Over the summer, I led a week-long bowl turning workshop for an eager 14-year-old, who really enjoyed it! At the end of the week, he wanted some additional guidance on the most affordable bowl turning setup for a beginner with limited space.
Here’s what I recommended:
What to Get
The items below were chosen to make an effective set-up for any beginner while also enabling people to expand upon their skills as they are developed.
- Lathe with a minimum of a 8” swing over the bed
- Basic bowl gauge set
- A faceplate, live center, and a drive center
- Adequate lighting
- Face shield and dust masks
- Small shop vac
- Sandpaper
- Bench Grinder
- Bonus – A 4-jaw chuck
Where to Buy
Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace offer many affordable used lathes and tools, often with better power and features than budget new options. While sites like Amazon or Ali Express have very cheap choices, used machines generally provide more value.
The Wood Turning Lathe
Key factors to consider for a bowl turning lathe include:
Condition – Get something ready-to-use without the need to replace or repair the motor,belts or other components. At the most, you should be removing rust with steel wool.
Spindle – Get a lathe with a spindle size from which the items you purchase may be used on subsequent lathes. Spindle sizes of 1” x 8 TPI or 1.25” x 8 TPI are good choices. Some of the extremely cheap or small lathes have a smaller size that may be fine for pens but not for bowls.
Horsepower – Aim for ½ HP or greater. You will find mini lathes with 1/3 HP. These are fine for pens and maybe small bowl turning bowl turning.
Speed – I turned for more than 20 years with lathes where you moved the belt across the headstock pulley to change the speed. This was a great way to focus my skills as I had to adapt to the speed. However, I would certainly opt for the variable speed if it is an option.
Dust Control
A small shop vacuum is adequate for beginners. The hose can be clamped to the lathe to collect the dust and it makes clean up so much easier. You can find these for around $25 on Facebook Marketing Place. The vacuum is one of the items I might buy new. I L-O-V-E the quiet Dewalt Stealthsonic line of vacuums. This can make a big difference as we turn and also reduces noise complaints from neighbors and family.
Face Shield and Dust Mask
Buy an inexpensive face shield on Amazon or the hardware store and a box of N95 masks. Things DO fly off the lathe occasionally, take safety seriously.
Lighting
The garage or other workspace is going to have some sort of basic lighting, a couple of inexpensive magnetic LED lights are great as they can be moved and pointed around as needed.
Sandpaper
The quality of the super cheap sandpaper found online or in the discount store can lead to a frustrating finishing experience. The better choice is to invest in the 3 or 20 sheet packs of 3M Pro Grade Premium (purple) 80, 120, 180, 220 , and 320 grit sandpaper. Sanding disks and other upgrades come later.
Basic Bowl Gauge Set
A used set of bowl gauges go for between $25 and $50 and are often packaged with the lathe. The purpose is to get started with the basics. These can be older and do not need to be from the latest High-Speed Steel (HSS).
Faceplate, Live Center, Drive Center
A live center, a drive center, and at least one faceplate are needed and are often included with a used lathe. If not, there are inexpensive basic versions available via Amazon and elsewhere.
Bench Grinder
Sharp tools are a must and a grinder enables a much more pleasant sharpening experience than using a stone since you need to sharpen so frequently. WHen turning a 6” bowl I am usually sharpening the gouges at least once and will need to sharpen them again when done. Used 6” and 8” grinders are around $35 – $50. You can pick up a diamond grinding wheel dresser for less than $8.00 to refresh the wheels.
Bonus – A 4-jaw chuck
I used a faceplate for years before buying a chuck. The simplicity of the faceplate helped focus my design and technique.
You usually will not find used 4-jaw wood turning chucks. (Do not get a 3- jaw chuck for wood turning.) The wood turning chuck is something worth investing in a quality versatile item that will last for years across lathes. There are many options to consider and expect to pay between $200 and $275 for a starter set. I am working on a recommendation.
Overall Budget
I reviewed the options across Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist around Boston and options available via Amazon and Ali Express. I found that with a budget of $800 I could obtain everything except the chuck. Throw in a sturdy little table, a power strip and heavy-duty expansion cord and you are good to go, go, go!
Thoughts
So, what do you think?
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