lathe purchase

[byron constantine]

How much lathe can i get for $1500. Byron

[Richard Coers]

Is that a joke? Like how much wood could a woodchuck chuck? What do you want to turn? What capacity? Should be pretty easy to figure out if cost is your only consideration.

[J.D.Redwine]

Just enough to want more.

[Steve Busey]

How much lathe can i get for $1500. Byron

Byron, start checking at local (greater DFW area, for you) woodworking stores to see what that much money would get you. Then scour the classified on forums like this and on Craigslist. Connect with a woodturning group (again, probably DFW area) and keep your eyes open for folks that are upgrading and selling their old lathes.

Remember though, if $1500 is your budget, you'll still need some tools (bowl gouge, skew, parting tool...) and a way to sharpen them (mandatory!), plus a safety face shield; so allow room in your lathe purchase for that. You might also budget for a weekend of lessons. A lot of folks here seem to get a "starter lathe", then upgrade when they reach its limitations or when they have a few more bucks set aside.

Good luck!

[Chip Sutherland]

If you are just starting out and need the whole setup....Figure 60% of your budget is lathe (new Jet 1221vs $800) and the other 40% is turning tools, grinder setup, a chuck, sanding supplies finish, CA glue, etc; the accessories can really add up. If $1500 is just for the lathe then you should be able to find a used lathe for that price. There are 2 for sale in my woodturning club's newsletter of which one of them is mine. If interested, send me PM with your email address and I will forward the newsletter to you both are under your budget.

[Steve Peterson]

Here is one for $1500.

http://goldcountry.craigslist.org/tls/3642968877.html

I don't know why someone hasn't snatched it up by now. It has been posted every week for the past year or longer.

Seriously, CL should eventually pay off. There are always about a dozen HF lathes on CL in my area. A good lathe shows up about every 2-3 months. I search for "wood + lathe" to filter out brake lathes from auto shops.

Steve

[Reed Gray]

Yes, do check with the local club. If that is your total budget, I figure that the cost of the lathe is some where between 1/3 to 1/10 the cost of the total package, tools, grinder, finishes, bandsaw, abrasives, chainsaw, dust collector, and the list goes on and on and on.......

robo hippy

[Brian Finney]

Byron,

Fort Worth Woodturners meets tonight 6.30 - 9.30 - keep your money in your pocket until you have spoken with them and look for a taster session.

The chapter meets on the last Thursday evening of each month from 6:30 - 9:00 PM at the R. D. Evans Community Center at 3200 Lackland Road, Fort Worth, Texas 76116. Visitors and guests are always welcome to attend our meetings. The R. D. Evans Community Center is about 2 miles south of Ridgemar Mall. (Mapsco page 74, grid J

http://www.wntx.org/about.html

Brian

New Information on meeting place see Harvey M Taylors post below

We no longer meet at the Lackland address. We meet at Handley= Meadowbrook Lions club on Craig streeet just off 820. if you havent turned on the Delta 46=460 I have one you are welcome to 'try on' Max

[Chip Sutherland]

Is there ever a total cost in woodturning? :D

[Tim Boger]

Hey Byron,

Here's what I recommend ..... I've owned one since 2005 without any issues, I use it almost every weekend.

Jet 14-42

(http://www.cpojettools.com/jet-708358k-jwl-1442vsk--14-in-x-42-in-1-hp-woodworking-lathe-with-leg-stand/jetn708358k,default,pd.html?start=5&cgid=jet-wood-lathes)Tim

[Chip Sutherland]

If that doesn't work for you then Monday night is Golden Triangle Woodturners March meeting at 7pm....get there by 6:30pm for a good seat. But it's a good 50 miles from Azle. Our club is selling 2 lathes now. I have one club member nibbling the hook for mine already.

http://www.goldentrianglewoodturners.org/GTW/Meetings.html (http://www.goldentrianglewoodturners.org/GTW/Welcome.html)

[Brian Kent]

I went with the Delta 46-460, with the extension from Amazon, for about $800. I have been very careful in expenses, including building my own stand and researching everything carefully. I have about $500 in tools and $200 in wood the first year, so that is about what the costs are for a decent, small, new machine for $1,500. If you can get a used lathe with some basic tools for less, great. When considering used, I avoided anything that needed rebuilding and anything with a Reeves drive. The new Jet Mini looks very promising as a nicely featured mid-sized lathe (1221?). I did not see any deals worth going for in several months in Southern California Craig's list or the large local turning club. I echo the advice of going to some club meetings and trying anything you can to get a feel of the right size for you.

