"Jimbo" wrote in message
...
On 17 May 2007 17:23:12 -0700, "
wrote:

On May 17, 6:45 pm, Jimbo wrote:

I was wondering if it is possible to in any way to slow down the motor
on the Jet without damage to it.

It would be possible to make a "souped up light dimmer" which is very
doable but will it cause damage to the motor?

After getting into turning I wish I would have bought a lathe that
goes slower for larger pieces.

Jimbo

Just wondering, but why wouldn't you want your question and the
efforts of those that attempt to help you to be kept in the archives?
Others may have the same questions you do and might profit from the
answers generated.

As far as the light switch dimmer goes, there is a grand reason why it
won't work, but the exact electrical details escape me. There have
been other discussions on using light dimmers for rheostats to control
tools, and they have all been negative.

Here's the reason there are archives, and how they work for mutual
benefit of all he

http://tinyurl.com/2dg7e8

A simple search of the woodworking newsgroup turned up that group of
messages in about a second.

You can search the archives any non binary newsgroup quickly with
Google to find mountains of info on just about any subject.

Robert


Robert, Thanks for the reply.

Well I am not sure about the archive thing. I had a friend help set me
up with this program and I'll look into it if helps others.

Other than that I thought I might get some first hand experience from
some of the regulars here.

Guess next time I will look elsewhere before asking here.

I tuned in rather late in this thread, but caught up a moment ago. My 2
cents worth:

My 1442 seems to be appropriate in motor speed for the types of turnings I
do. A lot of rhetoric is expended w/r/t spindle speed and the desirability
of slowing down. Personally I can't imagine why you'd want to slow the
lathe down significantly, particularly if you're turning stock appropriate
to the dimensions of the machine. About the largest bowl I've turned is
slightly less than 12" finished size. That's actually a fairly large bowl,
and attempting to go much larger on a 1442 would seem imprudent. For
roughing out that bowl I took the speed lever out of the far left detent and
turned it as far left as it would go without jamming the Reeves mechanism.
This probably dropped the spindle speed about 50 rpm at most, and while it
was adequate for turning a 14" rough piece of wet maple, I'm sure I could
have roughed it out at the last detent as well.

The 1442 is hardly a be-all, end-all lathe. It is a fine beginner's tool,
and has taught me much as well as allowing me to develop my turning skills
and have a lot of fun. I'm more than ready for a larger machine, but can't
for the life of me come up with sufficiently good 'excuses' for spending an
additional $4K+ at this time. I will buy a larger, more capable machine
some day, and I've been looking at them all with that in mind. But the 1442
still does everything I ask of it, provided I don't attempt to exceed its
capability. You chose a great lathe--learn to use it as it was intended and
you'll be rewarded with many hours of fun and learning experience. If you
must slow down, I'd suggest another lathe. Modifying your 1442 to run very
slowly could conceivably cost as much as the lathe itself.

Max