Lathe question

[Darrin]

Hello to all. My name is Darrin and I live in central New York inbetween Syracuse and Utica/Rome. I was hoping I could get a little advice from some of you experienced turners. I am planning to purchase my 1st wood lathe and was considering the Jet 1236. My plans are to turn bowls and smaller pieces such as plugs (the kind that tattoo shops sell) etc, etc. Will the 1236 be sufficient enough of a machine to turn your average sized bowl with the size motor it has and the 12 " swing? Any info would be appreciated because as I stated, you can't get much newer to the hobby as I am! I just dont want a lathe I'll outgrow in a year or so. Thanks in advance!!

Darrin

 

[Jim Stoppleworth]

I just dont want a lathe I'll outgrow in a year or so.

Darrin

You will, I had the HF clone of the 1236 and that's exactly what happened. Outgrew it in a year and a half and now have a PM3520B.

If it were me I'd look a couple of steps up the Jet line, don't know your budget but 1642 should last several years.

Stoppy

 

[GeorgeH]

There's no reason to waste time and money fooling around with small stuff; you're eventually gonna want top of the line anyway so why not just bite the bullet and get it over with.
http://www.oneway.on.ca/lathes/index.htm

 

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Vinland, if money is the issue with the Jet then you may wish to consider one of the better mini or midi lathes in the same range. I believe you'll get more for your money especially with what you are talking about turning. I really like a heavy lathe and unless you plan to mount that 1236 to a bench you may not be as happy as you could be with the legs. If you think you will want to grow bigger and you have the dollars, then you may wish to consider doing so now. I'm just over a year into turning and have already upgraded from a Jet 1442VSK to a Robust 25 X 28+ and from a Poulan to a Stihl 260 Pro. What I'm saying is that this like a certain potato chip...you can't eat just one. You gota have the whole bag!! I agree as well with nuturner, that is with the exception of his lathe choice. Oneway is a very fine product, you couldn't go wrong at all with it, but, "The Top of the Line", we'll see, they just haven't seen the writing on the wall yet. He, he, he.(friendly humor). Good luck on your decision.

 

[Darrin]

Thanks for the input! I was planning on putting the 1236 together with the legs provided and adding about 150lbs of weight at the bottom on a shelf custom made....but I did look at the jet 14" and it looks beefier. $$ Is an issue as I want to get going within 2 weeks (The woodcraft in rochester, about 1.5 hours away has a 10% off sale 4/14 on Jet products.) I'll keep reading and looking......as the 14" is about $250 more than the 1236. Thanks for the replys again, and the more the merrier!!

Darrin

 

[Richard Baker]

Vin,
If $$ is/are an issue right now, go ahead with the 1236 for now. You may or may not (very unlikely) get swept into the proverbial "vortex". In either event, the Jet 1236 should retain its value well for resale. You can save some more $$ for the 1642EVS-2 in a year or two, or even something bigger and nastier, meanwhile developing your turning skills and areas of interest. Lots of folks are making some way beautiful pieces that are 12" and smaller. Some of them want to go bigger, and some are just fine where they are.

 

[KEW]

Consider getting either the 12" Rikon midi or the new 12" swing Jet midi. You will be losing the spindle length the 1236 offers, but most don't turn table legs too often.
The advantage of these small lathes is that you'll only have $200 to $300 invested and they sell pretty easy for $50 to $75 less than you paid.
You can do a lot on one of these and develop your turning skills while figuring out how much lathe you really need. You'll also be amazed at how fast you can spend another $500 to $1000 on sharpening system, chuck, tools, and all of those other neat accessories.
The biggest concern is that after buying the 14" lathe, in another 2 years, you might be kicking yourself for not getting the 16" with electronic variable speed for another $550. As with most things there is always a better one for a bit more.
If you really want to make sure you don't outgrow your lathe, the PM3520B is generally considered the bottom end of the lathes with full, professional capability (though the JET 1642 is a great value for ~$1000 less).
Good luck!

Cheers,
Kurt

 

[GeorgeH]

Thanks for the input! ... $$ Is an issue as I want to get going within 2 weeks ...
Darrin

OK; well, inasmuch as money is an issue I guess the Oneway isn't going to make it onto your shopping list. I was visiting Woodcraft last week and had a chance to look over the Rikon 12" that KEW describes. I'd recommend you seriously consider that - but only because you've rejected the idea of the 1-Way.
Good luck and I hope you get as much enjoyment out of this woodturning thing as I do. It's fantastic.... :cool2:

 

[markb]

Darren,

I started on a Jet 1236 and still use it for what I have been turning. Mostly lided boxes, and other smaller stuff. I am looking to move up to a bigger lathe as soon as the funds are available. The 1236 does a good job for these types of turnings but the stand is light weight. If I were making the purchase now it would be something a little heavier.

