I received this lathe as a gift, about 5 years ago; I just turned my first two pieces this week! First piece was refreshing myself with tools, use, and safety: I've used tool & die lathes, but the last wood lathe i used was in 1987, andni got kicked out of 7th grade shop class soon afterward (I wanted drama class, anyway). So, i made a nothing piece to familiarize, and then turned a piece of green pine (whoops!) into a pretty good sauerkraut masher. Im 6'3" and it's raised, and I'm still learning a LOT.... and this video REALLY HELPS, BUD! THANKS! 😅🎉😊
Im 6'3 as well. Raised mine about 4" but everyone will have their own prefrence. I like my spindle about 6-8" above my belly button. Glad ur picking it back up. Wish i had more time to spend on the lathe.
I started turning with the harbor freight bench top 5 speed lathe, I loved it. It was a work horse. I moved up to this same lathe after using the other for 5 years. I've been using it almost daily and never had a lick of trouble with it in the 3 years I've had it. I use this one more often than my $1000 jet lathe.
Great channel. Informative. To the point. Entertaining. Binge watched your videos and wished there was more frequent content. Surprised you don’t have at least 100k subs. Should be over 500k. Thanks for sharing. Subbed.
Really trying to get back into the groove of posting consitantly. My woodworking took off and i couldnt keep up. But slowing down now due to the economy. So hopefully that means more time for videos
Thanks so much for posting this review. HF in my city has an open box model for sale for $306, but I think I'll keep shopping. I prefer old, solid, used machinery, even if they take some rehabbing. I'll keep browsing Craigslist and FB Marketplace.
Nice review. I've had the same lathe with all the same problems except the crack but I'll be checking for it tomorrow LOL! I'm a bowl turner as well and have just made do but I'll upgrade eventually. I've managed to get the alignment better by adjusting the headstock clamp but a wonky bowl can rattle it loose. I've also had it jump up in speed by itself when roughing out basly off balance bowl blanks. I knew it was a low-end lathe before I bought it but am glad I did cuz I didn't want to spend $1K or higher and then not enjoy turning. Stuart
Just spotted this lathe open box at my local HF was looking it up and curious as a starter. Its only $150 currently so ill check those issues you had in store and if it looks good im picking it up
Good video. I don't have a actual lathe. But thought of one from HF. Might just get a middle of the road one for what I need. Your point on being center is something I never thought of and guess I just took it for granted it was lined up probably. So ill be looking for that for sure. Again thanks for the video and your opinion 👍 😀
Great video man. I'm new to turning and have been making bowls on this exact lathe. As far as the misalignment issue if you loosen the headstock and aligned it with the tailstock and make some kinda rig to hold it in place you can align it pretty perfectly. Or at least on mine. I doubt the consistency is great on these lol.
I actually did just that... drilled and tapped to add angle iron and bolts alot with metal shims. As soon as id hook onto a wonkity piece it threw everything out of whack. So it can be done but gets old fast
I have this lathe. It is a very good lathe. I have had mine for almost 9 months now. To get the alignment correct you simply have to adjust the headstock. There is an adjuster in the front below the speed adjustment. You have to do it about every 3-4 months if you turn almost every day as I do. It is easy to notice when it comes out of alignment and just a 30 second adjustment fixes it. Yall have a wonderful day.
Obviously that is what tightens the jaws to the dovetail right. U cant turn without that being tightened down. Im glad u got lucky with your lathe but u dont think after 2 years of using it, i havent tried every means of keeping the headstock in alignment? 🤦♂️
@@BradsWorkbench No that is not what tightens the jaws to the dovetail, that would be a chuck. It is what tightens the headstock to the bed. With mine you have to shift it into alignment and hold it or it will fall back out of alignment while you tighten it but mine works well. Sorry yours does not. Not being able to keep it aligned is pretty big issue. You probably should have returned it since they have a 90 day return policy but hind sight is always clearer. :)
U misunderstood.... the headstock is attached by a dovetail ring to the bed... take ur headstock off and youll see your "adjuster" is what tightens 2 jaws down to the dovetail ring. I also somewhat show this in the video
5:58 & 6:04 That’s crazy! It’s good the shims worked. I have welders- I’d have welded some beads on the tailstock ways and used a grinder and a file to true it up. I would have no patience for the shims lol 11:46 I can weld and have a TiG so that would be solvable. But the truth is that crack is because the part doesn’t have enough metal from the factory.
Easy fix: when the drive spur and live center fail to align, *shim the headstock* since you're not using the rotate option on the headstock. Shim that end and the tailstock will always be in proper alignment.
