Hello all. I've been woodworking (flat) for a while and have been
amazed at turning long enough - I want to play too.

I need some feedback on lathe opinions. I will not be buying a oneway
so I don't need that kind of advice. I am a very hobby woodworker who
buys way more tools than he needs. With that said I was thinking the
Jet 1442. Seems to be a decent lathe and the right price range. I
thought about the 1236 or a midi but I just can't get past a posting
where someone said 3/4 hp just wasn't enough for face turning.
Opinions? I'd rather buy big once but I have too much going on to be
dedicated to just turning. Will be strickly hobby work.

What I really want to do is to turn bowls and vases and maybe lidded
boxes. I'll do spindles and pens and everything once I get started.
Maybe make a chess set.

Also, Woodcraft is having a 30% off sale next month on Sorby tools.
Gotta watch the budget (buying the whole "flat" shop as well) so is
that a bargain that can't be passed up?

2 things I forgot

1. How about Grizzly? I have an 8" jointer that I love. The lathes seem
to have too high of a low end speed though.

2. Buffalo woodworking show is in less than 2 weeks and I've never
been. Any idea if it's reasonable to expect a deal on a Jet lathe there
or should I drop $1050+8% at Woodcraft and have it on it's way?

Thanks.


Ron S wrote:
Hello all. I've been woodworking (flat) for a while and have been
amazed at turning long enough - I want to play too.

I need some feedback on lathe opinions. I will not be buying a oneway
so I don't need that kind of advice. I am a very hobby woodworker who
buys way more tools than he needs. With that said I was thinking the
Jet 1442. Seems to be a decent lathe and the right price range. I
thought about the 1236 or a midi but I just can't get past a posting
where someone said 3/4 hp just wasn't enough for face turning.
Opinions? I'd rather buy big once but I have too much going on to be
dedicated to just turning. Will be strickly hobby work.

What I really want to do is to turn bowls and vases and maybe lidded
boxes. I'll do spindles and pens and everything once I get started.
Maybe make a chess set.

Also, Woodcraft is having a 30% off sale next month on Sorby tools.
Gotta watch the budget (buying the whole "flat" shop as well) so is
that a bargain that can't be passed up?

Let's see, you are a hobby woodworker who buys way more tools than you
need, and you are going to start turning? QUICK TURN BACK BEFORE IT IS
TOO LATE!!!
I would suggest buying used at first if you can. If there is a local
Woodcraft, they might have or know of a club. Join the club. It has
been my biggest learning experiece in my 9 years of turning. They may
also know of a good used lathe for sale. Find out how much you like it,
and then upgrade later. If you can afford one of the variable speed
models, go for it. The smaller Jet lathes have a Reeves drive which is
better than step pulleys. For bowls, the family sized salad bowl is in
the 12 plus inch diameter range, so you may want 14 to 16 inch
capability and a 1 hp plus motor.For boxes and spindles, chip bowls,
and some vases, you can get away with less hp. I also figure that you
will end up spending 3 to 10 times as much on tools and accessories
than you do on the actual lathe; Chain saw, sanding supplies, dust
collection, grinder, chucks, truck or van to haul logs in, shop,
insurance (some home owners policies will exclude or even dump you if
you have a wood shop, more so if you sell stuff. You have been warned.
Are you going to sell stuff to support your habbit? That is a whole
different world. I started with flat work, and would rather turn. It is
a lot of fun.
robo hippy
Ron S wrote:
2 things I forgot

1. How about Grizzly? I have an 8" jointer that I love. The lathes seem
to have too high of a low end speed though.

2. Buffalo woodworking show is in less than 2 weeks and I've never
been. Any idea if it's reasonable to expect a deal on a Jet lathe there
or should I drop $1050+8% at Woodcraft and have it on it's way?

Thanks.


Ron S wrote:
Hello all. I've been woodworking (flat) for a while and have been
amazed at turning long enough - I want to play too.

I need some feedback on lathe opinions. I will not be buying a oneway
so I don't need that kind of advice. I am a very hobby woodworker who
buys way more tools than he needs. With that said I was thinking the
Jet 1442. Seems to be a decent lathe and the right price range. I
thought about the 1236 or a midi but I just can't get past a posting
where someone said 3/4 hp just wasn't enough for face turning.
Opinions? I'd rather buy big once but I have too much going on to be
dedicated to just turning. Will be strickly hobby work.

