I'm helping my brother get back into turning and he's pretty sure that the Jet
mini is what he wants...
His problem is that he likes the size and low noise level of the mini but sort
of likes the reeves drive on my Jet 1442... but no store that we went to had a
mini with VS to look at..

Has anyone had experience on the mini with AND without the reeves?

I really can't be objective, since I've had a Shopsmith for years and both it
and the 1442 have the reeves type while my mini doesn't...

Anyone here that has used both and has pro/con comments?

thanks..
Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

My father has a VS mini Jet. He does all kinds of work on it. I've
done a bit of work on it myself.

I like the variable speed that one can control from the outside of the
motor, whether it's electronic (variable resistor), or Reeves. My
first lathe was a five speeder, switched by moving the belt along
different sized pullys. This got to be a pain after a while.

My lathe has a Reeves control, and I must say that I like the
electronic version better, but I'm just being picky.

The mini Jets (all of them, I believe) have three belt settings, and
the electronic speed control moves along three different speed ranges.
Most of the time, he has it on the highest belt setting, and only moves
down to a slower belt speed for fine sanding or very large objects.
Access to the belt is simple enough. Obviously the designers at Jet
thought about this feature. Spending the extra bucks for a VS is a
good investment, in my opinion.

I suppose if I was to complain about something, it would be that it
took Jet forever and a day to replace a broken motor. Some of that may
be due in part to the local dealer.

"mac davis" wrote in message
...
I'm helping my brother get back into turning and he's pretty sure that the
Jet
mini is what he wants...
His problem is that he likes the size and low noise level of the mini but
sort
of likes the reeves drive on my Jet 1442... but no store that we went to
had a
mini with VS to look at..

If the minis have a weakness, it's the minimum speed. Without the VS, it's
500. Fast for some roughs near capacity. Logically, the variable would
allow lower speeds. Illogically, it does not.

As I don't turn above 680, nor below 360, nor am I able to turn in between
on turnings from 400mm bowls to ornament finials, it would be a waste of my
money. Reversing? makes no sense to a power sanding type and on
cross-grained bowls. Long-grained stuff would result in cross-grain in
either direction, so it also appears to be something I can do without.

"George" wrote: (clip) Reversing? makes no sense to a power sanding type
and on cross-grained bowls. Long-grained stuff would result in
cross-grain in either direction, (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
When you sand, tiny fibres of the wood grain lie down and are not cut off.
When you reverse, these fibres are lifted, and at least partially removed.
I believe this works on both long-grain and cross-grain sanding.

"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

"George" wrote: (clip) Reversing? makes no sense to a power sanding type
and on cross-grained bowls. Long-grained stuff would result in
cross-grain in either direction, (clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
When you sand, tiny fibres of the wood grain lie down and are not cut off.
When you reverse, these fibres are lifted, and at least partially removed.
I believe this works on both long-grain and cross-grain sanding.


Nope, works in flat work. Reverse the bowl, and what you laid down is
picked up, while what you picked up you lay down.

In article ,
mac davis wrote:

His problem is that he likes the size and low noise level of the mini but sort
of likes the reeves drive on my Jet 1442... but no store that we went to had a
mini with VS to look at..

Has anyone had experience on the mini with AND without the reeves?

I would choose an electronic VS over a Reeves for the drive any day. The
Reeves is a mechanical system that needs periodic maintenance while the
VS does not.

--
Owen Lowe

Northwest Woodturners
Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild
___
Tips fer Turnin': Place a sign, easily seen as you switch on your lathe, warning you to remove any and all rings from your fingers. Called degloving, extended hardware can grab your ring and rip it off your finger. A pic for the strong of stomach: www.itim.nsw.gov.au/go/objectid/2A3AC703-1321-1C29-70B067DC88E16BFC/index.cfm

Besides, rings can easily mar the surface of a turning as you check for finished smoothness.

Hi Mac

No reeves here, but I have a 6 speed mini, and not the VS one.

The biggest drawback in IMO is the high minimum speed of those little
lathes, and also the low power.

The power on the VS is even lower at the lowest speed, as basically the
power input is reduced to get the lowest speed.

With the non variable speed ones you get the most power to the spindle
at the lowest speed.

