On Mon, 05 Nov 2007 01:19:37 -0000, wrote:


[ Reply posted to this group only ]

I can give you a biased opinion of the Jet 1442VS... I'm very happy with mine..

I'm a professional turner and have been using and abusing it for about 3 years
and it's still alive.. Pretty good recommendation, concerning I've probably put
2 or 3 times as many hours on it as the hobby turner would in several years..

It fits in your price range and is, In my opinion, a great value..

I was going to get the equivalent Delta lathe, which was over $200 less, until
my wife got on the web and researched user feedback from both lathes...
She told me that the Jet WAS worth the extra bucks and that I should go buy
one.. What a woman. ;-]
* My budget is about $1000 (for the lathe itself)

What features should I look for?

Big enough for present and some future projects and small enough to fit your
shop...

* 360 degree swivel headstock?

Over rated, IMO.. I so seldom turn mine...
I don't do outboard turning.. once in a great while I might turn a box or vase
20 or 30 degrees, to make it more accessible to long tools, but that's about
it..
Also adds more work, because I have to check the alignment when I rotate it
back..
All lathes say that they have pinpoint accuracy on the stops, or whatever, but
I'll believe that when I see one...
Rely on them and turn a pen or small spindle piece and you have lots of fun..

* Variable speed (how variable)?

In your (and my) price range, it's the Reeves drive or manual belt positioning..
Next step is electronic/digital and that doubles your 1k entry fee..
The jet is pretty good... has a few little quirks but you learn them pretty
fast, either on your own or here in the woodturning group..

* Reversible turning direction?

I'd like to have it, but as the 1442 was the most bang for the buck and doesn't
have it, I can live without it..

As to Lathe tools ... Like any cutting tool ... the better the
quality ... the longer the edge will hold ...

Any advice as to brand would also help here ... I personally use CASE
or Miller Falls wood chisels and find them both to be excellent
Chevy/Ford/Dodge.. don't wanna get into a ****ing contest.. ;-]
I buy mid-range tools, mostly at Penn State Ind. and they work well for me..

What is your advice as far as which tools to start out with?

Basic 5 or 6 piece spindle set from $30 to several hundred, plus decent bowl
gouge, detail gouge and a few scrapers..

I looked at the Sorby tools at Woodcraft and liked the heft of the
tool ... but the handles seem a bit cheap

Many quality tools come both handled and unhandled.. choice and owning a lathe
give you options..

Thanks for your time ... sorry for all the questions from a newbie ...

IMHO, you should NEVER be sorry for asking questions... why re-invent the wheel?

I've been turning for almost 30 years and have learned more in this newsgroup in
3 years than I learned in the 27 before that...
Great group here and I've been taught, mentored, scolded and praised by a lot of
very knowledgeable folks..


mac

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