I have considered the same one but I truly don't have anything I need that
size lathe for. I think it's a better option that the comparable Grizzly
that is more money and a 1/2 hp motor. With this, you have a little more
power and what appears to be the same lathe. I think you did fine.

Don

"mikes News" wrote in message
...
Hello all

Well I did it... I just bought a new laithe...

Its a harbor freight....

12'' x 33-3/8'' WOOD LATHE WITH REVERSIBLE HEAD
Pivoting headstock for extra-large bowl turning capacity. Headstock
rotates
and locks in position at 45°, 90°, 135°, and 180°. Includes stand, tool
rest, drive center, 6'' disc, and Allen wrenches.
a.. Swing over bed: 12''
b.. Motor: 3/4 HP, 120V, 60 Hz
c.. Speeds: 600, 750, 910, 1080, 1260, 1460, 1680, 1910, 2150, and 2400
RPM
d.. Turning distance between centers: 33-3/8"
e.. Shipping weight: 184 lbs.

Item #: 34706-3VGA
take a look see... tell me if you think I blew it?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=34706

I have a jet mini... wanted something larger for lager boles and longer
turnings...

I was in harbor freight store in Indy... looking around tonight... saw
this
lathe... its super heavy duty... (nearly 200 lb.) my wife wants a new
turned
four poster bed... (how I justified the new lathe)

Note: it has an extension for the bed that is designed to go behind the
headstock... but I think I can make a stand for it the same height as the
main bed and be able to turn 7 foot post for the bed and 8 foot turned 4x4
post for the front porch railing she wants

not as nice and smooth a finish as some of the high dollar lathes I have
looked at but it looks to be well made. But the price is what got my
attention...

normally $279. was on sale for $169. including the table...

I figure that with the $19 extended warranty... I have 15 months to play
with it... and can return it NO QUESTIONS asked for a new one... so I
bit...

does any one have any feedback on this unit and did I make a mistake?

Now I just have to get up early in the morning and go take the thing out
of
the box and assemble it.

can't wait... like a 51 year old kid on new years eve....

Mike




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On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 00:09:52 -0500, "mikes News"
wrote:

First off, I don't own one of these, I have just shopped for one, so
this is just my impression of it.

Its a harbor freight....
.....
c.. Speeds: 600, 750, 910, 1080, 1260, 1460, 1680, 1910, 2150, and 2400
RPM

To me, this always seemed a very fast "slow" speed for use with a 3/4
hp, 12" swing lathe. I mean, a 9 1/2" diameter chunk, say, 12" long
on my Jet mini, whirling around at 500 rpm is going faster than I
really like, but I deal with it. To put an even larger piece on a
lathe at 600 rpm seems a bit much, IMO. But I've seen some offshore
lathes with the "slow" speed at over 1000 rpm, so 600 doesn't seem so
bad, comparatively.

does any one have any feedback on this unit and did I make a mistake?

Sorry, I have no actual experience with this lather to offer, just my
2-denarius'-worth on the speed settings.


--
Chuck *#:^)
chaz3913(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
Anti-spam sig: please remove "NO SPAM" from e-mail address to reply.


September 11, 2001 - Never Forget


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I have this lathe and am quite happy with it. True it could go a little
slower, but I haven't turned anything bigger than 10" yet and it was fine
at that speed. I, too, got it on sale and while it is a little rougher
than more expensive lathes, I can live with it a long time before I need a
bigger lathe. While you were at HF, you should have grabbed one of the
HSS lathe chisel sets, not the cheap set but the High Speed Steel (HSS)
sets for $29 or $39 dollars. They are worth every penney. Need
sharpening, but another good deal for a beginner.

My first lathe came from HF. 14" x 42"

Wasn't sure I would stay interested in turning so I bought cheap knowing it
was cheap. That was 2 1/2 years ago. I replace the belt on it once and
that is it. Still turning.

I did learn from it what I liked and didn't and what I wanted in a good
lathe.

Frank
Havelock, NC

"mikes News" wrote in message
...
Hello all

Well I did it... I just bought a new laithe...

Its a harbor freight....

