That cheap Parkside wood-lathe

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

This was discussed a while ago [on the old forum, I think] … but the product appears to have resurfaced and this video is by a novice user:

https://youtu.be/rdaCeTkWPyM?feature=shared

MichaelG.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Yuk, what a horrible machine.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

That was pretty-much my opinion when we first discussed it, John

… some forum participants saw it more favourably.

MichaelG.

[Ian ParkinParticipant @ianparkin39383]

The funny thing is i make chuck adapters for wood lathes and i have sold in excess of a 100 for that machine @£40 each over about 5 years

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

Not a great machine,I agree, but no worse than many of the “offerings” from the 1950/1960, s when your 1/4″ drill was supposed to do everything except lay blocks for your new workshop !

Well I remember !  I have a Clarke wood lathe from Machine Mart which is not much better !

Now to balance the books, as it were, I recently picked up a 25mm mic for believe it or not, 5 Euros, which has proved to be dead on when compared to Chester offerings. I have also bought many sets of drills there which have never failed so I suppose it,s just the luck of the draw, although I was never impressed by any of their benchsaws, which I regarded as junk.

As my dear Granny used to say, “Horses for courses ”

PS, I,m waiting to see when they will offer a metal turning lathe, 150mm centre ht x 1000mm bed length, screwcutting, of course !

Watch their space !

[Mark RandParticipant @markrand96270]

And I thought the Myford ML8 was a fairly lightweight wood turning lathe 😀

[James AlfordParticipant @jamesalford67616]

We bought our daughter’s boyfriend one of these last year as he wanted to try wood turning. Despite people’s negative and dismissive comments about them, it is surprisingly good. Obviously, you are not going to get a Coronet or Record standard machine for £70.00, but it has got him started. He had never used a lathe before, but has turned out some really nice work on it. Admittedly, the tool rest fractured as it is cast alloy, but other than that, it is proving to be very good. Back-up service from Lidl is excellent.

Yes: it could be better, but it would cost more and be less accessible as a starter machine. I would cheerfully buy another, were I to need one myself.

James.

[Bo’sunParticipant @bosun58570]

Good points James.  If it gets someone interested in something creative, then good for it.  However, if it’s as bad as some folk claim, it could do the opposite.  I got interested in wood turning with a Wolfcraft drill driven lathe.  Yes it was basic, and very limited, but I got the bug and bought a Tyme Cub lathe.  My only regret with the Tyme Cub is, the M20 x 2mm spindle thread and No.1 MT’s.  M20 x 2mm being a bit of an oddball in the turning world.

[Mark Rand]

On Mark Rand Said:

And I thought the Myford ML8 was a fairly lightweight wood turning lathe 😀

As a former owner I wouldn’t argue with this but the late Peter Child used one to good effect – see his book The Craftsman Wood Turner.

They can be had cheaply today and I think would be a far better entry-level machine.

[Dave HalfordParticipant @davehalford22513]

Another u tube ‘expert’ showing people how not to turn wood or hold the chisel properly.

Would work fine for lace bobbins or pens, not so good for knotty, dry fence posts

[ega]

On ega Said:

On Mark Rand Said:

And I thought the Myford ML8 was a fairly lightweight wood turning lathe 😀

As a former owner I wouldn’t argue with this but the late Peter Child used one to good effect – see his book The Craftsman Wood Turner.

They can be had cheaply today and I think would be a far better entry-level machine.

Except that at £200 or so, they are more than twice the price; means that a novice to machine tools needs to research vintage equipment; and is buying something old and of unknown condition. At least the Parkside machine is complete,  if limited, and readily available. It also copes with surprisingly well with large lumps of hard timber.

 

James

[Martin of WickParticipant @martinofwick]

It is cheap, brightly coloured, compact, complete dross and ideal for someone wanting to have a go at turning without a huge outlay.

Within a short period the aspiring tyro will either give up altogether as it falls apart or appreciate just how gruesome it is and upgrade to something less plastic and flimsy (if wanting to progress).

BTW, while I agree the ML8 is not comparable to a Union or a Wadkin, not sure that ‘lightweight’ is entirely fair (speaking as an occasional user rather than an uber turnmeister).

[James AlfordParticipant @jamesalford67616]

Just out of curiosity. How many people here have actually used one of the Parkside lathes?

 

[Martin of WickParticipant @martinofwick]

None I suspect, but so what?  As with any tool, respectable work can be carried out on the Lidl lathe as testified on numerous you tube videos.  Indeed, it is to the credit of those that are willing to put up with, work around or perhaps not even perceive a machines limitations and still produce an acceptable result.

All tools come as a bundle of compromises and any potential punter will make their selection based on the compromises they can best manage to co-exist with.

[peak4Participant @peak4]

For those with a Facebook account, Steve Jones is worth a follow; I’ve still got my Dad’s lathe to set up yet, learn to use, and then complete the bowl he started.

https://www.facebook.com/TheWoodturners

He also has an occasional Youtube channel

Bill

[DalboyParticipant @dalboy]

It may get someone started, but the odd spindle size is enough to put some off buying one, also when you decide to upgrade if you want to progress to a more capable machine then reselling it will be harder.

As a woodturner, I personally would tell people to avoid this machine, and buy one at least with a good resell value. That way at least you will get a reasonable return if it is not for you.

Try turning something like this on one.

 

[Dalboy]

On Dalboy Said:

… also when you decide to upgrade if you want to progress to a more capable machine then reselling it will be harder.

