I'm helping my brother get back into turning and he's pretty sure that the Jet mini is what he wants... His problem is that he likes the size and low noise level of the mini but sort of likes the reeves drive on my Jet 1442... but no store that we went to had a mini with VS to look at..
Has anyone had experience on the mini with AND without the reeves?
I really can't be objective, since I've had a Shopsmith for years and both it and the 1442 have the reeves type while my mini doesn't...
Anyone here that has used both and has pro/con comments?
My father has a VS mini Jet. He does all kinds of work on it. I've done a bit of work on it myself.
I like the variable speed that one can control from the outside of the motor, whether it's electronic (variable resistor), or Reeves. My first lathe was a five speeder, switched by moving the belt along different sized pullys. This got to be a pain after a while.
My lathe has a Reeves control, and I must say that I like the electronic version better, but I'm just being picky.
The mini Jets (all of them, I believe) have three belt settings, and the electronic speed control moves along three different speed ranges. Most of the time, he has it on the highest belt setting, and only moves down to a slower belt speed for fine sanding or very large objects. Access to the belt is simple enough. Obviously the designers at Jet thought about this feature. Spending the extra bucks for a VS is a good investment, in my opinion.
I suppose if I was to complain about something, it would be that it took Jet forever and a day to replace a broken motor. Some of that may be due in part to the local dealer.
If the minis have a weakness, it's the minimum speed. Without the VS, it's
500. Fast for some roughs near capacity. Logically, the variable would allow lower speeds. Illogically, it does not.
As I don't turn above 680, nor below 360, nor am I able to turn in between on turnings from 400mm bowls to ornament finials, it would be a waste of my money. Reversing? makes no sense to a power sanding type and on cross-grained bowls. Long-grained stuff would result in cross-grain in either direction, so it also appears to be something I can do without.
"George" wrote: (clip) Reversing? makes no sense to a power sanding type and on cross-grained bowls. Long-grained stuff would result in cross-grain in either direction, (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ When you sand, tiny fibres of the wood grain lie down and are not cut off. When you reverse, these fibres are lifted, and at least partially removed. I believe this works on both long-grain and cross-grain sanding.
I would choose an electronic VS over a Reeves for the drive any day. The Reeves is a mechanical system that needs periodic maintenance while the VS does not.
No reeves here, but I have a 6 speed mini, and not the VS one.
The biggest drawback in IMO is the high minimum speed of those little lathes, and also the low power.
The power on the VS is even lower at the lowest speed, as basically the power input is reduced to get the lowest speed.
With the non variable speed ones you get the most power to the spindle at the lowest speed.
Still the little lathes are good value for the money, but a jet pilot should be able to afford a top of the line Oneway, (BIG ONE or SMALL ONE). (also would make a good excuse to go and visit your brother more often, if you need one) You can turn small stuff on a big lathe, not the other way around, and they have reverse for turning and sanding, always made for a better finish over here !!, (just like the other Leo said).
Well, the Jet Mini does not have a Reeves drive. Speed control is accomplished with a rheostat and swapping the belt on the step pulleys. I understand that it takes both the rheostat and the step pulleys to get the whole range of speeds. I have a Jet Mini without VS and it works just fine without it. For a small lathe, you really don't need VS. It is very nice on larger lathes like the PM 3520, Stubbys, Oneways and others.
wrote: (clip) they have reverse for turning and sanding, always made for a better finish over here !!, (just like the other Leo said). ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Good point about reverse for turning. Sometimes using reverse makes it a lot easier to work inside a reentrant shoulder near the opening.
Regarding sanding in reverse, I once asked my son's shop teacher what he thought, and he said, "Just turn the sandpaper around." ;-)
I'm another vote for the non-VS - I have two lathes, one of which is a Nova Comet - it's the size of the jet mini, but the motor was sold separately so I got the lathe and then picked up a washing machine motor for $5 - I think I got a slightly better machine for about $100 less that way.
that said, as I recall, I wired the motor with a reversing switch (I say it that way because I only use the little lathe for pens now and haven't tuned it on in about a year) - the 1/4 hp washing machine motor has plenty of power for that size lathe (and is more powerful, it seems than the motor supplied with the jet, which has a higher HP rating). On a small lathe like that,if you need a lower speed you are turning too big an object. When I wanted a really slow speed for uniformly drying laquer or other finish without drips, I used a BBQ motor and a piece of rubber hose jammed into the hole through the spindle to turn it at a steady slow speed.
My metal lathe has a reeves drive (and I added a VFD to get 3 phase to run it) - the reeves drive is noisy - I'd much rather have step pulleys.
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IMHO since the largest diameter possible is so small I find that I have my mini on high speed almost always. If I use a slower speed to rough it's very easy to jam. You need speed to create enough inertia to overcome some of the small catches while roughing. Quite a bit different than my Powermatic.
It's not what he can afford, it's what I recommend to him... He has a garage full of flat working tools now and the mini will do what he wants to do for now and in a minimal space..
He likes my 14" lathe but that would be too big for his shop..
You opinion of the torque at low speeds is JUST the kind of thing I was looking for... My mini is like yours, my 14" has the reeves... but the 14" has 1 hp, too... Mac
On Thu, 4 May 2006 20:41:26 -0500, "Barry N. Turner" wrote: wow... great info, Barry... My vote is to forget the vs and spend the difference in price on a decent chick..
The electronic VS *is* available on the Jet Mini (not yet on the Delta mini, surprisingly). The Reeve's drive is not on the mini - manual changing on stepped sheaves.
Mac, I just read another of your replies. If I'm reading right, you're calling your 14" Jet a "mini" - loosely speaking, your 14" is more of a midi. The Jet Mini is the 10" swing lathe. The Reeve's drive is used on your 14" but not the 10" Mini.
Well, Leos, the business of reversing directions comes from sanding flat boards along the grain. Where the grain was rising along the direction of sanding, the fibers could be laterally compressed into the spaces between, which is why SOP was to make a water set and quickly sand in the opposite direction. To remove those whiskers which might stand up later when finishing, especially with shellac. Didn't make anything smoother. Grit being grit, couldn't.
Since the grain meets the paper in opposite directions at either side of the endgrain on a rotating bowl, this technique is not applicable even with hand sanding. Also, as with flat work, where we now use orbital sanders, the action of a rotary (power) sander actually cannot sand either with nor against the grain, rotary in rotation, after all. It sands mostly along with if we place the 3:00 or 9:00 o'clock portion of the disk in contact with the rotating piece, differential speed (rotation of piece versus paper) determining which direction the grit engages the grain. Sanding at 12:00 or 6:00 o'clock is especially efficacious at removing the ridging left by gouges, or the semi-ridging (\ or /) left by finishing with the prior grit at 3 or 9. Once again, makes no difference which way the piece is rotating.
Sorry George, I never did flat woodwork, and I always had lathes that could do reverse turning, even 45 years ago when I found that reverse sanding and turning did give me better end results.
The end result was/is always where I base my opinion on, not some hogwash.
What works is what I use, and that's the right way, and for almost all people.
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