Lathe Recommendations in Ottawa

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MJS613

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Hi All,

New here and looking to buy my first lathe, going to start with pens, ring and eventually bowls and other things. I'm in Ottawa and it seems there are only 2 lathes available in my area.

www.busybeetools.com

Buy 12in. X 18in. Vari Speed Wood Lathe at Busy Bee Tools

CX813 12" x 18" Mini Wood Lathe - Craftex CX-Series The CX813 mini wood lathe is equipped with a 3/4HP motor and turns work-piece up to 16-1/2" in length. It comes with variable speed, ranging from 650 to 3800 RPM and features spindle digital readout which allows you to turn stock at the...
www.busybeetools.com www.busybeetools.com

And

www.atlas-machinery.com

King Industrial KING-KWL-1218VS 12 X 18in Variable Speed Wood Lathe

Discover top-quality tools and equipment at Atlas Tools & Machinery, your go-to source for power tools, hand tools, woodworking equipment, and machinery. Shop the best brands with unbeatable prices, expert advice, and fast shipping. Level up your tool game with high-performance tools built for...
www.atlas-machinery.com www.atlas-machinery.com

Any thoughts on these 2? Or if anyone in ottawa that knows of anywhere else that sells lathes or different brands or has recommendations. All input is welcome.
 
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Both of these lathes are a good starter lathe for pens and smaller objects and both are variable speed which is great. I had a General mini lathe 12" and found it very limiting when it came to bowl turning but is absolutely possible, just takes a little time and patience. Good luck and welcome to the madness. Lol
Lin
 
I have used. 260 General for over 30 years Canada made!!!! don't discount full size lathe. Full size lathe works very well for small items, like pen's, rings. Plus you can have do bowls and platters.
 
I don't know anything about the lathes you mentioned but to add a thought about the size. I was told you can turn a pen on a three foot lathe but you can't turn a table leg on a 12" lathe.
 
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The King Canada KWL-1218VS is essentially the same lathe that PSI sells as the 12" Turncrafter - the only difference is the color of the paint and the fact that King Canada includes a reversing switch in the controls.

I have the 12" Turncrafter and have been very pleased with it. The things you need to know are:
1. There may be a bit of backlash in the tailstock. One of the common issues with this lathe is that the tailstock casting includes a rectangular protrusion on the bottom that is designed to align the tailstock with the bedways, but it is not unusual for that casting to be very slightly narrower than the spacing between the bedways. As a result, it is possible for the tailstock to 'wiggle' just a bit (less than 0.6 degrees on mine) before the tailstock is locked into position. This can complicate the process of drilling - but the workaround is to always create a center dimple on the workpiece, and then center the drill bit on that dimple before locking the tailstock. Incidentally, I really think this is a generic problem with lathes in this price bracket, so it wouldn't surprise me if the Busy Bee lathe also has some backlash.

2. There is an indexing feature, but the toothed disc inside the headstock that is used to create that feature is plastic. As a result, it can't really be used as a spindle lock. If you try, you will break teeth off the disc. DAMHIKT. It's not a big job to replace the disc - I know that PSI sells replacements and I assume that King Canada does also, and there is a YouTube video out there that demonstrates how its done.

3. Changing the belt position to get the alternate speed range is simple, and there are adjustments inside the speed control box that you can use to tune up the speed ranges. There have been postings here discussing how to make that adjustment. Replacing belts is not difficult. It's advisable to have a spare belt; I know that PSI sells spare belts (in a set of 2), and there are also posts that discuss after-market suppliers of replacement belts.
 
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MJS613 said:
Hi All,

New here and looking to buy my first lathe, going to start with pens, ring and eventually bowls and other things. I'm in Ottawa and it seems there are only 2 lathes available in my area.

www.busybeetools.com

Buy 12in. X 18in. Vari Speed Wood Lathe at Busy Bee Tools

CX813 12" x 18" Mini Wood Lathe - Craftex CX-Series The CX813 mini wood lathe is equipped with a 3/4HP motor and turns work-piece up to 16-1/2" in length. It comes with variable speed, ranging from 650 to 3800 RPM and features spindle digital readout which allows you to turn stock at the...
www.busybeetools.com www.busybeetools.com