As a woodturner, I personally would tell people to avoid this machine, and buy one at least with a good resell value. That way at least you will get a reasonable return if it is not for you. …

Can’t agree with the resale idea!   Only makes sense if the machine is of high-value in the first place, and this lathe is £65 from Lidl,  perhaps half that second-hand.

I see it as a starter lathe, ideal for a learner wanting a cheap educational entry, and happy to throw the thing away if it doesn’t perform.

I never buy tools as an investment.   Main reason is I don’t want to land my children with a ‘is this junk worth anything?’ problem when I die.  After I’ve got value from my workshop, they can put the whole lot in a skip.

The rules depend on the game being played.  Anyone serious about wood-turning is unlikely to equip a workshop with tools bought from a cost-cutting supermarket!  I don’t advise that.  But the Parkside is a reasonable start for explorers, perhaps ‘good enough’ for their simple needs, or leading them on to greater things.

Dave

[Dalboy]

On Dalboy Said:

It may get someone started, but the odd spindle size is enough to put some off buying one, also when you decide to upgrade if you want to progress to a more capable machine then reselling it will be harder.

As a woodturner, I personally would tell people to avoid this machine, and buy one at least with a good resell value. That way at least you will get a reasonable return if it is not for you.

Try turning something like this on one.

 

 

How is resale value for a tool that costs £65 worth worrying about? That’s less than a tank of petrol, or taking someone out to dinner. Every time these things are on sale, I have to convince myself not to buy one for the couple of times a year I want a nice wooden/plastic handle or knob for something. I’d be using it on a Workmate in the garden so as not to have to deal with the mess on my metal lathe. Then it would go back to leaning against the pile of Metro parts in the shed. Think of that £65 as the equivalent of the ‘taster’ courses for various hobbies and sports that help you to decide if golf, bowling, bell-ringing/whatever is worth your time and money.

Spending several times as much just because it’s potentially slightly better and might retain half what you spent on it is just a bigger expense and not an investment. That applies to well thought of tool brands like Snap-on – the ones I have cost several thousand pounds over the years, but their monetary return is pennies on the pound just like all the cheaper stuff I have. Like all tools, most hobby/sports/utility equipment, and new cars their real value is what they allowed the owner to do. I turned 54 a month ago and I reckon I’ve another twenty years of using tools, both mine and those inherited from Mum&Dad(sewing and woodwork, neither of which are of much interest to me), and have no heirs. I hope to give them away to someone who will use them but, like Dave, accept that many will end up in the house clearance skip. Grandad shared his around his colleagues when he retired….

[egaParticipant @ega]

I haven’t used one and have no great wish to do so.

But it occurs to me that an experienced turner would be far less likely to damage this lathe (eg the tool-rest) than a beginner for whom digs and catches are inevitable. Think Frank Pain “cutting wood as it prefers to be cut” and Richard Raffan’s emphasis on avoiding axial pressure.

Incidentally, the ML8 rest is cast iron, I think, but the banjo, which has been known to break, is aluminium.

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

Nick, at 54 you have at least another 40 years left to make swarf or sawdust, so get stuck in there !

I,m 85 + a bit and have no intention of switching off anytime soon, though I must admit I do find running 6×4,s through my planer a bit of a chore.

Be aware, if they think you are ready to switch off, someone will pull the plug !

[KEITH BEAUMONTParticipant @keithbeaumont45476]

Watching that video and seeing the “demontrator” putting a rough,square, piece of wood in the lathe and try to cut it ,made me cringe!  I would have expected him to know to take all the corners off first, before putting it in the lathe and keep stalling the motor.

Keith.

[KEITH BEAUMONT]

On KEITH BEAUMONT Said:

Watching that video and seeing the “demontrator” putting a rough,square, piece of wood in the lathe and try to cut it ,made me cringe!  I would have expected him to know to take all the corners off first, before putting it in the lathe and keep stalling the motor.

Keith.

The item I am working on at the moment requires a round 2″ dia piece of wood and I need 6 of them, I tend to start with a square piece of wood and then take it too round. It is down to presentation of the tool which as a novice he is not doing rather than that he is using it like a scraper which is why all of the catches

[Dalboy]

On Dalboy Said:

It may get someone started, but the odd spindle size is enough to put some off buying one

Except you would not know this or realise the limitations until after it has been bought.

We bought it on the spur of the moment, without a lot research. I have often found that doing research into new tools leads to indecisiveness and confusion. Everyone has their own opinions and preferences, as do I, and all tools are a compromise between cost, features, quality and longevity.

Ultimately, the lathe is proving capable, my daughter’s boyfriend is delighted with it and has turned out some really nice things on it. He is completely self-taught, having watched Youtube videos and we would never have bought him anything dearer as we were not certain that he would appreciate it.

James

[Bo’sunParticipant @bosun58570]

If it gets folk into the art of making sawdust, then so be it.  After all, many of us get the bug for such hobbies with moderate (relatively) initial outlay.

[Martin of WickParticipant @martinofwick]

. I have often found that doing research into new tools leads to indecisiveness and confusion….

How true, and in the context you describe, this tool is a perfectly valid choice. It is now quite a step up in cost for even  the most basic  far eastern 8×12 and 12×16 wood lathes and a bit of a quality minefield.  Meanwhile, you have helped introduce someone to a new interest they clearly enjoy. In time they will decide where their speciality lies and equip themselves accordingly.

Now, can someone tell me where I can get that short bed fully loaded Union Graduate for £65 quid please….

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