Still the little lathes are good value for the money, but a jet pilot
should be able to afford a top of the line Oneway, (BIG ONE or SMALL
ONE).
(also would make a good excuse to go and visit your brother more often,
if you need one) GG
You can turn small stuff on a big lathe, not the other way around, and
they have reverse for turning and sanding, always made for a better
finish over here !!, (just like the other Leo said).

http://homepage.mac.com/l.vanderloo/PhotoAlbum28.html
Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

Well, the Jet Mini does not have a Reeves drive. Speed control is
accomplished with a rheostat and swapping the belt on the step pulleys. I
understand that it takes both the rheostat and the step pulleys to get the
whole range of speeds. I have a Jet Mini without VS and it works just fine
without it. For a small lathe, you really don't need VS. It is very nice
on larger lathes like the PM 3520, Stubbys, Oneways and others.

Barry


"mac davis" wrote in message
...
I'm helping my brother get back into turning and he's pretty sure that the
Jet
mini is what he wants...
His problem is that he likes the size and low noise level of the mini but
sort
of likes the reeves drive on my Jet 1442... but no store that we went to
had a
mini with VS to look at..

Has anyone had experience on the mini with AND without the reeves?

I really can't be objective, since I've had a Shopsmith for years and both
it
and the 1442 have the reeves type while my mini doesn't...

Anyone here that has used both and has pro/con comments?

thanks..
Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

wrote: (clip) they have reverse for turning and
sanding, always made for a better finish over here !!, (just like the other
Leo said).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Good point about reverse for turning. Sometimes using reverse makes it a
lot easier to work inside a reentrant shoulder near the opening.

Regarding sanding in reverse, I once asked my son's shop teacher what he
thought, and he said, "Just turn the sandpaper around." ;-)

I'm another vote for the non-VS - I have two lathes, one of which is a
Nova Comet - it's the size of the jet mini, but the motor was sold
separately so I got the lathe and then picked up a washing machine
motor for $5 - I think I got a slightly better machine for about $100
less that way.

that said, as I recall, I wired the motor with a reversing switch (I
say it that way because I only use the little lathe for pens now and
haven't tuned it on in about a year) - the 1/4 hp washing machine
motor has plenty of power for that size lathe (and is more powerful,
it seems than the motor supplied with the jet, which has a higher HP
rating). On a small lathe like that,if you need a lower speed you are
turning too big an object. When I wanted a really slow speed for
uniformly drying laquer or other finish without drips, I used a BBQ
motor and a piece of rubber hose jammed into the hole through the
spindle to turn it at a steady slow speed.

My metal lathe has a reeves drive (and I added a VFD to get 3 phase to
run it) - the reeves drive is noisy - I'd much rather have step
pulleys.

On Thu, 04 May 2006 07:19:39 -0700, mac davis
wrote:

I'm helping my brother get back into turning and he's pretty sure that the Jet
mini is what he wants...
His problem is that he likes the size and low noise level of the mini but sort
of likes the reeves drive on my Jet 1442... but no store that we went to had a
mini with VS to look at..

Has anyone had experience on the mini with AND without the reeves?

I really can't be objective, since I've had a Shopsmith for years and both it
and the 1442 have the reeves type while my mini doesn't...

Anyone here that has used both and has pro/con comments?

thanks..
Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm
Bill

www.wbnoble.com

to contact me, do not reply to this message,
instead correct this address and use it

will iam_ b_ No ble at msn daught com

*** Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com ***

IMHO since the largest diameter possible is so small I find that I have my
mini on high speed almost always. If I use a slower speed to rough it's very
easy to jam. You need speed to create enough inertia to overcome some of the
small catches while roughing. Quite a bit different than my Powermatic.

TomNie

On Thu, 4 May 2006 12:35:33 -0400, "George" George@least wrote:


If the minis have a weakness, it's the minimum speed. Without the VS, it's
500. Fast for some roughs near capacity. Logically, the variable would
allow lower speeds. Illogically, it does not.

Does the VS on the mini give you a lower speed than the "manual" system?
If so, that would be a major consideration...

As I don't turn above 680, nor below 360, nor am I able to turn in between
on turnings from 400mm bowls to ornament finials, it would be a waste of my
money. Reversing? makes no sense to a power sanding type and on
cross-grained bowls. Long-grained stuff would result in cross-grain in
either direction, so it also appears to be something I can do without.


Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

On Fri, 5 May 2006 06:56:33 -0400, "Tom Nie" wrote:

IMHO since the largest diameter possible is so small I find that I have my
mini on high speed almost always. If I use a slower speed to rough it's very
easy to jam. You need speed to create enough inertia to overcome some of the
small catches while roughing. Quite a bit different than my Powermatic.

TomNie

Wow.... I've turned everything from pens to large vases on my Jet mini and never
used the higher speeds until I started using to buff bowls..

