What a lathe does
Every other machine in a shop moves a cutter past the wood. A lathe does the opposite: it spins the wood, and the turner holds the cutting tool, braced on a tool rest, against it. Whatever the cutter touches comes out round, which is why a lathe makes legs, handles, knobs, bowls and platters that no other machine can. The work is held in one of two ways: between centres, with the grain running along the spin axis, or from one end only, on a faceplate or chuck. The difference is explained in woodturning basics.
The parts
- Headstock. Houses the spindle, its bearings and the drive. The spindle has a hollow taper — MT#2 on every lathe reviewed here — for the spur centre, and an external thread for faceplates and chucks.
- Tailstock. Slides along the bed and locks; its quill, moved by a handwheel, pushes a live centre into the far end of the work.
- Tool rest and banjo. The banjo (rest base) slides across and along the bed and locks; the rest rises, falls and swivels in it. Grizzly locks the banjo on both sides of the bed and never pulls it so far back that it is held on one side only.
- Bed. Carries the headstock, banjo and tailstock in line; its length sets the distance between centres.
- Speed control. A belt moved between pulleys, a dial within belt ranges, or both. Grizzly's G0844 has three belt ranges, each fine-tuned with a dial.
- Other features. Forward and reverse (G0844, G0733), indexing to lock the spindle at set positions (24 positions at 15° on the G0844), and outboard turning beyond the headstock with a floor-standing rest (G0733).
Sizes: swing and between centres
Lathes are named by two numbers. Swing is the largest diameter that clears the bed — twice the spindle's height above it — so a 14 in lathe turns work up to 14 in across over the bed, but less over the banjo, which stands higher: 10 in on the G0844. The second number is the distance between centres, the longest spindle it takes. 'Mini' and 'midi' are sales words without an agreed boundary, so compare the two figures instead.
| Lathe | Swing over bed | Over rest base | Between centres | Motor and supply | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grizzly H8259 (benchtop) | 10 in | Not listed (4-1/2 in over the rest) | 18 in | 1/2 HP | 73 lb |
| Grizzly T25920 (benchtop) | 12 in | 9-1/2 in | 18 in | 3/4 HP, 120 V | 79 lb |
| Grizzly G0844 (benchtop) | 14 in | 10 in | 20 in | 3/4 HP, 120 V | 110 lb |
| WEN 34034 | 14 in | Not listed | 20 in | 6 A, 120 V | 125.7 lb |
| Grizzly G0632 | 16 in | 11-1/2 in | 42 in | 1.5 HP, 220 V | 386 lb |
| Grizzly G0733 | 18 in | 14 in | 47 in | 2 HP, 240 V | 446 lb |
| Grizzly G0766 | 22 in | 18 in | 42 in | 3 HP, 240 V | 490 lb |
Each maker's figures for its own lathe, from its manual; 'not listed' means that manual gives no figure under that name. Choosing between them is covered in the buying guides. Not a ranking.
Equipment notePaid link
14 x 20-in variable-speed benchtop lathe, with drive and live center kit
WEN 34035 with LA0009 kit
WEN's 34035, a 14 in by 20 in benchtop lathe by WEN's page, the size of the 34034 in the table above; this listing adds the LA0009 center kit.
Paid link — BenchRoot may earn a commission if you buy through this link.
Spindle threads, faceplates and chucks
Faceplates and chucks screw onto the spindle's thread, so they must match it. The benchtop lathes here use 1 in × 8 TPI; Grizzly's larger G0733 and G0766 use 1-1/4 in × 8 TPI; the H8259's manual gives no thread size and lists a threaded insert for fitting 1 in × 8 TPI accessories. Easy Wood Tools makes its chuck in 1 in and 1-1/4 in versions and tells buyers to take the thread from the lathe's owner's manual. A faceplate is threaded on until it seats against the spindle's shoulder; Grizzly then locks the G0844's with two set screws, because a faceplate that unscrews can throw the work.
Speed: from each lathe's own chart
The right speed falls as diameter rises, because the rim of a large piece travels much faster than a small one at the same rpm. Grizzly prints a chart in each lathe manual; the G0844's is below. It is Grizzly's for its own lathes — its G0733 chart gives 3200 rpm, the top of that lathe's range, for general cutting and finishing under 2 in, where the G0844 gives 3000 — and other makers give their own guidance or none. WEN's manual simply says to start slow.
| Work diameter | Roughing (rpm) | General cutting (rpm) | Finishing (rpm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 2 in | 1520 | 3000 | 3000 |
| 2–4 in | 760 | 1600 | 2480 |
| 4–6 in | 510 | 1080 | 1650 |
| 6–8 in | 380 | 810 | 1240 |
| 8–10 in | 300 | 650 | 1000 |
| 10–12 in | 255 | 540 | 830 |
| 12–14 in | 220 | 460 | 710 |
Grizzly's chart for the G0844 only; use the chart in your own lathe's manual. Grizzly also asks for low speeds for large, long or out-of-round work and for roughing. Not a universal speed table.
