20 Best Lathe For Pen Turning (2023 Updated)

Was a great little lathe for about a month and a half until motor went bad. Can barely put a chisel to my workpiece without the motor stopping on me. The lathe speed goes from the regular 3000rpm to about 300rpm without touching the dial for the variable speed.

Would not start turning without being turned by hand after a while, sometimes I couldn’t get the Mandela to move under its own power at all. I get that this is a third hp motor but it shouldn’t go out in a month and a half.

Tried getting it fixed under warranty and the mechanic told me I was obviously not happy with it and should just buy a better lathe. I was trying to explain to him I just wanted the lathe fixed and he just said, “there’s no fixing it.

” He told me that this lathe is “a toy” and that it’s really not that great unless you’re trying to get into the hobby. It’s nice to know the designers of this lathe stand by their product like that.

I got the Pen Pal a few days ago and set it up yesterday. It was no trouble, but, the instructions could have been a tad better on how the dust collection device went on. But, overall it took just a few minutes to get it ready to turn a pen.

I tried it today and as said in many reviews you Can Not use a heavy hand when using your cutting tool or it will bog down on you. But, I made a pen today with only one problem and it was my fault for not adjusting the tail stock tight enough.

I got the machine to take it on vacation at our lake house as it is out side of town and I needed something to do besides fish and watching deer. I anticipate teaching relatives how to make pens as this is a tad better than doing it on my Delta lather AND it will teach folks to Not have a heavy tool hand when turning a pen or spindle.

I liked the speed dial position and you can hear the difference in the speed as you turn up the rpms. I heard a noise when I was turning a European pen and thought it was the lathe, but, it was the center bushing that moves and it was rattling.

Over all this is a good lathe to learn on, great for demonstrations and just fun to use. I anticipate turning lots of pens. But, if you are looking for a,powerful lathe and have a heavy tool hand then go for a bigger and more powerful midi-lathe with more turning capacity.

As expected a couple of pieces were missing. The drive bit, and the face plate. It also took a little work to fix the error message but after that everything has worked well. The drive bit was relatively inexpensive and so far I don’t need a face plate.

I have made multiple items and so far things have been great. I would recommend the sell for parts product if you are willing to put in a little work. The value is great!.

I bought this as my first lathe. I did an extensive amount of research before making an ultimate decision based on my budget. This was the best unit as far as size, money, reviews both here and WEN’s official site and my intended use.

I didn’t mind having to change the belt to change the speed, and honestly it takes no time to do. This machine is quiet. It’s high quality. It’s got room for expansion if needed. The motor does get hot pretty quick, but doesn’t affect it’s ability to perform as it should.

Just keep an eye on it, and keep it clean. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. If you’re just getting into woodturning, you won’t be disappointed with this unit.

Ive always been a fan of Wen products! When it came time to replace my beginner lathe, I knew what I was looking for and this lathe delivered! The clearances are much bigger and the motor holds up to some hard turning.

Small and suitable to start with. Needs to be fixed properly for bigger pieces

This is a good small lathe with all the things that a hobby woodworker would want. This does not replace a professional lathe, but for turning small objects (pens, ornaments, etc. ) this is a great lathe.

This is my first lathe and I love it. Have been playing mostly with maple and this lathe works like a charm. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants a small table top lathe. Powers through maple with no problems.

I bought this lathe 2 months ago and I haven’t received it, heard back from Jet, or gotten any shipping confirmations. I’ve reached out to Jet several times and not heard anything. Before I purchased it, Jet told me it would ship within 10 days.

I reached out to Rockler and they were FANTASTIC. They let me know that shipping would be delayed due to COVID, which is completely understandable. But taking $2000 and not even communicating with me is problematic from Jet.

This review does not reflect Rockler, they have been fantastic, but the lathe ships from Jet and I am begging to feel like I just lost $2000.

This mid-sized/mini lathe is perfect for my return to woodturning after a (gulp!) 45-year hiatus. Though it lacks reverse, it has variable speed, a nice tailstock, and a sensible method of tightening the belt.

It is a bit lightweight and I have not yet bolted it down to anything, but it can handle inboard pieces up to almost 5″ diameter without issue or much wobble (once they are roughed out with the roughing gouge).

It has a nice collection of accessories and the 5/8″ diameter for the tool rests means I could get accessory rests without problem.