Maybe you need to do a little more sharpening and use lower tool pressure, Tom..
*g*

Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

On Thu, 04 May 2006 11:02:23 -0700, Owen Lowe wrote:

In article ,
mac davis wrote:

His problem is that he likes the size and low noise level of the mini but sort
of likes the reeves drive on my Jet 1442... but no store that we went to had a
mini with VS to look at..

Has anyone had experience on the mini with AND without the reeves?

I would choose an electronic VS over a Reeves for the drive any day. The
Reeves is a mechanical system that needs periodic maintenance while the
VS does not.

Me too, Owen.. but not only is electronic more expensive, I don't believe it's
an option on the mini..

I'd love to be able to spend another $800 to $1,000 for eltronic/digital on my
lathe.. *g*
Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

On 4 May 2006 13:53:09 -0700, "
wrote:

Hi Mac

No reeves here, but I have a 6 speed mini, and not the VS one.

The biggest drawback in IMO is the high minimum speed of those little
lathes, and also the low power.

The power on the VS is even lower at the lowest speed, as basically the
power input is reduced to get the lowest speed.

With the non variable speed ones you get the most power to the spindle
at the lowest speed.

Still the little lathes are good value for the money, but a jet pilot
should be able to afford a top of the line Oneway, (BIG ONE or SMALL
ONE).
(also would make a good excuse to go and visit your brother more often,
if you need one) GG
You can turn small stuff on a big lathe, not the other way around, and
they have reverse for turning and sanding, always made for a better
finish over here !!, (just like the other Leo said).

http://homepage.mac.com/l.vanderloo/PhotoAlbum28.html
Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

no Leo.. mechanic, not pilot.. lol

It's not what he can afford, it's what I recommend to him...
He has a garage full of flat working tools now and the mini will do what he
wants to do for now and in a minimal space..

He likes my 14" lathe but that would be too big for his shop..

You opinion of the torque at low speeds is JUST the kind of thing I was looking
for...
My mini is like yours, my 14" has the reeves... but the 14" has 1 hp, too...
Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

On Thu, 4 May 2006 20:41:26 -0500, "Barry N. Turner"
wrote:
wow... great info, Barry... My vote is to forget the vs and spend the difference
in price on a decent chick..

Well, the Jet Mini does not have a Reeves drive. Speed control is
accomplished with a rheostat and swapping the belt on the step pulleys. I
understand that it takes both the rheostat and the step pulleys to get the
whole range of speeds. I have a Jet Mini without VS and it works just fine
without it. For a small lathe, you really don't need VS. It is very nice
on larger lathes like the PM 3520, Stubbys, Oneways and others.

Barry


"mac davis" wrote in message
.. .
I'm helping my brother get back into turning and he's pretty sure that the
Jet
mini is what he wants...
His problem is that he likes the size and low noise level of the mini but
sort
of likes the reeves drive on my Jet 1442... but no store that we went to
had a
mini with VS to look at..

Has anyone had experience on the mini with AND without the reeves?

I really can't be objective, since I've had a Shopsmith for years and both
it
and the 1442 have the reeves type while my mini doesn't...

Anyone here that has used both and has pro/con comments?

thanks..
Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm


Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

In article ,
mac davis wrote:

Me too, Owen.. but not only is electronic more expensive, I don't believe it's
an option on the mini..

The electronic VS *is* available on the Jet Mini (not yet on the Delta
mini, surprisingly). The Reeve's drive is not on the mini - manual
changing on stepped sheaves.

Mini VS - $380ish:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00.../sr=1-2/ref=pd
_bbs_2/103-0439586-2019867?%5Fencoding=UTF8&s=hi&v=glance&n=228013

Mini Std - $305ish:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00.../sr=1-1/ref=pd
_bbs_1/103-0439586-2019867?%5Fencoding=UTF8&s=hi&v=glance&n=228013

--
Owen Lowe

Northwest Woodturners
Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild
___
Tips fer Turnin': Place a sign, easily seen as you switch on your lathe, warning you to remove any and all rings from your fingers. Called degloving, extended hardware can grab your ring and rip it off your finger. A pic for the strong of stomach: www.itim.nsw.gov.au/go/objectid/2A3AC703-1321-1C29-70B067DC88E16BFC/index.cfm

Besides, rings can easily mar the surface of a turning as you check for finished smoothness.

In article ,
mac davis wrote:

Me too, Owen.. but not only is electronic more expensive, I don't believe it's
an option on the mini..

