Lathe attachments are add-on components—chucks, rests, centers, steady rests, and sharpening systems—that expand what a wood lathe can hold and shape, and the right ones depend on three specs printed on your lathe: thread size on the headstock spindle, Morse taper, and distance between centers. Buy attachments that match those Read more
Is the Robust American Beauty Wood Lathe Worth It? The short answer: if you turn bowls larger than 20 inches, hollow vessels, or production work daily, the Robust American Beauty wood lathe is one of the most capable cast-iron lathes sold today — but its 660-pound weight, 25-inch swing, and Read more
Choosing between a wood vs metal lathe comes down to one fact: they are not interchangeable versions of the same machine. A wood lathe cuts soft, fibrous material with freehand tools at high spindle speeds and light rigidity; a metal lathe clamps hard stock rigidly and feeds a fixed cutting Read more
The best under-lathe tool box for most woodturning shops is a rolling tool cabinet roughly 24–27 inches tall with drawers between 2 and 5 inches deep — it clears the underside of a midi or full-size lathe stand, holds chucks, gouges, and accessories where you actually use them, and rolls Read more
The woodturning lathe accessories actually worth buying come down to five essentials — a 4-jaw chuck, a drive center upgrade, a live center, a drill chuck, and a face shield — while everything else (steady rests, duplicators, specialty jaws) only earns its money once your turning tasks demand it. The Read more
The Jet JML-1014 is a solid buy if your turning fits inside a 10-inch swing and 14 inches between centers — bowls up to roughly 9.5 inches, pens, bottle stoppers, tool handles, and small spindles — and a poor buy if you’re eyeing table legs, chair parts, or anything that Read more
The best benchtop woodworking lathe for most small shops is the Jet JWL-1221VS, while the RIKON 70-105 is the better compact choice, the WEN 3424T is the budget pick, and the NOVA Comet II suits turners who value portability and accessories. A benchtop lathe is a practical choice for pens, Read more
The best lathe bench for most woodturners is a rigid steel or hardwood base with a 30–34 inch work height, at least 250 lb of usable capacity, adjustable feet, and storage that does not weaken the structure; choose a compact stand for a small lathe and a broad, anchored bench Read more
The right robust lathe depends less on maximum swing than on the size of work you actually turn: choose the Scout for limited space and occasional spindle work, the Sweet 16 for a versatile home-shop machine, and the American Beauty when large bowls, heavy blanks, and long-term capacity justify its Read more
Best Wood Lathe Accessories for Safer, More Accurate Turning The best wood lathe accessories are a quality four-prong drive center, live center, chuck with several jaw sets, sharp tools, a reliable measuring system, and dust and face protection matched to your lathe’s size and spindle thread. Buying accessories for a Read more