for wood turning as it is for metalworking.
I built my wood lathe. I had posted about it and shared some pics on the old Toolguyd forum but I don’t think I can link to that anymore. It’s a modular design with the headstock and tailstock made as two separate pieces. The headstock is powered by a 997 series 48V DC motor and a cheapo 30A DC speed control I bought off Amazon. The motor drives the spindle with a timing belt. Power is two Dewalt batteries wired in series. The idea is that you clamp the two parts to some heavy object which acts as the bed. I normally use the big steel workbench in my welding area but I’ve also used a 6×6 laid across two sawhorses. This way it can accommodate different size workpieces. I spent well under $100 putting it together using easily sourced parts from Amazon & some baltic birch ply.
Here’s my original design:
https://web.archive.org/web/20250328112324/https://discuss.toolguyd.com/t/diy-wood-lathe-idea/3481
I since upgraded that original design to use larger ball bearings & be a little more robust overall but the general idea is the same. If anyone is interested I could Email newer photos to Stuart.
Anyway, it’s been working great for my needs. I had planned on upgrading to a full-size floor-standing lathe if necessary but thus far it’s done everything I needed it to. If you’re not doing big bowls you don’t need a big machine.
You don’t need to spend a lot of money on tooling either, at least not at first. I started with a set of Vevor traditional chisels and a set of “Vinwox” carbide-insert tools. Are any of these the best? Absolutely not. Are they plenty good enough for even intermediate use? Yes. And they’re incredible value for money. My advice is to start with something basic like that and as your needs grow you can add individual tools from higher quality makers. As you upgrade you don’t have to throw the cheapos away–they are still pieces of tool steel with handles, keep them on hand when you need a blank to make custom tooling with.
Shane
I’m interested in your design plans. I’ve been considering a lathe build for awhile now but honestly I know very little about the machine itself. I am a woodworker, mostly using hand tools, but have found myself wanting a life for quite a while now.
Amos Dudley
What does “midi” mean in this context? I can’t have the feeling its a typo and they actually meant “mini lathe”, but it does say it in several places on the website (and exactly once in the manual).
MM
It means this is a “middle size”. A “mini lathe” would be even smaller, something for turning pens and not much else.
Nathan
Midi musical instrument digital interface. Means you can plug your keyboard to it and make a new tube while it turns your piece
.I figure it’s a type too. Mini or maybe mid. As in mid size
Bonnie
Lathes are generally classed into three sizes: Mini, Midi, and Full.
A midi lathe is basically the midpoint where you can do decent sized bowls and spindles (perhaps with an extension for table legs) but won’t be turning huge ornate pillars.
fred
I never got into turning. The times I wanted to incorporate turned part into my furniture making, I either bought ready-made items or “contracted” the work out to a shop I dealt with in our business.
From the little I know about turning – I would expect that you need to get your debris/dust collection system upgrade sorted before acquiring a lathe. My system’s cyclone collector sits atop a 55gal. drum which can fill surprisingly fast – even with less debris-making tools (cabinet saw, planer etc.)
Mike S
Turning is great in the winter if you can’t heat your whole shop.
Rich
How do you feel about used machines? I think that Rikon is an excellent lathe, but it sounds like your shop is a bit space-challenged.
A used Shopsmith would be slightly cheaper, but its main advantage is space savings. It’s very mobile and you could get rid of your drill press (and table saw and bandsaw if you want to aggressively downsize). I bought mine for $500, and it makes a pretty good lathe. (I did hang onto my cabinet saw though, as the Shopsmith saw is a bit of a pain.) The variable speed AC motor is the main difference compared to the Rikon’s DC motor. The horizontal boring feature is (surprisingly) the one I use most, but I also use it quite a bit as a variable speed grinder.
Here’s a wood turning link:
https://thepatriotwoodworker.com/forums/topic/32543-beginning-shopsmith-setup-and-turning/
Stuart
Not a fan of used or refurbished.
Rich
Gotcha — I think that prices the Shopsmith out of the “reasonable” range, as they’re $3,500 new. (US made tools made are expensive! And Shopsmith may have stopped production.)
David
I spent years protesting that turning wasn’t a thing my family did. Eventually, a friend informed me that I needed to buy myself a lathe and they’d apologize if they were wrong.
They were right. And a variable speed, reversible midi is a really nice way to get started. I make a lot of pens and bottle stoppers and if I wanted to make bowls or plates I think I’d want a full size lathe instead – you quickly hit size limits if you get into vessels.
