Popular Woodworking 2004-12 № 145, страница 71
1% We found 3 great machines priced from $225 to $1,550. Mini lathes, which used to be a tool for craft-ers, have evolved into capable, powerful machines. Most manufacturers now offer a mini, midi or maxi version of their full-size lathe. And most woodworkers have one or want one. The market is diverse. You can spend $160 or as much as $1,550 and still be in the so-called mini lathe category. The premium Oneway aside, all the lathes we tested have 12 hp motors. All provide adequate power and torque for basic turning and have a 10" swing. Differences arise when examining their moving parts. In concept, a lathe is a simple machine. But in practice, many things have to be working just right in order for a lathe to function as well as it was intended. All lathes have a headstock and a tailstock. The headstock, which is located on the left side of the lathe, has a threaded spindle mounted in bearings. Attached to the spindle is a multi-step pulley system that is activated by a drive belt, which is powered by the lathe's motor. Most spindles have a Morse taper bored in them, which is a hole that accepts various drives such as a spur center. A faceplate threads onto the spindle. Turning between centers, or spindle turning, requires the use of your lathe's tailstock. The tailstock slides on the lathe's bed and is locked in placed with a locking clamp. Most tailstock spindles also have a Morse taper bored in them. These accept a live center (which supports the work and revolves with it). The tailstock handwheel allows you to adjust the position of the quill feed and the spindle lock locks it. Whew. That's a lot of parts. And as you begin to cut a piece of wood that's spinning wickedly by Judy Ditmer & Kara Gebhart Judy, the author of two turning books, has been turning since 1985. Comments or questions? Contact Kara at 513-531-2690 ext. 1348 or kara.gebhart@fwpubs.com. fast you want to be sure that all those parts are tight and secure. That, along with ease of use, is what you must look for in a quality mini lathe. Tested by a Pro Turner For our review we invited Judy Ditmer, our "At the Lathe" columnist and professional turner, to help. We first unpacked all the lathes; little assembly was required. However, each machine still needed to be tuned up. We cleaned off and waxed the parts that slid on one another. We ensured the headstock and tailstock aligned, and on some we had to attach the belt and a few handles. Most importantly, we 76 100 Popular Woodworking December 2004 |
