Do you like to do handicraft work in your free time and want to develop small rotating bodies from different materials? Then a lathe can be just the right model for you. With such a lathe you can, for example, clamp wood or glass in the lathe and then process these materials without major problems. In any case, it is important for successful work that the lathe is powerful so that you can work on it for a longer period of time.
To make the decision a little easier for you, we have created a suitable checklist for you. In this, you will find all the important information on the subject of woodturning lathes. Afterward, you can also take a look at our product recommendations. There you can compare many different woodturning lathes.
- To effortlessly produce rotary bodies from a wide variety of materials, a woodturning machine needs a powerful motor. For simpler work, such as model making, a power of about 100 to 200 watts is sufficient. Most woodturning machines have a power of about 300 to 400 watts. With this, you can perform a variety of DIY tasks. For hardwood or professional use, you should go for a woodturning machine with a power capacity of at least 500, better even 700 watts.
- The faster the workpiece turns, the faster you can work. But faster is not always better. For smaller workpieces and softwood, a high speed is recommended. For larger parts and hard material, you should choose a throttled power. Therefore, you should make sure that the lathe allows the widest possible speed control. The offer ranges from 4-stage to 10-stage to a stepless regulation option.
- The speed of most devices is between 2,000 and 3,800 revolutions per minute.
- How large the diameter of the workpieces maybe depends on the headstock height, and the possible workpiece length in turn depends on the distance between the tailstock and the headstock. The greater the distance, the larger the pieces you can machine. Usually, you can clamp workpieces with a length of 250 to 1,100 millimeters. It is practical if the lathe can be extended. This allows you to machine longer pieces as well. For model making, 250 mm is absolutely sufficient, if you want to turn a post for the stairs or a chair leg, you need at least 500 mm.
- The weight of the lathe plays a big role in how stable it is. The heavier the lathe, the more secure the stand and the larger the workpieces you can work on. A good stand also ensures a correspondingly smooth running. Depending on the model, lathes can weigh anywhere from about 5 kg to well over 90 kg.
Table of contents
Recommended Woodturning Lathes
Here you can find the top 7 most popular woodturning lathes.
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The Best Sellers Of Woodturning Lathes
We have compiled the most popular woodturning lathes for you in this bestseller list.
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Current Offers For Woodturning Lathes
Here you will find a selection of current offers for woodturning lathes.
FAQ about woodturning lathes
You can clamp different materials in a lathe and work on them to produce rotary bodies. For example, you can work with wood or glass. The lathe is quite solid and therefore has a good stability
Before buying, you should first pay attention to the quality of the lathe. Metal models are recommended because they are very durable, among other things. If you are not yet so confident in using a lathe, you should first opt for a smaller model. This way, you can first practice using the machine and first clamp soft materials (for example, wood).
You can make many different things with a lathe, which resemble a body of rotation. These include, for example, bowls, a candlestick, or even vases.
A high-quality wood lathe can cost up to 300 euros or more.
A wood lathe can weigh between 5 and 90 kilograms. So before you buy, you should always make sure that you have the appropriate space or stand options so that you can safely set up the lathe.
A wood lathe can be very powerful if it has an appropriate motor. The power should therefore be between 300 and 400 watts so that you can use the lathe well. For very hard materials, even a power of 700 watts can be useful.
A high speed is recommended, because you can process the material much faster. Especially with soft workpieces, this is therefore useful. For hard materials, however, the speed should not be too high. So that you can always optimally adjust the speed yourself, the wood lathe should have a regulation function. Often a wood lathe reaches 2000 to 3800 revolutions per minute.
You can usually clamp materials between 250 and 1,100 millimeters. Many lathes also have the option of expansion, which is quite practical as you can use different sized workpieces. For larger turning work (for example, a chair leg), the diameter should be about 500 mm, so you can work well. Basically, you should base the length and size of the piece on the headstock height.
You should wear the right protective clothing so that you do not injure yourself. This includes, for example, gloves, safety goggles, and a protective mask so that you do not inhale any toxic substances or dust.
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