My aim was to develop a small dehumidification kiln for better control of the three key components of lumber drying: temperature, airflow and humidity. A dehumidification kiln makes sense particularly when the lumber is air-dried first. This limits the amount of energy needed to bring lumber to the desired 6% to 8% moisture content. Commercial scale steam kilns consume large amounts of energy. In contrast, a dehumidification kiln uses a sealed chamber, with only enough energy input to maintain the desired temperature. With a well-designed dehumidification kiln, hardwood lumber can be dried for mere pennies per board foot.

A shed kiln is an attractive alternative for a couple of reasons. It can be constructed in any style, with architectural features that match or complement an existing home. Built properly, a shed kiln may even increase the value of a property. I don’t think the same could be said for an old reefer truck converted into a kiln (no matter how well it dries lumber). Another reason I like the idea of a shed kiln is the flexibility of future use. Minus the drying equipment, a shed kiln is just an insulated storage space, with a host of possible uses.

Designing a Kiln

The first thing to consider when designing a shed kiln is size. Ideally, a lumber kiln would be large enough to dry multiple stacks of lumber. This lets the operator sort stacks by lumber species, so they will be easy to retrieve when the drying cycle is complete. Consider not only the space for the lumber stacks, but extra floor space to easily load and monitor the charge of lumber. Additionally, a 12″ air plenum is required between the walls and stacks of lumber. This air space is absolutely critical for even airflow, so count on the extra floor space right from the design phase.

Many available kiln designs require a large, heavy door. My number one priority was to build a kiln that was easy to load and easy to monitor. For a single-stack kiln I recommend a minimum shed size of 8′ x 12′. This would allow a stack of lumber four feet wide and 10 feet long. The remaining width allows for a 36″-wide door and space for your drying equipment.

For more capacity, consider a two stack kiln (12′ x 12′), or a three-stack kiln (12′ x 16′). Regardless of size, allow for a 36″ door that opens to a “hallway” of open space. Changing the position of the doorway in various kiln setups helps provide the best access to the stacks of lumber.

Unlike general shop space, bigger is not always better for kiln design. If the interior volume of a kiln becomes too large, basic heaters and home dehumidifiers may be inadequate to control the kiln environment. For a small scale shed kiln, I recommend a maximum footprint of 200 square feet. Many regions have increased the shed and outbuilding maximum allowable size without need for a permit. Check your local building codes for regionally specific requirements and electrical permits.

My shed kiln was stick-built from standard building material, and sized to take advantage of typical 4′ x 8′ sheet goods. The cost associated with shed construction was similar to buying a prefabricated kit. In exchange for building the shed myself, I wound up with a shed of higher quality, with more features. A typical home center shed’s floors are underbuilt for the weight of a load of lumber.

Another great option is to convert an existing shed or outbuilding to a lumber kiln. Any small building could work, as long as it has a minimum of 2″ x 4″ framing, and will seal out unwanted air. With advances in spray foam insulation, it may be possible to seal older, drafty structures as well. Consider the weight of the lumber that will be placed in the structure and fortify the building accordingly.

Constructing the Chamber

Construction of a kiln chamber is very similar to building a small house. Insulate the floor with 2″ rigid foam for convenience and durability. Extruded polystyrene foam (blue or pink rigid foam) in this thickness has an R value of 10. To accommodate the floor insulation, blocking between joists is oriented horizontally instead of the normal vertical position. This serves a dual purpose of supporting the rigid foam insulation as well as stiffening the floor framing. Leave an air space between the rigid foam and subfloor for additional insulating properties. Insulation for walls and ceilings should be a minimum of R13.

Once the flooring deck is constructed, think about sealing the shed framing at every opportunity. A bead of silicone caulking between the subfloor and sill plate will prevent air infiltration. Lay down the bead of caulking before raising the walls. Corners where walls meet should be sealed with expanding foam sealant. Windows and doors are also sealed, as well as any holes cut for electrical service.

Installing a window in a kiln may seem counterintuitive at first, because windows lose more heat than an insulated wall. However, the natural light and ventilation offered by a small window outweighs any disadvantages. I recommend a 2′ x 3′ sliding window with bug screen. It should be double-pane, well-insulated with low emissivity (low-E).

Size and placement of the access door are critical as well. I selected a 36″ outswing exterior door. An outswing door can always be opened, regardless of shed contents. A pre-hung steel exterior door is ideal in this situation, because it offers weatherstripping and is fully insulated.

Installing sheetrock and fire taping is a good idea for a heated room. The sheetrock also helps to protect the fiberglass insulation. Exterior sheathing and siding type also factors into the heat-holding ability of the structure. I chose “double wall” construction with 1/2″ sheathing, and 1/2″ T1-11 siding. Each layer adds approximately .81 R value. Staggering the seams between the sheathing and siding layers helps avoid air infiltration.

I also wrapped the shed with Tyvek® HomeWrap®. The membrane was taped and “lapped to the weather” so if the tape ever fails, any rain that gets behind the siding would still be shed down and away by the HomeWrap.

I opted not to install a true vapor barrier between the framing and sheetrock, because of potential condensation and mold issues with sheds constructed this way. This shed will be essentially unheated for much of the year and very hot during the kiln-drying cycles. A shed kiln has minimal venting (usually one or two gable vents) and sealed soffits. For these reasons, I feel it is best to let the shed breathe, and forgo a plastic vapor barrier.

