question about a sip lathe?

i am going to get a sip 1 metre wood lathe starter pack but there are a few things i wish to clarify before i get it: .do i need a faceplate or a chuck to hold the wood and if so where can i get one to fit my lathe? .the lathe bed is in 2 pieces so can i take the second piece off for turning small pieces? .is the bed sturdy enough to use on it's own or will it need to be mounted? i really aprecieate any help anyone can give me and i would love it if you could point me in the direction of woodturning advice!!! thanks!!! cm

Comments

[Re-design]

What do you want to turn with the lathe? Baseball bats or writing pens? How about salad bowls? It's hard for one lathe to do all well. Not impossible but for your first lathe you should try to target it to your projects. My first lathe could handle a piece of wood 40" long and about 10" across. I planned to make some fancy table legs and turned spindles for a stair case. I made those and lots of other stuff. Then I got interested in pen making and decided to make 28 Christmas ornaments that were about 4" long. I made a couple on my big lathe but it really wasn't fun. So I bought another lathe. This one was made especially for small projects. That made the pens and ornaments fun to make. So before you buy, decide what you think you'll want to make at first, decide if you have the space for that size lathe, then decide which lathe you'll want to buy. The lathe you mentioned will need some sort of base to sit on and will need to be bolted down or it will walk when used on a large piece of wood. My large lathe is bolted to a 3/4" plywood top that is screwed to a 6' bathroom cabinet base cabinet that I got real cheap. (free) My small lathe sits on a shelf until I want to use it then I move it to my workbench. It is heavy enough that it stays anchored. There are lots of places to get beginning info on lathe work on the net without going out and buying a bunch of books in the beginning. Good luck and keep that thumb out of the way.

[thecookiemonster]

thanks for your answer!!! i am interested in turning bowls and platters and tops and yo-yos so the smallest thing i will be turning will be a spining top because i am not interested as mutch in pen making!!! do you know what type of chuck would be best? i am thinking about getting a 4 jaw chuck but do you think there is a better one? unfortunely i am kinda strapped for cash at the moment so getting 2 lathes isnt really an option!!! but the lathe i am going to get can be halved down to 1/2 a meter for smaller things and storage!!! thanks for replying!!! cm

[rickharris]

http://www.axminster.co.uk/pricing/INC/cid/ERQK3LNJXIIXQ53876HIR087LSXTFX77/category-Woodturning-206832.htm A good place to look

[rickharris]

The lathe comes with a drive centre - this goes into the drive head and provides a chisel like point that you can press your wood onto if your turning between centres. So for that you don't need a chuck. Most wood turners don't use a traditional 3 jaw chuck. If making bowles they use a dovetail chuck to hold the bowl base to turn the inside and turn the outside by screwing the wood blank to a face plate. Get a good book on wood turning before you start - it's harder than it looks. DT teacher.

[steveastrouk]

I'd rather buy one from Axminster power tools. Their stuff is much better built than SIP, but not much more expensive.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/product-Axminster-AWSL-Woodturning-Lathe-785504.htm

[thecookiemonster]

yes, i am getting the sip lathe because i found it on special offer for £75 which is good because this is my first using a lathe so if i like turning i can always upgrade later!!! thanks!!! cm

[lemonie]

This one?
http://www.diytools.co.uk/diy/Main/sp-2-1283-60091-sip-40%22-wood-lathe-starter-pack-with-3-x-chisels-230v.asp?iCategoryID1=1283
I think (looking at that) you need a chuck, so go to the same place you're getting the lathe.
Looks like it could be shortened (2 to 1 sections)
I think this would be good mounted on a base, but I don't see it being necessary.

L

[thecookiemonster]

yes, thats the one!!! i found a retailer that is selling it for £75!!! any ideas on what type of chuck is best? thanks!!!

[lemonie]

I wouldn't know there, it will depend upon your wood and the lathe. 75 sounds good - ask them about the chuck.

L