Mac, I just read another of your replies. If I'm reading right, you're
calling your 14" Jet a "mini" - loosely speaking, your 14" is more of a
midi. The Jet Mini is the 10" swing lathe. The Reeve's drive is used on
your 14" but not the 10" Mini.

--
Owen Lowe

Northwest Woodturners
Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild
___
Tips fer Turnin': Place a sign, easily seen as you switch on your lathe, warning you to remove any and all rings from your fingers. Called degloving, extended hardware can grab your ring and rip it off your finger. A pic for the strong of stomach: www.itim.nsw.gov.au/go/objectid/2A3AC703-1321-1C29-70B067DC88E16BFC/index.cfm

Besides, rings can easily mar the surface of a turning as you check for finished smoothness.

"Leo Lichtman" wrote in message
...

wrote: (clip) they have reverse for turning and
sanding, always made for a better finish over here !!, (just like the
other Leo said).
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Good point about reverse for turning. Sometimes using reverse makes it a
lot easier to work inside a reentrant shoulder near the opening.

Regarding sanding in reverse, I once asked my son's shop teacher what he
thought, and he said, "Just turn the sandpaper around." ;-)

Well, Leos, the business of reversing directions comes from sanding flat
boards along the grain. Where the grain was rising along the direction of
sanding, the fibers could be laterally compressed into the spaces between,
which is why SOP was to make a water set and quickly sand in the opposite
direction. To remove those whiskers which might stand up later when
finishing, especially with shellac. Didn't make anything smoother. Grit
being grit, couldn't.


Since the grain meets the paper in opposite directions at either side of the
endgrain on a rotating bowl, this technique is not applicable even with hand
sanding. Also, as with flat work, where we now use orbital sanders, the
action of a rotary (power) sander actually cannot sand either with nor
against the grain, rotary in rotation, after all. It sands mostly along
with if we place the 3:00 or 9:00 o'clock portion of the disk in contact
with the rotating piece, differential speed (rotation of piece versus paper)
determining which direction the grit engages the grain. Sanding at 12:00
or 6:00 o'clock is especially efficacious at removing the ridging left by
gouges, or the semi-ridging (\ or /) left by finishing with the prior grit
at 3 or 9. Once again, makes no difference which way the piece is rotating.

Plain fact, easily observed.

On Fri, 05 May 2006 07:37:20 -0700, mac davis
wrote:

On Fri, 5 May 2006 06:56:33 -0400, "Tom Nie" wrote:

IMHO since the largest diameter possible is so small I find that I have my
mini on high speed almost always. If I use a slower speed to rough it's very
easy to jam. You need speed to create enough inertia to overcome some of the
small catches while roughing. Quite a bit different than my Powermatic.

TomNie

Wow.... I've turned everything from pens to large vases on my Jet mini and never
used the higher speeds until I started using to buff bowls..

My thoughts exactly. You can get an 8" bowl out of a midi lathe- 3600
rpm would whip that sucker around hard enough to rip my small lathe
off the cabinet it's bolted to- if it even had enough power to get the
thing turning to begin with!

That being said, I finish turn that fast- but roughing? You must have
some guts for that.

On Fri, 05 May 2006 09:15:22 -0700, Owen Lowe
wrote:

In article ,
mac davis wrote:

Me too, Owen.. but not only is electronic more expensive, I don't believe it's
an option on the mini..

Mac, I just read another of your replies. If I'm reading right, you're
calling your 14" Jet a "mini" - loosely speaking, your 14" is more of a
midi. The Jet Mini is the 10" swing lathe. The Reeve's drive is used on
your 14" but not the 10" Mini.

Does Jet have a 10" lathe? I looked them up, and they call the 14" a
"mini"- Delta calls it a "midi". They're almost the same machine,
though.

To get back on track with the thread, I love my reeve's drive on my
12" Delta gap-bed lathe, but it changing pulley settings was never all
that difficult on my Delta Midi, as the motor is so light and there
isn't all that much lathe to fiddle with. Even going back to play
with the Midi, which I still do every so often, I don't notice a
signifigant problem with the speed changes. If I were to buy another
midi (or mini), I wouldn't spend the extra $$$ for the variable speed,
personally- they're still fun without the frills.

George wrote:
As I don't turn above 680, nor below 360, nor am I able to turn in between
on turnings from 400mm bowls to ornament finials, it would be a waste of my
money. Reversing? makes no sense to a power sanding type and on
cross-grained bowls. Long-grained stuff would result in cross-grain in
either direction, so it also appears to be something I can do without.