Electrical requirements for a DIY kiln are pretty straightforward, but hiring an electrician is still a good idea. Add up the amp draw on all the equipment you plan to use in the kiln, including a heater, dehumidifier, fans and steam generator. Make sure the total amp draw is well within the limit of your electrical circuit. Don’t even think of powering your kiln with an extension cord.

Drying Properties, Kiln Science

If you intend to kiln dry lumber from a green state, right off the sawmill, you will need to be well-versed in airflow rates and follow a detailed drying schedule. Drying lumber too quickly can lead to deep end checking, warping and case hardening. Case hardening is a defect caused by the outer portion of a board drying quickly, while the inner portion dries more slowly. This can create internal stress in the lumber that is released when sawing. If severe enough, the lumber can develop honeycomb cracks throughout.

However, if you kiln dry hardwood lumber that has already been air dried, the process is much more forgiving. Most species of hardwood lumber can be safely dried this way, once the moisture content is 20% to 25% or less. The fact is, most of my stacks of lumber air dry to 15% moisture content before entering the kiln. I hope that the sawyer coated the ends of the lumber with Anchor-Seal® or oil-based paint when it was green. This slows the end-grain drying and limits the severity of end checking.

Attic fans are a perfect way to provide airflow over the stacks of lumber. They are normally mounted in the gable of household attics, and they are designed to be used in high temperature environments. My kiln uses four ceiling-mounted fans, each rated for 1,600 CFM. For single-stack kilns, stationary fans are adequate. With two-stack and three stack kilns, it is better to have reversible fans to alter the direction of airflow mid-cycle. This prevents “dead spots” inside the chamber that experience limited airflow.

Instead of using expensive electrically reversible fans designed for commercial kilns, I came up with a simple hardware solution. A lazy Susan with 180˚ detents mounts the fan box to the ceiling. I then manually rotate the fan boxes halfway through the drying cycle. Also, since heat rises, ceiling-mounted fans have the added benefit of circulating the warmest air over the lumber.

A household dehumidifier (DH) removes moisture from the kiln chamber. By setting the relative humidity (RH) on the dehumidifier, you can control how often it runs. A higher humidity setting will run the unit sporadically to maintain that RH. A lower RH setting will call for the DH to run more often. There are two ways to remove water from the DH unit, and they both work well. The water tray can be removed and emptied manually, or a hole can be drilled through the wall of the shed to pass a drain tube. This will allow the DH to drain automatically without you needing to enter the kiln. I prefer to empty the water tray manually and record the volume of water collected. This gives me a secondary method of tracking the drying process, using both water volume and moisture content (MC) readings.

A small electric heater supplies auxiliary heat to maintain adequate kiln temperature. In smaller kilns, the heat generated by the fans and DH motor is sufficient to maintain temperatures in excess of 100 degrees. In larger kilns, the heater may be needed in the latter part of the drying cycle. For all kiln drying schedules, a heater should be used to sterilize the lumber and kill any insects that may be present. For a kiln temperature of 140˚ F, sterilization takes three to five hours. With a 130˚ F kiln temperature, sterilization will take 10 to 12 hours (Dry Kiln Operators Manual, 1991). These figures hold true for lumber up to 2″ thick. For sterilizing thicker lumber, additional time is required.

Select a heater with an adjustable thermostat and a tip-over shutoff. This will allow the heater to cycle on and off automatically, according to the kiln operator’s setting. A heavy-duty 1,500-watt space heater works fine.

A Typical Cycle in a Shed Kiln

Loading the kiln begins by rousing my sons and letting them know I’ve planned a day of work. After a short period of grumbling, they join me to lay down wood blocks for the first layer of lumber. I like these “starter blocks” to raise the lumber a few inches off the floor. I either use some cedar 3″ x 5″, or 4″ x 4″ stock. The starter blocks should be as long as the stack is wide.

Each layer of lumber is separated from the next by a series of “stickers” or spacer sticks. The stickers are uniform in size and usually 3/4″ or 1″ square. Milling the stickers square is advantageous over a rectangular cross-section, because no matter how you place the stickers they will form a level stack. Another common sticker size is 1″ x 2″, and these work fine as well.

Place a sticker at each end, and every 16″ along the stack for 4/4 stock. Sticker spacing can be increased to 24″ apart for 5/4 or thicker hardwood. Align the stickers over the starter blocks on the first course. Then align each subsequent layer of stickers over the last. This helps keep the lumber straight during the drying cycle; in fact, improper placement of stickers can permanently deform lumber. The thinner the stock, the more critical sticker placement becomes.

Place some sample boards in the stack that will be easy to pull out for moisture testing later. Once all the lumber is stacked and stickered, place baffles over the lumber. The baffles direct airflow over and through the stack and prevent the top layers from drying too quickly. My four main baffles consist of sheets of 1″ Styrofoam insulation. I made a simple frame from plywood strips and attached theinsulation sheets to them with screws and fender washers. This makes lightweight baffles that can be easily moved and repositioned.

Apply foil tape to the edges of the main baffles to help protect the Styrofoam. My baffles hang from T-bar assemblies mounted to the ceiling. The T-bars are made from 1/2″ galvanized pipe and are attached to the rafters with threaded pipe flanges. To hang the baffles, simply attach hooks to the plywood frame. I found that brackets for mounting rigid metal electrical conduit work best. Select 3/4″ conduit brackets for hanging baffles on 1/2″ galvanized pipe.

