Jet 1442--my last lathe?

Hello Phil,

Sounds like you have been doing your homework. I've long been a proponent of the Nova lathes and I am very fond of my NOVA DVR 3000; however, if your primary use for the lathe will be spindle work, you need length more than swing over the bed. I never cared for the 12" swing Jet, but I think they did their homework and came up with a pretty good lathe with the 1442. It should meet your requirements unless you become hooked on turning large things and therefore need a big lathe.

As far as tools go, Robert Sorby tools are excellent. I have several that I purchased early on, like 15 years ago, that I'm still using although they are not quite as long as they were at first. Crown tools are also good as are Hamlet tools. For spindle work, I would recommend the purchase of the following:

Roughing Gouge, as least 1" wide

1/2" spindle gouge 3/8" spindle gouge 1" skew chisel 3/16" parting tool

There are a number of other fine tools, but these will meet your initial needs to turn spindles for those tables. If you decide to try bowls, you will need to add a bowl gouge or two. I like to have a 3/8" bowl gouge and a 1/2" or 5/8" bowl gouge. I personally like the swept back wings on the bowl gouges and also on my spindle gouges. Actually, I use the Ellsworth Style or Irish grind on all of my bowl gouges.

You will also need a grinder to sharpen your tools and I highly recommend the use of sharpening jigs. I can sharpen tools freehand, but I like the consistent shape of the grind using a jig such as the Oneway Wolverine system or the Robert Sorby jig.

A pretty good book to start your education is Keith Rowley's "Woodturning A Foundation Course". I also like Richard Raffan's books. If possible join a woodturning club near you and get a little help with some hands on guidance. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't recommend that you subscribe to my magazine, More Woodturning. There is also a lot of good information at my website.

Welcome to the world of woodturning and the best of luck with your turning.

Fred Holder

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Well, I'm not really an expert, but am the first responder here this evening...

I bought a Jet 1442, with a bed extension, about 16-18 months ago. It works really well, better than I do, really, and I've been able to make some nice bowls, tool handles, trinkets, etc on the machine. There is adequate power for almost anything you can chuck up on the spindles, and speed control is pretty easy and smooth. The owners' manual instructs how to build a tray in the legs to weight the system down, and now mine is highly unlikely to move much of anywhere, if the piece has some semblence of balance.

Downside seems to be that I'd like to be able to turn big stock more slowly than low gear allows. And swinging the headstock offcenter works pretty well with light balanced pieces, but I'm a bit of a rookie with getting stuff to ready to spin from that position.

But the next step up seems to be the Nova, or the Powermatic 3520b, laying out alot more money than I'd like to for a beginner. Delta isn't really perceived to be in the game with current new product. (That's a local opinion, perhaps. YMMV.) Remember that you will need hundreds of dollars worth of tools, chucks, classes, etc in your budget.

It is an addictive hobby segment, and many projects get to complete fairly quickly. Have fun with it!

Patriarch

I have a Jet 1442 and it does every thing I need to do, from pens to bowls to baseball bats. In my opinion it is the best lathe in it's price range. It may not be the last lathe I,ll ever need (a powermatic 3520 would be nice) but it depends how far you want to go with your turning experience. This review might be helpful;

The Jet 1442 is a decent lathe for the money. With that said, it probably is not and should not be your last lathe unless you really are on your last legs, so to speak. As a starter lathe, it should serve you well. It is better suited for spindle work than bowls, platters and other stuff. If you stick with spindle work, it very well could be your last lathe.

If however, you get bitten by the turning bug as most of us have, then you are sure to find yourself hankering to turn bowls and larger diameter stuff. If I were you, (and of course I'm not) I would try for a Jet 1642. Its a bit more money, but for that money you get a heavier lathe, more HP and electronic speed control. This really is a big step up from the 1442. This really could be your last lathe. Good luck. Choose wisely.

I'm strictly a newbie to the world of turning myself - just got into it a little over a year ago. I don't feel qualified to comment on the lathe (although, sometimes I dream about a large Jet - I have a 12" Craftsman - a bit old, but runs good and couldn't beat the price - $00) But I did invest in the Sorby bowl gouges and scrapers (I waited for a sale) and would recommend getting those. It's like most tools - you pay more for quality (My parting tool, on the other hand, is from a discontinued set that I picked up for a song, somewhere.:) I suggest that you take a class somewhere (Woodcraft stores usually offer some) or find a local turning club and have someone help you get started. It can be a fun hobby (obsession :), but if the blank is a little too off-balance, it can also be a little scary. Good Luck Tom

I apparently got lucky when I bought my 1442 a little over a year ago.. I was going to buy the less expensive Delta but after reading all the buyers reviews, my wife suggested that I spend the extra money and get the Jet... I wanted the Jet mainly because I love my Jet mini, but the reviews on the Jet were as good as the ones on the Delta were bad..