Safe use
Safety— The rules the makers set
Grizzly's lathe manuals require a face shield and safety glasses, no gloves, ties or loose clothing, and long hair kept away from the spindle; workpieces free of knots, splits, nails and foreign objects; every lock checked and the work turned by hand to prove it clears before power is applied; each new set-up started at the lowest speed while standing to one side; the tool held on the rest whenever it touches the work; the work left to stop on its own and measured only when stopped; and the tool rest removed for sanding, with sandpaper never wrapped around the work. The AWGB's checklist adds solid shoes and stopping whenever unsure. See woodworking safety rules.
The woodturning pages
- Tools. Gouges, skews, parting tools, scrapers and carbide tools in woodturning tools; choosing them in how to choose turning tools.
- The craft. Spindle and faceplate turning, cutting and scraping, in woodturning basics.
- First turning. Mounting, setting the rest and turning a first cylinder, step by step, in how to use a lathe.
- Projects. A rolling pin and a spurtle between centres in wood lathe projects; coasters and drawer knobs in wood turning projects.
- Choosing a lathe. All sizes in how to choose a lathe; benchtop machines in how to choose a benchtop lathe.
- The shop. Dust from sanding at the lathe, in the dust collector guide; sanding in general, in how to sand wood.
Before switching on the lathe
- Face shield and safety glasses on; no gloves or loose clothing
- Work sound: no knots, splits, nails or loose bark
- Headstock, tailstock, banjo and rest all locked
- Work turned by hand and clear of the rest
- Speed set low for the diameter, from your lathe's chart
- Standing to one side as it starts
Sources
Capacities, speeds, threads and weights are each maker's for its own lathe, from its manual. Grizzly's speed charts are for its own lathes and differ slightly between models; they are shown as Grizzly's. 'Mini' and 'midi' are sales terms with no agreed boundary, so lathes are compared by swing and length between centres. No universal speed, clearance or tool rest setting is given.
- 1.
Model G0844 14" x 20" Benchtop Wood Lathe, Owner's Manual. Grizzly Industrial, 2019.
Used for: A 14 × 20 in benchtop lathe: 3/4 HP on 120 V; 10 in swing over the rest base; 250–3550 rpm in three belt ranges with a speed dial; MT#2 taper; 1 in × 8 TPI spindle thread; forward and reverse; 24 indexing positions at 15°; 110 lb; a speed chart by work diameter for roughing, general cutting and finishing; the faceplate threaded on and locked by two set screws; additional safety rules for wood lathes.
- 2.
Model T25920 12" x 18" Benchtop Wood Lathe, Owner's Manual. Grizzly Industrial, 2020.
Used for: A 12 × 18 in benchtop lathe: 3/4 HP on 120 V; 9-1/2 in over the rest base; 300–3700 rpm variable; MT#2; 1 in × 8 TPI; 79 lb; tool rest height commonly 1/8 in above or below centre, depending on the turner, the tool and the cut.
- 3.
Model H8259 10" x 18" Benchtop Lathe, Owner's Manual. Grizzly Industrial, 2009.
Used for: A 10 × 18 in benchtop lathe: 1/2 HP; five belt speeds; MT#2 headstock and tailstock; 73 lb; a threaded insert needed to fit 1 in × 8 TPI accessories.
- 4.
Model 34034 14" x 20" Variable Speed Wood Lathe, Instruction Manual. WEN Products (store-hosted copy), 2019.
Used for: A 14 × 20 in lathe: 6 A at 120 V; speed ranges of 250–720, 600–1700 and 1200–3550 rpm; MT2 tapers; 1 in × 8 TPI spindle; an 8 in tool rest and 4 in faceplate; 125.7 lb; slower speeds to start, lathe unplugged before adjustments.
- 5.
Model G0632 16" x 42" Variable-Speed Wood Lathe, Owner's Manual. Grizzly Industrial, 2015.
Used for: A 16 × 42 in lathe: 1.5 HP on 220 V; 11-1/2 in over the rest base; 100–3200 rpm; 386 lb.
- 6.
Model G0733 18" x 47" Wood Lathe, Owner's Manual. Grizzly Industrial, 2021.
Used for: An 18 × 47 in lathe: 2 HP on 240 V; 14 in over the rest base; 100–3200 rpm; 1-1/4 in × 8 TPI; forward and reverse; outboard turning with a floor-standing tool rest; 446 lb; its speed chart giving 3200 rpm for general cutting and finishing under 2 in.
- 7.
Model G0766 22" x 42" Variable-Speed Wood Lathe, Owner's Manual. Grizzly Industrial, 2021.
Used for: A 22 × 42 in lathe: 3 HP on 240 V; 18 in over the rest base; 100–3200 rpm; 1-1/4 in × 8 TPI; 490 lb.
- 8.
FAQs. Easy Wood Tools.
Used for: Chucks made in 1 in and 1-1/4 in thread sizes, chosen by the lathe's spindle thread as its owner's manual gives it.
- 9.
Woodturning Safety Guidance. Association of Woodturners of Great Britain.
Used for: A visor or goggles, solid shoes, loose items secured, a speed suitable for the job, the work properly held, the rest set, the work spun by hand to clear the rest, the tool on the rest before it meets the wood, and the lathe stopped whenever unsure.
About this guide
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