I'm thinking of adding a lathe to my home/recreational wood shop. A
friend may have one for sale. It's a

JET JWL-1236 Wood Lathe

I saw them online for a little under $800. I don't know what the
used one will go for, but is anyone here familiar with this lathe?

Is this a good lathe? Opinions?

Flash Gordon wrote:

I'm thinking of adding a lathe to my home/recreational wood shop. A
friend may have one for sale. It's a

JET JWL-1236 Wood Lathe

I saw them online for a little under $800. I don't know what the
used one will go for, but is anyone here familiar with this lathe?

Is this a good lathe? Opinions?


I have the Jet 1442 and haven't found much it will not do or that I would
want it to do. I would expect the 1236 would be much the same.

As for the price, three or four years ago I bought mine for $736 and now
goes for almost twice that. $800 is a bit steep, depending on how old it
is and how much it has been used, I would like to see you get it for around
$400 - 500. But then I am married to a "Downeaster Scot" also :-)

Deb

Flash Gordon writes:

I'm thinking of adding a lathe to my home/recreational wood shop. A
friend may have one for sale. It's a

JET JWL-1236 Wood Lathe

I saw them online for a little under $800. I don't know what the
used one will go for, but is anyone here familiar with this lathe?

Is this a good lathe? Opinions?

I have one. The main problem is large bowls. I wish the minimum speed
was slower. You may have to add bracing and extra weight to keep it
from vibrating when you turn 10 inch bowl blanks.

The banjo is fine, but some times I wish the banjo shaft was a little
longer.

As for the rotating head, you can handle a 10-12" faceplate/bowl
without it, and dealing with larger objects is a problem because the
speed can't be slower than 600rpm. So I never use this feature.

On Feb 8, 7:10*pm, Flash Gordon wrote:
I'm thinking of adding a lathe to my home/recreational wood shop. * A
friend may have one for sale. *It's a

JET JWL-1236 Wood Lathe

I saw them online for a little under $800. * I don't know what the
used one will go for, but is anyone here familiar with this lathe?

Is this a good lathe? *Opinions?

Flash...
I've had my Jet 1236 for about 8 years. It has done what I've needed
it to do, although I don't push the limits of it's capacity. It has a
Reeve's drive... i.e. 2 pulleys that change the effective diameter...
to change speeds. Some people don't like that but I've always found it
has good response and little slipping. It limits the slowest speed to
500 though. Wish it went slower sometimes. I added angle brackets
below the shelf along with a couple of boards which allow me to slide
in a tube of sand for added stability and I also built an upper shelf
for tools. I paid about $550 for mine years ago, so depending on the
age of this one... you probably shouldn't pay more than that.

June

In message
,
Flash Gordon writes
I'm thinking of adding a lathe to my home/recreational wood shop. A
friend may have one for sale. It's a

JET JWL-1236 Wood Lathe

I saw them online for a little under $800. I don't know what the
used one will go for, but is anyone here familiar with this lathe?

Is this a good lathe? Opinions?

I have a variant of this and it worked well till I upgraded to variable
speed
But, and there is always a BUT. Depending on which banjo/rest you are
supplied with, the lathe may be of no use for bowl turning. On the
variant I have when the tool rest is set to minimum height, it comes in
at 1/5in (5mm) under centre line, a basic scraper is 1/4in (7mm)
putting you above centreline when level. Use a bowl gouge, at an angle
and you can be 1/2in or more depending how close your tool rest. I think
you will see my point. I kept blaming myself for having issues turning
bowls, until I got my later lathe which had a far greater offset.. I did
what I thought and finally got what I expected
Another issue is minimum speed of 550, on mine it was 400 and for me
roughing a bowl as a beginner it was way too fast, and can be
off-putting if not frightening



I would say the price is way too high. Check out Amazon the machine can
be bout for $849.99 including free delivery

http://www.amazon.com/708352-JWL-123...ng-115-Volt/dp
/B00006ANS3
--
John

In message , Maxwell Lol
writes
The banjo is fine, but some times I wish the banjo shaft was a little
longer.

There seems to be 2 variants on the banjo fitted. It relates to the
washer that goes between nut and bed to provide grip,. In one case it is
round, and one which is rectangular. The round one provides far less
grip than the rectangular version

This also applies to the tail stock assembly.
--
John

I also have a 1236 and it has been good to me. I am more of a hobbyist
an I am not on it all the time. I also have wished for slower speed and
larger swing. Mine is on the original stand so I built boxes for the
feet to raise it off the ground. I have made a shelf and have put sand
bags and weight lifting plates on it. I have wished for a hand wheel
for the headstock, but have not called to see if one was made for it. I
have just one caution. It comes with a swivel head and was advertised
it could be turned 90 degrees for outboard turning. It also came with
and extension for the tool rest. The problem is it is made of cast
iron. I tried the outboard turning with the extension till I got a
catch and the extension broke and it and the tool rest bounced off my
foot. Luck nothing was broken, on my foot I mean . Now I use the
swivel to get a better angel when I am working over the bed. Other than
that I have enjoyed it. This may be minor but it runs on a 110 Vac
which I have in the garage. I lust after the bigger, better more power
type lathes, but that means some how getting 220Vac to the garage when
the breaker/meter panel is on the other side of the house. I think you
would enjoy this more than the little mini-lathes. Good luck with what
ever you choose.

Bruce

John wrote:
In message , Maxwell Lol
writes
The banjo is fine, but some times I wish the banjo shaft was a little
longer.

There seems to be 2 variants on the banjo fitted. It relates to the
washer that goes between nut and bed to provide grip,. In one case it is
round, and one which is rectangular. The round one provides far less
grip than the rectangular version

This also applies to the tail stock assembly.