Which would you buy

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cowchaser

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Barracuda2, Beall or just a dead center. This is for a Jet mini vs. May at some point down the road want to turn some bottle stoppers and a bowl or 2.

Which ever one you choose please let me know what all I will need to turn pens with it. Like on the dead center. I mean how would I ever get the bushings to fit? All I do right now is slimlines, but will move up eventually. Do the higher end kits bushing slide into the tube or what's up with knowing how far to turn the pen down.
 
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I would get a dead center either way, heck they are only $5.00 but if you plan on bowls, the Barracuda might be the best, but IMHO, the Jet mini is not a bowl lathe at all. Given that, I say get a dead center and a Beall.

With a dead center, you have to use modified bushings that can be had here on the site. I have made a few sets, but my time is limited and my equipment is very old. Any kit over 7mm has bushings where the tube slips over the bushing so they can be held between centers eaisly.

I would suggest you go the cheapest route, but a $5.00 dead center and buy some slimline between center bushings and give it a shot. Save the 'Cuda and Beall for down the road when you have a need for it.
 
How much use you get out of a scroll chuck h is hard to guess since we don;t really know what kind of turning you will do. Given its expense, you might be better off waiting on that until you have a little more experience.

My personal opinion, based on first hand experience, is that most folks on this forum will not ever fully utilize a Beall collet chuck system. I think most folks would be better off just buying a #2 Morse taper collet in the 1/4" size. They are only $9 at the Little Machine Shop. If you want to do kits that require a "B" mandrel, you can purchase a 5/16" collet and if you want to do bottle stoppers, you can buy the collet that fits your bottle stopper mandrel And that is all you should besides spending a dollar or three for hardware to make a drawbar. That is a whole bunch better than spending $160 for a Beall system.
 
I agree with Lee. Jet mini is not a bowl lathe. Sell 3 or 4 pens and get a Beall, you won't regret it. It always pays to buy a good tool ONCE!
 
So we are talking this dead center http://www.littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1890&category=
Also why would I need new bearings? I have no clue is the reason I ask. Will replacing the bearings void my warranty?
 
Originally posted by rherrell
<br />I agree with Lee. Jet mini is not a bowl lathe. .......
Click to expand...

Not sure that I would agree with this. I have turned bowls on my mini and I know people that have turned 9" diameter bowls on their mini. The one negative is that, if yo turn a good sixed bowl, you need to take the bowl off the lathe to move the tool rest from one side of the bowl to the other.

If you want to turn bowls, I would get the barracuda.

jeff
 
Please don't spread this around or say it too loudly, I don't want my Jet Mini to find out it is not a bowl lathe. [:D] What have I been thinking by turning bowls on my Jet Mini?
Do a good turn daily!
Don
Originally posted by rherrell
<br /> Jet mini is not a bowl lathe.
Click to expand...
 
While my Delta midi (same size as Jet mini) isn't in the same league as my mustard monster, it's turned quite a few bowls with no problems. Having said that, I have all three of the items you asked about and wouldn't be without any of them. But that's just me.
 
Well right now my main focus will be on pens. It will be sometime before I even consider a bowl. Now I would do a bottle stopper if I had the correct stuff to do it (not sure what it takes). I was going to order a dead center from LMS, but they are still out of stock. Been over a month now. Guess I will wait and keep using my mandrel until I can get a dead center.
 
Originally posted by rherrell
<br />I agree with Lee. Jet mini is not a bowl lathe. Sell 3 or 4 pens and get a Beall, you won't regret it. It always pays to buy a good tool ONCE!
Click to expand...

Gee....I didn't know that. I'll have to tell the guys who did bowl turning demos with a Jet mini at my woodturing club meetings they can't do that. Do they have to put the wood back on now? [:p]
 
Originally posted by cowchaser
<br />Well right now my main focus will be on pens. It will be sometime before I even consider a bowl. Now I would do a bottle stopper if I had the correct stuff to do it (not sure what it takes). I was going to order a dead center from LMS, but they are still out of stock. Been over a month now. Guess I will wait and keep using my mandrel until I can get a dead center.
Click to expand...

All you need is a bolt the same size and thread count as the stopper accepts. Cut off the head, chuck up in a Jacobs chuck that will fit you headstock and turn. Dead centers are very handy. You can buy them from many different vendors. I get mine from Grizzly.
Sounds like you are over thinking something simple. Your asking whether to get an expensive chuck or a dead center is like asking if you should get a fish hook or yacht.
 
I'm sure the only reason you had a bowl turning demo at your meeting using a Jet mini is the guy doing the demo couldn't fit a real bowl lathe in the trunk of his car.
 
Instead of the Beale, I'd get a good drill chuck with morse taper - that can handle bottle stoppers and quite a few other things...

Then, down the road, I'd get a decent lathe chuck - probably the Nova G3 for that size lathe - IF I found I needed it...could be that the drill chuck will serve you admirably for most things. Works great for my purposes, and the Supernova2 is what I use for bowls and other largish things...(i have a somewhat larger lathe than yours, however)

ANdrew
 
Originally posted by cowchaser<br />.....Also why would I need new bearings? I have no clue is the reason I ask. Will replacing the bearings void my warranty?
Click to expand...

The answer is you will have to check with JET. There have been posts as IIRC where JET has sent new bearings to customers under warranty for the customer to replace on his own. Never any discussion about the future validity of the warranty; but id JET is sending out replacement bearings under warranty, one might assume the are OK with it. Once again, the sure way to know is to contact JET at www.wmhtoolgroup.com and ask them.

And now I need to ask why you are bringing up the issue of changing bearings? I looked through the previous posts and don't see any reference to the need to change bearings??
 
Originally posted by cowchaser
<br />Barracuda2, Beall or just a dead center. This is for a Jet mini vs. May at some point down the road want to turn some bottle stoppers and a bowl or 2.

Which ever one you choose please let me know what all I will need to turn pens with it. Like on the dead center. I mean how would I ever get the bushings to fit? All I do right now is slimlines, but will move up eventually. Do the higher end kits bushing slide into the tube or what's up with knowing how far to turn the pen down.
Click to expand...

While I agree that the Jet isn't a bowl lathe, I do turn bowls on my Jet with a Cuda 2. What I find is, when I get to larger blanks, I find the lathe is a bit under powered. So you have to be selective with the sizes of your blanks. But, being carful, I have turned a plate about 9 or 10" in dia. I am enjoying turning things other than pens, so I will have to break down one day and buy a larger lathe.
 
Originally posted by Randy_
<br />
Originally posted by cowchaser<br />.....And now I need to ask why you are bringing up the issue of changing bearings? I looked through the previous posts and don't see any reference to the need to change bearings??[/font=Comic Sans MS][/size=3][/teal]
Click to expand...

Um... I guess I read modified bushings as modified bearings in the first post after my original...my bad [:I]
Click to expand...
 
So are the bowls I turn on my jet mini not really bowls....they sure look like bowls. If it walks like a bowl lathe, works like a bowl turning lathe, the bowls turned on it look like bowls, they it must be a bowl turning lathe no matter what brand or size it is.
Do a good turn daily!
Don
Originally posted by rherrell
<br />I'm sure the only reason you had a bowl turning demo at your meeting using a Jet mini is the guy doing the demo couldn't fit a real bowl lathe in the trunk of his car.
Click to expand...
 
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