It’s a bit of both. 
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Here I was thinkin I could play the system. Yup, a 30min drive to the store is definitely worth saving $60.
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What a great example of how great this community is. The knowledge being shared here is a testament to the many who have spent both time and money to share these lessons learned with those willing to listen.
Very nice to see.
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Just got back from Rockler. Bought the lathe and it should arrive sometime within the next couple weeks. Picked up the tail stock center and drill chuck though while I was there.
The guy working there suggested i don’t get the set of mini tools that were on sale and instead check out Simple Wood Turning Tools online. Or at least research them before getting the mini Rockler set.
Thanks again for all the help and advice!
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@vegabomb I’m looking at this set of tools but I’m a little confused about which simple rougher type to get. There’s a few different options.
Well Crap… Now I need to get a lathe…
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Yeah this thread makes me want one too but I don’t have those funds right now.
@GnarlyCharlie iif you don’t mind me asking all in what was the damage?
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The lathe plus the center and drill chuck was $412. The tools are going to be another $200 or so it looks like.
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For now, I will live vicariously through Mr. Charlie.
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People don’t buy Harbor Freight for precision.
They buy Harbor Freight to save money.
Think of it this way> Two different lathes can have the Exact same dimensional specs and power ratings……. But, the metallurgical specs can be waaaaaay different.
What does that mean? Simple>
Several things you look for in a good lathe: power, durability, precision and repeatability, etc.
Better lathes have higher grade metal treatments to all parts prone to ‘wear’.
Two feed screws(for example) can looks the same, but one is treated with a hardening process and/or alloyed to minimize dimensional wear.
As lower quality parts wear against each other, there is more play/slop that adversely effect precision and repeatability.
Fortunately, except for a few exotic woods, most all wood you will be cutting up are easier to cut than any ferrous or nonferrous metals.
Even with very good cutting tools, cutting metals(for example) can cause ‘deflection’. If you turn too fast or make deep cuts in metal, it can flex the lathe parts and your results can be inconsistent.
Cutting woods and trying to remove less material and at the proper speeds, allows for more suitable results.
Over the years, I’ve never liked when in conversation a person telling me that they don’t really need a high-quality lathe because they’re only turning wood. There is a little truth to that, and not much more. I sure wouldn’t lean on that as a rationale to buy an inexpensive.m lathe.
My course of action would be to buy the best quality lathe Within your budget that would actually be suitable for cutting metal if necessary. That way if you get a decent one it’s gonna be sturdier right off the bat so the sucker doesn’t pop a cork when you’re trying to rough cut a piece of ebony or teakwood, L O L…
Here’s a suggestion…. If you have a Barnes & Noble bookstore in your area, go in and ask the people at the information counter if they have magazines on woodcutting?
Usually there are magazines that have titles like ‘Turning Wood’, and similar type titles. You’d be amazed at how many people actually Turnwood to make things like pots and cups and table, legs, banister, spindles wooden bowls, etc. etc. etc. There are a bunch of people that spin wood on lays and make things. And obviously, there are guys on this forum like Glen, for example, Who is the Woodturning mastermind.
I haven’t read the majority of replies in this thread, so it is possible that spin worthy has already jumped in and told you what you need to know. I’m at my shop right now doing talk to text and just trying to give you a little bit of insight for somebody that’s been cutting things up for a half a century. My specialty isn’t wood and you’ll never hear me say that it is… But I know people that Cut wood and I know what it takes to cut wood.
I also know that the majority of people are on a budget. Especially if they’re just starting their woodcutting adventure, they can’t just go out and spend a couple grand on a turnkey operation.
But that being said, there is a whole lot of difference between spending $200 or something you’re going to struggle with and spending $500-$1000 on something that’s gonna work with you towards your goal to accomplish something that will spin on the end of the string.
When you’re starting to learn how to cut yo-yos made out of wood, that in itself is a challenge. Working with equipment that you have to struggle to get results that compounds the challenge.
Contact John Gates, if you can? You can find him on Instagram or Facebook or whatever? That guy is a Woodturning freak. And he has been for two or three decades. He might have some good advice for you on what not to get.
Here’s the bottom line… don’t jump into woodcutting by just buying something that you think will work. because there’s a good chance that if you don’t do your homework and you just buy something, it’s not gonna be as magical as you think. And then you’re still gonna be nowhere and sitting on a piece of junk.
Good luck.
PS…… I just scrolled up several inches and noticed that Vega bomb has been telling you some stuff. He is another very knowledgeable, wood, freak. Even though I don’t know what kind of rig he has, I have one of his caveman wooden yo-yos, and it’s a thing of beauty to look at and to play. he’s been cutting wood for years and he definitely knows what to use. If I would’ve noticed beforehand that he jumped into this thread to help you out, I would’ve saved my breath and just continued on a project that I’ve been working on.
Regardless… If you have the patience to read my reply, you may get something out of it.
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You want the 90 degree one.
You need that to face your halves on the lathe to make sure the inner wall is dead flat as well as thw outer face if you are turning a simple butterfly design.
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Good points for sure. Normally, I would totally agree that high-quality is the way to go. It is not only better performance; the machine will also hold value much better.
But in this case the OP seems like they are just starting out. In this case, buying a lower-quality machine, while not ideal, will give the OP a chance to see if they are interested enough to justify buying something better. Making sure that buying something new and better makes sense avoids being left with a really high-quality boat anchor.
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An entry level lathe is just fine for starting out to make yoyos. It just needs to be made of cast iron and bought from a reputable wood working store.
I wouldn’t advise buying high quality at the start and I certainly don’t suggest you do what YoYoDoc said and buy something that can cut metal. Metal lathes are for metals, wood lathes are for wood.
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Thank you for this thought out reply. I definitely share the same sentiment of buying quality and buying once. I’ve learned my lesson before when it comes to Harbor Freight. Bought a biscuit joiner a couple years ago and it was off by 10°. Now I only shop there if I’m content with whatever I get breaking after a dozen uses.
I hung out at Rockler yesterday for a couple hours. Spoke with a few people, and after looking at all the specs and material, they thought this would a good starter lathe for turning yo-yo’s. One guy at the shop overheard me asking about it and chimed in that his wife recently got him one and he’s been turning small bowls on it and loves it. The instructor that was teaching when I went in also mentioned that this lathe should be more than capable for learning to turn small objects such as yo-yos.
Ultimately though, I understand it’s an inexpensive lathe, and I’m sure it’s not something that I will pass down to my children and they will pass down to theirs. But for $300 I’ll be more than satisfied if it produces a few dozen practice yo-yo’s while I learn. If it breaks on me after that and I’m still really interested in learning, the next one I buy will be one that can stand the text of time.
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With that kind of attitude you’ll go far.
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Is it worth it to also get a radius cutter you think, or is the 90° square cutter good for the majority of the rougher cuts?
If you are getting a circular carbide scraper as well, you will want the 90 degree one to go with it. The majority of your turning can be achieved with just the 90 degree scraper. The circular one will be useful for adding other details such as dimples.
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I see, ok. So even the butterfly type beveled inside is something you’d do using the 90?
Most definitely. That would be the easiest way.
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Great, thank you for all the info! I’m sure a lot of this will become readily apparent once I start turning, but knowing some stuff in advance will help save some money.
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