12'' x 33-3/8'' WOOD LATHE WITH REVERSIBLE HEAD
Pivoting headstock for extra-large bowl turning capacity. Headstock
rotates
and locks in position at 45°, 90°, 135°, and 180°. Includes stand, tool
rest, drive center, 6'' disc, and Allen wrenches.
a.. Swing over bed: 12''
b.. Motor: 3/4 HP, 120V, 60 Hz
c.. Speeds: 600, 750, 910, 1080, 1260, 1460, 1680, 1910, 2150, and 2400
RPM
d.. Turning distance between centers: 33-3/8"
e.. Shipping weight: 184 lbs.

Item #: 34706-3VGA
take a look see... tell me if you think I blew it?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=34706

I have a jet mini... wanted something larger for lager boles and longer
turnings...

I was in harbor freight store in Indy... looking around tonight... saw
this
lathe... its super heavy duty... (nearly 200 lb.) my wife wants a new
turned
four poster bed... (how I justified the new lathe)

Note: it has an extension for the bed that is designed to go behind the
headstock... but I think I can make a stand for it the same height as the
main bed and be able to turn 7 foot post for the bed and 8 foot turned 4x4
post for the front porch railing she wants

not as nice and smooth a finish as some of the high dollar lathes I have
looked at but it looks to be well made. But the price is what got my
attention...

normally $279. was on sale for $169. including the table...

I figure that with the $19 extended warranty... I have 15 months to play
with it... and can return it NO QUESTIONS asked for a new one... so I
bit...

does any one have any feedback on this unit and did I make a mistake?

Now I just have to get up early in the morning and go take the thing out
of
the box and assemble it.

can't wait... like a 51 year old kid on new years eve....

Mike




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I would say there is no goof here. This is an excellent starter lathe! It is
also the same one that Grizzly sells but much cheaper at that sale price.

I also have this same lathe. I've turned a redheart walking cane with a
captive ring for my wife, several bowls, a gavel and sound block, and close
to a hundred pens. I've been extremely pleased with this lathe and would
purchase it again if I needed another one. I agree with one person's
comments about the belts wearing quickly. I solved that issue by purchasing
the link style belt system that Rockler http://www.rockler.com sells. This
one is lasting much, MUCH, longer. Also if you are looking for accessories,
You are in luck! The headstock spindle can either accept a 1-8 thread which
is standard or a #2 Morris Taper insert which is also standard. The best and
most affordable place I have found accessories for my lathe is Penn State
Industries. http://www.pennstateind.com If you are going to turn pens,
however, I would go to Woodcraft http://www.woodcraft.com and buy their pen
mandrel which is usually only 9.95 instead of 19.95 like everyone else.

FYI
If you are in Indy, Woodcraft has a store there and they also started
carrying Solid Surface pen blanks like Corian and Gemstone.


"Anonymous" wrote in message
newsan.2004.08.17.20.52.18.348712@notarealserver .com...
On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 00:09:52 -0500, mikes News wrote:

Hello all

Well I did it... I just bought a new laithe...

Its a harbor freight....
(clip)

does any one have any feedback on this unit and did I make a mistake?


I recently bought this lathe. Like another poster mentioned, I bought
cheap knowing it was cheap. No apologies there ... I'm a newbie and I'm
not about to drop $5,000 into a top of the line tool until I know for
certain if I will get $5,000 worth of use out of it. So far, so good ...
but not $5,000 worth yet. I just turned my first goblet and took it into
work for some of my co-workers to look at. If I hadn't priced it at $70 I
could have sold it today ... so the lathe is capable of producing quality
work. (Rim is .080" thick)

Like another poster, I also don't like the 'low' speed. Pay extra
attention to your mounting firmness and cutting style if you are going to
do larger work on this lathe.

I think you'll be wanting to get a better tool rest fairly soon. There
are tiny nicks in mine that came from the factory and the tool rest is so
soft that it is very easy to put fresh tool-grabbing nicks in it. That is
the only 'quality' problem I have noticed so far, although I took the
guard off the pulley mechanism last night to see how it works (and
investigate putting a stronger / slower motor on) and I can already, after
about a month, see wear on the belt. The speed is controlled by using
adjustable size pulleys and where the pulleys mesh, they appear to be
wearing on the edge of the belt. I think there were some sharp edges left
on the pulleys and I think that this first belt will knock them down so
that the next belt should last quite a bit longer.