Reversing makes a lot of sense for power sanding. I find that I like
the sandpaper to be heading down and the wood to be going up. Gives
better control. If I'm doing the inside of a bowl, I have the lathe in
forward, and the drill holding the sanding disk in forward (i.e., the
direction you would use to drill a hole) as well and sand in the upper
right quadrant of the sanding disk.

To do the outside, I reverse the lathe and leave the drill as is. The
weight of the drill counteracts the lift resulting from contacting the
bowl which stabilizes it. If I were to leave the bowl spinning in
forward, I'd have to counter both gravity and the downward force
exherted by the bowl against the sander.

It's also more comfortable to sand by hand as the sawdust shoots away
from you when sanding the top of the vessel. Easier to see what you're
doing as well...

....Kevin
--
Kevin Miller
http://www.alaska.net/~atftb
Juneau, Alaska
Registered Linux User No: 307357

Prometheus wrote:
On Fri, 05 May 2006 09:15:22 -0700, Owen Lowe
wrote:

In article ,
mac davis wrote:

Me too, Owen.. but not only is electronic more expensive, I don't believe it's
an option on the mini..
Mac, I just read another of your replies. If I'm reading right, you're
calling your 14" Jet a "mini" - loosely speaking, your 14" is more of a
midi. The Jet Mini is the 10" swing lathe. The Reeve's drive is used on
your 14" but not the 10" Mini.

Does Jet have a 10" lathe? I looked them up, and they call the 14" a
"mini"- Delta calls it a "midi". They're almost the same machine,
though.

If we're talking about the same beast, I assume the 10" refers to the
swing, and the 14" to the bed length. My Jet mini swings 10, but I've
never paid attention to the distance between the headstock and tailstock
but 14" sounds about right...

....Kevin
--
Kevin Miller
http://www.alaska.net/~atftb
Juneau, Alaska
Registered Linux User No: 307357

George wrote:
Since the grain meets the paper in opposite directions at either side of the
endgrain on a rotating bowl, this technique is not applicable even with hand
sanding. Also, as with flat work, where we now use orbital sanders, the

Of course it is. If you're rotating in forward, the direction the grain
lays down is dependent on that direction. It may be 'uphill' on one
side and 'downhill' on the other, but as soon as you reverse the bowl
your uphill side becomes downhill and your downhill side becomes uphill.
If you reverse a bowl, any given spot you're sanding will by
definition be sanded in the opposite direction that it was previously...

....Kevin
--
Kevin Miller
http://www.alaska.net/~atftb
Juneau, Alaska
Registered Linux User No: 307357

Prometheus, Jet calls it a mini, Delta a midi, and the Turncrafter is
also called a midi, they all have a 10" swing and approx. 14" between
centers.

here a couple of links, one of the Jet VS mini, one Delta Midi, and one
of the Turncrafter midi thats on sale now for $179.95 US$

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

Guess I have to put those links in right GG if I want you to be
able to see them, just a goof up on my part.
I'll try this again.

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/del46-250.html

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/jminivs.html

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/tclpro.html

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

On Sat, 06 May 2006 11:45:16 -0800, Kevin Miller
wrote:

Prometheus wrote:
On Fri, 05 May 2006 09:15:22 -0700, Owen Lowe
wrote:

In article ,
mac davis wrote:

Me too, Owen.. but not only is electronic more expensive, I don't believe it's
an option on the mini..
Mac, I just read another of your replies. If I'm reading right, you're
calling your 14" Jet a "mini" - loosely speaking, your 14" is more of a
midi. The Jet Mini is the 10" swing lathe. The Reeve's drive is used on
your 14" but not the 10" Mini.

Does Jet have a 10" lathe? I looked them up, and they call the 14" a
"mini"- Delta calls it a "midi". They're almost the same machine,
though.

If we're talking about the same beast, I assume the 10" refers to the
swing, and the 14" to the bed length. My Jet mini swings 10, but I've
never paid attention to the distance between the headstock and tailstock
but 14" sounds about right...

Couldn't say- I've just got the Delta Version, with an 8" swing over
the bed. I think it's 16" between centers. When I looked up the Jet
mini on Amazon, it said 14"- though it wasn't really specific about
what that referred to.

Anyhow, I guess the point was that when I was deciding between the two
quite a while back, I noticed that the same size lathe was a Midi for
Delta and a Mini for Jet. Just a matter of terms.

In article ,
Prometheus wrote:

Couldn't say- I've just got the Delta Version, with an 8" swing over
the bed. I think it's 16" between centers. When I looked up the Jet
mini on Amazon, it said 14"- though it wasn't really specific about
what that referred to.