And

www.atlas-machinery.com

King Industrial KING-KWL-1218VS 12 X 18in Variable Speed Wood Lathe

Discover top-quality tools and equipment at Atlas Tools & Machinery, your go-to source for power tools, hand tools, woodworking equipment, and machinery. Shop the best brands with unbeatable prices, expert advice, and fast shipping. Level up your tool game with high-performance tools built for...
www.atlas-machinery.com www.atlas-machinery.com

Any thoughts on these 2? Or if anyone in ottawa that knows of anywhere else that sells lathes or different brands or has recommendations. All input is welcome.
Click to expand...
For what it's worth - if your selection is limited to these two, I would go with the King. First of all it has a 1 HP motor compared to the 3/4 HP in the other. Secondly, the King has more weight - the more weight, the less chance of vibration. Good luck.
 
Do you have a price range, size limit? Both of the sites have larger sizes that should also be available to you. If you think you be doing bowls then maybe splurge on one of the Midi size lathes. As stated above you can turn small items on a large lathe but cannot turn large on a small lathe. One of our chapter members regularly turn 1/2" goblets on a full size Powermatic
 
MJS613 said:
Hi All,

New here and looking to buy my first lathe, going to start with pens, ring and eventually bowls and other things. I'm in Ottawa and it seems there are only 2 lathes available in my area.

www.busybeetools.com

Buy 12in. X 18in. Vari Speed Wood Lathe at Busy Bee Tools

CX813 12" x 18" Mini Wood Lathe - Craftex CX-Series The CX813 mini wood lathe is equipped with a 3/4HP motor and turns work-piece up to 16-1/2" in length. It comes with variable speed, ranging from 650 to 3800 RPM and features spindle digital readout which allows you to turn stock at the...
www.busybeetools.com www.busybeetools.com

And

www.atlas-machinery.com

King Industrial KING-KWL-1218VS 12 X 18in Variable Speed Wood Lathe

Discover top-quality tools and equipment at Atlas Tools & Machinery, your go-to source for power tools, hand tools, woodworking equipment, and machinery. Shop the best brands with unbeatable prices, expert advice, and fast shipping. Level up your tool game with high-performance tools built for...
www.atlas-machinery.com www.atlas-machinery.com

Any thoughts on these 2? Or if anyone in ottawa that knows of anywhere else that sells lathes or different brands or has recommendations. All input is welcome.
Click to expand...
How's it going neighbour. I'm just down the road near Brockville. We are more limited here, in Canada compared to the US, when wanting to physically look at machines.
Lee Valley also carries the Rikon lathe. It's a little more expensive.
Lee Valley wood lathes
Cardon Tools is just a little east of you down hwy 7. They carry Lagune, Oneway, King and Rikon
Availablility may depend on how far you want to drive. Normand Machinery has a store in Laval
You don't mention if you have travel restrictions. "Atlas Machinery" is located in Toronto. If you don't mind it being shipped, that opens up a whole new bunch of stores.

The big questions are what Is your budget? What do you plan on making? How large a factor is size. What is your feeling on $/quality ratio?

Both of those lathes, that you showed, are adequate. Things to look for
MT2 spindle in headstock and tailstock
No less than 15" between centers
3/4hp+ motor
Variable speed if possible

Remember, that after you get the lathe, you will need some tools and accessories. This could easily run up to the same cost as the lathe itself.

If you have any questions, or want to chat, give me a shout.
 
I tried looking for Jet as it seems to be highly recommended but it isn't available in Canada. Budget wise since it is my first lathe hoping to stay under $600 since I will.need to buy all the accessories to go with it. To start I am going to start with small things pens rings and other small containers. Once I hone my skills with those things I will then look at maybe bowls and bigger things.

Right now I can get the craftex for 499.99 on sale and the king for 599.99 on sale maybe lower if I can get home depot to price match.

Then I will have to look at all the accessories, chisels, chucks, supplies for the pens and a sharpening wheel for my grinder.

