# Harbor Freight Lathe



## BobGast (Jan 13, 2017)

I already own the larger of the Harbor Freight lathes and I have no problems with turning pens on it. It seems to serve me well as a beginner. But every time I happen to go into Harbor Freight I ask myself if it would be worth it to buy the smaller lathe for just making pens. Would buying it be considered a good investment or a waste of money. Of course I would rather upgrade but I wouldn't even know what would work for me in that situation.


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## thewishman (Jan 13, 2017)

Does the large HF lathe use #2 morse taper? I think the small one is #1. Chucks and mandrels would not interchange.

If I were upgrading, I would look at the Delta, Jet or Rikon mini/midi lathes. Higher precision and #2 morse tapers would make them a nice step up.


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## jleiwig (Jan 13, 2017)

BobGast said:


> I already own the larger of the Harbor Freight lathes and I have no problems with turning pens on it. It seems to serve me well as a beginner. But every time I happen to go into Harbor Freight I ask myself if it would be worth it to buy the smaller lathe for just making pens. Would buying it be considered a good investment or a waste of money. Of course I would rather upgrade but I wouldn't even know what would work for me in that situation.





As you say there is no reason why you can't turn pens on your current lathe. Unless you have a specific reason I personally wouldn't spend the extra money for a second smaller lathe. 


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## eharri446 (Jan 13, 2017)

If you are referring to the 10X18 lathe, then everything is MT2. I have one and it is great for a beginner. However, at some point in the future, I do plan to upgrade to a VSR from one of the other manufacturers like Jet, Rikon, Nova, etc..

However, that has to wait until I make more money by using what I already had.


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## raar25 (Jan 13, 2017)

The smaller VS lathe tool rest is poorly made and does not stay locked so I would stay away from it. I have one and use it for  buffing station.


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## TonyL (Jan 13, 2017)

I have the smaller VS one. I use it only when applying CA finish to pen barrels and that was my only intention for it. It is 1MT.

A fellow member wanted some help, and she happen to have that same lathe, and used a mandrel. She thought it best to learn on what she had, so we used it to turn a slim line.
It came out fine. The only thing I did to reduce the chances of a non-concentric (I think that is the right word) barrel is only placing one barrel on the mandrel, and about half way through turning, I rotatied the bushing a quarter turn in opposite directions. 

I don't know how many times I can repeat that...but it did the job right for two slim line barrels.

I hope this helps.


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## BCnabe (Jan 13, 2017)

I have the smaller VS lathe from HF and use it just for finishing and buffing.  I like having a separate lathe for finishing to reduce the possibility of dust getting in the finish of the pens.  It works great for that.  I've had it for about 2-3 years and wouldn't think twice about getting another one for finishing if it died.

I'm not sure I'd want to use it for turning though.  I have a larger Rikon for that.

I got my HF lathe with a 20% or 25% off coupon - they almost always have one available.


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## Edgar (Jan 13, 2017)

I tend to agree with Justin - unless you have a real need for a smaller lathe right now, I would save my nickles until I could afford a full size lathe.

One drawback of the smallest (and cheapest) lathe is that it is MT1 while the one you have is MT2, so your tools wouldn't be interchangeable without an adapter. As noted, it would make a good buffing or sanding station, but I doubt if the pen turning experience would be as satisfying as it is on the lathe you already have.

I have the Rockler equivalent of the HF 10x18 lathe and it's a very good lathe for the price. It was my starter lathe 4 years ago and I've turned a lot of pens, stoppers, small bowls and other things on it. I've since stepped up to a full size lathe, so now I mostly use the 10x18 for sanding blanks, although I still turn some things on it when I've got another project set up on the big lathe and just want to knock something out quickly. 

It is always tempting to add more tools to the shop, isn't it.


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## Super Dave (Jan 13, 2017)

I have a Harbor Freight Variable speed mini lathe, I originally bought it for my daughter to use, but I use it for most of the pens I make. I have had it for 10 years, turned hundreds of pens only had to replace the belt and bushings. I think I paid 89.00 for it back then, I think I have got my money's worth. I also had Rick Herrel make me a set of tool rests. It is still working good, it's under powered for larger things but works great for pens.
Dave


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## 1bigtuna (Jan 13, 2017)

BobGast said:


> I already own the larger of the Harbor Freight lathes and I have no problems with turning pens on it. It seems to serve me well as a beginner. But every time I happen to go into Harbor Freight I ask myself if it would be worth it to buy the smaller lathe for just making pens. Would buying it be considered a good investment or a waste of money. Of course I would rather upgrade but I wouldn't even know what would work for me in that situation.