That said, I like it. It is my first lathe (btw, I'm 52). I wish it
weighed more but I help that out by stacking lumber on the table strut for
ballast.

I bought the $29 set of HSS tools and like them (so far). I ALSO bought
the smaller, 3 chisel set, and like it, too. There is probably enough
steel in them that I'll learn how to sharpen my edges before I need to buy
new tools. :-)

I am not too happy that HF does not carry any further lathe accessories
such as faceplates, collet chucks, deep hole gouges and so on.

Woodcraft carries an impressive selection of turning tools. However, I
doubt if they will cut very well as they all seem to be made of some sort
of gold.


Bill

--
http://cannaday.us (genealogy)
http://organic-earth.com (organic gardening)
Uptimes below for the machines that created / host these sites.
16:20:01 up 6 days, 23:00, 3 users, load average: 2.02, 1.71, 1.75
16:08:00 up 104 days, 9 min, 3 users, load average: 0.00, 0.00, 0.00

Anonymous wrote:
I am not too happy that HF does not carry any further lathe accessories
such as faceplates, collet chucks, deep hole gouges and so on.
Woodcraft carries an impressive selection of turning tools. However, I
doubt if they will cut very well as they all seem to be made of some sort
of gold.

Take another look, HF does sell faceplates and chucks for your
lathe. It'll take about 6 weeks for them to arrive so order them
now. Get a couple of spur drives and toolrests while you're at
it. Woodcraft sells Crown tools which give a pretty bang:buck
ratio.

Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/

Hello all

Well I did it... I just bought a new laithe...

Its a harbor freight....

12'' x 33-3/8'' WOOD LATHE WITH REVERSIBLE HEAD
Pivoting headstock for extra-large bowl turning capacity. Headstock rotates
and locks in position at 45°, 90°, 135°, and 180°. Includes stand, tool
rest, drive center, 6'' disc, and Allen wrenches.
a.. Swing over bed: 12''
b.. Motor: 3/4 HP, 120V, 60 Hz
c.. Speeds: 600, 750, 910, 1080, 1260, 1460, 1680, 1910, 2150, and 2400
RPM
d.. Turning distance between centers: 33-3/8"
e.. Shipping weight: 184 lbs.

Item #: 34706-3VGA
take a look see... tell me if you think I blew it?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=34706

I have a jet mini... wanted something larger for lager boles and longer
turnings...

I was in harbor freight store in Indy... looking around tonight... saw this
lathe... its super heavy duty... (nearly 200 lb.) my wife wants a new turned
four poster bed... (how I justified the new lathe)

Note: it has an extension for the bed that is designed to go behind the
headstock... but I think I can make a stand for it the same height as the
main bed and be able to turn 7 foot post for the bed and 8 foot turned 4x4
post for the front porch railing she wants

not as nice and smooth a finish as some of the high dollar lathes I have
looked at but it looks to be well made. But the price is what got my
attention...

normally $279. was on sale for $169. including the table...

I figure that with the $19 extended warranty... I have 15 months to play
with it... and can return it NO QUESTIONS asked for a new one... so I bit...

does any one have any feedback on this unit and did I make a mistake?

Now I just have to get up early in the morning and go take the thing out of
the box and assemble it.

can't wait... like a 51 year old kid on new years eve....

Mike




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SNIP
I'll probably get over to Woodcraft to buy some lathe cutting tools pretty
soon and possibly even a better tool post. The squared edges on my large
skew are chewing my toolrest up. I've had to file the nicks out of
the toolrest a couple times already: I am almost irritated enough to shell
out the moola for a rounded edge skew and a hardened steel toolrest.
Another couple weeks of playing 'stick & slide' with the skew should just
about have me 'in a mood'. That's when I'll get the skew AND the toolrest.
:-) (Although I really only need one or the other!)

