The very fact that you are picking it up effortlessly with one hand says everything I need to know about that product. The package it came in is more impressive.
I would like to add a chuck on the spindle. That may also solve the Patrick's pen-turning problem. As we know there is absolutely NO after sale support for this machine at all. Don't know how Aldi escapes the Ozzie Consumer Protection laws.... However, please share your experience if you mounted a chuck.
Tailstock problem solved. It is very poorly explained. Use the lever at the back as a wrench. Watch closely how you can move it up and then down. You undo the tightening by two or three "turns". So push the lever to unlock, then lift it up, then turn it back while in UP position (loose), than push it back down until it locks the nut inside. Repeat once or twice. When loose the tailstock should slide freely along the base. You need to tighten the screw again by turning the lever with that annoying up-n-down sequence.
I was also wanting to add a chuck to one of these. Can you confirm what the headstock thread is? The box says 18 x 1.5 but there is no such size chuck adaptor . There is however an 18 x 2.5 adaptor, did Aldi make a misprint on the box?
@@astralalienvideo Thanks. I have just bought one but not opened as yet. It says they are 18 x 1.5mm and in my search for a chuck or adaptor there is no such thing. There is a 18 x 2.5mm adaptor though. Why the hell do they use a new and different thread to every other lathe? I'll be taking it back soon for a refund. Disappointing as I only wanted to work with very small jobs and this could have been just right with a chuck!
I just purchased this Aldi Lathe for my son for pen making. The 'manual' is worse than useless, but on closer inspection of the item it appears to be the only model of wood lathe in the world to *not* support a MT1 or MT2 pen mandrel. This is because there is no tapered hole in the headstock spindle. I tried contacting the Aldi after sales support email but got no response. Anyway, basically there is no way to use this lathe for pen turning, so I will be returning it to Aldi for a refund.