Hi Bob
I've been using the Penn State industry with digital read out and love it. I think is a great buy
Kevin


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## mbroberg (Jan 13, 2017)

BobGast said:


> I already own the larger of the Harbor Freight lathes and I have no problems with turning pens on it.



My thought is don't spend any money on something you don't really need.  If your larger lathe works for you why buy a small one?


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## Skie_M (Jan 13, 2017)

Why do you think you need a smaller lathe?  is my first question ...  My next question would be, are you wanting it just for the variable speed setup?


I have the mini wood lathe 8x12 by Harbor Freight.  Aside from a tailstock that still slips a little every now and then (I use a clamp across the ways to limit slipping), I've had no issues with it.

It easily turns my pens, bottle stoppers, small boxes and small bowls/platters ... oh, and keychains and ornaments too!


If you are wanting to make larger projects, then the little lathe wont work very well for those.  Since you already have a larger lathe, it should easily handle the larger projects and laugh off the smaller ones that my lathe can handle.

All that aside, if your work area is seeming to be cramped with a big lathe in there and you want to downsize for easier workspace management .... nobody can argue with that logic, but most of them will certainly argue that you'll want to sell off the larger lathe while keeping the tools and accessories you'll need for the next lathe, but upgrade to a higher quality manufacturer.


Now, if you are wanting the ease of use provided by a variable speed dial control lathe motor, there are ways around this without just buying another lathe ...  PSI sells a variable speed upgrade kit for a MIDI lathe (the Harbor Freight benchtop and bench stand lathes are kinda between MIDI and full size, for lathes) that will fit and give you dial controlled speed on the fly.  The cost for this upgrade kit is roughly the same as the cost to just buy the mini wood lathe, but as people have pointed out ... do you really need two lathes?


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## joshua_luther77 (Jan 16, 2017)

Skie_M said:


> Why do you think you need a smaller lathe?  is my first question ...  My next question would be, are you wanting it just for the variable speed setup?
> 
> 
> I have the mini wood lathe 8x12 by Harbor Freight.  Aside from a tailstock that still slips a little every now and then (I use a clamp across the ways to limit slipping), I've had no issues with it.
> ...


I bought the 10x18 HF lathe a couple of weeks ago. I plan on adding on the PSI Variable speed motor​ at some point. It looks to be a good upgrade to it.

So far I'm happy with it and it does what I ask it to do, which is turn a piece of wood. 

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk


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## maxwell_smart007 (Jan 16, 2017)

I've been using the large one for years to make pens - serves me just fine. 

Unless there's a reason why turning a pen on the large lathe isn't working for you (show demonstrations, etc), I'd save my pennies...


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## jbg230 (Jan 25, 2017)

I agree with the others. If space is not the issue and the variable speed is not the issue, I don't see the purpose. I also have the Harbor Freight 8 x 12 variable speed lathe and have thoroughly enjoyed it, but if I had the space and wanted to do bigger turning, I would have a bigger lathe.

 The 8 x 12 doesn't have a turning knob on the headstock so I made one from a PVC cap. It works very nicely. I have a hood attached to mine and just used it with my new 5" flex duct attached to my dust collector (also from Harbor Freight). I'm very happy with it. It has turned some beautiful pens (at least my wife says they're beautiful ) and I'm glad I made this purchase. The price with the 20% coupon is a steal, but if your lathe has variable speed I would stick with what you have and buy something else for the shop that will make a bigger difference.


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## eharri446 (Jan 26, 2017)

Just for general information, the HF 8 in. x 12 in. 1/3 HP Benchtop Wood Lathe with VS is in clearance status at this time. They are marked down to $79.97. So if you want one, you need to act now and see if you can find one either locally or on line.