If your lumber stack is built on starter blocks, you will need to limit airflow there as well. Place a 1×6 board on the floor behind the stack, tilted to a 45˚ angle. This kicker board will help distribute the airflow more evenly through all layers of lumber. Basically, you don’t want all of the air rushing out under the stack, so find a way to redirect it. End baffles are also a good idea to prevent airflow from bypassing the stack entirely. For end baffles, I use 2″-thick rigid foam insulation screwed to the main baffles. The baffles do not need insulating properties, and plywood would work just as well.

I cannot stress the importance of baffles enough. Without baffles, the top layers of lumber experience “potato chipping” with cupping, twisting or warping. This problem is magnified if the lumber is thin or flatsawn. Thicker lumber like 5/4 or quartersawn lumber is naturally more stable. In addition, weight on top of the stack can be helpful, but nothing replaces baffles for the best lumber yield. The last thing to do before starting the kiln is to close the gable vent with an insulated cover.

My kiln schedule starts with running all fans and the dehumidifier for two days, measuring and removing water as it accumulates. Initially, I set the DH to 40% RH, because I don’t want to remove moisture too quickly. I usually see a large volume of water in the DH each night when I check the kiln.

An anemometer confirms that your effort constructing baffles was worthwhile. Measure airflow over the stacks of lumber in various locations. Air speed of 350 feet per minute is appropriate for common hardwoods such as oak and maple. Also check that air isn’t escaping around the side baffles or under the stack of lumber. Adjust the baffles or fan direction to achieve good airflow.

After two days operating only the fans and DH, I take note of the temperature. (I have found that remotely monitoring the temperature and humidity with a WiFi sensor can be very helpful. It’s a nice use of technology and adds a measure of safety as well.) If the fans and dehumidifer generate enough heat to maintain a temperature of 100˚ to 120˚ F, then I won’t use the auxiliary heater. If the temperature is below this range, I start the heater and adjust the thermostat accordingly. After four days, I decrease the RH setting on the DH to 30% and continue to run the fans.

After seven to 10 days, I reverse the fan direction to make sure all stacks of lumber dry evenly. Soon the DH won’t show much water collected in the tray. If MC readings still aren’t at the desired range, the heat may need to be increased for the remainder of the drying cycle. Remove samples from the stack, and cut an inch or two off one end. Take a moisture reading in the end grain with a pin-type moisture meter or remote probe. (I use the Mini-Ligno MD/C from Lignomat, www.lignomatusa.com.) Once the core readings are 6% to 8% on a fresh cut, the lumber is dry and ready for sterilization. Omitting the sterilization phase can lead to costly losses from insect damage, so don’t skip it.

For the sterilization phase, air temperature needs to be around 140˚ F, for three to five hours. Take the electronics out of the kiln, and continue operating the heater and fans during this phase. The DH is not needed at this time, as the lumber is already bone-dry. I find that unplugging the DH is helpful during the sterilization phase so I can add a second heater, without overwhelming my electrical circuit.

Once the lumber is sterilized, it is ready for the conditioning phase. To condition the lumber, I introduce steam into the kiln for about two hours. This returns some moisture to the very dry exterior of the lumber, while not affecting the core moisture level. I use a Rockler steam generator, item #42826 (www.rockler.com). During the conditioning process, the only equipment operating are the fans, heater and the steam generator — no dehumidifier.

Cost-saving Conclusions

Looking at the cost-benefit analysis of a shed kiln can be enlightening. On the last load of lumber I purchased, I saved $2.50 per board foot compared to retail prices for kiln-dried lumber. The order was 540 board feet (BF) of 5/4 white oak. On this order alone, I saved over $1,300 by drying the lumber myself. This, of course, is gross savings; we must calculate electrical costs to determine the net savings: in this case, about $62. Check out “More On the Web” for my complete calculations to figure savings.

If we revisit the example of a $1,300 gross savings from a load of 540 BF of white oak lumber, and we subtract the estimated cost of $62 to kiln dry the lumber, we arrive at a net savings of $1,238 less than retail. That purchase was an average deal, and one I don’t consider a particular bargain. I often buy from sawyers or homeowners at 40% to 50% of retail price. Frequently, the lumber has already air-dried for several years in a barn or outbuilding. When that is the case, I know I’ll have usable lumber in just a few weeks.

If you use a lot of lumber, and you’re a decent hand at carpentry, a shed kiln will quickly pay for itself. Perhaps the best part: you won’t need to calculate your lumber needs down to the board foot. Just walk out to the shed kiln and grab what you need from your custom-dried supply.

– Willie Sandry is a furniture maker and a lumber kiln operator in Camas, Washington.

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The coopered birdhouse is a good lathe workout because it is a nice combination of spindle and faceplate work and, on top of that, does not require a large lathe. (Coopering is using stave construction to produce a hollow wooden vessel or form -— like wooden casks, barrels, buckets or even butter churns.)

I have built quite a few of these birdhouses for gifts, mostly in batches every decade or so. It’s a project that lends itself well to production runs, with 10 to 20 being a good batch size. The original birdhouse design was inspired by woodturner Andy Barnum, former teacher of woodturning at Purchase College. For my version, there are six parts to make.

