Newb questions and helpful excel sheet

[Stephen Saar]

Hello all, this is my first time on this forum. Just a quick blurb about myself. I'm 25 and work as a software engineer at IBM ISS in Atlanta. I am about to get in to turning and wood working in general, and hoped some people here might have some good suggestions. I've been reading the forum for the last few days and already learned a lot, but now I have some specific questions. I'll try to post them in as readable manner as possible. Sorry if some of these questions are stupid, I'm still learning a lot about wood work and turning in general.


Q1. Regarding the lathe I want to..... err, can afford to buy.

I'm looking at the Jet 1442, and the Nova 1624. I would like to do larger bowl turning, so it looks like the Nova is the better option since it can go to much lower speeds than the Jet can, but I looked at the Jet at my local Rockler store and I liked it alot, it just seems that the low end speed is to high. So does anyone here have recommendations. This will be my only lathe for awhile.

Q2. Creating large bowls

For one of my first real projects after I get a few test and prototype pieces finished is a wooden sink. Basically a 16x16x6 bowl, I'm probably biting off more than I can chew, but what fun is life if you don't just jump right in to the deep end. One of the main things I wanted to know is if you could glue together smaller pieces of wood to make a block that sized and still have a decent turning out of it, or if you have to have everything as a single block of wood.

Q3. Speed of turning

From the reading I've done on different sites I was not able to find any real scientific information on how fast the material should be moving as expressed in MPH or another similar measurement. From looking at what information is out there it appears that somewhere in the range of 13-21 MPH is the correct turning speed, but I was curious if there were any better sources of information.


Also something helpful hopefully -

Note sure if anyone will want this, but in doing my research I ended up making a little excel spreadsheet that lists the MPH or different lathe speeds for a given medium size, and it also has calculations to figure out the board feet for a given dimension, and it includes the capability to look at the prices of different woods online from advantagelumber.com (Note I picked this site since it was the only one that had the information readily available, haven't actually ordered from there so don't know much about them). Figured I'd post it here in case anyone else might want something similar.

Thanks for any help and sorry if I asked a lot of questions.

-Stephen

[Dick Sowa]

Welcome!

I also got into turning when I "needed" a turned part for some flat work...great excuse to buy more tools :)

Others can respond to your lathe choices...since I don't have experience with either one.

As far as speed is concerned, I wouldn't waste time calculating MPH. Dale Nish has written many books about turning, and suggests using the formula D" x RPM = 6,000 to 9,000. In other words, multiply the diameter of your turning by the RPM, and it should fall within the range of 6,000-9,000. I recommend you download and read his pdf discussion of safe lathe speeds.
http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/woodturners/Images/safe_lathe_speeds.pdf

That's only a guideline for well balanced blanks, and the real test will be what you are comfortable with, and how substantial your lathe is. a 16" dia off balance blank can make even the heaviest lathes jump around if turned too fast.

[Skip Spaulding]

Welcome Stephen, I have the Nova 1624, great lathe for the money. Many people on this site rave about the Jet 1642 which is more money but must be an excellent lathe. Good luck, you are starting a wonderful life long hobby.

[Jeff Nicol]

Stephen, When buying the big tool, even if it stretches your wallet a little, it is best to get the best you can get at the time. If you have to eat beans and rice for a month or two it will be worth it in the end! The Nova is a great lathe and so is the bigger Jet lathe. If you plan on doing 16" completed you will need the out board of the Nova or the off the end ability of the 1642 Jet. The reason is to get a full 16" you would have to start with a little bigger chunk to get it turned down to the final shape. The lathe is a major investment into the turning "VORTEX" and by going one step bigger than you think you will need seems to be the best way to go. I have the PM3520B and it is a great lathe for the money, but another step up the cost ladder! Then if you really have some money fall into your lap you could go to a big Oneway, but most of us are priced out of that one, but very nice equipment.

With all that said, good luck on your lathe choice and if you have a better half, a little sweet talk and flowers might get you what you want/need!

Have fun and hope to hear from you soon on your purchase and first projects!

Jeff

[Bernie Weishapl]

I would go for the Nova 1624 because of the lower speed. As far as turning a 16" bowl you would probably have to do that outboard if you want a finished 16". My 16" Nova DVR will turn about 15 1/2" safely giving me about 3/8" to 1/2" bed clearance. If you could squeeze a little more you might look at the Jet 1642 1.5 hp. Same size motor as the Nova but has variable speed from 0-3200 rpm.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Stephen - Welcome to the Creek! Lots of great folks here willing to help!

So, you want to get into wood working and also wood turning? Here is a suggestion that may save you some money! Get with your local turning club and ask questions! Chances are you will be able to try out some different lathes and that will assist in making your final decision. Also, if you find yourself really interested in turning - start off your woodworking experience with your lathe and HOLD OFF on buying any other woodworking (flatwork) tools as we have found that they go unused for the most part and only serve to hold turning blanks!

Good luck with your decisions! Have fun with it and let us know if you have any questions!

[Scott Conners]

1) The Nova is a great lathe, and you can upgrade it to real variable speed at a later date for under $500 if you ever wanted to. The ability to turn with the headstock canted 22.5 degrees is really nice for comfort, and you can turn outboard to turn your sink.

2) Yes you can glue up wood to make a bigger blank. Search for "segmenting" or "segmented bowl" or similar. Malcolm Tibbet's book is considered one of the best guides to segmenting. With the right finish, a wooden sink should last quite a while, though personally I'd try and make it from a solid piece. turningblanks.net can get you a blank the right size.

3) I've heard Stuart batty and Mike Mahoney use the formula D" x RPM = 6,000 to 9,000 as well, it's a deent guidline to keep yourself from going too fast. However, as mentioned, many blanks require much slower at the start especially.

[Stephen Saar]

Thanks for all the replies. I ended up buying the 1624 today at Woodcrafters off Holocomb in Atlanta. They have to ship it to their store from their warehouse, but it should be in on the 31st. I'm super excited.

-Stephen

[Steve Schlumpf]

Stephen - congrats on your new lathe! Looking forward to seeing photos once you get it in!