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## liljohn1368 (Jan 26, 2017)

I started out with the small one. Now I use the large one. I turn what few pens that I do and all my game calls on it. Never had a problem with the small one. Just wanted the #2 taper. Now the small one is fixing to get set up as a buffing station. :biggrin::biggrin:


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## Skie_M (Jan 26, 2017)

jbg230 said:


> I agree with the others. If space is not the issue and the variable speed is not the issue, I don't see the purpose. I also have the Harbor Freight 8 x 12 variable speed lathe and have thoroughly enjoyed it, but if I had the space and wanted to do bigger turning, I would have a bigger lathe.
> 
> The 8 x 12 doesn't have a turning knob on the headstock so I made one from a PVC cap. It works very nicely. I have a hood attached to mine and just used it with my new 5" flex duct attached to my dust collector (also from Harbor Freight). I'm very happy with it. It has turned some beautiful pens (at least my wife says they're beautiful ) and I'm glad I made this purchase. The price with the 20% coupon is a steal, but if your lathe has variable speed I would stick with what you have and buy something else for the shop that will make a bigger difference.



Nice ... I just recently (3 weeks ago, in fact) turned a headstock wheel for mine out of MDF and sealed/finished it in CA ... works great!

Now, while I do my lateral sanding with the lathe powered off, I can easily rotate the blank just by running my palm down the wheel while I sand the blank by hand, it's so much easier than trying to grab the mandrel and turn the blank!


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## chartle (Jan 27, 2017)

jbg230 said:


> The 8 x 12 doesn't have a turning knob on the headstock so I made one from a PVC cap.



I just removed the plastic cap and can use the nut to turn the headstock. I did make a crank for the tailstock to help blank drilling. 



raar25 said:


> The smaller VS lathe tool rest is poorly made and does not stay locked so I would stay away from it. I have one and use it for  buffing station.



Did you try to adjust the nylock nut that adjusts the length of the rod that goes through the tool rest. I've had to fiddle with mine a few times.


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## Skie_M (Jan 27, 2017)

chartle said:


> jbg230 said:
> 
> 
> > The 8 x 12 doesn't have a turning knob on the headstock so I made one from a PVC cap.
> ...




I removed the plastic cap myself, and then removed the first of the two locking nuts inside (it's reverse threaded!).  I then drilled a slightly oblong hole into a piece of MDF to receive the oblong part of the nut, using a chisel to get the 4 corners cleared enough ... and epoxied that in place.  I let it sit overnight in a 4-inch bench clamp covered in wax paper to protect the clamp from any epoxy drip.  The center of the hole has to go all the way through (or at least much deeper, in 1-inch MDF) to give clearance for the spindle head screw.  Mine doesn't poke out the back...

I took the corners off with my sander before mounting it back on the lathe ...  I then used my large tool rest and set the rest as far left towards the back of the headstock as possible, to give me support as I turned the headstock wheel round.  I managed to get the exterior done by hand sanding (it was relatively flat and nearly dead perfect with the lathe rotation, so not much sanding work there), and I turned the wheel using my 1/2" bowl gouge.  I finished up with 400 grit abranet and used Minwax Stain'n'Seal and 4 coats of CA to help protect the MDF from moisture/sweat to keep it from swelling.

The source of the MDF was scrap wood off of a trash pile that was headed out to the street.  Diameter is approx 4 inches ... it just barely meets the top of the headstock.


If you take the 2 screws out of the plastic stopper at the far right of the lathe bed, you can easily remove both the tailstock and the toolrest banjo.  Examining underneath will show you their mechanisms for tightening down on the lathe bed ... make certain to check them occasionally and remove any debris that has gotten caught underneath. (I never even put that plastic stopper back!  I threw it away some time ago.)

The tailstock has a nut underneath that can be adjusted to give you a variable grip strength/length of pull. I prefer about 4 - 5 inches, and adjust the handle to my liking so that it's out of the way and I know when it's in the locked position.

For the toolrest banjo, you can make adjustments to the nylon locknut underneath to help increase the grip strength and length of pull in the same manner.  The handle is also adjustable so that you can change it's position for ease of access ... simply pull the handle straight out from the handle mounting after locking it down, and while the handle is pulled away from it's cog, you can rotate it to the desired position.


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## chartle (Feb 24, 2017)

eharri446 said:


> Just for general information, the HF 8 in. x 12 in. 1/3 HP Benchtop Wood Lathe with VS is in clearance status at this time. They are marked down to $79.97. So if you want one, you need to act now and see if you can find one either locally or on line.



Yea the point of this topic is now mute. It appears HF is no longer selling the small 8 x 12 lathe.  

I just was in my local HF they are gone from the stores, also online.

For me I wouldn't want the next size up. I couldn't imagine working without VS.


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## Skie_M (Feb 24, 2017)

Yeah ... I just checked my local HF on the way home from work ... all gone!  I was hoping to buy myself a spare just in case of something bad happening in the near future.


