Confirm my findings on best lathe...

I have a jet mini and have been very happy with it. I think the new ones have variable speed, or you can get that option. (not sure) Go for the variable speed if you have that option.

Amazon.com

Jet has 40% off on most of their tools for Christmas, I know I saw a lathe as one of them, bandsaws, dust collectors, etc. Go Check it out before you buy. This was an ad in Wood Magazine

Regards, Lewis

The Klein lathe is really a specialty lathe - more of a ultra-mini than a mini; the Nova isn't a mini or even a midi with it's 16" swing; so I don't see these in the same class as the Jet mini.

I think, given your $200 budget, the Jet mini fits perfectly. The Delta midi is almost exact in capacity to the Jet - but may miss out just a hair on the same quality level.

I've had a Delta midi for 2, 1/2 years and have turned a _LOT_. Everything from tiny components for ornaments to 9.5" bowls. The Jet and Delta mini/midi lathes are very versatile and a lot of bang for the buck.

The only thing I'd look further into is the newer Jet mini with variable speed. It's not a must have, but it sure would be nice to turn a dial rather than stop the lathe and switch belt positions. (I change speeds fairly frequently from cutting to scraping to sanding to finishing.) Variable speed also allows some degree of vibration control with off balance pieces.

_____ American Association of Woodturners Cascade Woodturners Assoc., Portland, Oregon Northwest Woodturners, Tigard, Oregon _____

Michael,

IMO, you've hit it right on the head.

I think that's debatable, actually. The Jet mini is cast iron, built to close tolerances, dead-on allignment, and utterly reliable. What else can the (smaller) more expensive competitors offer that is better than that?

Here's what I told Bill, who asked the other day about the Jet vs. a Harbor Freight lathe:

I have a Jet mini that I use almost every day, and have used for the past 2 years, from 4-10 hours a day, 5-6 days a week. The only thing I have ever had to do to this lathe is to tighten the nut on one of the motor mount bolts, because it was vibrating. Oh, and I am not a person to take exceptionally good care of tools. I'm not big on cleaning, oiling or anything that might be considered "maintenance."

With careful cutting of your blanks, you can turn very close to the maximum swing of 10" and at least 14" in length. This lathe will handle pretty much any piece of wood within those dimensions.

Point is, you probably won't have any problems with your Jet, at least as far as my experience with them goes, and to me, that's worth quite a lot, especially when you're just learning, and are all excited about learning a new skill (or set of skills, in this case) and want to be able to rely on your tools not making it harder to learn than it needs to be.

Hopefully this is of some help.

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

September 11, 2001 - Never Forget

No I won't... I'm not going to get to touch it 'til Xmas. :)

More likely I'll want a big'un come Valentine's day or such.

A big lathe would cost me dearly though. First I have to move out all my stuff, demolish my shop, and start from square one. Big nightmare, that. Cost aside (and cost is most assuredly an issue), the only place I can put a new building is right where the current building sits. That means a long time with no shop, no matter how you slice it.

So that's why I'm trying to find something that will work with what I've got now. Besides, I think I can find *plenty* to do with this.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for backing up my choice. From what I keep hearing, I think I've definitely hit the most suitable way to put myself at the top of the slippery slope and start down. :)

I had a Jet Mini and was pretty happy with it. The only complaint I can make against it is the tailstock. It doesn't stay locked down very well. Apparently, I wasn't the only with this problem. My local Woodcraft said they have had 3 returned recently for that very reason. They have also contacted Jet and got no response from them. I love Jet and my garage is full of their tools. I moved up to the Jet 1436 and sold my midi. Not sure if the Delta or Mercury are going to make into your price range, but I would suggest holding out and getting one of those two.

Joe Smith

Northeastern Oklahoma Woodturners AAW

Go buy the Jet Mini and don't look back..............

Amazon.com

On my Delta, I will sometimes give the tailstock lever a couple raps with a wooden mallet to ensure there's no movement if I'm really putting ram pressure on the work piece. I've been doing this for years and it doesn't appear to cause any damage or ill effects to the works.

Do you think a similar approach with your Jet would work? On another note, David Ellsworth comments that a fine rust layer on the ways and the mating tailstock surfaces will help with any slippage. IOW, perhaps waxing and polishing the ways is counterproductive on some makes.

_____ American Association of Woodturners Cascade Woodturners Assoc., Portland, Oregon Northwest Woodturners, Tigard, Oregon _____

Buy the Vismarc VL 100. Coats a bit more than the others, but leaves the rest in it's dust!.

Jay in NH

Just another datum point here. If you order the Jet from Amazon today, you'll have some time to cancel the order if you change your mind. I ordered one last Friday and it's not expected to ship for a another week. I'm just hoping Jet still has some in stock.

Cheers, Mike

This is probably going to sound stupid, but bear with me. I can't hand tighten my tailstock either and have it hold. I use to think it was me, but I've had the same thing happen on other lathes. The tailstock just creeps away, but I don't have that happen when I rap it with a mallet and I use just medium sized rock maple hand-turned mallet. Just like a quick slap with the mallet and the thing is there till ready to move.

And, believe it or not, that's something I learned when taking auto shop when a guy told me to just close down a bolt and gave me a little ping hammer and said tap it. Works on the tailstock the same way.

I was going to order another mini and just happened to get the Tool Crib (amazon) catalog and noticed the 12" was on sale too, so I ordered that one. It'll be about 10 days before mine ships too.

They have that variable speed at $299.99, but someone told me you still have to change the belt and it doesn't bother me doing that on the mini I have, so I was debating on whether it would be worth getting the variable speed. I really like that little mini because it's so portable and handles much of what I do. Easy to pick up and move to the backyard on a good day.

I arrived home last night to see that UPS had dropped the Jet Mini on my doorstep (and I mean literally 'dropped' it). Despite the haggard package, the lathe is fine. I was quite surprised by how small and light it is. The belt changing is pretty straight-forward even though I can't say I understand what speed to use for what yet. One strange thing is the latch on the door that exposes the lower pulleys. It works fine I guess but it just seems like some weird engineering. I'm already envisioning wanting to buy the bed extension; or maybe I'll just wait and buy a second, bigger lathe if I find out I have any talent for turning. Turning class this weekend and then I will really put the Jet to use.

Cheers, Mike