What I really want to do is to turn bowls and vases and maybe lidded
boxes. I'll do spindles and pens and everything once I get started.
Maybe make a chess set.

Also, Woodcraft is having a 30% off sale next month on Sorby tools.
Gotta watch the budget (buying the whole "flat" shop as well) so is
that a bargain that can't be passed up?

Ron
The 14442 seems to be well thought of here on the rec. I use the Craftsman
15" and like it. Others hate it. I began on the old monotube model and still
have it as well. Look for a low speed of less than 600 if you can. I like a
high speed of 2500 to 3500. The old books recommend a speed of 2500 for a 3"
spindle. I do not think that is too fast for a balanced, squared off table
leg blank, but for an off balance, rough piece of oak log, it can be scary.
On the other hand, for a production run of pens, 2500+ is about right.
Whatever you get, join a club, read books, check the web sites, stay safe,
this is a lot of fun..
______
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS, Canada
www.aroundthewoods.com
"Ron S" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hello all. I've been woodworking (flat) for a while and have been
amazed at turning long enough - I want to play too.

I need some feedback on lathe opinions. I will not be buying a oneway
so I don't need that kind of advice. I am a very hobby woodworker who
buys way more tools than he needs. With that said I was thinking the
Jet 1442. Seems to be a decent lathe and the right price range. I
thought about the 1236 or a midi but I just can't get past a posting
where someone said 3/4 hp just wasn't enough for face turning.
Opinions? I'd rather buy big once but I have too much going on to be
dedicated to just turning. Will be strickly hobby work.

What I really want to do is to turn bowls and vases and maybe lidded
boxes. I'll do spindles and pens and everything once I get started.
Maybe make a chess set.

Also, Woodcraft is having a 30% off sale next month on Sorby tools.
Gotta watch the budget (buying the whole "flat" shop as well) so is
that a bargain that can't be passed up?

In article om,
"Ron S" wrote:

2 things I forgot

1. How about Grizzly? I have an 8" jointer that I love. The lathes seem
to have too high of a low end speed though.

Many Grizzly's have too high a low end and a weird head-stock size
(1-12tpi) I would avoid those

2. Buffalo woodworking show is in less than 2 weeks and I've never
been. Any idea if it's reasonable to expect a deal on a Jet lathe there
or should I drop $1050+8% at Woodcraft and have it on it's way?

Look at the General Internation 25-650, should be able to get it for
under $2K (US)

--
--------------------------------------------------------
Personal e-mail is the n7bsn but at amsat.org
This posting address is a spam-trap and seldom read
RV and Camping FAQ can be found at
http://www.ralphandellen.us/rv

Check out "DELTA CUSTOM LATHE" at aaw.com. This is the American
Woodturners Association's site. This custom lathe has many many
attachments, extreme slow speed for safe large diameter work, and has
arguably the most universal spindle at 1" - 8 thread
Ralph E Lindberg wrote:
In article om,
"Ron S" wrote:

2 things I forgot

1. How about Grizzly? I have an 8" jointer that I love. The lathes seem
to have too high of a low end speed though.

Many Grizzly's have too high a low end and a weird head-stock size
(1-12tpi) I would avoid those

2. Buffalo woodworking show is in less than 2 weeks and I've never
been. Any idea if it's reasonable to expect a deal on a Jet lathe there
or should I drop $1050+8% at Woodcraft and have it on it's way?

Look at the General Internation 25-650, should be able to get it for
under $2K (US)

--
--------------------------------------------------------
Personal e-mail is the n7bsn but at amsat.org
This posting address is a spam-trap and seldom read
RV and Camping FAQ can be found at
http://www.ralphandellen.us/rv

wrote in
oups.com:

Check out "DELTA CUSTOM LATHE" at aaw.com. This is the American
Woodturners Association's site. This custom lathe has many many
attachments, extreme slow speed for safe large diameter work, and has
arguably the most universal spindle at 1" - 8 thread

Did you mean to send us to a alcholism site?

Patriarch

"Darrell Feltmate" wrote in message
news:yVPPg.30295$E67.18298@clgrps13...
Ron
The 14442 seems to be well thought of here on the rec. I use the Craftsman
15" and like it. Others hate it. I began on the old monotube model and
still
have it as well. Look for a low speed of less than 600 if you can.

Which may mean reducing an older piece of iron. Not difficult to do. I
have eight speeds, use two (360/690) regularly, one (180) occasionally. So
if you 2:1 one of the old types you'd have pretty much what you wanted, but
the older were mostly 12" swing or less.