Bill,
You can ease the edges of the skew. Use a belt sander or grinder, and
just slightly grind the edges. That should reduce the digging into the
toolrest.
Martin

Anonymous wrote:
snipped with interspersed replies:

After looking around on my own for about 15 minutes, I asked the
salesperson at my local HF if they sold them. She said "No, but I can give
you an 800 number you can call." To my way of seeing things, this means
that the local store doesn't carry them.
I should have been more specific. If you call the order number
you can order them based on your lathe model and serial numbers.

Since the headstock thread and the Morse tapers are commonly used sizes,
though, whether HF carries them or not is no more than a minor annoyance.
I found a decent 4-jaw independent chuck at Sears for a very reasonable
$60
Frequently the threads are non-standard for lathes, sounds like
you lucked out.

I'm not slamming anyone. I don't expect every store to carry every item I
might need at a price I'll be bragging about years from now. However, I
expected that HF would have a display of lathe accessories located near
where the lathes are displayed ... and my local store does not. Two
aisles over they have turning tool sets. I found them, bought them
and like them. However, waiting 6 weeks for something to be delivered is
simply not acceptable when UPS/FedEx can reliably give 2-7 day delivery
between any two points on the face of the planet. If there is that great
of a time lag then it would appear that HF is waiting for (literally) the
'slow boat from China" to arrive.
The stores have about 40% of the catalog on hand. The extra lathe
parts are ordered from China as needed. That accounts for the lag
time.

I'll probably get over to Woodcraft to buy some lathe cutting tools pretty
soon and possibly even a better tool post. The squared edges on my large
skew are chewing my toolrest up. I've had to file the nicks out of
the toolrest a couple times already: I am almost irritated enough to shell
out the moola for a rounded edge skew and a hardened steel toolrest.
Another couple weeks of playing 'stick & slide' with the skew should just
about have me 'in a mood'. That's when I'll get the skew AND the toolrest.
:-) (Although I really only need one or the other!)
You may have problems finding a toolrest that will fit your banjo,
again it depends on the individual lathe.

My general impression of Woodcraft is that they are on the pricey side for
a lot of what they carry ... but they carry a lot of stuff not otherwise
available locally. They've got a roughing gouge that looks like it was
made for use with a 30 h.p. lathe to make telephone poles. My former
brother-in-law is the lathe instructor there so they can't be ALL bad. ;-)
They are pricey, but frequently they are the only choice around.
That roughing gouge is impressive when used properly.

Enjoy your new lathe.
Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/

Take this for what it's worth, but I've been told not to smooth the bed or
wax it as the tail stock will be more prone to slippage. Mine doesn't
because I've done neither.. so I'm not an 'authority'. Any comments?

Tom

--
Remove the 'p' from 'shaw' to e-mail me.
"mikes News" wrote in message
...
I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for your feedback and tell you
about my day with the lathe... and make comment about some of your
remarks...


After spending the best part of the day assembling my lathe... including
building a sand box that is mounted under the bottom struts, toped with a
shelf on top of the bottom strut... placed another piece of wood on the
back of the lathe (end to end) which extends 13 inches up from the bottom
shelf... a second smaller (narrower) shelf was added end to end just about
8
inches under the lathe... I used 3/4 Formica covered particle board
(HEAVY!) for all, (gave me a place to hang and lay my stuff and after
adding 3 bags of sand in the sand box... it took away all movement out of
the stand ... thing is rock solid...

As for the comment about the wobble... I placed the face plate that came
with the lathe on and noted a small amount of wobble... switched to some
of
my JET accessories... and had NO wobble...

Was excited to find out that all my accessories for my JET (which I have
used extensively for 2.5 years... before that I had a sears mono
tube.... )
before that... 2 or three others... been turning since I was a kid in my
grandfathers shop... I am now 51

Onaway talon church- super nova chuck... screw chucks, face plates Jacobs
chuck, Mini Expanding Chuck.... everything fits ( #2 Morris taper and 1x8
threads) my pen mandrels... etc.

Head Center and point on the tail live match perfectly...

I did have to do a little adjustments on the tail stock and tool rest...
tighten better now... all in all I think I will like the unit...

tomorrow I will take a sanding disk to the bed... get out all the machined
marks and Wax it good with good old turtle wax... then buff the bed.

While I am at it... I will dress the tool rest with a file and wax it
also... A few strokes with a file and the tool rest will be slick as a
whistle...