Acme’s shipping was very fast. The lathe arrived in good condition. I bolted it to a bench I made for, this helps with stability. However, the 1015VS is smooth and quiet when powered up. This is a small lathe and perhaps best suited for pen making, small bowls, and similar.

Nothing fancy, just a nicely made, solid lathe.

I’ve had the 10 in. x 18 in. 5 Speed 1/2 HP Benchtop Wood Lathe for several years, now. I have made little bowls, coffee table legs, toy wheels, coffee grinder container, and more. I have used the lathe with pine, walnut, oak, and maple.

All I can say is: it is easy to use, it is made of cast iron (hence, heavy, which makes it stay in place – no vibration making it walk), it is affordable, and most of all – it has been a work horse for me.

I have had ZERO problems with it!!! If there were a wish list: it would be great if Harbor Freight could obtain the right to sell the Variable Speed Midi Lathe Conversion Kit for it – the one that is sold through Penn State Industries.

That would enable HF to get more customer business sales (many have bought it throughout the years from PSI) while enabling the customers to upgrade their purchase with the company that originally sold them the unit – HF.

Another wish for me would have been to have bought the extension bed from HF as well. For me, I found an exact fit at Rockler – the extension bed for their Excelsior mini lathe was an exact match for my Harbor Freight lathe.

I’m just saying that it would have been nice to have been able to make the purchase at HF instead. All in all, I would buy this lathe over and over again if I had to. Lucky for me, I only had to buy the one!!!.

Out of the box, very pleased with a clean machine that had everything it was supposed to. Easy set up even for a brand new turner. Includes a 1″x8tpi head with a flat base and spur drive center as well as a cup live center for the tail.

Only has a 2″ travel on the tail for drilling though. I have only one complaint at this point. The belt and pulleys are cheap. I mean CHEAP CHEAP!! Started squealing about an hour in. Put some Johnson’s paste wax on the pulleys and she shut right up.

Takes about 60 seconds to adjust from speed to speed by changing the belt from one pair of pulleys to the next. No problems turning pine, walnut, pecan, and oak so far. Very small tool rest. Only suitable for turning pens and chess pieces really.

Miss my 10″ rest. Nade on a similar solid steel platform as the Grizzly mini lathe, I don’t think this will fall apart any time soon. Worth buying the extended protection on (if for nothing more than the motor and pulleys).

I bought this lathe and even at full price it’s a good deal compared to similar lathes out there. I opened it up and assembly was practically not required. I plugged it in and went to town roughing a piece of oak and it did ok for the most part.

It kept stalling and at times took a long time to spin up to full speed. I threw on a chuck to keep working on the piece of oak and when using the tail stock it wouldn’t speed up more than 60-120 rpm.

After readjusting the tail stock and belt, it finally sped up but took 10-15 seconds to get to full speed. I tried hollowing out the oak again and kept getting nasty catches. Thinking it may be the tools, I bought some carbide tools and it made no difference.

At one point the catch was so bad it yanked the piece out of the chuck and threw it ten feet across the garage. You can hear the motor slow down as soon as any tool touches the wood. Like I said, maybe I got a bad motor or something on mine but other than that the only downfall was the pain in the back end it was to change the belt setting.

Before picking up my Revo 1836 I was concerned about the potential difficulty of unloading and assembly. We backed the pickup truck to the front of my garage. There were only the two of us. Miraculously, my son-in-law drove up with his senior varsity football player.

The four of us picked the crate out to the truck, set it next to it’s final location, cut the sides of the box down, unloaded and stood the legs into place, unloaded the assembled bed with motor and tail stock onto the legs, and installed all screws and hardware.

Total time. under 15 minutes. Electrical was already in place. Plugged it in and started making a mess. Couldn’t be happier with the setup aspect, or with the product itself. I will need to research the VFD to better understand why there is a control for adjustment.

but other than that, the lathe, after all. is just a lathe. A really great one.

Nothing but Joy. I sent back a lesser lathe to a different manufacturer and picked this gem up at my Rockler store. There was no assembly except to put the feet in place. Headstock / tailstock in perfect alignment, bedway smooth and well machined.

I also purchased the 10″ extension for outboard cutting, handles large bowls and platters with ease. One note to potential buyers, the tool post is a true 1″, more importantly it is a compression fit not a set screw lock down.

Being creative I cut a long groove in a 5/8 to 1″ adapter, still didn’t compress. So I epoxied the adapter in place and it works like a dream. This fix is not as expensive as replacing all of your tool posts.