[Brian Kent]

Hey Byron, I just realized that you are already an experienced turner.

You probably have tools and may be literally asking what lathe you can get for $1,500 and not how can you get started for $1,500, right?

What lathe do you turn on now?

[Gene Hintze]

Too bad you are not closer to NC. I have a Delta 46-460 I will be selling soon. Craigslist or a local club are your best bets as noted earlier but it will require patience. With your budget you can get a good used lathe and still have money left for the extras you will need. Don't snap up the first piece of junk you see - buy quality.

[Harvey M. Taylor]

We no longer meet at the Lackland address. We meet at Handley= Meadowbrook Lions club on Craig streeet just off 820. if you havent turned on the Delta 46=460 I have one you are welcome to 'try on' Max

[Mike Cruz]

Byron, you may not have meant it, but that is a loaded question of SO many levels.

First of all, is $1,500 your budget for a lathe, or is it you budget for turning?

Do you already have tools, or do you need to buy them, too?

Do you plan to turn more large spindle work (stiles for chairs and railings, baseball bats, pool cues), small spindle work (pens, bottles stoppers, and the likes), bowls, or artsy hollow forms?

Do you want new only, or are you considering used?

If you are considering used, would you consider a 30 year old machine that has been restored?

Do you want/need a modern lathe (bells and whistles)?

Does it need to be 110, do you have 220, or do you maybe have 3 phase in your shop?

Is the lathe going to be in your basement, or will it be "on level" (in basement might mean some large lathes, or older clunky ones may not make it down narrow curvey stairwells)?

Is this your first lathe, or have you had a/some lathes already and maybe you are looking for a lathe you can settle down into?

Answer all these (seriously!), and you (with our help) can narrow down your search considerably, and hopefully get you into an appropriate lathe...not three more until you find the RIGHT one.

[Steve Kubien]

You could get my Nova DVRXP with the cast iron legs and bed extension for that...if you lived closer.

[byron constantine]

Well maby i did not explain my problem. I had a 1642 jet and sold it because a friend of mine said he would sell me his 1642 2hp because he has a health condition and his doctor
told him he cannot use any machine equipment,so i sold mine in antisipation of getting his. Well things happen and he backed out selling his lathe. Now i am without a lathe and need
to find another one. I would like to get one like i had or one like it. Looking at the price of a new one at $2600 plus $1500 won't get it. Sometimes one door closes and another one
opens. I am looking at a nova 3000 about 2yrs old but don't know anything about it. I guess i need to keep looking. I have all i need in tools and chucks etc. Thanks, Byron

[alex grams]

Byron, I am near Lake Worth/Marine Creek Lake and am considering selling my Delta 46-460 to upgrade. I have the extension and the G3-D chuck for it. If that is what size/style machine you are looking for, post or send me a PM. I have it on a nice cabinet I made, if you are interested in the cabinet too. I've gotten moderate use from it over the last few years (bought new about 1.5 years ago).

Here is a link to a thread on the lathe and the cabinet I made for it. (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?175541-New-Lathe-Cabinet&highlight)

[byron constantine]

Mike'
This is not my first lathe,probably my fourth. I posted a reply to clear up my original post. I don't know if i can get another used 1642 jet for $1500 or not. As for a good restored machine
one with ved installed yes i would be interested. Byron

[Marvin Hasenak]

I would watch the Dallas Craigslist, occasionally something shows up that is a decent deal. I am 3 hours west of Ft Worth and watch the Craigs deals everyday, I am looking for old iron lathes, not that I need another, but I am always looking.

[Brian Kent]

Well Byron, I wish you luck in getting the perfect lathe. I wonder if that 16" x 42" Grizzly is made with the same quality as your Jet. It is $1,495 plus $99 shipping:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/16-x-42-Variable-Speed-Wood-Lathe/G0632

I look hard for used but only one of my 3 used machines came through Craigslist type research. Mostly I look for new and used together until I can find the right one at the right price.

[Marvin Hasenak]

There is a Jet 1442 on the Austin Craig's list, that is located in Wimberly, he didn't list a price. 

[Gene Hintze]

Byron

I saw a Jet 1642 on Dallas Craigslist a little while back. That was probably yours. What a bummer. I hope you find an acceptable replacement.