FolsomFishing Posted November 26, 2012 Report Share Posted November 26, 2012 Hey all, I just became interested in making my own wood lures and I'm a complete beginner with turning wood. I've done some research on the net and also watched a ton of tutorials on YouTube and I'm just about ready to purchase some equipment. Can any of you guy make recommendations on the features (horsepower engine, rpm, etc..) I would want on a beginners lathe. I'd like to make lures up to 6" long and 1/2 - 2" in diameter. Does brand matter? I have the same questions about the chisels as well. If anyone can recommend any good resources as well I'd be truly grateful. I'll be completely self taught on using this machine. I assume that to get started using some cheap wood like pine would be best to learn on, but that's just my thinking. Thanks for any advice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaron4mvp Posted November 26, 2012 Report Share Posted November 26, 2012 While a inexpensive lathe will work, I would consider spending a little more for something that will last you possibly the rest of your life. I have a delta midi lathe that does everything I need it too. They also offer a bed extension if you want to turn larger projects. It will set you back a bunch, but well worth it. Look at rockler.com or woodcraft.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cereal killer Posted November 26, 2012 Report Share Posted November 26, 2012 Hey all, I just became interested in making my own wood lures and I'm a complete beginner with turning wood. I've done some research on the net and also watched a ton of tutorials on YouTube and I'm just about ready to purchase some equipment. Can any of you guy make recommendations on the features (horsepower engine, rpm, etc..) I would want on a beginners lathe. I'd like to make lures up to 6" long and 1/2 - 2" in diameter. Does brand matter? I have the same questions about the chisels as well. If anyone can recommend any good resources as well I'd be truly grateful. I'll be completely self taught on using this machine. I assume that to get started using some cheap wood like pine would be best to learn on, but that's just my thinking. Thanks for any advice First of all, let me say hello. I see that you're in Cal. I'm guessing NorCal because of the Folsom in your handle. I'm also in NorCal, SF. You're more that welcome to see my set up if you want. I also am a self taught wood turner. I learned mostly from watching YouTube. Buying a couple of wood turning dvd's by Richard Raffan. Now, onto your questions. I had the same ones when I decided that I wanted to make my own lures. Lathes When I first started reading/researching the forums. The most mentioned name was the Jet 1014 mini lathe. It was pretty much the standard. It has a 1/2 horse power. The other lathes were; Rikon mini - which coincidentally is on sale at WoodCraft. The Penn State Industries mini lathe, which is essentially a Jet clone. And the same lathe could be found at Harbor Freight. Any of these lathes should be more than adequate for turning lures in the dimensions you stated. Turning Tools For turning just wood lures or plugs I would recommend at the least getting a roughing gouge, parting tool and/or skew. For the majority of my turnings, I get by just by using the roughing gouge. You should get the High Speed Steel(HSS) turning tools. You can get the Benjamin's Best turning tools from Penn State Industries. And the Wood River turning tools from WoodCraft. Or if your budget allows, you could get the Robert Sorby tools. There are more high end turning tools e.g. Easy Rougher, Crown Pro etc. etc. But for just making plugs...........I guess it's your call. Sharpening Now, having mentioned the tools. It would behoove you to learn how to sharpen your turning tools. I think that this is one of the most important aspect of wood turning. You need to learn how to sharpen your lathe tools in order to be a proficient wood turner. Also, the sharper tools make it easier to remove wood from the turning. Like aaron4mvp mentioned, I think that you need to go visit WoodCraft or Rockler if you haven't yet. They both have locations here in Nor Cal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nedyarb Posted November 26, 2012 Report Share Posted November 26, 2012 I bought mine on Craigslist for 40$. It works fine for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted November 26, 2012 Report Share Posted November 26, 2012 (edited) If you've never turned, I'd suggest you take a turning class at either a community college or at one of the woodworking supply stores in your area. My father was a lathe hand, and I learned to turn wood on a small machinist's lathe, which was very precise and easy to use. Wood turning lathes are a little different. Turning looks deceptively simple, but there are tricks to it, like everything else worth doing in life. There are also dangers, so learning from someone who knows how to turn will save you a potentially painful learning curve. And learning how to turn before you invest in a machine will help you in making the proper decisions for your equipment selection. Edited November 26, 2012 by mark poulson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FolsomFishing Posted November 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2012 Thanks for all the replies and advice. I think the idea of taking a class at a local woodshop is a great idea before I dump a bunch of cash on this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bester Posted November 26, 2012 Report Share Posted November 26, 2012 I have the Rikon and love it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