All in all great tool, a fair price, and hopes for a lifetime of use.

I order the Laguna 12 16 lathe from Acme in late March 2020. Acme did a good job with keeping me updated, no issues. I waited 2 months for the lathe to arrive; Received around the 1st of June, but on August 2, 2020, the speed control unit quit working and the unit went out of RPM control.

Fortunately, I was only sanding a project, instead of cutting a project. Two months for delivery and only two months of use; interesting. For those that believe this lathe is made in American, you are wrong.

It’s designed in American but made in Taiwan. When this lathe worked it was ok, nothing spectacular nor outstanding when compared to other midi lathes currently on the market. I’ll see if Laguna’s Customer Service can timely provide the necessary parts or will there be another two month delay.

Given the price for this Laguna 12 16 lathe, one would expect the better quality. Perhaps, I received a “lemon” of a lathe, however given my experience, I would not recommend this Laguna 12 16 lathe to anyone.

The first time I brought the tailstock up to the headstock with both of the centers in, the tips did not meet at all. There is maybe a 1/36 of an inch gap, but I think the problem is just the live center.

A new one would probably do the trick. Overall, it is a great machine, but the hand wheel is hard to re-adjust once you take it off. It is incredibly heavy and solid, especially with the rubber feet.

I would recommend this lathe if you are willing to spend some time adjusting things. One of my favorite things abou the lathe is that the tool rest is about a full inch below centers at it’s lowest height.

This makes it perfect for carbide tools, which are the only tools that I use. I got this lathe mainly for bowl turning, and it works perfectly. There are some other reviews saying that it months to ship, but I just picked it up from my local Rockler store with curbside pickup.

All of this happened in the same day, but I guess I was lucky as this was because the lathe was in stock.

The first thing I looked at before buying this was to make sure all the attachments were standard and I’ve been very happy to buy other brand tapers and accessories and they’ve all fit. So far the only thing that I’ve been disappointed with, that would be different on a higher dollar tool with a digital speed control, is that when you set the speed lever to the higher speed positions, it can get in the way of where my hands naturally want to be when I am turning really close to the head stock.

The only other thing is that the travel on the tailstock is fairly shallow, but I knew that going in. The stand is just a little flimsy, but not something I would dock it for and is easily fixed if need be.

It is perfectly workable as it comes. A lathe is a pretty simple tool and this one works well. The machined surfaces are machined well, the clamps hold firmly, the motor is smooth and the capacity is ample.

This lathe is quite basic and yet the quality is surprisingly good. Assembly was straight-forward. The only problem I had was with the tail-stock which was completely non-functional. Someone at the factory had jammed the mechanism and it would not screw in or out.

Fortunately, the local store was willing to swap me the tail-stock from the demo model at the store and I was back up and running. They should check these things at the factory to make sure they work before shipping them.

Anyway, I have already turned some stock and made about 5 hardwood pens. Has worked perfectly so far and no one else’s price even comes close. I am very satisfied and would recommend this lathe to anyone.

We got this lathe over the summer and loved it. We were doing pens, bottlestoppers, pizza cutters, etc, and they were selling like hot cakes. We were stoked, because this seemed to operate as well as the similarly sized Jet lathe and just over half the cost.

It was starting to pay for itself quickly. Awesome! About a month ago, we started doing small bowls and christmas ornaments. With the heavier duty turning, the stock belt (thin, wears out fast) was getting very worn.

We ordered replacement belts from Teknatool, which arrived quickly. The official replacement they sell is much heavier duty than the stock one. No idea why they don’t include this one as stock. Anyways, nothing we could do would free the spindle from the headstock to replace the belt.

After going with more and more force, and bigger and bigger hammers, it wouldn’t budge. We then noticed that the through-hole in the spindle wasn’t drilled center, and had huge wall thickness discrepancies.

The spindle was likely deformed, and never coming out of the lathe. Teknatool support responded quickly, and sent us a replacement lathe. We set up the replacement lathe, made 10 bottle stoppers and a small bowl.

For turning the bowl, the faceplate threaded on easily, and when the outside of bowl was done unthreaded just fine. Our Nova Midi chuck threaded on just fine to hollow. When the inside was done, the chuck wouldn’t come off.

it would unthread half a turn and stop. We broke a tooth on the indexing gear trying to free it, so we called Teknatool support. This is what happened: *Teknatool support told us to find a non-broken spot on the indexing gear and apply more force, despite us telling them that that wouldn’t do anything except break it more.