Start with the Staves

The first order of business is to cut and glue up the staves to make the barrel-shaped walls of the house. Nine are cut to 6-3/4″ long, and nine are at 7-1/2″ to create breathing holes under the eaves that evoke dentils. I rip them in a table saw with the blade tilted to 10˚, giving each stave an included angle of 20°. I use masking tape to hold the staves in line so I can wrap them up and clamp them with hose clamps. Pressing the staves down onto masking tape laid sticky-side-up on the bench allows a trial fit.

I also squirt liberal amounts of waterproof Titebond II between the staves before the final wrapping and clamping. Automotive hose clamps at each end secure all the staves tight. Allow at least 12 hours of drying time.

The Wixey Digital Angle Gauge helps greatly in obtaining a nearly perfect 20° to each stave. It is nigh impossible to get each stave to be exactly 20° in a table saw. While I have sometimes scoffed at electronic devices in the workshop, I found this one (item 57097 at rockler.com) quite useful. Magnets stick it to the blade and it reads within a tenth of a degree, giving much more accurate miters than the tilt scale on my high-end table saw.

With this many staves, I still seldom get a perfect match between the last two staves, but it is good enough for this project. If you want all the miters to be perfect, the trick is to wrap up all of the staves dry. Look at the angle between the last two and correct with a hand plane or a disk sander. Now apply glue and clamp.

Starting at the Lathe

Once the glue is dry, the outside of the resulting barrel can be spindle turned between shop-made cone-shaped plates with a tapered tenon. They center the cylinder and hold it as it’s turned. Mount the first cone on a screw chuck, then catch the second one with a live center in the tailstock. This traps the barrel between two cones and makes the outside concentric with the inside. Use moderate speed; I turn mine at about 700 rpm.

I drill the bird’s doorway (hole) before turning. The diameter of the hole is important for what kind of bird you want to attract. Bluebirds like a 1-1/4″-diameter hole, while chickadees prefer 1-1/8″-diameter. An Internet search will give you the correct diameter for most birds. Unless your birdhouse is to be art, resist the temptation to install a perch below the hole. It will only be a spot for predators to wait for the occupants.

Closing It Up

The floor is turned on a screw chuck. You raise a tenon that loosely fits the inside of the walls and the outside edge sports a 3/8″-wide bead. It is made from a 5-1/8″ round x 1-1/4″- to 1-1/2″-thick disk of wood. Turn the tenon 9/16″ long, test fitting it inside of the barrel, then shape the 3/8″-wide bead on the outside. The bottom profile is then rounded to meet the bead (see the full-sized Drawings). The end of the tenon is dished to promote water drainage from the drain hole.

For my painted artistic examples, meant for indoor display, I spindle turn a decorative acorn on a 3/8″ by 3/8″ long tenon that glues in the center hole used for screw chucking. (You could also choose another shape.) This precludes water drainage, so if you want to add this embellishment to an outside house, you will have to drill an angled hole that misses the tenon but comes out near the center on the inside.

The roof rings are made by using a cutoff (parting) tool at a 45° angle to separate two 1-1/4″-wide bands from a piece of stock band sawed to a 7-3/4″ circle. The resulting three rings are then stacked, with liberal amounts of Titebond II between, to form the conical roof. Once the glue has dried 12 hours, the outside is faceplate turned to shape on a screw chuck.

I use an extended screw on a set of tower jaws in a Oneway Stronghold Chuck, but you can make this chuck by drilling a slightly undersize hole for a 3/8″ lag screw in an appropriate piece of wood on a faceplate. Turn the wood to fit up into the roof and register against the topmost section. Scrape the end dead flat, cut the hex off the lag, and epoxy it into the hole. You now have a custom screw chuck.

The Last Details

Finish the job by turning a steeple for the roof and, if desired, the acorn. I keep the steeple short and simple, with another 3/8″ x 3/8″ long tenon for attachment and a base that matches rooflines.

With the pieces turned and sanded, apply the finish of your choice … paint, exterior polyor even just oil. You can hang it as you deem fit, but we did provide details of a mounting bracket (see Drawings).

Now all that remains is to put your piece of art on display in the family room or mount it outside in May and find the binoculars to watch a pair of birds raise a family.

To Download the Full-size Patterns for the Floor, Roof Rings and Acorns: Click Here. Download the rest of the drawings and materials list: Click Here.

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– Jeff Kelly
Worcester, Massachusetts

People have gotten away with coloring epoxy with both water- and solvent-based dye, but the manufacturers disagree on how wise that is.

System Three® Epoxy suggests using their “epoxy paste pigments,” available online for about $12, as the best way to color epoxy.

These colorants are made of the same material as Part A of the epoxy. That means you can replace any amount of Part A with color paste, then add Part B based on the total amount of your Part A mixture (clear plus color). Use more for opaque colors, or a tiny amount for translucent colors.

That’s the best choice, since anything else can result in unpredictable or uneven color, and can weaken the epoxy. However, I’ve added both solvent and water-soluble dye powders, gel coat pigments (available at marine supply stores), and finely ground pigment powders, such as Mohawk Blendal® touchup powders, all with more or less acceptable results. If you go that route, keep the added colorants below 5% by volume, and test the mixture first for curing and color consistency, since not all epoxies will do well with these additives.