Once I hone my skills I can always upgrade the lathe down the road to a bigger one. I am also limited on space right now in my shop. I need to finish a few projects to free up the space for more fun tools :)
 
Kenny Durrant said:
I don't know anything about the lathes you mentioned but to add a thought about the size. I was told you can turn a pen on a three foot lathe but you can't turn a table leg on a 12" lathe.
Click to expand...
Very good point. The actual working length of a lathe with an 18" bed is only around 15" when you mount a chuck on the headstock, and perhaps 11-12" when you add a jacobs chuck in the tailstock for drilling.

I've turned walking canes on a 1218 lathe, but it was tricky - had to do them in sections that were later glued together with mortise and tenon joints for strength. But figuring out how to do that was just part of the fun.

If you think that turning longer stuff is in your future, you might look at whether the lathes you are considering can take bed extensions. PSI does sell an extension for their version of the 1218VS, and it's possible that King Canada offers that option also.
 
BTW, I have no experience with the above lathe. I was just trying to provide you with more information.
Personally, for pens and small objects, I buy Rikon and Jet. I am sure, however, that there are many other good lathes out there.

Enjoy the search!
 
darrin1200 said:
I've always believed that Harbour Freight (USA) and BusyBee (Can) are affiliated somehow.
Click to expand...
I have been told that there is a family connection between the owners of the two chains. They both buy equipment out of China and rebrand it with their own labels, so some of the equipment is the same.
 
bradh said:
I have been told that there is a family connection between the owners of the two chains. They both buy equipment out of China and rebrand it with their own labels, so some of the equipment is the same.
Click to expand...
It is Busy Bee and Grizzly that share the same family. Harbor Freight is more like our Princess Auto, just not affiliated in any way.
 
There are 2 other lathes you could get easily , Laguna 15/24 or Record Coronet. Both are nice little lathes and would extend your capacities.
Laguna will have a dealer near you or Record has to come from Stockroom supplies out here in the Niagara region.
 
Here is a link to (I think it is fairly new) the .... Record Coronet Herald at .... Stockroomsupply.ca

Coronet Herald 14" x 20" Swivel Head Lathe

<p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Pre-orders availble now! Lathes will be in stock Nov. 1st 2019. Limited quanties availble until 2020</span></p> <p><span style="color: #ff0000;">Shipping NOT included. Please contact for shipping quote.</span></p> <p>Thi
stockroomsupply.ca stockroomsupply.ca

And there are other models to choose from ( ... for a price !! ) :-

Buy Record Power Tools in Canada - Stockroom Supply

Record Power has a long and impressive history in the world of woodturning. We offer an unrivalled range of high quality machinery and accessories to cater to all levels of woodturner from the keen novice to demanding professional. Our large range of accessories mean that when you invest in a...
stockroomsupply.ca stockroomsupply.ca


But .... you know what ? .... that Craftex from Busy Bee at $500 on sale is going to everything you want to do at this stage in your turning career.
Except .... I would like it better if it had a low speed of less than 650 RPM .... I do my CA finish application at about 100 RPM or less.

The King that you mentioned goes down to 450 RPM (they say). . ( And the price is a bit higher. )

Either of those will do you just fine, but I would like lower speed capability if it were me.

Just for comparison, perhaps, .... I bought a little metal-working lathe from Princess Auto. . It is actually a so-called Sieg lathe but that brand name is not displayed anywhere ( It is on the speed control circuit board inside one of the machine covers. ) . . .... It goes down to about 20 RPM ( which I actually use ) but it is only 1/3 HP which means it is slightly underpowered, even for pen turning, .... but it has served me well for 10+ years .
I paid about $400 for it about 10 - 12 years ago.

So, the point is ... just about any of the small lathes will do you for pen turning. . You will want the convenience of variable speed though .... it is a PITA to be moving the belt on pulleys when you are turning pens. . . . .... just my 2 cents !! . . Also, don't buy a really light weight lathe .... go for 100 lbs or so.

If you KNOW that you are going to want to eventually turn bigger wood pieces, then that really changes things, of course.
 
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Hi All,

I decided to go with the king lathe, so far I am really happy with it. Decided for this one because the motor is a bit bigger, it also has a reverse feature not sure if I'll,use it but good to have. The variable speed seems to work well. I've just been practicing turning blocks of wood while I wait for all my supplies to come in and so far so good starting to get the hang of it.

Can't wait do tuen my first Pen.
 
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