I hesitate to reply to this size thing - beating a dead steed and all -
but I want it to be clear to those who may come across this thread in
the future.

The Jet Mini and Delta Midi are both 10" swing lathes - the between
center distances vary by a couple inches as I recall, but when speaking
of lathes, most folks cite the swing dimension -- especially given the
fact that both the Mini and Midi have extension beds available that
would change the reference dimension if we kept citing between center
distance.

I originally wanted to clarify the 14" reference Mac made to his lathe
because Jet does make a 1442 lathe with a 14" swing but the discussion
was about the Jet Mini with the 10" swing.

--
Owen Lowe

Northwest Woodturners
Pacific Northwest Woodturning Guild
___
Tips fer Turnin': Place a sign, easily seen as you switch on your lathe, warning you to remove any and all rings from your fingers. Called degloving, extended hardware can grab your ring and rip it off your finger. A pic for the strong of stomach: www.itim.nsw.gov.au/go/objectid/2A3AC703-1321-1C29-70B067DC88E16BFC/index.cfm

Besides, rings can easily mar the surface of a turning as you check for finished smoothness.

On Fri, 05 May 2006 09:12:24 -0700, Owen Lowe wrote:

In article ,
mac davis wrote:

Me too, Owen.. but not only is electronic more expensive, I don't believe it's
an option on the mini..

The electronic VS *is* available on the Jet Mini (not yet on the Delta
mini, surprisingly). The Reeve's drive is not on the mini - manual
changing on stepped sheaves.

Mini VS - $380ish:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00.../sr=1-2/ref=pd
_bbs_2/103-0439586-2019867?%5Fencoding=UTF8&s=hi&v=glance&n=228013

Mini Std - $305ish:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00.../sr=1-1/ref=pd
_bbs_1/103-0439586-2019867?%5Fencoding=UTF8&s=hi&v=glance&n=228013

wow.. they really have gone up!
My mini is a year or 2 old and was $225 on Amazon!

(We saw one at woodcrafters for $300 with a "free" chuck...)

New ball game, now... after spending Friday and Saturday in my shop, he wants a
12" or 14" Jet VS... and a vacuum chuck....lol



Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

On Fri, 05 May 2006 09:15:22 -0700, Owen Lowe wrote:

In article ,
mac davis wrote:

Me too, Owen.. but not only is electronic more expensive, I don't believe it's
an option on the mini..

Mac, I just read another of your replies. If I'm reading right, you're
calling your 14" Jet a "mini" - loosely speaking, your 14" is more of a
midi. The Jet Mini is the 10" swing lathe. The Reeve's drive is used on
your 14" but not the 10" Mini.

Might be confusing because I have the mini and the 1442VS, Owen... I probably
don't separate the 2 enough when I'm comparing them here..
Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

On Sat, 06 May 2006 01:23:40 -0500, Prometheus wrote:

On Fri, 05 May 2006 09:15:22 -0700, Owen Lowe
wrote:

In article ,
mac davis wrote:

Me too, Owen.. but not only is electronic more expensive, I don't believe it's
an option on the mini..

Mac, I just read another of your replies. If I'm reading right, you're
calling your 14" Jet a "mini" - loosely speaking, your 14" is more of a
midi. The Jet Mini is the 10" swing lathe. The Reeve's drive is used on
your 14" but not the 10" Mini.

Does Jet have a 10" lathe? I looked them up, and they call the 14" a
"mini"- Delta calls it a "midi". They're almost the same machine,
though.

To get back on track with the thread, I love my reeve's drive on my
12" Delta gap-bed lathe, but it changing pulley settings was never all
that difficult on my Delta Midi, as the motor is so light and there
isn't all that much lathe to fiddle with. Even going back to play
with the Midi, which I still do every so often, I don't notice a
signifigant problem with the speed changes. If I were to buy another
midi (or mini), I wouldn't spend the extra $$$ for the variable speed,
personally- they're still fun without the frills.

The mini (Jet) is a 10"... that's the swing over bed...
My Jet 1442VS is: 14" swing, 42" between centers, variable speed...
I think the one my brother is likely to get is the jet 1236VS
Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

On Sat, 06 May 2006 19:39:29 -0500, Prometheus wrote:


If we're talking about the same beast, I assume the 10" refers to the
swing, and the 14" to the bed length. My Jet mini swings 10, but I've
never paid attention to the distance between the headstock and tailstock
but 14" sounds about right...