I am member of the Central NY Woodturning Club. We meet at the NYS Fairgrounds here in Syracuse on the 2nd Tuesday of each month in the DEC Log Cabin. The next meeting is this Tuesday. You are welcome to come by and talk with some of the members about different lathes.
http://www.cnywoodturners.org/

 

[waltben]

Everyone says . . .

There's nothing wrong with the Jet you asked about except you'll outgrow it if you keep on with turning. The only question is, are you really committed to it. If you're interested in it, and don't really know what you want to do long term, you're best off getting a minimum 14" (preferably 16") swing lathe with 1 hp or more motor, that can spindle turn at least 32". The brand will drive the price, but Delta, Jet and Powermatic all have good ones that are great to start with, and after you've used and learned you can trade up.

The other direction you can go is to get a good mini or midi with variable speed and a bed extension. You're not going to be doing many bowls with it, but you will probably want to keep it forever, getting a large second lathe.

I started on a Delta 1440. It really doesn't turn slow enough to do large pieces and needs some weight help on it's base for out of round things, but was a good lathe to learn on. After three years, I knew what I really needed to do and upgraded to a Stubby 750. Less than two years later, I realized I still needed a small lathe to turn craft things and demonstrate, and picked up a Jet mini. These two have been perfect for what I do, including oval turning, small to large bowls and platters, craft items, demonstrations, etc.

Good luck!

 

[Aaron G+11]

Darren,

The jet mini's are bullet proof, and reliable work horses (well, ok, ponies) But have only a ten inch capacity. That is not a very big "salad" bowl.

Larger lathes have larger price tags. I would say to hook up with the central new york turners, and see if you could not turn on some of their lathes to get an idea of what makes a lathe worth its price. Then figure out what your needs and interests will require. Also, they might have someone who is moving on to another lathe and you might be able to get a decent used lathe for a for a good price. That's what I did. Lathes hold their value pretty well.

Aaron

 

[Dario]

I started with Jet 1236 and later got the Jet mini and will tell you that I love the mini a lot more. If you need the swing then by all means get the bigger lathe but the fit and quality of the mini is much nicer. If you intend to turn small stuff up to 8" or so (yes never aim for the max rated for your lathe...it is almost impossible), mini is the way...otherwise get a bigger lathe.

 

[Mascarella]

Hi Darren,
I started on the 1236. It's a decent starter, but lacks the stability to do anything big. Actually, I got a Jet mini to turn pens and stoppers because I just liked the feel of the mini better. I've just upgraded to a PM 3520B to get the stability for bowls. So after only a year, I'll be putting my 1236 out to pasture.

 

[Darrin]

Thanks to all who have replied to this Newbies question!! After many hours of reading, speaking with people, etc. I have chosen to buy the Jet 1442 Pro. The machine itself just looks better suited for bowl turning than the 1236.I'll be driving to Rochester on Sat, and hopefully they will have one at Woodcraft. Now I have to decide on a chuck. DAMN they are expensive! I hoped to make the CNY Woodturners meeting and meet others on Tues but well, Im an industrial mechanic and had to work late to get a machine running...maybe next month. Anyhow, thanks again for all the info and please feel free to give me more on anything relating to woodturning!! Thanks

 

[George Guadiane]

Thanks to all who have replied to this Newbies question!! After many hours of reading, speaking with people, etc. I have chosen to buy the Jet 1442 Pro. The machine itself just looks better suited for bowl turning than the 1236.I'll be driving to Rochester on Sat, and hopefully they will have one at Woodcraft. Now I have to decide on a chuck. DAMN they are expensive! I hoped to make the CNY Woodturners meeting and meet others on Tues but well, Im an industrial mechanic and had to work late to get a machine running...maybe next month. Anyhow, thanks again for all the info and please feel free to give me more on anything relating to woodturning!! Thanks

I bought a Oneway Talon, then I bought my Powermatic 3520, then I bought the Oneway Stronghold. I use them both, and am often very happy to have two chucks, BUT... If I had it to do over and I could only have one, I would have started with the Stronghold (knowing what I know now). Just my opinion.