As for turning tools... Do we ever have enough? I lived near Woodcraft
store in CA I was pulling down killer $$ (and some crowns) I wanted the
whole set of Sorbys... I bought at least one per week for ... a while... I
told my wife that if I die she can sell them all off on eBay... :O) go a
long way towards her retirement... I agree with the Comment about them
being
made of gold... at least your would think so considering the prices
woodcraft charges(and some crowns) and Misc. as well as a good assortment
of home made stuff... ... anyway... I am probably set for life with
turning
tools...

I just wanted a bigger lathe for bigger natural edged bowls and segmented
bowls, and to make that new four poster my wife has been asking for... Now
on Disability and trying to live cheep in the mid west...Did not want to
spend the $ for a quality lathe... figured that with some after market
accessories and a few upgrades... this one would suffice... most of my
turning will likely still be on the Jet...



Thanks for the information about the belts... I will do the switch to the
link belts when these go...

Mike
------------------------------

the only think I am not excited about is the slowness in going from fast
speed to slow...
"dave in fairfax" wrote in message
...
Anonymous wrote:
I am not too happy that HF does not carry any further lathe
accessories
such as faceplates, collet chucks, deep hole gouges and so on.
Woodcraft carries an impressive selection of turning tools. However, I
doubt if they will cut very well as they all seem to be made of some
sort
of gold.

Take another look, HF does sell faceplates and chucks for your
lathe. It'll take about 6 weeks for them to arrive so order them
now. Get a couple of spur drives and toolrests while you're at
it. Woodcraft sells Crown tools which give a pretty bang:buck
ratio.

Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/




-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
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-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for your feedback and tell you
about my day with the lathe... and make comment about some of your
remarks...


After spending the best part of the day assembling my lathe... including
building a sand box that is mounted under the bottom struts, toped with a
shelf on top of the bottom strut... placed another piece of wood on the
back of the lathe (end to end) which extends 13 inches up from the bottom
shelf... a second smaller (narrower) shelf was added end to end just about 8
inches under the lathe... I used 3/4 Formica covered particle board
(HEAVY!) for all, (gave me a place to hang and lay my stuff and after
adding 3 bags of sand in the sand box... it took away all movement out of
the stand ... thing is rock solid...

As for the comment about the wobble... I placed the face plate that came
with the lathe on and noted a small amount of wobble... switched to some of
my JET accessories... and had NO wobble...

Was excited to find out that all my accessories for my JET (which I have
used extensively for 2.5 years... before that I had a sears mono tube.... )
before that... 2 or three others... been turning since I was a kid in my
grandfathers shop... I am now 51

Onaway talon church- super nova chuck... screw chucks, face plates Jacobs
chuck, Mini Expanding Chuck.... everything fits ( #2 Morris taper and 1x8
threads) my pen mandrels... etc.

Head Center and point on the tail live match perfectly...

I did have to do a little adjustments on the tail stock and tool rest...
tighten better now... all in all I think I will like the unit...

tomorrow I will take a sanding disk to the bed... get out all the machined
marks and Wax it good with good old turtle wax... then buff the bed.

While I am at it... I will dress the tool rest with a file and wax it
also... A few strokes with a file and the tool rest will be slick as a
whistle...

As for turning tools... Do we ever have enough? I lived near Woodcraft
store in CA I was pulling down killer $$ (and some crowns) I wanted the
whole set of Sorbys... I bought at least one per week for ... a while... I
told my wife that if I die she can sell them all off on eBay... :O) go a
long way towards her retirement... I agree with the Comment about them being
made of gold... at least your would think so considering the prices
woodcraft charges(and some crowns) and Misc. as well as a good assortment
of home made stuff... ... anyway... I am probably set for life with turning
tools...

I just wanted a bigger lathe for bigger natural edged bowls and segmented
bowls, and to make that new four poster my wife has been asking for... Now
on Disability and trying to live cheep in the mid west...Did not want to
spend the $ for a quality lathe... figured that with some after market
accessories and a few upgrades... this one would suffice... most of my
turning will likely still be on the Jet...



Thanks for the information about the belts... I will do the switch to the
link belts when these go...

