PSI has put together a really great beginner wood lathe in the Turncrafter Plus. It’s small and affordable, which makes it very easy to get into wood turning without too much of an investment and without requiring a ton of space. It’s not the biggest or most powerful lathe on the market, but it’s a capable mini lathe and comes at a very good price.
PSI Turncrafter Plus
The turncrafter plus is suprisingly effective considering it’s price tag. You’re not going to get the same results as you would on a full size wood lathe, but that might cost you ten times more. Certainly it’s not a bad lathe, and it’s comparable in build quality and feature set to the mini lathe offerings from companies like Jet and Shop Fox.
This is quite a small lathe with a 7 1/2″ swing and 12 1/2″ between centers. The size of this lathe makes it well suited for pen turning as well as turning small bowls, ornaments, figures etc. You won’t be making any table legs on this lathe, but that’s not it’s intended use.
The Turncrafter Plus has a 1/4 HP engine, which is not overpowering, but for a small lathe like this is enough. Then engine provides more than enough torque to make roughing cuts, and also runs smoothly and quietly allowing for finer detail work. The engine is powerful enough that it won’t overheat or struggle, and that’s really the most important factor.
This is a variable speed engine capable of up to 3200 RPM. The variable speed control is really the standout feature of this lathe. Variable speed control is commonly found in more expensive lathes, and is a very nice feature to have as it removes the hassle of having to open up your lathe mid project and adjust belts in order to change speeds. It’s pretty much unheard of for a mini lathe in this price range.
All in all this is not the nicest wood lathe on the market, but it’s probably the best bang for your buck. If you’re new to wood turning it provides a great entry path. It’s also a good choice if you’re looking to add a small lathe to your shop for pen carving or detail work and don’t want to break the bank.
The Turncrafter comes with a nice standard set of accesories: two tool rests (4 1/2″ and 7″), a faceplate, spur and live centers, knockout bar and wrench. Amazon has this lathe available and actually knock a few dollars off the list price. You can see the details below.
*PSI has recently updated their product line and the Tuncrafter Plus and Turncrafter Pro are no longer available. If you’re looking for an affordable lathe with a similar feature set I recommend the Shop Fox W1704, listed below.
The Shop Fox is a very good alternative to the Turncrafter Plus. It’s features include a 1/3 HP variable speed motor, 8 inch swing, 17 inches center to center and cast iron body. |
|||||||
