Thread: hand wheel question

new to this metal lathe stuff and looking at lathes .
can someone tell me the pro's and con's ( or reason's )of the hand wheel on the left or on the right , is one more awkward than the other ( right handed person ) .
thanks
johno

ps found a second hand one but with the wheel on the left .

texx,

I think it is a matter of what you get used to. Many older American lathes had the carriage hand wheel on the left, and many older English lathes had it on the right. Older Australian lathes seem to go either way. Up to a few years ago the very common 12x36 Chinese lathes and their derivatives seem to have had left hand wheels, now the same models are being supplied here with right hand wheels. About the only advantage I can see either way is that the right hand located wheel puts your hand further from the path of the hot, often sharp swarf coming off the workpiece.

I have two lathes with left hand wheels, and was sure I would find it awkward to switch to one with a R H wheel, then noticed when cleaning up after using it for some hours that a friend's lathe I had been using had the right hand wheel, and I had not realised it.

Frank.

I have one of each and don't notice it at all, I am left handed.
Will

If it's a good deal on the lathe I wouldn't let it stop you. As said above it's what you get used to it either way.

Dave

ok thanks people.

I think it's largely a personal preference. A Harrison M300 can be had with either left or right handwheel - no other difference.

Jordan

Mines on the left and im right handed and it feels fine to me, unless you keep thinking about it, it might feel awkward.

Cooper

The only time it can be a problem when using a lathe with a different handwheel location to what you have most experience on, is in the event of an "Event" when your reactions take over. If you are used to right hand saddle handwheel, the natural reaction is to wind the crosslide out and the saddle away from the chuck to bring the tool out. If you are using a machine with the handwheels the other way then your natural reaction can make you wind the tool in.
bollie7