Couldn't say- I've just got the Delta Version, with an 8" swing over
the bed. I think it's 16" between centers. When I looked up the Jet
mini on Amazon, it said 14"- though it wasn't really specific about
what that referred to.

Anyhow, I guess the point was that when I was deciding between the two
quite a while back, I noticed that the same size lathe was a Midi for
Delta and a Mini for Jet. Just a matter of terms.

Yeah.. that's always made me wonder what the Delta mini would look like!
I guess in marketing, they can say "midi" and seem larger that Jet, because it's
only a "mini"...

Kind of like buying custom condoms that have "giant size" printed on the
package..
Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

On Sun, 07 May 2006 07:39:12 -0700, mac davis
wrote:


wow.. they really have gone up!
My mini is a year or 2 old and was $225 on Amazon!

(We saw one at woodcrafters for $300 with a "free" chuck...)

IIRC, you got your mini about the same time I got my midi (I think it
was two years ago), and the Delta's price hasn't changed noticably- I
think you just got a good deal at the time. I paid something in the
$260 range for a display model that was discounted from $300 or so,
and that was without the VS.

New ball game, now... after spending Friday and Saturday in my shop, he wants a
12" or 14" Jet VS... and a vacuum chuck....lol

On Sun, 07 May 2006 11:00:44 -0500, Prometheus wrote:

On Sun, 07 May 2006 07:39:12 -0700, mac davis
wrote:


wow.. they really have gone up!
My mini is a year or 2 old and was $225 on Amazon!

(We saw one at woodcrafters for $300 with a "free" chuck...)

IIRC, you got your mini about the same time I got my midi (I think it
was two years ago), and the Delta's price hasn't changed noticably- I
think you just got a good deal at the time. I paid something in the
$260 range for a display model that was discounted from $300 or so,
and that was without the VS.

New ball game, now... after spending Friday and Saturday in my shop, he wants a
12" or 14" Jet VS... and a vacuum chuck....lol

That could be, my mini will be 2 in June.. (well, to me, it might have been new
for 3 or 5 years)

I think that the list price at the time was about $270??
Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

That's exactly my opinion as well. For the small stuff like pens run on top
speed. For bowls down to the other end for roughing. Belt changes can be
minimal.
billh

"Barry N. Turner" wrote in message
. ..
Well, the Jet Mini does not have a Reeves drive. Speed control is
accomplished with a rheostat and swapping the belt on the step pulleys. I
understand that it takes both the rheostat and the step pulleys to get the
whole range of speeds. I have a Jet Mini without VS and it works just
fine without it. For a small lathe, you really don't need VS. It is very
nice on larger lathes like the PM 3520, Stubbys, Oneways and others.

Barry


"mac davis" wrote in message
...
I'm helping my brother get back into turning and he's pretty sure that
the Jet
mini is what he wants...
His problem is that he likes the size and low noise level of the mini but
sort
of likes the reeves drive on my Jet 1442... but no store that we went to
had a
mini with VS to look at..

Has anyone had experience on the mini with AND without the reeves?

I really can't be objective, since I've had a Shopsmith for years and
both it
and the 1442 have the reeves type while my mini doesn't...

Anyone here that has used both and has pro/con comments?

thanks..
Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm

Have the JET VS mini/midi. Here are some specifics

5" from bed to centers' center lines.

Variable speed uses three pulleys on head stock shaft,
three on the motor.

The the speed varying dial shows numbers 1 - 5 but
it's not click stops but continuous speed changes.
Note that the speed changes are not linear
RPMs
Low Med Hi
1 500 1100 1700
2 580 1200 1800
3 680 1400 2050
4 900 1850 2750
5 1200 2600 3900

Having dial controlled variable speed is handy.
You can chuck up a rough - square block of
wood, mini-logette, etc. and take the speed
up 'til unacceptable vibration begins - then
back off 'til it stops. This lets you work at
the maximum "non wobbling bench" RPMS as
you go - increasing RPMS as the piece is
roughed to round. When cutting in fine
details like small beads or grooves, slowing
the RPMs down for cutting them in, then back
up for other cuts is quick, easy and controllable.
Not so with shifting a belt from pulley to pulley.

Varying the RPMs with just pulley changes is in
steps and sometimes being able to go between
the steps can be handy

If the Reeves Drive is the mechanism
that uses tapered shafts with a belt
that can be slid along them in either
direction - you get continuous variable
speed - without stopping to change pulleys
several times to go from lowest to
highest RPMS. But the belt tension
is critical. Get some stretching or
wear and "ideal" and "real" start
diverging.