This comment blew my mind. The reply crushed my hopes (and saved me money, so thanks for that.) But dang that would be really awesome if that worked with this lathe.
I have the smaller Lathe they offer, 10x18, I think I like it over the larger one but I would like a larger one just not the Harbor Freight one lol. I'd love variable speed (potentiometer)
I have that same lathe and your right about a lot you talked about. How ever this is my first I bought it used for 50.00 and had to order tailstock parts because they where missing. I really don't know what all I need and where the parts will go.I am thinking about buying Grizzly G0462 16 x 46 wood lathe good luck on your new lathe.
i buyed this same lathe and came broken......find out after import in to mexico.....in the same exact spot.....find out that has a guide hole in there making very VERY weak
I have the 12" lathe. My question is do you know the thread size on the back side of the spindle? I'm thinking of adding a rotisserie for slow turning.
Has anyone been able to do indexing with this lathe? At the back of the motor, rear end of the headstock. there is a female threaded hole, with the retention ring. It appears that indexing can be implemented using this female threaded hole (with a bolt that fits this size and pit of thread and a graduated disk), but I have yet to find out what thread it is.
Hey Brad, thanks for the video. Great job highlighting some of the negatives with this thing. I have an opportunity to get one locally for $200 used. It's pretty far away so I can't go inspect it before making a decision on it...not without wasting a 2 hour drive one way, anyway. I'm a complete novice to turning but I'm interested in doing bowl work for the most part...debating on whether or not I should check for black friday deals on a new Jet 1221VS (much harder sell for the wife lol), or scoop this guy up and use the rest of the money on tools and sharpening stuff. Any recommendations? Appreciate your time, have a great Thanksgiving if you don't get a chance to respond before then. Take care!
Always a good bet to buy the best of what u can afford. If you're testing the waters or may only turn a few times a year then the HF will do just fine.... But its def smart to leave some money for tooling. You can do alot with just a faceplate and between centers but a chuck def does bring some enjoyment cuz work holding is easier. Def buy the absolute best chuck you can, when u do tho. The cheapo chucks wear out way to easily. Nova is about the cheapest brand id recommend. They have decent budget chucks but also a higher end line. Plus all nova jaws will fit any nova chuck.
@BradsWorkbench much appreciated man, thanks! Trying to convince the wife to let me pull the trigger on a Rikon 70-1420VSR while the Black Friday sale is still going on. Wish me luck, haha!
I’ve had one of these for 10 years and after sitting for about a year the other day when I turned it on both pulleys had crumbled and fell apart. It was in my unheated garage.
LOL - He coments on his ugly mug and I'm thinking this guy is a werewolf, then 0:46 I see "FUR" on the screen. I'm like yep, shore 'nuff, I was right, only took me a few seconds to figure it out.
Hi Brad, You mentioned you purchased the Laguna 1836. I saw your Amazon review of the PSI 1xTPI adapter. I pulled the tigger and got the Laguna as well, what chuck adapter did you end up purchasing?
The one by easy wood tools was much better and made in usa, i believe. Less than .002" of runout. It's useable but still bugged me a bit so i ended up selling my chucks to buy new ones with 1 1/4 threads. Some chucks have threaded inserts and if so, you can usually swap those without any issue. Both mine where direct thread unfortunately. I still use the EWT adapter for my bottle stopper mandrel at least. Hope that helps
@@BradsWorkbench Damn that’s a nice one! Congrats! I’m shopping for my first lathe. What RPM do you recommend for a first lathe. Im going to turn bowls and spindles
If u have an unlimited budget look for something that has an electronic speed control. The bigger the bowl the slower u want to go. I typically start most bowls out around 400 rpm until i get balanced. Spindle work, your looking for higher speed typically. The 1836 is a great lathe for both.
Thats over an hour drive and more time spent disassembling and repacking just to risk having the same issue with another. But yes, that could be an option
@@BradsWorkbench ... There are some videos on CZcams that guys are reworking how the head sits on the ways , not the tail . try to find them and watch how they are fixing the alinement
@@BradsWorkbench that's a significant jump in price. I am considering a metal lathe that can work with both since i plan on working with wood with hard finishes and small metal parts.
Ive turned some very large projects on a BIG metal lathe at work. It has its pros and cons. But ive turned a lignum vitae baseball bat on the lag 1836 without issue. With carbide tooling it went fairly easily. But def could have taken more aggressive passes with a metal lathe.
I received this lathe as a gift, about 5 years ago; I just turned my first two pieces this week!
