Charles,

I am in the same boat you are in. I have settled on the DVR,
primarily for a couple of reasons. First, the majority of my turning
is bowls in the 10-18" diameter range. If I need to turn long
spindles (have yet to do so) I can expand the bed length when I need
it. The relatively small footprint of the lathe is also ideal for the
size of workshop I have. The lathe has been on the market for 3 years
now. Reliability complaints in the past couple of years have been
very hard to find so what problems there were, they have been resolved
by Teknatool. I was concerned about supportability here in Canada,
but the national rep has an excellent reputation and West Virginia, if
required, isn't that far away. In the UK, I believe Sorby is the rep
for the DVR and has an equally excellent reputation from what I can
read. I think my turning abilities will be consistent with the
lathe's capabilities for a considerable period of time. In other
words, I can't see the need for an upgrade for a very long time, if
ever. I have looked at the Jet lathes, but for some reason, they are
hard to come by in Canada. I have also looked at the Poolewood DVSL,
but there doesn't appear to be any stock available in the UK (never
mind here in Canada and none have been sold on this side of the pond).
Have also looked at the new General International lathes that are
about to be released in November. One is a reeves drive which doesn't
interest me, and the EVS model is too large for my shop. The only
complaint I have with the DVR is the lack of a stand as standard
equipment. For you, Sorby apparantly manufactures a stand for the DVR
in the UK.

Ordered my DVR this week and expect it here some time next week.
Anxiously awaiting its arrival. Good luck with your decision.

DD

"charles jones" wrote in message ...
Hi, I'm thinking of getting another lathe for my workshop and have been
reading reviews on the DVR. It all looks good on paper , but I've yet to see
or try one. Have any fellow turners out there got one and more importantly,
is it as good and reliable as the press declare it to be?

Thanks

Charlie

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Mr Charlie Jones
Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Oxford University,South Parks Road
Oxford, OX1 3QZ, United Kingdom

tel. (44) 1865 275441
or (44) 1865 275168
fax (44) 1865 275410
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