I'm still debating on what kind of lathe I would like to buy because I would like a metal turning lathe but don't want (don't have the money) to buy a wood lathe also if I can use the metal turning lathe to turn cork and wood. Can a metal turning lathe be used for wood and cork and if so what are some of the draw backs?

Thanks,
Steve

Yes it can be used to turn wood quite effectively. If it has enough bed length and you can make or adapt some sort of tool rest then you're on your way.

As far as drawbacks, there are some. First, machine or metal lathes have a lot of moving parts in the area of the tool-post or cross-slide. And generally, the cross-slide travels on V-ways, not a flat bed as you find on most wood lathes. For this reason there are just a lot more nooks and crannies to fill with sawdust which when mixed with the light oil you'll have coating those ways and other assorted friction points, tends to make a bit of a paste which you really don't want gumming up the works. My advice in this area is to remove the cross-slide from the lathe when using it for wood turning. Fashion some sort of wood turning type tool rest to fit the ways (bed) and keep as much gunk as possible out of your lathe's moving parts.

The only other drawback is that unless you can find a great deal on an older, quality metal lathe, you may have a hard time getting a large enough lathe for the same money as you can buy one of the Delta/Jet/Frisch wood turing lathes for.

.........

Steve,
I own both a metal lathe and 2 JET wood lathes. The metal Lathe I own is a LatheMaster. If you'll go to www.lathemaster.com you can check'em out. I personally use the 8x14 and can couch for it's quality...it's a very good Lathe, the best in fact for the money.The fellow who owns Lathemaster is Bob Bertrand. He is a retired machinist and a really cool guy, he really knows his stuff. I was a little reluctant about buying a $700.00 lathe from an individual off the internet, but I am really glad I did. Anytime I have a problem, Bob has been there for me. Anytime I need a part, he is there (I had one motor fail after doing over 1000 mandrels on the lathe). He is even willing to spend the time to help with machining techniques (he taught me over the phone how to thread). I have turned many dozens of reelseats on my Metal Lathe, and they are beautiful, and require a whole lot less "thinking" than using a wood lathe.

Feel free to email or call me if you need to!

Andy Dear
Lamar Manf.