Did Sears drop their duplicating attachment for the lathe?

[Bob Weisner]

Hi.

I was checking out the Sears website today, and I noticed that they have the duplicating attachment for their smaller lathe but not for the 15 inch lathe. Does anyone know if they have discontinued the duplicating attachment for the Sears 15 inch lathe?

Thanks,

[Bob Weisner]

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[Jim Becker]

I can't speak for the Sears unit but will make a blanket statement about duplicators...if you can't swing a really good one like the Vega, don't bother. The lower end duplicators are a pain to adjust and don't particularly do a good job. You can actually do the work manually faster and nicer in many cases. I made the mistake of buying such an animal thinking it would help me with a chair project I started awhile back. In the time it took to mount stock and make adjustments, I was able to turn a better spindle completely and have the next one mounted and ready to go. I really should sell the unit I have, but have been loath to pass it on without full disclosure about my dissatisfaction. If I hadn't had it for over a year before using it, I would have returned it to Rockler for a refund.