Crossposted to rec.crafts.woodturning

Lee Tollett writes:

Hi guys I have been building things for 30 some odd years, but
never worked with a lathe. This Christmas I will buy a new one and
start doing some turning. I would like to keep it under $1000. Do
any of you have a good suggestion as to which brand and model to get??
It mostly be used to turn bowls, not spindles.

I have a Jet 12x36 ($500 on amazon). Keep an eye on the lower RPM's. I
like it a lot, but I wish I could go slower than 550 RPM's for bigger
bowls. But a lot of the lathes in this price range (Jet, Delta) can't
go much slower. As a novice, alarge chunk of wood spinning at 500RPM
is scary. Some beef up the Jet 1236 with plywood and sand to prevent
vibration. The bigger Delta/Jet lathes are better at reducing
vibration, but the lowest speeds are about the same. I think the $900
Jet goes to 450rpm.

The Nova 1624-44 ($1000) goes down to 218RPM, and I am envious of that
low speed.

Also - expect to pay a lot for tools and sharpening equip eventually.
For starters, look for a sale on the Woodcraft slow-speed 8"
grinder. ($95 today, about $80 on sale) Also get the Harbor Freight
HSS lathe chisels ($37 today). I don't remember if they go on sale
often.

That set doesn't include a decent bowl chisel. So that might be about $50 more.
The HF set will let you practice your sharpening techniques on cheap steel.

It's easy to spend as much on tools for the lathe as on the lathe itself.
I think I'm around 3x-4x now.

If you are serious about bowls, the Nova would be a good choice over a
Jet or Delta (says a Jet owner). However, if your total price is
$1000, you won't have much for tools.

http://www.teknatool.com/products/La...va%20_1624.htm