First piece was refreshing myself with tools, use, and safety: I've used tool & die lathes, but the last wood lathe i used was in 1987, andni got kicked out of 7th grade shop class soon afterward (I wanted drama class, anyway).
So, i made a nothing piece to familiarize, and then turned a piece of green pine (whoops!) into a pretty good sauerkraut masher.
Im 6'3" and it's raised, and I'm still learning a LOT.... and this video REALLY HELPS, BUD!
THANKS! 😅🎉😊
Im 6'3 as well. Raised mine about 4" but everyone will have their own prefrence. I like my spindle about 6-8" above my belly button. Glad ur picking it back up. Wish i had more time to spend on the lathe.
Thanks for posting this. A real honest review. I’ve been considering getting one of these. Good to know the limitations.
Np bud
Thank you. This was very helpful to me.
Glad it helped
Hello again Brad
Thank you for another Great Video. I like watching folks like yourself who enjoy what they do!!!! Again thank you
Thank u for watching 👍 getting comments is one of my fav parts of youtube
I started turning with the harbor freight bench top 5 speed lathe, I loved it. It was a work horse. I moved up to this same lathe after using the other for 5 years. I've been using it almost daily and never had a lick of trouble with it in the 3 years I've had it. I use this one more often than my $1000 jet lathe.
Awesome to hear
Thanks for the infomercial; can’t wait to see your new lathe!
Ha! The lathe has been a dream to use.
Great channel. Informative. To the point. Entertaining. Binge watched your videos and wished there was more frequent content. Surprised you don’t have at least 100k subs. Should be over 500k. Thanks for sharing. Subbed.
Really trying to get back into the groove of posting consitantly. My woodworking took off and i couldnt keep up. But slowing down now due to the economy. So hopefully that means more time for videos
Thanks so much for posting this review. HF in my city has an open box model for sale for $306, but I think I'll keep shopping. I prefer old, solid, used machinery, even if they take some rehabbing. I'll keep browsing Craigslist and FB Marketplace.
I got a German made lathe. Quality has its price and I have no complaints whatsoever
Nice review. I've had the same lathe with all the same problems except the crack but I'll be checking for it tomorrow LOL! I'm a bowl turner as well and have just made do but I'll upgrade eventually. I've managed to get the alignment better by adjusting the headstock clamp but a wonky bowl can rattle it loose. I've also had it jump up in speed by itself when roughing out basly off balance bowl blanks. I knew it was a low-end lathe before I bought it but am glad I did cuz I didn't want to spend $1K or higher and then not enjoy turning. Stuart
Exactly my thoughts when buying it as well. I still recommend it as a good, budget friendly starter lathe
Thanks for the review.
Np 👍
Just spotted this lathe open box at my local HF was looking it up and curious as a starter. Its only $150 currently so ill check those issues you had in store and if it looks good im picking it up
Very informative video @Brads Workbench
Thanks
I have had mine for five years and I have had a lot of fun turning on it. I would never recommend it to anyone!
Def a good enough starter lathe or for a hobbyist
Good vid man. Mine cracked at the clamps too. I resolved it by drilling and bolting a fish plate across it. Seems to be doing ok.
Whatever works 👍 ive def done worse to keep tools goin lol
dont forget to grease the spindle in the slide part mine rusted in place it lasted 5 years on the factory lube
Good video. I don't have a actual lathe. But thought of one from HF. Might just get a middle of the road one for what I need. Your point on being center is something I never thought of and guess I just took it for granted it was lined up probably. So ill be looking for that for sure.
Again thanks for the video and your opinion 👍 😀
It's def an awesome hobby. Kinda expensive up front but once u get set up, it doesnt cost much. Hope you end up giving it a try 👍
Great video man. I'm new to turning and have been making bowls on this exact lathe. As far as the misalignment issue if you loosen the headstock and aligned it with the tailstock and make some kinda rig to hold it in place you can align it pretty perfectly. Or at least on mine. I doubt the consistency is great on these lol.
I actually did just that... drilled and tapped to add angle iron and bolts alot with metal shims. As soon as id hook onto a wonkity piece it threw everything out of whack. So it can be done but gets old fast
I have a 2nd channel, Brads Woodturning, if ur interested. Got a new bowl on the way
Great Video Brother!
Thanks bud
got two of them ,had them for about 7 years with no problems
Awesome
I have this lathe. It is a very good lathe. I have had mine for almost 9 months now. To get the alignment correct you simply have to adjust the headstock. There is an adjuster in the front below the speed adjustment. You have to do it about every 3-4 months if you turn almost every day as I do. It is easy to notice when it comes out of alignment and just a 30 second adjustment fixes it. Yall have a wonderful day.
