Well I went ahead and took the plunge this weekend. I went to the grand
opening of the Woodcrafters shop in Indy and bought a Jet Lathe - JWL 1236.
The setup went fairly well and all the parts were there. It will need to be
raised at least 4" to be more comfortable for me.
Also bought several gouges, a parting tool and a spindle meister (at the
suggestion of the Sorby rep who was at the shop doing demos. He said it
would be a bit easier for a beginner than a skew).
The wife was a bit reluctant on the tools claiming the high cost but since
the lathe was set up she has been on it more than I (& is better at it than
I am!) Now given that the wife was reluctant on the tools, is it surprising
that she wants at least 2 more - a screw chuck and a Nova chuck. I saw the
latter on the Amazon site. It's a Nova Jet 709345. Any comments on it would
be appreciated. As for the screw chuck, I believe I can put one together by
attaching a wood block to the face plate and through the center of the block
placing the screw. I do have a question on the type of screw to use. For
the most part, the turnings will be bowls and such with a max diameter of,
oh, 10".
Thanks,