I guess it was a good choice because my brother liked my lathe and ordered one from Amazon... and got it 3 months later!! I guess it was a sleeper at first and then everyone decided that it was a great lathe for the price, because they're hard to get and I guess the factory in chi-wan is fighting to keep up with demand..

As for the last lathe, that's like the last car, truck, boat, etc.. *g*

For my use, which I guess is hobby-proffessional or something, it does everything I want to do and the reeves type drive is ok for now... I'd like digital speed and all, but I'd also like a Ferrari... *g*

Every once in a while, I wonder if it's fun to turn something like a 20" bowl, so I might add or build a bowl lathe someday, but the 1442 will be my last "general purpose" lathe until it dies or I win the lotto and get a Oneway...

I have a few "quality" tools, but mostly use "less expensive but not cheap" chisels... Harbor Freight has a nice set for $60 but it's on sale several times a year at $30 to $40 and a real value at that price.. A lot of my chisels are from Penn State Industries, their "Benjamin's Best" line... nice tools with a lot of steel for an affordable price..

I think you're very informed, Phil... I can't speak for other lathes, but I'd recommend the jet mini (without VS) and the Jet 1442 (with VS) in a heartbeat... OH! I'd suggest that if you get the 1442, get the whole package... VS and legs.... I paid about $900 for mine...

Mac

For the price, the 1442 is a great lathe.

In my opinion, the biggest issue with the 1442 is the relatively high low end speed. The first time you put that 10"+ diameter chunk of wood that is not perfectly balanced on there you will wish for slower bottom end. You can work around the problem, but there really is no good substitute for a lower bottom end.

I personally don't like the orientation / location of the motor. It ocassionally gets in the way and I have to wonder how it will hold up to a constant barrage of chips and dust. I've been running mine daily for over a year and I haven't had any problems. Still, I wonder............

My opinon on tools is to buy fewer better quality tools. Better steel means less frequent sharpening.

Don't overlook a good sharpening setup.

MH

Hi Phil, good to see you over here on the right side of woodworking ... :-) You've gotten a boatload of good advice so far, but that never stops me from adding my 1 cent's worth...

Many of us speak from our own personal journey with turning about how our initial interests and then-current needs morphed into what we're interested in today. A common story (mine, also) is that we wanted to turn knobs or handles or whatnot for our "flat" work and just wanted a basic lathe to get that done. Before long we began turning bowls, platters, mirrors, vases; we began looking at yard trees and electric company line-trimming crew's efforts with interest; we spot a piece of firewood or driftwood and wondered how it would look as a turning; a chain saw's echo through the neighborhood draws us like a moth to flame; and somewhere along the way, we began looking for larger lathes. Quite a few of us started out on a10" "mini" or 12" "midi" then later acquired a

16" or larger to accommodate our creative wonderings. With that all too frequent scenario in mind, I offer my comments.

I really like the 1642's electronic variable speed over the 1442's Reeves drive. Plus it weighs over 2x as much, which in turning is never a bad thing. The 2" extra swing may or may not be worth it. Along similar lines, I would really push you to the 1442 over the 1236, but not the 1236 over the 1014 "mini". If your perceived needs and budget focus on the 1442, I don't think you can go wrong the that lathe. You can accomplish your spindle work with ease and a solid tool, plus make quite a few nice cross-axis (e.g. - bowls) just shy of 14".

I'd agree that the Jet stands above the others - in quality, service and features (I used to be very pro-Delta, but no longer). I believe the headstock also slides to the other end of the bed for somewhat larger then 14" pieces, but then the excessively high, low speed is a safety factor. With some accessories for bowl turning, I understand the motor can get in the way of mounting the wood.

My personal opinion is that Sorby is over-priced. They have store saturation and market presence, but that doesn't guarantee a superior tool. I have a number of Sorby tools but as time passes and steel is ground away, I've begun looking at Crown, Ashley Isles, Henry Taylor and P&N brands. Fred Holder gave you very good advice on his recommended tool selection. I aim for the HSS, but don't see too much need for the "exotic" M-2 or M-4 flavors - they're expensive and I'm not sold on their cut quality or longevity for the money. I have a couple Crown Powdered Metal tools and they're attractive from a price point, but I believe the edge is more serrated than a regular HSS tool. I'm now on the lookout for some old-fashioned carbon steel spindle and bowl gouges (Ashley Isles is one manufacturer) as I'm of the opinion they leave a finer cut. For a new turner though, I'd stay with the HSS until you develop the tool and grinder control.

I'm also with the others that a sharpening jig is the way to go on a steady grinder with good wheels. Don't forget the face shield and some sort dust collection for the sanding dust.