Used Wood Lathe For Sale? Is it a Bargain Or a Bust?

So you have seen an add for a used wood lathe and you are on your way to see it. Will you find a bargain or a bust? What should you look for before parting with your hard earned cash?

Wood lathes are very basic woodworking machines. They have a set of ways on which the rest of the lathe is built. These are usually reinforced angle iron set exactly parallel to one another. Make sure they are:

1. Flat. Use a straight edge to ensure that the surfaces are flat and sight along them with winding sticks to make sure they are coplanar.

2. Clean. A little rust is OK and minor amounts of finish on them is to be expected. These are easily cleaned with a little fine wet and dry sandpaper and is general maintenance. However, a bit of heavy paint can cover a hard to fix ding or a place where rust was able to cause serious corrosion.

Most wood lathes have the tail stock on the right and the headstock on the left. The tail stock holds the tail center for spindle turning and may be used to hold other items such as a Jacob's chuck from time to time. Make sure:

1. It moves easily along the ways and locks down securely when fastened. This will happen with a bolt that connects to a plate below the ways and may be secured with a handle or a wrench. Once fastened down you should not be able to grab it and move it.

2. It does not wobble in the ways. They are parallel and the tail stock needs to be kept parallel within them. A few tail stocks have adjustments to correct them but not all.

3. The Morse taper is clean and in good shape.

4. It lines up with the headstock. Put a center in both and make sure the points are in the same plane vertically and horizontally. If not and there is no adjustments available, walk away. This is no bargain.

The tool rest and banjo between the tail stock and head stock need to move easily along the ways and be sturdy. They are easily maintained and corrected for minor dings and hits.

The headstock is the heart of the lathe. It is also the part that can be fixed most thoroughly. Belts and bearings are usually inexpensive and reasonable to replace. Make sure:

1. The motor works well.

2. It is secure to the ways.

3. If it rotates it has to lock down well.

4. The Morse taper is clean and in good shape.

5. It lines up with the tail stock. If it does not, walk away.

There are a lot of good bargains in used lathes and more come up as wood turners upgrade to larger tools. Looking for a few minor things can allow for the bargains to keep from being busts.

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