Can I turn metal or other non-wood materials with your wood lathes?
Our wood lathes are designed specifically for turning natural woods, wood-based products, and certain wood-bonding agents. While they may physically turn other materials, doing so can be dangerous. Attempting to turn materials not intended for a wood lathe can result in serious injury, damage the machine, and void the warranty.

How do I know what size wood lathe I’ll need?
The right size depends on what you plan to turn. The two key specifications are:

• Swing over bed – This is the maximum diameter of stock the lathe can turn, measured as twice the distance from the spindle center to the bed. For example, a lathe with a 5" spindle-to-bed measurement has a 10" swing over bed. If you plan to turn bowls, plates, or platters, this is the most important spec to consider.

• Distance between centers – This measures the maximum length of material that can be turned between the headstock and tailstock. It’s the key spec for turning long items like balusters, table legs, or baseball bats.

Also consider your available shop space. Larger lathes typically require more room and power:

• Benchtop lathes (10–12" swing) are compact and portable with ½–¾ HP motors.

• Midi lathes (around 16" swing) usually include a stand, weigh 300–500 lbs., and come with 2 HP motors.

• Full-size lathes (20"+ swing) can weigh 700–1000 lbs. and may require a footprint of 5' x 2' or more.

My power supply is around 208V, but this machine is rated for 220V. Will it still run?
Yes, a machine rated for 220V will operate properly on a 208V supply.

I see your 220V wood lathes have 3-phase motors. Can I run them on single-phase power?
Yes. Our medium and large 220V wood lathes use 3-phase motors powered by variable frequency drives (VFDs). These VFDs convert standard single-phase power—common in most shops—into the 3-phase power required. This setup allows for smooth variable-speed control and forward/reverse operation.