Mike
------------------------------

the only think I am not excited about is the slowness in going from fast
speed to slow...
"dave in fairfax" wrote in message
...
Anonymous wrote:
I am not too happy that HF does not carry any further lathe accessories
such as faceplates, collet chucks, deep hole gouges and so on.
Woodcraft carries an impressive selection of turning tools. However, I
doubt if they will cut very well as they all seem to be made of some
sort
of gold.

Take another look, HF does sell faceplates and chucks for your
lathe. It'll take about 6 weeks for them to arrive so order them
now. Get a couple of spur drives and toolrests while you're at
it. Woodcraft sells Crown tools which give a pretty bang:buck
ratio.

Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/




-----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =-----

Just in case you decide to change the tool rest, the diameter of the stem is
25 mm. Since it's a Jet 1236 clone, I would have expected it to be 1 inch,
but if you want interchangability, you'll need to ream out the banjo.

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX
====================
"dave in fairfax" wrote in message
...
Anonymous wrote:
snipped with interspersed replies:

After looking around on my own for about 15 minutes, I asked the
salesperson at my local HF if they sold them. She said "No, but I can
give
you an 800 number you can call." To my way of seeing things, this means
that the local store doesn't carry them.
I should have been more specific. If you call the order number
you can order them based on your lathe model and serial numbers.

Since the headstock thread and the Morse tapers are commonly used sizes,
though, whether HF carries them or not is no more than a minor
annoyance.
I found a decent 4-jaw independent chuck at Sears for a very reasonable
$60
Frequently the threads are non-standard for lathes, sounds like
you lucked out.

I'm not slamming anyone. I don't expect every store to carry every item
I
might need at a price I'll be bragging about years from now. However, I
expected that HF would have a display of lathe accessories located near
where the lathes are displayed ... and my local store does not. Two
aisles over they have turning tool sets. I found them, bought them
and like them. However, waiting 6 weeks for something to be delivered is
simply not acceptable when UPS/FedEx can reliably give 2-7 day delivery
between any two points on the face of the planet. If there is that great
of a time lag then it would appear that HF is waiting for (literally)
the
'slow boat from China" to arrive.
The stores have about 40% of the catalog on hand. The extra lathe
parts are ordered from China as needed. That accounts for the lag
time.

I'll probably get over to Woodcraft to buy some lathe cutting tools
pretty
soon and possibly even a better tool post. The squared edges on my large
skew are chewing my toolrest up. I've had to file the nicks out of
the toolrest a couple times already: I am almost irritated enough to
shell
out the moola for a rounded edge skew and a hardened steel toolrest.
Another couple weeks of playing 'stick & slide' with the skew should
just
about have me 'in a mood'. That's when I'll get the skew AND the
toolrest.
:-) (Although I really only need one or the other!)
You may have problems finding a toolrest that will fit your banjo,
again it depends on the individual lathe.

My general impression of Woodcraft is that they are on the pricey side
for
a lot of what they carry ... but they carry a lot of stuff not otherwise
available locally. They've got a roughing gouge that looks like it was
made for use with a 30 h.p. lathe to make telephone poles. My former
brother-in-law is the lathe instructor there so they can't be ALL bad.
;-)
They are pricey, but frequently they are the only choice around.
That roughing gouge is impressive when used properly.

Enjoy your new lathe.
Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/

Thank you!

I tried out the lathe yesterday on a small bowl... the biggest drawback
about the lathe is as you guessed... the tool rest.... I thought about
buying an aftermarket tool rest I found on the woodcraft web page... its
expensive but has lots of accessories available... what do you folks
think...



Perhaps as you suggested I could have this banjo reamed out to accept these
accessories and tool rest?

--------------------------------------------------

"Ken Moon" wrote in message
hlink.net...
Just in case you decide to change the tool rest, the diameter of the stem
is
25 mm. Since it's a Jet 1236 clone, I would have expected it to be 1 inch,
but if you want interchangability, you'll need to ream out the banjo.