Then it broke more. The spindle appeared ovalized inside the chuck. *They told us we had to get the chuck off for them to help us. Even though it was their chuck designed specifically for this lathe.

*More force, more penetrating oil, and more wrenching ended up breaking more indexing gear teeth, started to strip threads on the handwheel, and bent jaws on our chuck. I emailed customer service again, and Debbi Colon said she would get all hands on deck to help me figure things out.

I haven’t heard a peep out of anyone there in over a week despite multiple emails. ***None of this was caused by user error. We have many years experience with fine woodworking tools, all directions were followed, and set screws were removed prior to wrenching.

I received this lathe about 4 months ago and love it. I’ve turned several things with it and am really pleased. The reverse feature really comes in handy and I use it with everything. If I had to say anything was a dislike, it would be the tool rest mechanism.

It doesn’t move freely, I’ve adjusted it once which helped slightly, but just need to tinker with it some more, buy hey, that’s such a minor detail. Would I recommend this product to anyone? Yes. I now plan on purchasing the grinder since I don’t own one in my shop.

To start off, this lathe is wonderful and teknatool has great customer service. Make sure to register your warranty! The only things that stop me from giving the lathe 5 stars are probably the plastic locking devices.

Althouhgh they work fine, they don’t last forever so be gently. When turning between centers ALWAYS drive the spur in off the lathe. Do not use the tail stock to drive it in. Also, with the size of the lathe the location of the speed control is exposed to all sorts of wood shavings and dust.

I’d recommend always cleaning the speed control and motor off after each use, and during each use if you are turning for longer than an hour. Canned air or compressor work very well. Overall great lathe for a beginner to learn or for an expert to do some small scale projects like pens and such.

I’ve turned bowls up to 9″ wide and 5″ tall on this with no problem.

Having multiple Delta products over the years they have had strong and reliable products. They call this 46-460 industrial lathe, it is built solidly and has good attention to detail, from the pulleys and belt to the electronic controller, Even with all the shipping and multiple handlers everything was right on the money.

The price was fair, most of the small mini and midi lathes do not a electronic speed controller or a reverse this does and it makes all the difference. I gave it a simple but solid stand and set it for my height and comfort.

In the picture I am setting a glue block on a small 5″ sea grape wood bowl. I normally power crave hardwood bowls, but not everyone wants a 1 off more expensive bowl, and this gives me more options.

This is a tremendously great professional-grade bench lathe. It comes ready to use right out of the securely packed box. Detailed instructions and safety reminders are clearly written. The on and off power switch allows for a lock, if needed.

Large variable speed dial with clear numbers. Large front access panel for belt changes. It is a very well built machine that is absolutely worth owning for your shop. And the motor is smooth and quiet.

My lathe was the older version but I only had it 4 years before the motor burned out. The Lathe had only been used for 4 years it sat in the back of a shop in the box for a bit longer. But it was a Delta It should be fine to buy Delta always stands by there products, so I thought.

So I call to order a new motor None, they dont make them. And they leave me with a bad taste in my mouth not even willing to help me out. So much for the warranty, and standing behind your product. I will never buy another delta/ portercable product for my shop.

I felt compelled to give this machine a few kudos since the only review posted previously was somewhat negative. This is a good value. You can probably purchase one of Jet’s 14-42 wood lathes (no longer available) used for $500-800, and even out-of-the-box the 14-40 is a bargain at the discounted price shown above.

The weight of the machine plus the extremely well-designed cast iron brackets for a ballast shelf makes the entire unit quite stable. The outboard feature and pivoting head has allowed me to turn things that would not fit onto Jet’s 16-42, and that unit retails at $2500 or more.

Yes, there are times when I wish it had more horsepower but it has what I would consider adequate muscle to do the job. Yes, a Reeves drive needs care — you should NEVER change speeds when the motor is turned off — and the belt will need replacement every so often.

(I know this is sacrilege, but I bought one at NAPA for a third of Jet’s price. ) But the speed adjustment is mechanical, so there are no electronics that can go haywire. As long as you pay attention and don’t abuse it, the speed control system will last for years.

This new model is an improved version of the 42, which I happen to own. The speed control lever has been moved away from the quill, and the motor has been repositioned, resolving some of the clearance issues that popped up from time to time.