The "Fourteen Inches" is between the
stock centers. Use a big STEBB CENTER
on the head stock end and live center
with inset tips and you could be down
to 13" or less. Add a SuperNova2 chuck and
your down to maybe 10".

As for the price - got the VS for around
$350, the non-VS model being around
$250 then but I've seen it for $229.
Only drawback to the JET is that I
haven't found a commercial center
support for it because they seem to
start at 6" centers to bed. But it's not
hard to make a "string support" that
sort of works.

charlie b

On Tue, 09 May 2006 08:21:26 -0700, charlie b
wrote:

Have the JET VS mini/midi. Here are some specifics

5" from bed to centers' center lines.

Just want to throw it in for posterity's sake, since it's usually new
turners looking at these.

The 5" distance from bed to center can be a little deceptive- the tool
rest posts on the mini & midi aren't that thick, and they come with a
4" rest. I made some longer toolrests for mine, but they have a
tendancy to vibrate a lot, so I don't use them much. For a lot of
projects, you need to be able to get the banjo under the piece so that
you can use the tool rest. Anybody who already has one probably knows
what I'm talking about, but I never was able to get anything larger
than a 8" bowl out of my midi. Could have got a 10" plate or
something, I suppose- as long as it was less than 2" deep, with a flat
bottom and minimal mounting hardware.

Like I said, nothing most turners don't know, it's just a head's up
for someone looking at getting into the hobby.

Hi Charlie

The VS on those minis would be nice if not for the drawback that you
have the least amount of power when you should have the most.

The other thing is if you turn a "large" that is as large as possible
say a 10" platter and you're cutting with your tool from the edge to
the center, do you keep changing your speed ?? or keep the speed that
is safe for the size ??, this gets much more serious when turning say a
20" bowl or platter.

In most cases when turning a certain project the whole machining part
of the job can and very often is done with only one or two speeds, like
spindles, pens, at the high end and larger bowls and platters at the
lower end of the speed range.

The sanding is certainly done best at the lowest setting for bowls and
platters.

For a commercial steady for a 10" swing lathe Pennstate carries one.

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/lsr2.html

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

"Prometheus" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 09 May 2006 08:21:26 -0700, charlie b
wrote:

Have the JET VS mini/midi. Here are some specifics

5" from bed to centers' center lines.

Just want to throw it in for posterity's sake, since it's usually new
turners looking at these.

The 5" distance from bed to center can be a little deceptive- the tool
rest posts on the mini & midi aren't that thick, and they come with a
4" rest. I made some longer toolrests for mine, but they have a
tendancy to vibrate a lot, so I don't use them much.


Most turners know how to turn outside, reverse to inside, which pretty much
means the toolrest isn't in the way and never needs to go underneath. One
of the last things I'd worry about is the swing over the toolrest (banjo),
unless I was turning something ten inches deep.

If your toolrest is vibrating, you're overloading. That's an audible
warning. Then there's the stick-shaker - the tool chattering because
you're at a bad angle, or the entire lathe/stand moving because you didn't
make your piece as close to balance as possible prior to mounting. Correct
the condition.

Ol' Roy Underhill has been using that oak toolrest for years. I used a
spruce one 8' long for pillars. You don't need a banjo if you want to push
the poor lathe to its limit.

On Tue, 09 May 2006 19:15:32 -0500, Prometheus wrote:

On Tue, 09 May 2006 08:21:26 -0700, charlie b
wrote:

Have the JET VS mini/midi. Here are some specifics

5" from bed to centers' center lines.

Just want to throw it in for posterity's sake, since it's usually new
turners looking at these.

The 5" distance from bed to center can be a little deceptive- the tool
rest posts on the mini & midi aren't that thick, and they come with a
4" rest. I made some longer toolrests for mine, but they have a
tendancy to vibrate a lot, so I don't use them much. For a lot of
projects, you need to be able to get the banjo under the piece so that
you can use the tool rest. Anybody who already has one probably knows
what I'm talking about, but I never was able to get anything larger
than a 8" bowl out of my midi. Could have got a 10" plate or
something, I suppose- as long as it was less than 2" deep, with a flat
bottom and minimal mounting hardware.

Like I said, nothing most turners don't know, it's just a head's up
for someone looking at getting into the hobby.

Well put... I'll add that if you double that 5", you have the "swing", which
most folks use to compare lathe size.. I think the Jet mini is a 1014?
(10" swing, 14" spindle cap.)

Mac

https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis
https://home.comcast.net/~mac.davis/wood_stuff.htm