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– Fred Stone
Livonia Michigan

First, check that you have boiled linseed oil, not raw linseed oil. Boiled linseed oil, flooded on and wiped off, should dry completely completely in two or three days. Raw linseed oil will take one to two weeks. If the can says “boiled linseed oil” but the oil is not drying, buy a new container.

Second, if you add a top coat, which is optional, use an oil-based one (Danish oil, oil-based-polyurethane) and not a water-based one. General Finishes makes both, and you did not specify which you used. Also, make sure the oil is fully cured before going over it with something else and that your top coat is not out of date.

Third, look to your environment. Very cold or wet air will substantially extend cure time in drying oils and oil-based varnishes. They are like cats; they prefer a warm, dry place.

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– Lanny Zwan
Belfair, Washington

Though it is not a standard industry term, my guess is that these were aniline dyes, most of which, except for the blue tints, were slightly acidic when mixed. Today we have much better dyes. I’d suggest the Homestead TransFast® powdered dyes, or their Trans-Tint liquid concentrates. Most Rockler stores carry them, or you can get them at homesteadfinishingproducts.com.

They are ready to mix with water to whatever intensity you desire, and they come in a wide range of colors, which you can intermix to create even more colors.

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– Marty Mandelbaum
Mount Sinai, New York

Tung oil, like linseed oil, penetrates superbly without thinning. Soak wood with it full strength, and it will absorb more evenly and be saturated in one application.

Using a nylon pad, scrub undiluted oil into the wood liberally, let it sit and soak in for 10 minutes or so, then wipe it all off and let it dry for a few days before putting the
parts into service.

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– Mike Dziedzic
Sonoma, California

Michael Dresdner: I’d bypass the mineral oil altogether, and instead go with paraffin, which is the traditional method of sealing end grain butcher block. Here’s why:

Mineral oil is a non-drying oil; it will never dry. Mix it with wax, and you create a gooey wax that will never harden well.

While boiled linseed oil will cure to a solid, it would take many applications and a lot of drying time to seal the end grain enough to keep food juices from seeping in. Adding a gooey wax mixture atop it will make matters worse.

Instead, use a vegetable peeler to make shavings from blocks of paraffin, which you’ll find in the canning section of the supermarket.

Melt the shavings, then brush the hot liquid wax liberally onto all surfaces. When the wax cools and solidifies, remove the excess by scraping it with a dull card scraper or a plastic credit card. The paraffin remaining in the end grain pores will block food juices and will make the board easy to clean.

The post What Is the Best Finish for Walnut Cutting Boards? appeared first on Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To.

During the last decade of the 20th century, a number of manufacturers brought out versions of their standard 1″ x 8 TPI lathes with a short bed. Aimed at the rising tide of pen turners (the first pen kits came out in 1987), they were dubbed “mini lathes.” To machinery producers’ delight, these small lathes also found great popularity with model makers, teenagers and those just wanting to try turning without spending a fortune. The first mini lathes sported 8″ to 10″ swings and 12″ to 15″ between centers.

During the first 10 years of this century, many manufacturers beefed up the bed of their mini lathes and raised the spindle height to yield a 12″ swing. Delta was probably the first to dub these upsized machines “midis,” but the terminology of mini as 10″ or smaller and midi as 12″ and bigger is now part of the popular lexicon.

Lathe makers have all added bed extensions that take the midi back in the direction of the standard workshop lathes of my youth (which had an 8″ to 10″ swing and 29″ to 36″ between centers and were intended to be placed on a workbench or shop-built stand). Typically, adding one extension extends the nose-to-nose distance between the spindles to between 37″ and 45″. This makes midi lathes a good choice for furniture builders who want turning in their repertoire. Additionally, most midis and minis now have variable speed, usually with a DC motor and controller. Today’s midi lathe makers also offer good quality stands with more than adequate height adjustment — a good thing, as putting a modern midi on a workbench may make the spindle too high, especially for a young person. (Ideally, the center of the spindle of a lathe should be at elbow height. Past workbenches, designed for hand tool woodworking and shorter statures, were typically 33″. Today’s benches, designed more for router use and taller people, have grown to as high as 36″.)

Lathe Capacity Factors

For this article, I had a chance to test out eight of today’s midi and mini lathes. I took each one for a drive with identically sized spindles from the same plank of wood. This enabled me to experience how each machine feels and behaves, which I believe is more important than raw specifications.

That said, there are some important factors in the capacity of a lathe: the center height, the height of the banjo and the distance between centers. Manufacturers will list swing as twice the center height: what the machine will swing over the bed. The true swing of a lathe, however, is center height over the banjo, because this base for the tool-rest has to be under all spindles and most faceplate work. Two lathes with the same swing could have different banjo heights.

Likewise, between-center distance is often listed as the spindle nose to tailstock nose distance. The necessary drive and live centers to hold a spindle would lessen this amount. For this tool review, I have provided the distance with the back of the tailstock even with the end of the bed and the same set of low profile centers for all the lathes. (You can usually gain a bit more distance by hanging the tailstock an inch or so off the bed.)

A Word About Speed

Variable speed has become a standard feature in all but budget priced machines, which retain belt and pulley speed adjustment. If you are on a budget, there is nothing wrong with changing pulley groves to change speeds; it was done that way for centuries.

All manufacturers have gone from V-belt/pulley power transmission to poly-V. Poly-V belts are far superior for steady speed and power delivery, eliminating the surging and slippage common to the V-belt. All variable speed machines in this review retain step poly-V pulleys as part of the control package.