So ... keep an eye on Craig's List and other such things to see if you can score a deal on a nice cheap starter lathe!


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## chartle (Feb 24, 2017)

Skie_M said:


> Yeah ... I just checked my local HF on the way home from work ... all gone!  I was hoping to buy myself a spare just in case of something bad happening in the near future.
> 
> 
> So ... keep an eye on Craig's List and other such things to see if you can score a deal on a nice cheap starter lathe!



As a side note did you notice if they were moving stuff around? At mine things were just not where they usually are.


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## Skie_M (Feb 25, 2017)

Yup ... some rearrangements within the store ... most of the woodworking powertools got moved from the left side front aisle to the left center rear section between a lot of metalworking powertools and carts and work benches.  They still carry the 2 higher priced woodworking lathes, but as others have mentioned, I'm not too interested in a lathe that doesn't have adjustable speed control in a dial.  I'ld take a hybrid one if they had it, though. (one with a variable speed control that also uses pulley changes to change the speed range available)


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## chartle (Feb 27, 2017)

Also I guess its still being made since you can find a more expensive version here.

https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/16/4568/Apprentice-812-VS-Mini-Lathe


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## Skie_M (Feb 27, 2017)

Yeah ... that's my lathe, only mine's green where theirs is red, and says Central Machinery rather than Apprentice somewhere on it.  


It's the exact same lathe, from what I can see, except that the package is MISSING the larger 4 inch faceplate, and comes with a 5 year warranty.  Also of note is that the spindle isn't 3/4" x 16 .... it's 1"x8.  Still has #1MT headstock and tailstock, though.

Hmm ... my HF lathe came with up to 2 years warranty extended if you bought it.  Exact same speed range, weight, motor power, ect ...




> Details
> 
> The Apprentice™ 812 VS Mini Lathe is an exceptional value among true mini lathes. Designed specifically for pen turning and other small woodturning projects, the Apprentice™ 812 VS Mini Lathe offers quality construction, dependable performance and a 5 year, 100% satisfaction guarantee making it the right choice for budget-minded woodturners who demand a great value. Whether you’re just getting started or you’re looking for a second wood turning lathe, the Apprentice™ 812 VS Mini Lathe is just what you’re looking for.
> 
> ...


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## chartle (Feb 27, 2017)

Skie_M said:


> Yeah ... that's my lathe, only mine's green where theirs is red, and says Central Machinery rather than Apprentice somewhere on it.
> 
> 
> It's the exact same lathe, from what I can see, except that the package is MISSING the larger 4 inch faceplate, and comes with a 5 year warranty.  Also of note is that the spindle isn't 3/4" x 16 .... it's 1"x8.  Still has #1MT headstock and tailstock, though.
> ...



Yea I've had the same HF for almost 2 years. I was just looking at this again but didn't notice the different head stock thread just that it was not black. I also noticed that the locking handles appear to be a tad chunkier.


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## chartle (May 17, 2017)

chartle said:


> ....
> Yea the point of this topic is now mute. It appears HF is no longer selling the small 8 x 12 lathe.
> 
> I just was in my local HF they are gone from the stores, also online.





Skie_M said:


> Yeah ... I just checked my local HF on the way home from work ... all gone!  I was hoping to buy myself a spare just in case of something bad happening in the near future.
> 
> 
> So ... keep an eye on Craig's List and other such things to see if you can score a deal on a nice cheap starter lathe!



OK update check this out.

https://www.harborfreight.com/8-inch-x-12-inch-bench-top-wood-lathe-95607.html

At first I thought they found some hidden in a corner of the warehouse and just wanted to get rid of them quickly since the price is $10 cheaper than when they had them on clearance. 

Something is very odd about this listing. Its now a different color, standard HF green vs. grey, and the labels are different. 

But it says only in stores so I visited my local HF and didn't see them. I guess I could have asked but didn't. 

Oh and since I posted on this thread I have also seen this lathe as a WEN brand on Home Depot.com for around $169. Same as the HF with the MT1 3/4-16 spindle size.


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## Woodchipper (May 17, 2017)

Be aware of the HF warranty- 90 days and they do offer an extended warranty.  I had one of the bigger HF lathes and had the Reeves drive freeze up.  Scrapped it an bought a Rikon that is great- smaller but works for me.  Also, compare lathes as I'm betting that some of the lathes on the market are made in the same factory in China with just a different paint job.


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