Wood Lathes: A Buyer’s Guide

Two of the main things that anyone buying a wood lathe should seriously consider are how much they want to spend on this type of power tool and how often they will be using it. Another important consideration is what size of lathe do you need for the projects that you will be using it for. As any experienced user of a wood lathe will tell you, you are able to turn small pieces of wood on a big lathe but the reverse is not strictly true. What is a must for any lathe, regardless of how big or small it is, is the mass that it has.

After all, a strong and robust platform is required in order to be able to turn a piece of wood effectively. It is for this reason that pretty much all models have a solid cast iron base, as they have the effect of dampening the vibrations that are produced when this type of power tool is in operation. So that your access to the piece of wood that you are working on is not impeded at all, the legs on the stand should be a concave shape. When it comes to the headstock, all of the bearings on it should be sealed so that they can withstand the stresses caused by it.

Similarly, the headstock should be hollow so that it allows for the easy removal of a driving centre. When it comes to power, the lathe should have sufficient power for the types of jobs that you will be using it for. It should also come with an NVR switch. The pulley belts that transmit the speed of the motor up to the headstock should be easy to change and require little effort to maintain in order to keep in good working order. With bigger and heavier lathes it is typically the case that the headstock will slide and even swivel around.

Because using a wood lathe can potentially be dangerous, it is vitally important that the power tool comes with a number of different healthy and safety features, and that you use it correctly in order to avoid harm. Therefore, you should look out for those models that come with an emergency stop button and a moveable control box. So that you are not breathing in all of the dust generated when working with wood, a lathe with a dust extraction system is also something that you should look out for.

Knowing all of this information, you should be well informed as to what particular model of wood lathe you should buy. For an insight into some of the better ones that are currently available on the market, you should read the following article: Best Tool Reviews - best wood lathe. Here you will be presented with wood lathes at varying price points and made by different power tool manufacturers so that you can find a power tool that meets all of the requirements that you may have.