Liken the steps to the gearshift in a car and the speed controller to the accelerator. Putting the lathe belt on the smallest diameter motor pulley is equivalent to first gear in your car. This gives you more torque at the spindle and more control over that speed range, ameliorating the danger of going too fast in faceplate work. All but one of the lathes had DC motors with DC controllers. Turning a knob clockwise increases speed; counterclockwise slows things down.

COLT SML-350

Motor Size: 1hp (true)
Speed: 80-100 / 170-1,700 / 560-3,700 rpm
Digital RPM Display: Yes
Swing Bed/Banjo: 14″ / 10-3⁄8″
Center to Center Distance: 16-1/2″ / 38-3⁄16″ with Extension
Street Price: Lathe $1,000 / Ext $250 / Stand $280 / Total $1,530
Web / Phone: www.colt-tools.com / 49 (0) 2266 1266

The COLT lathe had the biggest swing of all the lathes in the test, with 14″ over the bed and 105⁄8″ over the banjo. It was also the only lathe with a frequency drive, used in tandem with an induction motor. Frequency drives take normal, single-phase AC current at 60 cycles/hertz (50 Hz in Europe) and deliver three-phase current at any cycle rate between 2 and 70 Hz. Since cycle rate controls the speed of a three-phase induction motor, this allows a 1,725 rpm motor to run anywhere between 57 and 2,800 rpm with practically no drop in torque at slow speeds. Frequency drives are seldom seen on lathes under 1-1⁄2hp, so COLT has a first here. The DC motors with a DC controller used in the other lathes have a significant fall-off of the torque curve at lower speeds.

This was also the only user manual that cautioned on the noise level of the lathe — 79 decibels. All lathes are this noisy; the danger comes not from the lathe itself, but from the work hitting a spindle roughing-out gouge or a bowl gouge during the interrupted cuts involved.

The COLT’s digital speed control actually reads the speed of the headstock pulley with an LED sensor. It also has a quality live center, a high level of fit and finish, and is one of only two lathes in the test with a 1″ tool-rest stem diameter. It’s a dream to turn on, with plenty of power and no vibration.

The COLT stand had a leg that attached to the end of the extension but was not tied to the rest of the stand with a cross-member, which makes removing the extension and leg easy for those wanting to save floor space except when turning long spindles. A lifting handle can be moved to the extension. If you are not going to buy the stand, this makes lifting the lathe on and off the bench much easier.

The stand could, however, use some slight improvements, such as putting plastic plugs in the ends of the support tressels.

As is, and if price is no object to you, this lathe ties for my overall first pick.

Rockler Excelsior

Motor Size: 1/2 hp
Speed: 760 / 1,100 / 1,600 / 2,200 / 3,200rpm
Digital RPM Display: No
Swing Bed/Banjo: 10″ / 7-1⁄4″
Center to Center Distance: 17-1⁄4″ / 37-3⁄4″
Street Price: Lathe $300 / Ext $75 / (no stand) / Total $375
Web / Phone: www.rockler.com / 800-279-4441

The Excelsior is a 10″ mini lathe true to the original concept of a mini lathe — a simple, portable lathe that works well and does not take up much space. It has all the basics: good fit and finish, decent controls and an induction motor with five-step pulley speed control, for a very affordable price point. The banjo, tool-rest and tailstock levers worked easily.

Its small size and modest weight give it great portability and the ability to store easily when not in use. I know an avid woodturner who keeps an Excelsior in his motor home to turn at campgrounds. Like the Penn State Turncrafter Commander and the Steelex, it does not have reverse — which, again, in my opinion, is not very important.

With five speeds, anything within its capacity can be safely and efficiently turned. One advantage of step pulley speed control is that there is great low speed torque, which is not the case with DC motor/controller equipped lathes. If your turning will be confined to miniatures or pens, you will be doing most of your work in the 1,600, 2,200 and 3,200 rpm belt steps.

Adding the $75 bed extension would turn the Excelsior lathe into an adequate lathe for all but the largest furniture spindles. The Excelsior is a great lathe for a young aspiring turner or anyone wanting to turn miniatures or pens.

DELTA 46-460

Motor Size: 1hp
Speed: 250-750 / 600-1,800 / 1,350-4,000 rpm
Digital RPM Display: No
Swing Bed/Banjo: 12″ / 9-1⁄2″
Center to Center Distance: 16-1⁄2″ / 42″ with Extension
Street Price: Lathe $580 / Ext $130 / Stand $160 / Total $870
Web / Phone: www.deltamachinery.com / 800-223-7278

I really appreciated the clean, industrial design of the DELTA 46-460. It’s an overall design concept, from the instruction manual to the color choices and logo, with great graphics. The manual, with lots of photos and good information, was the best of the bunch.

To bring safety to reverse direction, most of the lathes have setscrews in the faceplate, which tighten into a groove just ahead of the spindle shoulder to lock the faceplate on the spindle during reverse operations. The JET, along with the COLT and the DELTA, also had Nylok® grub screws, which are akin to using a lock washer with a nut and will not turn without some force being applied to the hex key.

This lathe also has a first-rate fit and finish. The stand was well thought-out, with a built-in tool rack that can hold up to six tools. Area for improvement? I wish it had digital readout.

It’s very pleasant to use, with good power and enough center-to-center distance (with the extension) for any furniture spindle.

