Tools

Best Professional Wood Lathes for Serious Turning For frequent, demanding work, the best professional wood lathe is usually a 2 hp or stronger variable-speed model with a roughly 16–20-inch swing, a bed long enough for your actual work, and readily available bearings, belts and electronic controls; choose a heavier 220-volt Read more

The best lathe for a home shop is usually a variable-speed benchtop model with about 12 inches of swing and 16–18 inches between centers—unless you turn long spindles, large bowls, or need a machine you can move regularly. Choose by the work you actually plan to turn, then check that Read more

Best Inexpensive Wood Lathes for Beginners and Small Shops The best inexpensive wood lathe for most beginners is a 12-inch, variable-speed midi lathe with a cast-iron bed, a roughly ¾-horsepower motor, and enough bed length for the projects you actually plan to turn. For tighter budgets, a 10-inch benchtop model Read more

Best Home Wood Lathes for Hobby Turning The best home wood lathe for most hobby turners is a 12-inch swing midi lathe with variable speed: it can handle bowls, spindles, and small furniture parts without demanding the floor space or budget of a full-size machine. Choose a mini lathe for Read more

Best Grit CBN Grinding Wheels for Lathe Tools For most HSS lathe tools, a 180-grit CBN wheel is the best all-around choice for sharpening, while 80– grit is better for reshaping and 350– grit is for refining an already accurate edge. In practice, choose the coarsest grit that can do Read more

Best Carbide Wood Lathe Tools: Quick Picks by Project The best carbide wood lathe tools depend on what you turn: choose a compact square-tip set for everyday spindle work, a round cutter for bowls and hollow curves, or a longer-handled set when you need reach and leverage. For a first Read more

Best Grinding Wheels for Sharpening Lathe Tools: The Short Answer For most woodturners, the best grinding wheel for lathe tool sharpening is a friable 8-inch, 60-grit aluminum oxide wheel with a 1-inch bore for a typical 8-inch bench grinder, paired with a 120-grit wheel for refining edges. If your grinder Read more

Best Sherline Lathes for Precision Small-Scale Turning For most first-time buyers, the Sherline 4000-series lathe is the best starting point: it offers a 3.5-inch swing, a 8-inch distance between centers, and a compact bench footprint, while longer-bed 4400-series models suit work that needs more length rather than more diameter. Choose Read more

Best JET Lathes: Models Compared for Woodturning For most small-shop turners, the JET JWL-1221VS is the best all-around jet lathe; choose the JWL-1015 for an entry-level spindle lathe, the JWL-1440VSK for longer work and larger bowls, or the JWL-1640EVS for frequent, full-size production turning. The right choice depends less on Read more

Best Mini Lathes for Small Workshops For most small workshops, the best mini lathe is a 10-inch swing model with a 16- to 18-inch distance between centers: it handles pens, tool handles, small bowls and spindle projects without using as much bench space as a full-size lathe. Choose a shorter Read more