Mini Lathe Wood Lathe Machine Diy Machining for Table Woodworking Wood DIY Tool Lathe Standard Set

Okay, the product description is terrible, but the pictures are fairly correct. Contrary to the description, there are no acrylic or plexiglass parts. The mini t-track base and seats are aluminum. The covers (beige, no company logo) are painted sheet metal. The only plastic is the switch, plug, and power supply.The overall product length is 12", height just over 2.5" (roughly 2 5/8"), and width just over 2.25" (roughly 2 5/16"). It uses a sub-mini t-slot track/base, so normal t-slot tracks and/or bolts will not fit (size or spacing).The maximum wood/material turning diameter is about 2 1/4" to 2 1/2" (70mm). Smaller diameter pieces are easier to work with. The maximum wood/material clamping length is roughly 5," but the lathe can handle a roughly 7" length of material if you turn the tailstock around and let it hang off the end of the base (note the screws may or may not reduce the maximum turning diameter in this configuration).The only effective way I saw to expand this lathe (optional) was to purchase a second lathe and cut off some of the track from that one. I left about 4.25" of track under the second motor, which is now used as a mini grinder with a sanding disc wheel attached. The lathe, with new track, was bolted to a piece of wood, making sure all was aligned as straight as possible. It can now handle material up to about 12-13" long, which is about the max a mini lathe like this could realistically handle.The three-jaw drill chuck capacity is roughly 1/4" (6mm). The included screw drive (mandrel) for this chuck (spins the wood/material) is similar to the mandrels used with Dremel's polishing wheels. That little screw drive (mandrel) works okay, but I purchased two Plum Blossom thimble drill bit lathe drives (6mm drill shafts with 8mm & 14mm lathe heads) from China (eBay) which work even better.The speed of the motor is controlled by a small switch on the 110/240v power supply. The speed range is 4000-8000 RPM in seven power steps (12/15/16/18/19/20/24v). Since this lathe works similar to a Dremel tool (little nibbles at high speed, not sheer motor horsepower), I don't recommend even slower speeds using a dimmer switch or similar.The wood/material to be turned should be as round as possible before starting. If you're using square material, cutting off the corners (after you've marked the center at each end) will reduce time and lessen the chance of tool kickback. Of course, make sure the wood/material is centered at each end before starting.Position the tool support (angle aluminum) as close to the turning material as possible to reduce tool kickback and increase the smoothness of the cuts. If necessary/possible, turn the tool support around. I cut the screw slot in that tool support a little deeper to allow for slightly greater adjustment. I'm not very impressed with that tool support, so I may eventually fabricate a wider, more adjustable, tool support.When carving, take small slices/nibbles instead of jamming the tool/chisel blade into the wood/material. Again, this lathe works similar to a Dremel tool (little nibbles at high speed, not sheer motor horsepower). Slower speeds will work just fine for most wood or plastic materials, while harder wood or soft metals will usually require faster speeds.The included starter set of chisels isn't very good. The chisels do work, but not great. I recommend the Harbor Freight "Wood Carving Set" (item #98195), but there's many options available in a small size suitable for this lathe. Make sure your blades are sharp and remain sharp as you work. Hold the chisels firmly. Curved shaft chisels will bite into material quicker, so watch out for kickback. And, of course, if you want to work with metals, you'll need chisels for metal.By the way, the second cover, not over the motor, is for small circular saw-style blades, effectively turning the lathe into a mini table saw. The blade with proper mandrel (neither included) fits into the drill chuck and the slot in that cover straddles the blade. The material you're cutting rides on top of the cover, cut by the exposed blade. Be careful. There's absolutely nothing protecting your hands & fingers from that very sharp, very fast spinning, blade.That should be enough to get started. Practice on scrap pieces before trying anything important. This is a fairly versatile little lathe. Watch some YouTube videos for ideas. I use mine primarily to make small wood or plastic fishing lures, plugs, and floats, none easily done on a larger lathe.

My girlfriend wanted some ear plugs for Christmas, so I decided to take a chance and buy this lathe to make some. So far, results have been pretty good! But there are some things you can do to make this more efficient.1: Take the tools that this comes with, and throw them directly in the trash. They are brittle, dull, and frankly useless. But don't waste money on top tier tools; do yourself a favor, and grab a $10 set of carving tools from Harbor Freight. They are the perfect size, and the lathe isn't powerful enough to do too much damage to them. They work extremely well for this lathe.2: MOUNT THE LATHE! Make sure that the lathe is mounted to something heavy and sturdy. I had mine mounted to a workbench, but put it on some blocks that can be clamped to the bench to give me a better height experience. Keeping the lathe stable starts with mounting.3: Spend a little time with your set up. Mine came pretty straight out of the box, but the trick is in your wood prep. Take your time finding the center of your piece and make sure it's secured correctly. I use a spring loaded punch, then drill a small pilot hole for the screw. Secure the wood to the screw, and then line up the tail stock with your punch on the other side of the piece.Have your tail stock baaaarely tightened, then turn on the lathe WHILE HOLDING THE TAILSTOCK BASE. It can adjust quite a bit, let it wander a bit until you find the correct position. You'll know it's right when it's smooth and quiet. Then you can clamp down the tail, and give the rod a tap to make sure it's secured.You can also grab a 3 jaw lathe chuck for drills, and that works pretty well here too.4: Don't mess with the speed too much. The lowest setting is 4000 rpm which is the highest speed on most quality lathes. The only time I'd turn the speed up is sanding a piece.5: The best option for a parting tool for this little lathe I've found is a coping saw (again from HF.) A hacksaw blade will oddly dull too quickly, but a coping saw blade is meant for wood and super thin.Eventually, I'll probably throw in a higher quality motor with a little less speed, and a little more torque. I'm also working on making a new tool rest that mounts on the side of the aluminum that's about twice as long since the included rest is short and can get in the way of the tail stock.Overall, a good little tool for $40 when you use it correctly. A little patience, and some youtube, and you'll have a lot of fun.

This little machine is amazing!After making the following modifications I was able to turn dozens of little ornaments!Headstock - The screw piece that comes with the lathe will eventually be unable to hold the wood properlyTo solve this take a #1 Philips bit, grind the the tip off and sharpen the fins, allowing it to easily be pounded into the piece you plan to turn and then inserted into the chuck. It is much more difficult for the piece to come loose with this.Tailstock - Ensure the bearings are well lubricated otherwise the tailstock may not turn with the wood well.Carving Tools - DO NOT use the carving tools that come with the lathe. They are way too flimsy. A standard 1/4'' wood chisel will suffice.EDIT: 11/24/21 Recently got back into working with this thing! I have made further modifications for this machine:Got a 3 - 12v variable speed power supply instead of the included 12-24v one. Anything above 12v is too fast for my needs. The slower speeds really help with rough shaped/square stock.A while ago I also purchased a tailstock piece/live center (the ones actual wood lathes use) for the machine on AliExpress, which makes it much easier to secure the workpiece. It wasn't necessarily compatible, but with some modifications and adjustments I was able to make it work perfectly!All in all, this is still an enjoyable experience. Especially when you don't have room for a full sized shop yet!

The durability, speed, size and ease of assembly is good for the design of the Lathe. The extra tools it came with, was very easy to use and reliable.