Ron
I bought the Jet 1442 VS last year at Woodcraft. It happened to be on
sale for around $650 at the time. Even without that, it beat the
Delta IMHO for features, at a similar price. For instance, it was
heavier, the legs alone weighed well over 100 lbs. Since then, I have
been very pleased. I, too, am a hobbiest, turn mostly bowls and pens
and the occasional lamp or other spindle project. I had been using an
old Craftsman, with tubular steel bed, very light and prone to much
vibration. I am quite happy with the Jet. I am also sure there are as
many opinions here as there are turners. :\ .

Whatever you choose, welcome to the turning world.

In article .com,
wrote:

Check out "DELTA CUSTOM LATHE" at aaw.com. This is the American
Woodturners Association's site. This custom lathe has many many
attachments, extreme slow speed for safe large diameter work, and has
arguably the most universal spindle at 1" - 8 thread


It would be useful if you get even close to the website. Do you mean
the American Association of Woodturners at http://www.woodturner.org/?
Now I've been a member for a little while, but I've never heard of
this. Also, the web site's search engine has no reference to -any- Delta
lathes. In fact the only reference to any lathe I could find is the
Powermatic they are giving away to some lucky member

--
--------------------------------------------------------
Personal e-mail is the n7bsn but at amsat.org
This posting address is a spam-trap and seldom read
RV and Camping FAQ can be found at
http://www.ralphandellen.us/rv

"Ralph E Lindberg" wrote in message
...
In article .com,
wrote:

Check out "DELTA CUSTOM LATHE" at aaw.com. This is the American
Woodturners Association's site. This custom lathe has many many
attachments, extreme slow speed for safe large diameter work, and has
arguably the most universal spindle at 1" - 8 thread


It would be useful if you get even close to the website. Do you mean
the American Association of Woodturners at http://www.woodturner.org/?
Now I've been a member for a little while, but I've never heard of
this. Also, the web site's search engine has no reference to -any- Delta
lathes. In fact the only reference to any lathe I could find is the
Powermatic they are giving away to some lucky member

Look in the "For Sale" section.

Been thinking more about this discussion, as to what lathe to get. As
I said, probably as many opinions as people. I think, mostly, that
whatever lathe we have will work for us.
There are certainly bad pieces of technology and engineering out
there. The marketplace may get rid of them eventually, and this and
other such forums are certainly great places to spot the problems
that do exist, to help us avoid them.

This craft we practice has elements of science, engineering, art, and
beauty - that's why this old scientist loves it, he gets to use both
halves of his brain. I have had only two lathes. I used the one until
the machine's limitations became too bothersome, then I moved on.
So my advice is - research the features and ask
questions of the knowedgeable and experienced folks here. Then buy
whatever seems reasonable within your budget.
Practice, practice, take lessons, talk to turners, look at videos,
read books, join a club -- and you will be amazed at how far you get.
When you get to the point when you need to, save your pennies and move
up - or not. Ultimately, it may well be that the process we experience
and the products we make are limited more by our own abilities than by
the equipment. I think I made some pretty nice things on that old
Craftsman, even though I did have to wedge blocks under the lathe bed
to stop the vibration sometimes when I tried to work beyond its
capacity.

Good luck!

Been thinking more about this discussion, as to what lathe to get. As
I said, probably as many opinions as people. I think, mostly, that
whatever lathe we have will work for us.
There are certainly bad pieces of technology and engineering out
there. The marketplace may get rid of them eventually, and this and
other such forums are certainly great places to spot the problems
that do exist, to help us avoid them.

This craft we paractice has elements of science, engineering, art, and
beauty - that's why this old scientist loves it, he gets to use both
halves of his brain. I have had only two lathes. I used the one until
the machine's limitations became too bothersome, then I moved on.
So my advice is - research the features and ask
questions of the knowedgeable and experienced folks here. Then buy
whatever seems reasonable within your budget.
Practice, practice, take lessons, talk to turners, look at videos,
read books, join a club -- and you will be amazed at how far you get.
When you get to the point when you need to, save your pennies and move
up - or not. Ultimately, it may well be that the process we experience
and the products we make are limited more by our own abilities than by
the equipment. I think I made some pretty nice things on that old
Craftsman, even though I did have to wedge blocks under the lathe bed
to stop the vibration sometimes when I tried to work beyond its
capacity.

Good luck!