Delta VS lathe

[Dale Allen]

I was at Hartville Hardware a few weeks ago and noticed they have the Nova laths and Jet lathes but not the 46-460.
I asked one of the guys if they were still having problems getting parts and service work done and he said they quit carrying them because the mainly could not get the machines in stock.
What happened when Dewalt bought them, did nobody there think lathes were worth the effort?

 

[low_48]

Dewalt didn't buy Delta.

 

[monophoto]

The Delta 46-460 is/was a very good lathe - I came very close to buying one last year.

The problem is that the Delta brand was purchased by a Taiwanese company, but that company did not buy the agreements with the suppliers of replacement parts. So they could produce new machines, but they didn't have the ability to support users with parts.

If you purchase a new machine, and if you're lucky, then you have a good lathe. But if you purchase a new machine and there is a defect of some kind, you are left stranded. This is a very serious problem that the new owners need to address.

The sale of the Delta brand to the Taiwanese company happened early last year, and the industry has been waiting for the new owners to recognize that they made a serious mistake and do something about parts. But AFAIK, the situation still hasn't changed.

 

[SteveG]

IVO this, Delta owners will need to deal with things like alignment between HS and TS on their own, or if buying a lathe, check for that and reject the machine if need be. Belts and bearings are easy to find everywhere. My concern is the speed control and motor, if these should fail. I have 3 years of ownership on my 46-460, and all is fine, except I did get a replacement TS early on, due to a misalignment problem.

 

[Holz Mechaniker]

Stay away from Delta. I have heard and was shown the threads or the lack thereof because they were striped from the quill. The Gent had to have a machinist cut him a new quill because he couldn't get one through channels.
He used his regularly as he makes Briar Pipes.

 

[studioseven]

I know the feeling but with Jet. I ordered one from my local Woodcraft store June 14th. I was told it would take two weeks. I am still waiting 1 month later. Frustrating.

Seven

 

[SteveG]

I was thinking about my response (post4) and the subsequent post about stripped out threads in the quill. My thought is to remind turners to do routine maintenance on their lathe to include lube oil on the quill threads. Whatever lube is present on those threads will go away and or get contaminated with use, especially if you drill on the lathe. I clean the threads and relube with a med/light weight synthetic oil. After I have drilled a blank and the quill is near fully extended, I can apply moderate pressure pushing the quill back while giving the hand wheel a quick spin. The wheel will continue to rotate and the quill will retract over a half inch with each spin I give it. These threads are well protected and thus not subject to collecting much dust on the oiled threads. This is a step to avoid premature wear out go the quill threads.

 

[Wildman]

Like both the Delta and Jet EVS mini lathes, and recommend looking at prices at amazon.com. If you want one of these lathes check out what they say about returns & exchanges.

Delta Industrial 46-460 12-1/2-Inch Variable-Speed Midi Lathe - Lathe Turning Tools - Amazon.com

JET JWL-1221VS 12-Inch by 21-Inch Variable Speed Wood Lathe - Power Lathes - Amazon.com

With free shipping on both Delta & Jet not sure why would go to a store that charges you a fee for something that is going to be shipped from the manufacturer. Big reason why bought my Jet 1642 from them several years ago. Delivery was fast and delivery man provided excellent service.

See other brand lathes they handle for other vendors do charge a shipping fees.

 

[tool-man]

How do you remove the quill to lube the threads?

I was thinking about my response (post4) and the subsequent post about stripped out threads in the quill. My thought is to remind turners to do routine maintenance on their lathe to include lube oil on the quill threads. Whatever lube is present on those threads will go away and or get contaminated with use, especially if you drill on the lathe. I clean the threads and relube with a med/light weight synthetic oil. After I have drilled a blank and the quill is near fully extended, I can apply moderate pressure pushing the quill back while giving the hand wheel a quick spin. The wheel will continue to rotate and the quill will retract over a half inch with each spin I give it. These threads are well protected and thus not subject to collecting much dust on the oiled threads. This is a step to avoid premature wear out go the quill threads.

 

[TellicoTurning]

How do you remove the quill to lube the threads?

I was thinking about my response (post4) and the subsequent post about stripped out threads in the quill. My thought is to remind turners to do routine maintenance on their lathe to include lube oil on the quill threads. Whatever lube is present on those threads will go away and or get contaminated with use, especially if you drill on the lathe. I clean the threads and relube with a med/light weight synthetic oil. After I have drilled a blank and the quill is near fully extended, I can apply moderate pressure pushing the quill back while giving the hand wheel a quick spin. The wheel will continue to rotate and the quill will retract over a half inch with each spin I give it. These threads are well protected and thus not subject to collecting much dust on the oiled threads. This is a step to avoid premature wear out go the quill threads.

Loosen the lock lever and then run it forward until it stops, you can then pull the quill out and lubricate it.... reverse the procedure to put it back in place.