If you’re ready to take up woodturning this spring, two new lathes from Rockler can get you started off right and affordably! Rockler’s 10-18 Mini Lathe (item 75001) is compact but nicely appointed. It has a cast-iron bed with non-slip adjustable feet for excellent vibration dampening and a powerful ½hp induction motor. Pulley clusters, accessible through two swing-away doors, enable the Mini to be set to five speeds: 760, 1,100, 1,600, 2,200 and 3,200 rpm. The drive belt tightens with convenient cam-locking ratcheting levers.
This 80.5-lb lathe offers a maximum turning diameter of 10" for creating moderately sized bowls or vessels, and an 18" span between centers is sufficient for turning all manner of small furniture legs, pens, tool handles, spindles and other decorative items.
Both the headstock spindle and…