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX
====================
"dave in fairfax" wrote in message
...
Anonymous wrote:
snipped with interspersed replies:

After looking around on my own for about 15 minutes, I asked the
salesperson at my local HF if they sold them. She said "No, but I can
give
you an 800 number you can call." To my way of seeing things, this
means
that the local store doesn't carry them.
I should have been more specific. If you call the order number
you can order them based on your lathe model and serial numbers.

Since the headstock thread and the Morse tapers are commonly used
sizes,
though, whether HF carries them or not is no more than a minor
annoyance.
I found a decent 4-jaw independent chuck at Sears for a very
reasonable
$60
Frequently the threads are non-standard for lathes, sounds like
you lucked out.

I'm not slamming anyone. I don't expect every store to carry every
item
I
might need at a price I'll be bragging about years from now. However,
I
expected that HF would have a display of lathe accessories located
near
where the lathes are displayed ... and my local store does not. Two
aisles over they have turning tool sets. I found them, bought them
and like them. However, waiting 6 weeks for something to be delivered
is
simply not acceptable when UPS/FedEx can reliably give 2-7 day
delivery
between any two points on the face of the planet. If there is that
great
of a time lag then it would appear that HF is waiting for (literally)
the
'slow boat from China" to arrive.
The stores have about 40% of the catalog on hand. The extra lathe
parts are ordered from China as needed. That accounts for the lag
time.

I'll probably get over to Woodcraft to buy some lathe cutting tools
pretty
soon and possibly even a better tool post. The squared edges on my
large
skew are chewing my toolrest up. I've had to file the nicks out of
the toolrest a couple times already: I am almost irritated enough to
shell
out the moola for a rounded edge skew and a hardened steel toolrest.
Another couple weeks of playing 'stick & slide' with the skew should
just
about have me 'in a mood'. That's when I'll get the skew AND the
toolrest.
:-) (Although I really only need one or the other!)
You may have problems finding a toolrest that will fit your banjo,
again it depends on the individual lathe.

My general impression of Woodcraft is that they are on the pricey side
for
a lot of what they carry ... but they carry a lot of stuff not
otherwise
available locally. They've got a roughing gouge that looks like it was
made for use with a 30 h.p. lathe to make telephone poles. My former
brother-in-law is the lathe instructor there so they can't be ALL bad.
;-)
They are pricey, but frequently they are the only choice around.
That roughing gouge is impressive when used properly.

Enjoy your new lathe.
Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/






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"mikes News" wrote in message
...
Thank you!

I tried out the lathe yesterday on a small bowl... the biggest drawback
about the lathe is as you guessed... the tool rest.... I thought about
buying an aftermarket tool rest I found on the woodcraft web page... its
expensive but has lots of accessories available... what do you folks
think...
Perhaps as you suggested I could have this banjo reamed out to accept
these
accessories and tool rest?
============================
There are several companies, as well a some individuals on this news group,
that offer replacement/upgrade toolrests. A Google search of this NG will
get you to some sources. I remember 2 here, Art Ransom and James R. Johnson,
who do toolrests.

Ken Moon
Webberville, TX

Anonymous wrote:
I checked in person and on their website today and they simply aren't to
be found there. The store clerk I spoke with was surprised that the face
plate came with the lathe but he pointed out their 800 number for me. I
tried calling them at their 800 number but they were closed.
I also went to 3 Sears stores and a JC Penney to buy a 3-jaw chuck. No joy.
I've got some pieces started that will benefit from a 3-jaw so I may end
up at Woodcraft after all.

To get the faceplates, I call 800-444-3353 M-F 7-4:30 PST
(parts)and using the number off the exploded parts diagram that
came with my lathe, #29 - but probably different on yours, the
serial and model numbers of the lathe, order a faceplate. To
order other parts I use the other numbers from the diagram. The
people in the stores have nothing to do with the process. They
don't have a clue about getting parts or ordering anything that
isn't in the catalog, and frequently not even then. I found a
chuck, idependent, 4-jaw on the website, a couple actually,
although the other jaw design would work easier. The question is
the shape of the wood that you are putting into it. Make sure
that your diameter and thread match if you buy a chuck elsewhere.

Dave in Fairfax
--
Dave Leader
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
American Association of Woodturners
http://www.woodturner.org
Capital Area Woodturners
http://www.capwoodturners.org/