Obviously that is what tightens the jaws to the dovetail right. U cant turn without that being tightened down. Im glad u got lucky with your lathe but u dont think after 2 years of using it, i havent tried every means of keeping the headstock in alignment? 🤦♂️
@@BradsWorkbench No that is not what tightens the jaws to the dovetail, that would be a chuck. It is what tightens the headstock to the bed. With mine you have to shift it into alignment and hold it or it will fall back out of alignment while you tighten it but mine works well. Sorry yours does not. Not being able to keep it aligned is pretty big issue. You probably should have returned it since they have a 90 day return policy but hind sight is always clearer. :)
U misunderstood.... the headstock is attached by a dovetail ring to the bed... take ur headstock off and youll see your "adjuster" is what tightens 2 jaws down to the dovetail ring. I also somewhat show this in the video
@@BradsWorkbench oh ok then yes. As I said I have to hold mine in place as I tighten it but mine does work. Sorry yours doesn't.
5:58 & 6:04
That’s crazy!
It’s good the shims worked. I have welders- I’d have welded some beads on the tailstock ways and used a grinder and a file to true it up. I would have no patience for the shims lol
11:46 I can weld and have a TiG so that would be solvable. But the truth is that crack is because the part doesn’t have enough metal from the factory.
Keep in mind it is cast iron..... but yea, def can tell they are trying to hit a price point
Easy fix: when the drive spur and live center fail to align, *shim the headstock* since you're not using the rotate option on the headstock. Shim that end and the tailstock will always be in proper alignment.
Tried it
I must have the only one of these that doesn't have an alignment issue. Always seems lined up near perfectly check it infrequently..
Id say its a 50/50 gamble
Harbor freight sells a potential oyster that goes between your power source and plug in core. It turns what ever you plug into it to a variable speed.
Wont work with an induction motor
This comment blew my mind. The reply crushed my hopes (and saved me money, so thanks for that.) But dang that would be really awesome if that worked with this lathe.
Great job where can you get that chunk for that lathe ?
Amazon... lots of options. Just need to make sure you get it threaded for 1"-8tpi spindle
I have the smaller Lathe they offer, 10x18, I think I like it over the larger one but I would like a larger one just not the Harbor Freight one lol. I'd love variable speed (potentiometer)
Yea, id def say the smaller one was better built but the variable speed is nice. Id stick with the small one until you can make a good upgrade
I have that same lathe and your right about a lot you talked about. How ever this is my first I bought it used for 50.00 and had to order tailstock parts because they where missing. I really don't know what all I need and where the parts will go.I am thinking about buying Grizzly G0462 16 x 46 wood lathe good luck on your new lathe.
Hell id buy any lathe for $50.... if your bowl turning you dont really have to have a tailstock at all
Can you put a variable speed 110 v adapter on it to slow it down more???? Do you think it would be tough on the motor or have no effect?
No, those only work on brushed motors. There have been people that have swapped the motor with treadmill motors + controls on youtube
It sure a popular lathe for starters. Don’t like us all that much. 😂
Lol i'm curious how many will catch that 🤣
@@BradsWorkbench I doubt many of us would do it for you either brad!
Wouldnt have it any other way 😉
Did you try loosening the headstock (which rotates when loose) and adjusting that, to meet the tailstock for alignment?
Many times.... and u can get them fairly close but I had to constantly check, readjust, check again. It becomes frustrating and time consuming.
i buyed this same lathe and came broken......find out after import in to mexico.....in the same exact spot.....find out that has a guide hole in there making very VERY weak
I have the 12" lathe. My question is do you know the thread size on the back side of the spindle? I'm thinking of adding a rotisserie for slow turning.
Actually doing that to my laguna 1836 now.... i think i remember finding the hf might be 1/2"-13 but reverse thread. Been a few years tho
Has anyone been able to do indexing with this lathe? At the back of the motor, rear end of the headstock. there is a female threaded hole, with the retention ring. It appears that indexing can be implemented using this female threaded hole (with a bolt that fits this size and pit of thread and a graduated disk), but I have yet to find out what thread it is.
There are videos that show you how to line it up
Its not getting it aligned so much, its keeping it aligned. I'm also much more picky than most woodworkers
did you ever solve the handwheel issue?
