The Delta 46-715 lathe evaluation was the longest (but most fun) I have done. Sometimes I had to "test" into the early morning! Click image to enlarge

Delta 14" Variable Speed Wood Lathe

A solid, capable performer that is big on value

Text & Photos by Tom Hintz

Posted - 3-12-2005

   If you are a veteran wood turner, the fact that reviewing the Delta 46-715 lathe ran well over the allotted time, often into the wee hours of the morning, comes as no surprise. Those new to turning will soon understand as well.

 Woodturning is a fast-growing segment of the woodworking community, thanks in part to machines like the Delta 46-715 wood lathe that make learning the hobby easy but has the quality and capabilities to handle your project needs for years to come.

   In addition to the pure enjoyment of turning wood, the Delta 46-715 enables new ways to enhance current projects and opens the door to a whole new kind of woodworking.

Initial Impressions

   The Delta 46-715 looks very solid, well built with a large cast iron bed, sturdy leg set and a huge cast iron power head dominating its appearance. The fit and finish of the parts is very good as is the operation of the controls, locks and adjustments.

   Overall, the Delta 46-715 has the look of quality and function we have come to expect from Delta.

Instructions and Assembly

Going from the 332-lb crate (Top) to fully assembled (Bottom) took only a couple hours. The instructions do a good job of leading you through this process. Click image to enlarge

   The all-English instruction manual is well written and supported with good quality photos and illustrations.

   In addition to a logical assembly and setup sequence, the manual provides an overview of using the lathe including a description of common chisels and the basics of using them.

   The Delta 46-715 arrives in a 332 lb wooden crate that is 66"-long, 21 ½" tall and 21 ½"-deep. The crate protected the lathe very well and makes the free delivery frequently offered by Some vendors something to be seriously considered. This crate is not going to fit in any car I know of and sliding it in a van or SUV without causing damage will be nearly as difficult. Having this machine delivered to your door is a back-saving and cost effective idea.

   Getting the Delta 46-715 from its crate to fully assembled took only a couple of hours, less than I anticipated. Assembling the leg set is very straight forward and the supplied hardware good quality. A nice touch is all of the nuts and bolts being one size - 13mm.

   The only tough part is handling the power head, which is very heavy and a bit awkward to handle. The instructions recommend getting help with this part of the assembly, advice that should be followed.

Strong Motor

Delta rates this motor at 3/4-hp. Either Delta is minimizing the power or other manufacturers are fudging on their ratings. The Delta motor has more than enough power! Click image to enlarge

   The Delta 46-715 is powered by a ¾ hp TEFC (Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled) that lends credence to the controversy over manufacturer power ratings. Though I have motors rated at ¾ hp from other manufacturers, none deliver the power that the supposedly equal Delta motor does. The performance of this Delta motor makes it appear the other folks may be fudging a little bit.

   Another impressive feature of the Delta ¾ hp motor is that is spins at a constant 1750-RPM on a trim 9.8 amp draw. That makes the Delta 46-715 compatible in virtually any shop with common house current without requiring modifications to the wiring or circuit breakers.

Headstock

The large headstock soaks up vibrations very well. A handy feature is being able to rotate or position the headstock anywhere on the bed. Click image to enlarge

   The most visually striking feature of the Delta 46-715 is the massive headstock. This is a heavy duty iron casting that is obviously designed to support the spindle without deflection and soak up vibrations at the same time. The headstock rides on a large machined base 8 ½"-long by 6"-wide, located by a full length key that has a positive detent indicating the headstock is parallel to the bed. Releasing the single locking lever allows rotating headstock to any angle for better access when turning bowls and other "off-the-bed" operations.

   A very handy feature is being able to locate the headstock anywhere along the bed. For shorter jobs the headstock can be moved towards the center for maximum stability. When long pieces are turned, the headstock can be moved to the end of the bed.

   Standard equipment on the Delta 46-715 headstock include a hand wheel, 6"-diameter face plate and 24 position indexing.

Controls

Like the speed control lever, all handles are nicely sized for easy, positive operation. Click image to enlarge

   All positionable components have large handles that make releasing or locking easy. Even the hand wheel that operates the tailstock shaft is a large 5 ½" in diameter and made from a heavy casting.

   The speed control has a thumb-operated lockout button that prevents unwanted speed changes. The speed range runs from 450 RPM to 2600 RPM spread over 11 detents. The speed control does not have numerical markings but this is a variable pulley system, which means the rate of change is consistent over the entire range. Remember that these numbers are for spindle RPM, that actual surface speed of the piece being turned depends on diameter. Turners most often choose speed based on what they are seeing and feeling at the work piece, making this a very easy-to-use system.

In the Shop

The centers (Top) aligned easily, an important point for smooth turning. (Bottom) The variable pulley design means changing speeds is easy, smooth and fast. Click images to enlarge

   After breezing through the assembly process, the Delta 46-715 was checked thoroughly to be sure the alignments were correct and that everything worked.

   With the drive spur and live center installed, the tailstock was positioned so the points nearly touched. Alignment of those tips was nearly perfect and correcting them involved nothing more than a slight tug on the headstock before locking it down. Getting the points this well aligned on other lathes in this price range (and above) can be all but impossible.

   The speed control worked smoothly and its indexing feels positive yet easy to change. While the speeds are not quantified with numerical markings, selecting the right speed for the job is easy. The overall range of speeds is more than sufficient for everything from rounding odd-shaped blanks to burning in friction finishes on small diameter spindles.

   The On/Off switch, positioned above the power head is easy to get to and prevents bending over in front of the spinning part to shut the machine down. The switch features a flip-up cover that doubles as an easy-to-use panic button for shutting it down in a hurry if the need arises.

Whether turning bowls (Top) or thin spindles from junk pine (Bottom) the Delta 46-715 performed flawlessly. Lots of power and smooth-running. Click images to enlarge

   To check the Delta 46-715for vibration, all testing was done with no weight added to the stand. Even turning a 13"-diameter by 5"-thick, out-of-round blank produced surprisingly small vibrations that posed no problem. While the stand is very stable, the massive headstock and cast iron bed appear to dampen vibrations the blank tries to create. After a couple passes to remove the major high spots on the blank, the vibrations became hard to feel at all.

   The power delivered by the ¾ hp motor easily handled any blank I could fit on the Delta 46-715. Selected speeds did not vary noticeably in response to the weight of piece being turned. Taking intentionally heavy cuts also failed to produce visible slowing of the work piece.

   The alignment of the centers is well above average and makes turning thin spindles much easier to control. I even turned a 24"-long, 1 ½"-square piece of junk pine 2X4 without whip and had no trouble controlling vibrations while cutting beads and long coves in it.

   Throughout the evaluation process the Delta 46-715 performed flawlessly. It always felt rock solid and ran very smoothly, letting me concentrate on tool presentation. Every common turning procedure I could think of was tried and the Delta 46-715 handled each of them exceptionally well. Simply put, the Delta 46-715 works with you, not against you.

Conclusions

   If you are in the market for your first lathe or upgrading, the Delta 46-715 deserves a hard look. It brings a full set of capabilities and heavy-duty construction that insure a long, useful and trouble-free life in the busiest of home wood shops. The 14" diameter and 40"-length capacities mean the 46-715 can handle a huge range of projects and will not limit your growth in turning.

   You can buy cheaper lathes but with a street price of $649.99 (3-10-2005) finding a machine with this kind of quality and capability will be somewhere between very difficult and impossible.
 

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