I am new to woodturning, but have been looking into this wood lathe as soon as it came out. When i had the chance to purchase the lathe, i did not hesitate. And i am glad i did. The versatility of the lathe is what attracted me to it in the first place, and I am extremely happy with the purchase as the lathe is exactly as advertised.

So far i have been able to turn a nice new handle for hand forged garden spade (that i broke last summer), a 16″ pecan bowl (with bed extension), even little smalls like new dogs for my workbench. And had no problems with any.

I’ve had this machine a little over 2 years now (I first reviewed it in June 2020), and I’ve come to love this thing! It impressed me when I first got it, and it’s only gotten better since! I was gifted a Grizzly G0765 7×14 mini lathe, and it being a considerably more expensive machine with a longer bed, I’d been using it exclusively.

I’ve recently started using the Harbor Freight lathe and have been so much happier with the results that the green machine is now dormant! Most of my projects are aluminum or brass, but this thing will handle steel and cast iron as well.

Just keep in mind that you’re not using a $100,000 industrial machine and everything will be fine! This machine is made Sieg, the leading producer of quality mini lathes and milling machines in China, and although all the different brands look the same, there are major differences between them.

Upgrades to the machine have been few, but I did add a quick release tailstock kit and a quick change tool post, both from Little Machine Shop, and make a good machine even better! Everyone’s expectations are unique, but if you are doing hobby machining and don’t want to break the bank getting set up, this is a great choice!.

This is my first mini lathe, but I found it easy to use and figure out. If I could have bought the 7×12 in-store, I would have. Aquiring this lathe was a headache. I had to wait almost a month for my lathe to arrive (I was prepared for this) and it was damaged when It arrived (I was not prepared for this).

So I called customer service and they offered to replace the whole unit – great! So I followed their directions and a month later still no word on the replacement. I called customer service again to find out that I was given the wrong directions the first time I called.

This guy straightened things out though and 2 weeks later I received the lathe again. This one was not damaged and I find myself excited to use it. There are certainly some cleaning (packing grease and burs) that need to be done.

I already want to move to a 4 jaw chuck, but otherwise I have been cutting 17-4 SS and Gr9 Ti with ease. I’ve found the hardest thing to do is to get things centered in that 3 jaw chuck (hence the want for a 4 jaw chuck).

No threads cut on it yet.

For unseasoned lathe newbies 7 x 12 doesn’t you can turn a 7″ diameter part with the given set up. I had to buy a 5″ head stock chuck to turn a 5. 25″ piece. This new chuck barely clears the safety gate.

So don’t expect to turn anything bigger than about 5″ in diameter. Point two. The motor is more than likely designed to only use the small head stock chuck that comes with the machine. Reason I bring this up is because shortly after installing the larger chuck, the motor would stop mid-turn.

I’d have to power down to 0 speed and turn it back up. Would start right away but, having to restart the motor several times while cutting a piece doesn’t quite make for an efficient tool. Lastly. The first machine I bought online was received in good condition but the motor did not even turn on.

Returned it to a local store. The second one I received worked like a charm. Those are my 2 cents.

I’ve been wanting a Nova Drill Press since it was first introduced. I recently took the $ plunge and replaced a 15yr old Jet 17″ drill press – the Jet was a great tool, but I wanted to modernize and I found that the base of the Jet was too wobbly for me, among other things.

The Nova was delivered within 5 days of ordering from ACME. The shipping container could not have been any better! I was shocked at how nice the packaging was for this tool and I found it hard to not repurpose the ~3/4″ thick cardboard.

I was able to completely assemebly the drillpress by myself, it was a bit of a challenge due to the head being quite heavy. One concern I had when I ordered this drill press was that I thought the quill height might be significantly lower than what I was used to with the Jet – not the case at all.

Quill height is perfect for me at 6’1″. Testing runout: With the supplied chuck the runout was about 0. 0025″ (GREAT!) the runout measured on the quil (no chuck installed) 0. 0005″ (AWESOME!) I am extremely impressed with the mechanical build quality and functionality of this drill press.

Great Impressions: 1. Stability – very well built and wide base greatly enhances stability, though, since there are hardly any vibrations, stability could have more slop and still be acceptable by me.

2. Runout – best I have seen for this class of drill press 3. Vibration – hardly any! 4. Work table – perfect size for me, much bigger than the Jet 17″ and if feels great to have that extra table area.