I like to use carbide tools – they’re handy ans they take learning sharpening off the list of skills you have to pick up in parallel. I think that’s a useful shortcut especially as you start. Of note, AZ Carbide is an awesome supplier if you get going.
TLDR: go for it. It’s a fun rabbit hole and a satisfying one.
KokoTheTalkingApe
Stuart, did you rule out the 1420? Slightly larger, slightly more powerful. I’m starting to turn wood too, and the 1420 was recommended to me.
For other people, the good: turning is a uniquely satisfying art. For one thing, you can go from a rough split log to a finished product in a few hours. Also it’s quiet and contemplative. It CAN BE dangerous, but it’s not hard to prevent bad things from happening.
Bad There’s a lot of stuff to buy: lathe, tools (like eight of them, and each one costs more than $50 and as much as double that), chucks, maybe tool rests, etc. And collecting the dust and chips is an issue. The chips might come from right where your hands are, or inside a bowl or vase, etc. I think a lot of people just let the chips land wherever, and then they sweep up afterwards.
What else?
MM
I think that woodturning is actually quite approachable for newbies. There are several inexpensive turning tool sets out there and while they might not be the best they are plenty good for getting started. I started with a Vevor set that cost under $30. I’ve added to the set since but I still use it. If someone would rather buy premium tools I don’t think they need all that many to start. You can do an awful lot with just a skew chisel, part-off, a large gouge suitable for roughing, and a smaller bowl gouge.
Of course you need a lathe, but in my opinion the difference between a cheap and a premium wood-turning lathe is much less than the difference with, say, a drill press or a table saw.
KokoTheTalkingApe
Yeah, cheap tools are available. Was your Vevor set at least high-speed steel?
And you still need the sharpening setup, and ideally it’s an 8″ slow-speed bench grinder, which most people won’t have already. I’ve heard of people hand sharpening their gouges and stuff on stones, but I wouldn’t like to do that, given how often you’ll need to sharpen your tools and the poor results you’re likely to get, at least at the start.
But a plus I forgot to mention is that it’s one of the few ways you can use green wood, fallen limbs and the like. The finished pieces will change shape and maybe crack, so you can live with that, or turn them to rough shape and then let them dry for a year or so, maybe in a bag full of shavings, and then turn to final shape. Or use a wood preservative like PEG, pentacryl or that third one, Frog Juice?
MM
Yes, the Vevor set is high-speed steel. Here’s my old review:
https://web.archive.org/web/20250328085240/https://discuss.toolguyd.com/t/vevor-woodturning-chisel-set-review/3482
That is a good point about needing something to sharpen with though!
I’ve never heard of Frog Juice, though I do know of “Cactus Juice” being used to stabilize punky or partially rotted wood.
KokoTheTalkingApe
lol. Maybe Cactus Juice is what I meant.
But those Vevors look like a bargain! Thanks for the review.
MM
@Koko
Speaking of inexpensive lathe tools, I also purchased a set of “Vinwox” 20 inch full-size carbide insert tools. I paid $50 for the set over a year ago, and it included square, radiused square, round, and diamond tools. This set was also good value, it’s certainly great for anyone who doesn’t want to spend a lot. I do have one gripe with these though: the steel barstock the body of the tools are made from is not very “square” if that makes sense. The flat sides aren’t exactly flat, and the corners have a bit of a radius on them. It’s easy to think this doesn’t matter–after all, the cutting edge is a carbide insert. But it does matter because they don’t sit as firmly against the tool rest as they should. If you’re trying to work with the side or corner of the tool with harder woods there is a tendency for the tool to twist in your hand because there isn’t good support.
They seem to have changed the set as it now costs $60 and has a swan-neck hollowing tool in place of the radiused square tool.
I don’t think the Vinwox carbide tools are an incredible deal the way the Vevor HSS tools were–mainly because once you outgrow them they are probably redundant while the Vevors can always be reground or customized for specialty work–but they are absolutely worth it for a newbie looking to save a few bucks. I griped about the tools not sitting perfectly against the tool rest but it hasn’t been enough of a problem to get me to replace them, and given that you could easily pay several times the price for a name-brand set it’s hard to complain.
Stuart
Based on the size and weight, I’m sure I can move the 12×16 around. The 14×20? It would require more space and I might have to strip it down and then still struggle to move it.
It’s similar to tool cabinets. 26″ x 18″? I can move that around and outside the garage workshop. There are options. Anything 30″ x 25″ or larger is a permanent garage fixture.