EXPERT KNOWLEDGE LATHE ACCESSORIES

Which accessories to buy for the Lathes?

The Scope of delivery and equipment of the various Lathes varies greatly depending on the Manufacturer and Model. While one lath comes with a Faceplates and even a Chucks, another lath is only supplied with a simple Four-tooth spur drivers. Some Lathes accessories fulfil very specific tasks and are indispensable for some woodturners, but rather unnecessary for others. Be careful with very cheap and extensive sets! Quality also has its price when it comes to accessories and in order to be able to offer a complete set with lathe, lathe chuck, turning tool etc. at a favourable price, people usually save on accessories. Our tip: Buy a lathe with solid basic equipment that you will need in any case, such as Spur drivers and a travelling centre point as well as a suitable Chucks. Gradually supplement this equipment with high-quality accessories that you will actually use for your woodturning projects. Practical side effect: You save space, because useless Lathes accessories quickly take up a surprising amount of space in the woodturning workshop.

Practical Lathes accessories at a glance

Let's assume that you already have a lathe and a range of turning tools (e.g. Roughing-out gouges, moulding gouges, parting tools, etc.). Then you can usefully extend the range of functions of your lathes with the following accessories:

• Bed extension: compact bench models in particular can be extended to a larger Distance between centres (e.g. DICTUM S 175 from approx. 350 mm to 1000 mm). With larger lathes, a bed extension often provides the crucial centimetres needed to be able to turn table legs and railing posts of the right length, for example. What you should pay attention to: The transition between the bench bed and the extension must be flat, without a step, so that you can move the tailstock continuously. Some bed extensions can also be fitted as an external turning device.
• External turning attachment: The maximum Diameter that a workpiece can have between the centres when turning is limited by the Centre height (between 175 and 305 mm depending on the Type). If you want to produce a workpiece with a larger diameter than the Centre height allows, you will need an external turning attachment. On some lathes, you can turn the headstock to move the turning axis outwards. On other models, you can mount a Faceplates or a Chucks on the outside of the headstock and switch the direction of rotation of the lathes. In both cases, an additional Bit holder is required for the Hand rests. You should pay attention to this: The external turning device must be solidly connected to the woodturning machine or to the base frame and it should be just as stable as the normal bench bed.
• Hand rest: A Tool support of normal Length and Shape is included in the Scope of delivery of almost all woodturning machines. However, there are situations in which a shorter or longer hand rest is helpful (e.g. a longer rest makes it easier to turn table legs, banister rungs, etc.). Special shapes such as an asymmetrical or curved Tool support can also be practical (e.g. for turning deep Shawls). What you should look out for: The new Hand rests must fit firmly and securely into the existing hand holders and the turning tools should glide well over their support surface. Tip: Some supports are painted on delivery. In this case, we recommend sanding off the paint and polishing the support surface.
• Clamping device: Spur drivers and a centre punch are part of the basic equipment of a lathe. If you want to do more than just turn longitudinal wood between the centres, you will need additional clamping devices, such as a Faceplates, a jaw chuck or a Live centres system. You can find detailed information on this in the "Chucks" category.
• Drill chucks: practical accessories for turning cans, urns and vases and for pre-drilling pen blanks when pen turning. The Drill chucks are usually inserted into the Tailstock (not into the headstock) and do not rotate, but are fixed. To drill, the quill, drill bit and Drill chucks are cranked out at low revolutions and reset if necessary. You must pay attention to this: The Morse taper of the chuck (Shaft) must match the inner taper of the Tailstock (MK2 or MK3?).
• Magnetic light: A good view of the workpiece is always important when turning. You can only recognise the shape of the turned object well with sufficient light. Lights with a magnetic base can be positioned almost anywhere on the lathe, on the headstock, on the tailstock or on the bench bed. This allows you to optimally illuminate every workpiece. What you should look out for: Magnetic lights with halogen lamps generate heat. When turning thin-walled objects (e.g. when turning green wood), this can cause the wood to dry out quickly and warp. In this case, it is better to use magnetic base lights with Leather technology.
• Steady rests: The bending, vibrating and fluttering of long and thin workpieces is reduced by additional support rollers. The steady rest usually has three ball-bearing support rollers and can be slid sideways over the workpiece and positioned freely on the bench bed. What you should pay attention to: The support rollers should be as easy as possible to place against the workpiece and then securely fix in place. The base of the steady rest must fit on the bench bed of your lathe (ask for an adapter if necessary).
• Sanding disc: This turns your lathe into a disc sanding machine, which you can use, for example, to sand off the remains of tenons after turning. Sanding discs are available for screwing onto the spindle thread (e.g. from Hager with M33 x 3.5 DIN 800 thread) and for clamping onto a jaw chuck (e.g. sanding disc Diameter 145 mm from Hope with Velcro coating). What you should pay attention to: The sanding disc Diameter must not be larger than the Centre height allows. Tip: Use the hand rest as a support when sanding.
• Extraction: When sanding on the lathes, a large quantity of sanding dust is quickly produced, which must be extracted. You should also use a powerful extraction system if you are treating the surface (e.g. with an airbrush or spray paint) on the lathes. Extraction funnels are usually quite easy to install on the machine and can be adjusted as required. What you should look out for: Choose an extraction unit with a large hose diameter (e.g. 100 mm diameter connections) to be able to extract as large a volume as possible.

How do I find the right Lathes accessories?

To make sure that the accessories you are looking for are suitable for your lathe, you need to know a few parameters and standards or know which thread and Morse taper your machine is equipped with.

How to find out the thread type of your lathes
The most common thread type on newer European Manufacturers' Lathes is an M33 DIN 800 thread. American Manufacturers usually use a 1 inch x 8 TPI thread. Unfortunately, you cannot always rely on this and straight older Lathes often have other thread types on the main spindle. In order to select the right accessories (e.g. faceplates, lathe chucks or adapters), it is essential to know the thread size of the main spindle. It is usually easiest to determine the thread type from the type plate, the Manufacturer or the operating instructions. Information on the Type and year of manufacture of the lathes is very helpful. Alternatively, an internal thread (e.g. from a 4-jaw chuck) can also be screwed onto the main spindle. If the thread type of the chuck is known and it fits on the spindle, the thread type of the spindle is identified.

Measuring the spindle thread

When enquiring about adapters and special threads, please always provide all of the following measurement data:

Which Morse taper fits?

Accessories such as Spur drivers, centre punches or Drill chucks are usually inserted directly into the conical bore of the spindle or quill (the quill is the part that moves back and forth in the Tailstock). The cone of these centre bores is standardised, usually MK2 or MK3. These can be distinguished quite easily, as MK3 is significantly larger than MK2. With MK3, the maximum inner diameter of the sleeve (measurable Centre bore of the spindle/quill) is approx. 23.83 mm, while with MK2 it is only approx. 17.78 mm (the maximum Shaft diameter on the taper is always slightly larger).

Brand compatibility

If you have chosen a lathes from one of our brand manufacturers such as Axminster, Oneway or Hager, the accessories from this manufacturer are usually also compatible with it. All HAGER woodturning jigs are also suitable for other brands. When ordering, please state the exact type designation of your lathes. A surcharge may apply for customisation.