What is a mini lathe?
First you need to understand the definition of a lathe, which is a very large power tool that spins items such as wood, metal, or other composite materials very quickly, so the user can then carve and shape the metal or wood to a design he or she sees fit. An example of an item being made on a lathe, would be table legs. They are rounded, long, and can be easily shaped perfectly by spinning a block of wood, and with the user’s imagination, a table leg of his or her design comes to life. Lathes are very expensive, and can take years of practice to even learn how to use one properly. A mini or “table top” lathe would be considered a decent size lathe, that is smaller in general size, allowing for better usage and creation of smaller items. Lathe’s are a very old tool, and have been around dating back before the time of Christ. Some were hand, or foot pedal style turned, still allowing a better working situation compared to the standard and uneven workings of an item being stationary. Your friends here at ToolCrunch.net did some extensive research and have learned there are a couple different types of lathes out there.
Wood Lathe
As we stated earlier, these lathe’s are specially designed to be used with wooden materials. For small DIY projects, home repairs, or if an item such as a chair backing, table leg, etc needs to be fabricated, because it can not be purchased, then you would need to use a wooden lathe to get the job done.
Rikon 70-100 12×16 inch Mini Lathe
From the information and demonstrations we gathered, the Rikon mini lathe features a very large if not the largest, capacity in the mini wood lathe industry, and you can use multiple extensions on the Rikon mini lathe as well. Its very special, because it has a 12 position index head, that will allow you to physically lock the wooden material or piece into place in different multiple positions. By doing this, you can get an even better and more accurate job finished on the job you are taking on.
The Rikon has a very powerful electric 1/2 horsepower motor, and you can easily control its speed through different settings of rotation per minute. RPM’s. Those settings are 430 rpms, 810 rpms, 1,230 rpms, 1,810 rpms, 2,670 rpms, and 3,900 rpms. Very impressive, because the faster an item spins on the Rikon mini wood lathe, the easier it will be to cut and design a project. There is also a self ejecting stock on the Rikon mini wood lathe, so you will not have to keep using the knock out bar to remove the center every-time you use it. It has some features like a flip up handle so it can be easily moved, nylon face plate washer so you won’t have to worry about accessories sticking to the mini wood lathe’s spindle. We also spotted a very handy tool holder towards the very back.
This lathe was one of the very best lathes I have ever used personally, and just for this review, I was able to make four new wooden legs for my new custom farm table I am designing and building over the winter. The stand on this mini lathe, kept it in place, and there was absolutely no sliding or moving of the machine while I was chewing through quality oak wood. If you ever wanted to give this a try for yourself, the Rikon wood mini lathe can be purchased on Amazon for a very fair price.
PSI Wood Working 10 inch Mini Wood Lathe
The PSI Commander mini wood lathe was the very best you could buy for your money. We understand that not everyone has thousands of dollars to invest into these tools. It has an electric 3/4 horsepower motor, and it delivers control and power to perform under any situation or job you can throw at it.
With my own personal experience I enjoyed using this lathe. It turned on with out any hesitation, didn’t smoke or produce any funny smells or vapors. It had consistent power through out the trial of using the wood lathe. I chose this as my runner up in my review, because of how happy I was with the results.
It has a heavy duty cast iron frame, giving it a very durable feel as you are using it, and is fully capable of everything form pen turning to 12 inch bowls of pottery! PSI even mounted a decent light to help you get a very good look, so you can see exactly what you are doing no matter how good or bad the lighting is. There is a variable speed to this lathe as well, 500 to 2000 rpm belt speed, and a 1500 to 3600 rpm belt speed. Distance between Centers is 18″. Swing over Bed is 10″. Tailstock and Spindle Bore is 3/8″. Quill Travel is 1-5/8″. You can get a very nice deal on a PSI Wood Working lathe on Amazon right now for under $500.00.
Metal Lathe
Another type of lathe that is used on is metal working. When metal custom fabrication is needed, a lathe is going to be the best thing you are going to have. You can make custom sized bolts with special threads for any custom applications.
Erie Tools 7×14 Precision Bench Top Mini Metal Lathe
This was by far the most precise, easy to use, and well performing metal mini lathe I have got to use and try out yet. It has a variable speed that goes up to 2500 rpm’s and also has digital read out and 5 pc cutter kit that came with it. This allows for easy reading when you are trying to dial in the correct RPM’s during use. The thread indicator allows users to turn from 12 to 52 TPI with imperial or metric pitches. There is also a multi jaw chuck that holds the material in place for a more precise and careful cut. The distance between centers is 14 inches 8 inches or just about 350mm / 200mm. We determined the swing over bed is 7 inches as well.
The lathe powered on and ran smoothly, with no hesitation, no bunching up of the metal, and was surprisingly cool operation temperatures between 55 degrees to 96 degrees Fahrenheit. From the reviews I have read online everyone in general seems to really like the Eerie Tools mini metal lathe. However, you need to understand, this lathe was made in China, and can very and be different from the lathes you find made here in the United States. There are also some plastic parts and some adjustments I had to make, to bring this lathe up to 100 percent. However just over $800 on Amazon, this is going to be the greatest deal for the quality you will be able to buy online or anywhere, unless you find one used.
Grizzly 10×22 Mini Metal Lathe
You will not be able to find better craftsmanship and quality in a mini metal lathe other than from the Grizzly 10×22 mini metal lathe. This Grizzly 10 x 22 mini metal lathe has a hardened v way bed, nine longitudinal feeds, 1-inch spindle bore, six speeds 150 rpms all the way to 1500 rpms, 5-inch three jaw chuck, 6-1/2-inch four-jaw chuck, and an 8-inch faceplate. You can use inch threads from 8 to 72 TPI and metric threads from 0.25mm to 3.5mm, and the package comes with extras like oil-bath gearbox and tool box with service tools. It also has a 4 way tool post, a chip or debris tray, oil bath gearbox, tool box that has service tools with it.
As a simple test, I was able to take a measure out the thread width, and length of a bolt, as well as its head size, and in one simple try, I was able to replicate and produce my own handmade bolt. Just to prove I was able to do so, and to prove how easy this lathe is to use for beginners.
If you are considering making parts for models, engines, or even repairs or custom made bolts or custom screws, this will be a very handy mini metal lathe to have around the shop, basement, or garage where you do your hobby or business work out of. We were absolutely amazed at how well this mini metal lathe performed. Purchase a Grizzly 10×22 of your own on Amazon today. Enjoy your new lathe!
Conclusion
Everyone is going to have their own personal opinions and experiences when it comes to what brand, or type of lathe they prefer to use. That is perfectly fine. However, I have never in my life before today ever used a lathe. I have always read about them, and a few of my friends who do tons of wood working use them. But after getting my feet wet and really understanding first hand how easy these machines are to use (I did read each brands user manuals BEFORE I tried using them). I can not stress enough how important eye, ear, and even face safety is. When I was working with the metal mini lathes, small metal shavings and debris flew up into my face. Before the final review on the Grizzly, I put a clear face guard on to keep that debris away from my face.