No, has to be machinist made and the few i knew were too swamped at the time
Hey Brad, thanks for the video. Great job highlighting some of the negatives with this thing. I have an opportunity to get one locally for $200 used. It's pretty far away so I can't go inspect it before making a decision on it...not without wasting a 2 hour drive one way, anyway. I'm a complete novice to turning but I'm interested in doing bowl work for the most part...debating on whether or not I should check for black friday deals on a new Jet 1221VS (much harder sell for the wife lol), or scoop this guy up and use the rest of the money on tools and sharpening stuff. Any recommendations? Appreciate your time, have a great Thanksgiving if you don't get a chance to respond before then. Take care!
Always a good bet to buy the best of what u can afford. If you're testing the waters or may only turn a few times a year then the HF will do just fine.... But its def smart to leave some money for tooling. You can do alot with just a faceplate and between centers but a chuck def does bring some enjoyment cuz work holding is easier. Def buy the absolute best chuck you can, when u do tho. The cheapo chucks wear out way to easily. Nova is about the cheapest brand id recommend. They have decent budget chucks but also a higher end line. Plus all nova jaws will fit any nova chuck.
@BradsWorkbench much appreciated man, thanks! Trying to convince the wife to let me pull the trigger on a Rikon 70-1420VSR while the Black Friday sale is still going on. Wish me luck, haha!
I’ve had one of these for 10 years and after sitting for about a year the other day when I turned it on both pulleys had crumbled and fell apart. It was in my unheated garage.
That bkows
Very informative. What dry lube do you recommend for the inside guts? I have dry lube for bicycles chains on hand, would that work?
Im sure that would work.... i typical use wd 40 brand "dry lube" i find at walmart. Prob same as what ur using for ur chains i bet
Same pulley drive setup as in the old ShopSmiths?
Never had a shopsmith so maybe someone else that knows can hopefully chime in
LOL - He coments on his ugly mug and I'm thinking this guy is a werewolf, then 0:46 I see "FUR" on the screen.
I'm like yep, shore 'nuff, I was right, only took me a few seconds to figure it out.
Hi Brad, You mentioned you purchased the Laguna 1836. I saw your Amazon review of the PSI 1xTPI adapter. I pulled the tigger and got the Laguna as well, what chuck adapter did you end up purchasing?
The one by easy wood tools was much better and made in usa, i believe. Less than .002" of runout. It's useable but still bugged me a bit so i ended up selling my chucks to buy new ones with 1 1/4 threads. Some chucks have threaded inserts and if so, you can usually swap those without any issue. Both mine where direct thread unfortunately. I still use the EWT adapter for my bottle stopper mandrel at least. Hope that helps
@@BradsWorkbench Yes, I’ll eventually purchase a new chuck but with the outlay for a new lathe a safe adapter will do for now.
Yea, then i'd go for the EWT, its worth the little bit of extra money 👍
What lathe are you buying next?
I got the laguna 1836 cuz i had to stick to 110v
good video ... lathes scare me ... but dont tell anyone please ..
Ur secret is not safe with me
What lathe are you buying?
Laguna 1836
@@BradsWorkbench Damn that’s a nice one! Congrats! I’m shopping for my first lathe. What RPM do you recommend for a first lathe. Im going to turn bowls and spindles
If u have an unlimited budget look for something that has an electronic speed control. The bigger the bowl the slower u want to go. I typically start most bowls out around 400 rpm until i get balanced. Spindle work, your looking for higher speed typically. The 1836 is a great lathe for both.
I would have took it back once I seen it didn't line up
Thats over an hour drive and more time spent disassembling and repacking just to risk having the same issue with another. But yes, that could be an option
@@BradsWorkbench ... There are some videos on CZcams that guys are reworking how the head sits on the ways , not the tail . try to find them and watch how they are fixing the alinement
Im good now
So what lathe are you going with
I got the laguna 1836
@@BradsWorkbench that's a significant jump in price. I am considering a metal lathe that can work with both since i plan on working with wood with hard finishes and small metal parts.
Ive turned some very large projects on a BIG metal lathe at work. It has its pros and cons. But ive turned a lignum vitae baseball bat on the lag 1836 without issue. With carbide tooling it went fairly easily. But def could have taken more aggressive passes with a metal lathe.
czcams.com/users/shorts1jzaiv8CInI?si=QdsVmMES2yrKG2Ad
Use beer can AL as shim.
U can, i prefer actual shims to make it more repeatable. HF sales them
Sounds like you need a foot control rheostat to go slower
Wont work well with an induction motor. Those are meant for dc or universal motors
I don't think "Beefen" is a real word.
Maybe not in canada ey?
I actually think you're handsome, no homo
Lmao, hey man, i dont judge! 🤣