Rikon Wood Lathe

The idea behind the newest Rikon wood lathe is to do more with less space. Let's get something straight right from the beginning; this lathe is great for the beginning turner or someone not wanting to spend a whole lot of money up front. This lathe is not too expensive but packs a lot of punch for the price.

The Rikon 70-100 12 by 16 Inch Mini lathe is powerful and runs smooth and has a 12 position index head to make pattern work more accurate. Everything from straight fluting, grooving, drilling and more is easy to accomplish. And the 12 position indexing head also allows for the spindle to be locked in place. That means removal of face plates, chucks and other accessories is a breeze.

Speed changes are also not a problem and can be made very quickly. Open the access cover and you can adjust the drive belt, and it even comes with a chart for determining the spindle speed.

This is currently the largest mini lathe on the market. That means you can work with larger pieces. The tool rest works nicely since it is a heavy duty cast iron. You'll get quick and easy speed changes and of course you can add multiple extensions.

A time saving feature is the self ejecting tail stock. No more need to use a knockout bar to remove the center. This little feature alone can save both time and cut down on frustration.

And there are other features as well, all designed to make the Rikon wood lathe user friendly and convenient. Things like the flip up handle for mobility and the nylon face plate washer designed to keep accessories from sticking to the spindle make the machine easy to use.

The Rikon wood lathe has a 1/2 horsepower motor and weighs only 95 pounds. It comes with a two year manufacturer’s warranty.

Online reviews mostly seem to indicate that this is a great lathe for the beginning wood turner with good performance. It is easy to set up and easy to learn how to use. It is however not a quiet tool. It may in fact be a bit louder than most mini lathes. All in all though, it is a good piece of equipment for a good price. And although there is the occasional complaint (as there is with any company), most of the time you will find that Rikon stands behind its products.

RIKON 70-100 12-by-16-Inch Mini Lath...