5. Estop switch is in the perfect location for me and it is needed beacuse the membrane buttons can be tough to operate (see criticism below). I offer this as constructive criticism: 1. As expected, I thought the LCD display would be too dated in technology – IT IS!!! It is tough to read in that the text and graphics are quite pixelated.

A nice hi-res OLED display would be a great improvement (I may make this mod myself in the future). 2. The Saftey warnings presented on the display at boot-up are annoying – I know to use safety glasses and to read the user manual – I do not need to be reminded to do so for 10 seconds of my life every time I turn the power on to this machine.

3. The membrane buttons are not pleasurable to press. A nice update with some good tactile buttons would be a great help (another mod I am considering doing myself is to upgrade the buttons). In particular, it can be tough to quickly hit the OFF button.

The membrane style keys are quite sensitive to where one pushes them and the OFF button is no exception – thankfully the estop button is easy to hit for those sometimes needed quick stops. 4. Table lifting mechanism is the same as found on most woodworking drill presses, not impressive, but not terrible either – this would have been a great opportunity to step up to something more ridgid for the table lift mechanism.

As a side note, I was considering buying an Engineering Model of the Nova Vulcan – with an ER-32 collet system and MT-3 quill. The reason I did not is because I was concerned that the table lift and clamping mechanism would be the same as the Voyager, and as such, may not handle lite milling operations as well as I would like.

Overall – I am a completely satisfied customer of the Nova Voyager Drill Press and ACME Tools.

The drill press is solid with good machining. However, I don’t think that it is quite ready for production. A machine like this without a light? Even the warehouse bench top versions have a light. It should have a laser cross hair too for where the bit will enter and maybe even a place to store the chuck key.

And their CAD-CAM guy should have noticed the when the table rotates, it strikes the collar that holds the table up so it only rotates a few degrees. My recommendation is to wait for the next generation.

But it really does have nice features and generally good workmanship. I am expecting some improvement in the way the menu works. It is not exactly user friendly. The underside of the table is not flat or finished to clamping things is not easy.

This is a great lathe for any level of turner. It’s sturdy, quiet, and has a lot of safety features. Further the price you get from Tools-Plus was better than I could find anywhere else. The service and support from Tools-Plus was outstanding and friendly.

The lathe ships directly from the manufacturer’s warehouse in Florida. This was the one weak spot in the process, because the manufacturer ships using Old Dominion and the online tracking consisted essentially of ‘it’s on its way’ and ‘its here.

‘ This was a little disconcerting because I needed to prepare for delivery (get rid of the old lathe, trim branches for the truck, etc. ). However, between Tools-Plus’ and other customer service people, I was able to get the information I needed, which was good because the lathe arrived several days ahead of time (so, I was actually happy with Old Dominion in the end).

When the item arrives, it is extremely well packaged. And it’s not going to move once they put it on the ground, so be ready when it comes. It will take some work to unpackage. You have to remove banding and screws from the metal bracing on the plywood box.

I expected the box to come apart easily at that point, but I still had to pry it apart because of the staples. Once you’ve got the box apart, it will still be necessary to un-bolt the parts from the box frame, so you will need the proper tools.

I suppose, the effort required to unpack the lathe might be a con, but its also a big plus; there wasn’t a scratch on the lathe. The lathe is heavy and its pieces are heavy, but just light enough that I could lift each one (barely, I wouldn’t recommend it for smaller persons or most women).

You can stand the legs up by themselves and lift the bed into place and bolt it together. (The lathe comes with four adjustable feet, however, you need at least two extra people if you use these as the legs will fall over if you put them on.

So, for now my lathe doesn’t have them, though I may try to find a jack to lift up one end at a time to attach them. ) In the end, I only needed a little assistance from my wife to help line up the motor to slide it on the bench.

(the motor is heavy and you’ll need both hand to hold, which means you need a third hand to line up the guide. ) Although you need some tools to get it out of the box, everything you need to assemble it is provided.

The lathe is a joy to work with. It has a number of features that make it safer and easier to use than other lathes, certainly safer than my old lathe. If you buy this lathe, make sure you get an adapter so you can use your old chucks.

I naively thought my Nova Chuck would just fit right on a Nova lathe, not so. Also, the lathe with only one 12″ tool rest, so you will need to get a smaller tool rest, if you don’t have one already, if you want to work on smaller pieces.

In short, you can’t go wrong with this lathe or with Tools-Plus.