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Lathes for a beginner

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Twisted Trees:

--- Quote from: The Bowler Hatted Turner on July 09, 2019, 08:32:28 PM ---There was one lathe that was always put into schools and that was the Union Graduate lathe. Forget all the fancy stuff you can get with very expensive lathes today and buy a Graduate and learn to turn properly. You should be able to get one these days for less than £1000 and it will do all and more than you need for the next 40 years.

--- End quote ---

Very good lathe, but specific workshop requirements, and possibly inappropriate for model makers.

Derwent Woodturning club:
I recommend all beginners to woodturning split their budget into three. None of us has an unlimied budget so I find this works quite well.

One third goes on the lathe, one third goes on tools and required equipment - sharpening, dust extraction, PPE etc, and the final third on sundries - wood, abrasives, finishes, glues, and the equipment to use and apply these.

It is a rule of thumb so not hard and fast but all too often I come across students who have spent virtually all their budget on the lathe, and then struggle with cheap tools, often blunt as they don't have a good means of sharpening them.

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