JET JWL 1221VS

Motor Size: 1hp
Speed: 60-900 / 110-1,800 / 220-3,600 rpm
Digital RPM Display: Yes
Swing Bed/Banjo: 13″ / 9-1⁄4″
Center to Center Distance: 18-1⁄8″ / 38-1⁄8″ with Extension
Street Price: Lathe $800 / Ext $199 / Stand $518 / Total $1,517
Web / Phone: www.jettools.com / 800-274-6848

This Jet 1221VS lathe has a super-heavy construction and a high level of fit and finish. Its very solid stand is absolutely first-rate. I was very impressed with the stand, which has been redesigned. We received one of the first for this article. All of the bolt holes aligned perfectly with top quality fasteners threading into tapped holes. All of the fasteners on the stand itself are chrome-plated socket head cap screws, while the lathe is affixed to the stand with contrasting black oxide cap screws.

While I still encourage turners to build a wood stand for their lathes, OEM stands in general, and especially the JET’s, have gotten so good as to warrant serious consideration. Stands, shop-built or purchased, make the lathe more accessible while preserving precious bench space. The JET 1221VS lathe  has very clean design, which has been a big thrust of the company. All parts move smoothly and locking handles are stylized and pleasant to use. Many niceties are included, such as metal racks that screw to each end of the bed for Morse taper accessories and the knockout bar. A wire rack holds chucks and faceplates but allows chips to filter through.

The JET JWL 1221VS, exclusive of price consideration, ties for my first pick. If it had a frequency drive and induction motor, at least as an option, it would be my absolute first pick. There is a reason why so many of my students, as well as turning clubs, rely on this machine. They back up the machine with a five-year warranty and long-term replacement part supply.

NOVA Comet II

Motor Size: 1hp
Speed: 80-800 / 170-1,700 / 360-3,700 rpm
Digital RPM Display: No
Swing Bed/Banjo: 12″ / 9-3⁄8″
Center to Center Distance: 16-1⁄2″ / 42″ with Extension
Street Price: Lathe $580 / Ext $130 / Stand $160 / Total $870
Web / Phone: www.novatoolsusa.com / 866-748-3025

NOVA is the brand name of Teknatool International Ltd., a New Zealand company that has its own plant in mainland China. NOVA was the first company to bring a reliable and innovative four-jaw chuck to woodturning, and they now make a wide range of chucks and jaws. They supplied a G3 chuck with the lathe for review. DELTA also offers the G3 as an accessory for their lathe.

The NOVA Comet II bed sections are modular, meaning that more than one can be added to get extreme between-center spindle distances. I do feel the stand is incomplete, as there is no leg available for the single extension we requested for this review. That is the reason I did not attach it for the photography. This is a deficiency I would strongly urge Teknatool to correct. The lathe also has no digital readout and no set screws in the faceplate to prevent unscrewing when the lathe is in reverse. Overall, the Comet II is a smooth machine with adequate power, pleasant controls and clean industrial design.

The NOVA Comet II outboard grinder brings back a common user practice of the past: mounting a grinding wheel, either outboard or inboard. The practice was never sanctioned by any manufacturer because of the lack of containment if the wheel exploded. Many did it, however, because of the advantage of low cost and variable speed: you had a low-speed grinder for the price of a grinding wheel.

Installing NOVA’s VersaTurn Coupler to the outboard side of the headstock allows an enclosed and guarded grinding wheel to be quickly bayonet locked in place. With a street price of $135 for the two pieces of hardware, this puts the price of sharp tools where it should be. It’s a great improvement on an old idea — that now needs a CBN (cubic boron nitride) wheel to match.

Overall, the Comet II is a smooth machine with adequate power.

Penn State Turncrafter Commander

Motor Size: 1hp
Speed: 500-1,800 / 1,950-3,800 rpm
Digital RPM Display: Yes
Swing Bed/Banjo: 12″ / 9-1⁄2″
Center to Center Distance: 17-9⁄16″, with extension 44-9⁄16″
Street Price: Lathe $650 / Ext $160 / Stand $280/ Total $1,090
Web / Phone: www.pennstateind.com / 800-377-7297

The Turncrafter Commander is one of only three lathes in this review without reverse (the others are the Rockler Excelsior and the Steelex), a feature I have always considered dubious. The slight, if doubtful, advantage in sanding in the opposite direction is outweighed by the danger of unscrewing a heavily laden faceplate during sanding.

Lifting the midis in this test on and off a bench with a bed extension required two reasonably strong people, which is why my friend and fellow turner Scott Butler helped me with assembling these lathes and their stands. A feature we appreciated on the Turncrafter Commander is that it had handles for easy lifting.

The Commander is a house brand of Penn State Industries, who, for the most part, sell direct. To allow UPS shipment, the bed is shipped in a separate box from the headstock, tailstock, banjo and tool-rests. This makes some assembly necessary, but even the screwdriver is included. Everything bolts together in a straightforward fashion with clear instructions. The three wiring harnesses for the DC controller are easily plugged to the motor harnesses rolled up inside the headstock.

Once together, the Commander worked well with low vibration and adequate power. I really liked the digital readout having large, easy-to-read numerals and placements on the upper face of the headstock where the turner only needs to glance over to see the speed. Also included with this lathe are a quality live center, a rack for accessories and a work lamp — an unbelievable number of features for the price. With a bed extension, the Commander makes a great spindle lathe for the furniture maker with occasional turning needs.

