Choosing a first lathe...

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Rusty914

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Joined
Mar 20, 2008
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58
Location
Madison, Alabama, USA.
I do my pen-work in a military craft shop (on base, obviously). The staff there is very nice, but the hours aren't exactly convenient for the schedule I keep. Therefore, I'm considering a lathe purchase.

I don't have a lot of room, so something I can keep on my workbench at home is a must. I'm doing wood mostly. Plastics might be in my future. I turn pens primarily for pleasure and give away most of what I make.

I've done some searches on the forums and found a few brands that people swear by... but usually when showing off a new piece of equipment.

What features should I consider? As it is for most people, cost is an issue. Where can I go for good values? (Yes, I know there was a post a few days ago that a gentleman was looking into upgrading his lathe... unfortunately, most of it was lost on me - someone with only experience on one older machine.)

kindly,
Rusty
 
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Max,

Thanks for the link to the thread. I've downloaded that pdf and read it.

Not to sound pathetic, but I took an evening class on how to turn a pen... and jumped right in! I hold a skew much better than I can identify any parts of the lathe I use. :(

-Rusty
 
Oh... one more piece of information. If I buy today, my budget on this purchase is about 500-600 dollars, give or take a bit.

I have drill bits of my own and a blank trimmer should be in the mail to me, but no other fixtures or tools.
 
Rusty,

Most important traits I would consider:
- Quality
- MT2 taper
- 1" x 8 tpi spindle drive thread
- Swing (only if you intend to turn bigger later - and most likely you will ;) )
- Motor size (hp)
- VS (most like this feature)

Jet has a very good track record and I won't hesitate to recommend it (I do own one).

Jet Mini VS $304.99

Jet Mini $180.00

Good luck with your choice!
 
Jet 1220 Varible Speed get my vote right now. Lot of people real happy with the Rikon mini and it would leave a lot of cash let over for some tools. Been thinking that also.
 
I purchased the Jet Mini. Got mine on E-bay for $160. (got real lucky..):D I bought the stand for it also on Amazon. The speed adjustment is easy enough moving the belt; but some people like the VS better. I saved a few $ by not going with the VS. The local WC stores have these in their class room; so I figured they couldn't be all that bad. [8D]
 
Rusty, I'm the one from the other thread. If I where in your shoes, looking for my first lathe. The Jet is the first place I would go. I have a friend that got P.S.I. clone of the jet mini and it has been a great penturning lathe. In my case I am looking for hopefully the last lathe I will buy. I also turn more than pens already and who knows what I will want to do in the future. The Jet is used by hundreds of penturners so suppert in that form is plentiful. Accessories would be much easier to find and make decisions on etc.
 
Broken record here, skip, skip, skip. Have the Jet 1014VS and it's a work horse for it's little size. And easy to move around. Although I do keep mine bolted down. Accurate as heck. Only issue is the switch and it's a simple fix. If I go bigger, it would be a jet, unless I went totally nuts with a Oneway. And thats not likely. Jet is good value for the money.
Just my 2 cents. Good luck.
 
Adding my track to the broken record... I also have a Jet 1014 (non VS :().. I've used it for 5 or 6 years and turned lots of pens, peppermills, bowls, game calls and bottle stoppers ... I've gone through 4 belts, 2 tail stock spindle bolts and a motor, it's still running slick, smooth and quiet... it's has about a pound of sawdust and CA glued to it... I built my own stand from 2x4 and 1/2" plywood, filled the bottom with rocks and solid as any cast iron stand. Only negative I can think of is it's not electronic VS... even though I have a new Jet 1442, I prefer the 1014 for turning my pens.
 
I have a Jet 1236 and love it. This was purchased rather than a 10 inch version because I was thinking I would be making bowls (still might get there eventually). I change speeds a lot on mine and I can't imagine going with a lathe where I would have to move the belts to change the speed. If I had a unit like that, more than likely, I would be a lot less inclined to change speeds between turning and then sanding.
 
Originally posted by ozmandus

Adding my track to the broken record... I also have a Jet 1014 (non VS :().. I've used it for 5 or 6 years and turned lots of pens, peppermills, bowls, game calls and bottle stoppers ... I've gone through 4 belts, 2 tail stock spindle bolts and a motor, it's still running slick, smooth and quiet... it's has about a pound of sawdust and CA glued to it... I built my own stand from 2x4 and 1/2" plywood, filled the bottom with rocks and solid as any cast iron stand. Only negative I can think of is it's not electronic VS... even though I have a new Jet 1442, I prefer the 1014 for turning my pens.
Click to expand...

It outta be, you've nearly rebuilt the darn thing.:D
Can't say this is a good plug for a Jet mini though.
 
Hey Harold... You got a pretty good deal IMHO. I bought that model minus the VS last year and upgraded to VS later on. You won't regret the VS!!! Plus the free shipping... that alone is a deal. Lots of weight!!
 
Originally posted by rherrell



It outta be, you've nearly rebuilt the darn thing.:D
Can't say this is a good plug for a Jet mini though.
Click to expand...

Should be a shining testimonial Rick. I love the idea that my tools will work for a long time, can be serviced, can be repaired "by me". And just look at how many Jet owners chimed in here. Usually there are more "other" owners.[:p]
 
Thanks, Chris. I have had the Turncrafter for about 2 years and not had any problems. Total cost on this deal from Amazon was $210.00 for the VS delivered to Wichita Falls, Texas. Thought it was a great buy for my grandson.
 
Originally posted by stevers

Originally posted by rherrell



It outta be, you've nearly rebuilt the darn thing.:D
Can't say this is a good plug for a Jet mini though.
Click to expand...

Should be a shining testimonial Rick. I love the idea that my tools will work for a long time, can be serviced, can be repaired "by me". And just look at how many Jet owners chimed in here. Usually there are more "other" owners.[:p]
Click to expand...
I can't fault the Jet.. It's been fairly well abused and always comes back for more... I've since decided that the motor was more than probably unnecessary.. same time I did the motor, I also rebuilt the switch and now suspect that if I had done that first, the motor was fine.
 
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