RIKON 70-220VSR

Motor Size: 1hp
Speed: 200-750 / 550-1,500 / 1,300-3,850 rpm
Digital RPM Display: Yes
Swing Bed/Banjo: 12-1⁄2″ / 9-5⁄8″
Center to Center Distance: 20″ / 45-3⁄8″ with Extension
Street Price: Lathe $650 / Ext $160 / Stand $280 / Total $1,090
Web / Phone: www.rikontools.com / 877-884-5167

Except for the RIKON, lining up the extensions for any of the lathes in this review with the main bed is niggling, especially if working alone. An old trick is to get the bolts just shy of tight and align things as best as possible, then slide the tailstock until its hold-down (under the ways) equally straddles the junction between the beds. Tightening the tailstock brings both parts into perfect alignment, and the bolts joining the two parts can be bought to full torque.

RIKON’s lathe eliminates the need for this trick with two grub screws in the extension bed that can now be The lifting handles on the brought tight against a ledge milled in the end of the main bed, guaranteeing no-hassle perfect alignment. This is a nice feature for furniture builders who may want to only install the extension bed when needed and save the space at other times.

The RIKON is also one of two lathes in this review with a 1″-diameter tool-rest (as opposed to 5/8″ for most). This adds a huge amount of strength and stability to this most important lathe component. It also meant that I could use the tool-rests from my full-size ONEWAY and Powermatic lathes in these machines.

It had a very nice fit and finish with a surface-ground bed, 3-1⁄2″ quill travel and a center-to-center distance of 20″ (45-3⁄8″ with extension) that has me over the moon. Furniture makers can turn the back posts for rocking chairs with room left over. With good power and easy controls that make this lathe a pleasure to use, if price is a key factor for you, this lathe would be my first pick.

Steelex ST1008

Motor Size: 1/2 hp
Speed: 480 / 1,270 / 1,960 / 2,730 / 3,327 / 4,023 rpm
Digital RPM Display: No
Swing Bed/Banjo: 10″ / 7-1⁄2″
Center to Center Distance: 15-13⁄16″ / 38-1⁄16″
Street Price: Lathe $330 / Ext $120/ Total $450
Web / Phone: www.woodstockint.com / 800-840-8420

Grizzly supplied this lathe from their Woodstock International brand as their Grizzly and Shop Fox brand models were sold out and unavailable at the time of the test. They wholesale the Steelex brand to woodworking resellers. It, along with the RIKON, is one of two that had surface-ground beds, rather than rotary ground, which can exhibit varying degrees of smoothness. It’s doubtful that surface grinding makes a great deal of difference on a mini or midi lathe, but it does show an interest in quality. Surface grinding made sliding the tailstock and banjo very smooth and pleasing. The rest of the construction of this lathe is very solid as well; it’s got a nice fit and finish for its price range.

My two gripes about it: there is no scale on the quill, and the locking handles on the banjo hit either the bed or the tool-rest, so they need to be moved occasionally as situations change.

One of two mini lathes at an affordable price point included in this review, the Steelex is a great pen lathe or for a furniture builder with occasional turning needs.

Overall Gripes

A few gripes applied to all the lathes in the review. In the past, machinery from both Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China typically had sharp edges that had to be filed off. While this is, in general, no longer the case, the exception on all of these lathes was a sharp edge on the bottom corner of the bed ways. Not only could this cut you, it often impeded smooth sliding of the tailstock. It was quickly corrected by a couple of licks from a smooth, single-cut mill file.

Also, all of the banjos had commercially available steel locking levers that screwed directly against the tool-rest stem. This results in Brinelling (denting/work hardening of the stem’s surface) of the stem, which, over time, results in constant slipping of the rest if extreme torque is not applied to the lever. A cam lock would be more expensive, but a much better option.

And, sadly, none of the lathes exhibited packaging that in any way could be termed green. Excessive plastic bags and crumbling molded Styrofoam were par for the course. I would urge all of these manufacturers to improve the greenness of their packaging.

Place of Manufacture

All the lathes reviewed were manufactured in Taiwan or mainland China. The lathes manufactured in Taiwan showed a discernible uptick in quality, but not so much as to make the Chinese machines at all unacceptable.

The centers supplied with all of the lathes except the COLT and the Turncrafter were nearly identical, leading me to think that they came from just two manufacturers, likely one factory in each country. The standard live center in this duo is clunky and warrants immediate replacement. The live centers supplied with the COLT and the Turncrafter were of much better design and quality.

Conclusion

I am spoiled with having turned on big lathes for most of my life. While wonderful for large bowls or big spindles, it is a chore to move the big banjos when turning small items. It has been liberating to turn on smaller machines once again. You can literally flick the banjo and tool-rest to a new position with one hand. The experience has made me totally rethink big lathe snobbery.

Mini and midi lathes are commodities, and you get what you pay for. In Chevrolet versus Ford fashion, you get about the same quality between manufacturers at a given price point, and spending more usually gets you more. It is up to the buyer to parlay specific needs against machine features. The pen turner, bowl turner and furniture maker all have different needs and will want to trick out their lathe accordingly. The pen turner can buy a basic mini, the bowl turner will want a stout midi, and the furniture maker will want a mini or midi with a bed extension for generous between-center distances.

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