Mini Lathe

[Bob Yarbrough]

For a newbie who wants to try his hand at turning, what would you more "seasoned" turners recommend for a first lathe, and why? Turned some in high school woodshop, (tricky dickie was pres) and am taking a pen turning class next month. I keep seeing the small bowls turned from small burls, pens and letter openers, and it sure looks like fun. Any suggestions, comments appreciated.

Bob

[Harry Goodwin]

I have a Jet Mini and a happy camper. I bought the extentions and stand and it works great. Harry

[Carole Valentine]

You can't beat the Jet Mini. Most every one who starts with one and upgrades to a full size lathe refuses to let go of their Mini!

[Chris Barton]

As Harry and Carole have said, the Jet VS mini is the best money you can spend. I have had as many as 4 lathes at one time but, am now down to just two; the Jet VS mini and a PM3520a. I would dare to say that the Jet VS mini compares very well to the no longer produced Oneway 1018 and, I believe it is largely the cause of its demise. I have mine set up with a foot controlled switch and do all of my smaller work on that machine. You will never, and I do mean never, have buyer's remorse over purchasing a VS mini.

[Joe Mioux]

Not to hi jack this thread..... but it appears that the Jet Mini is the choice. However, I do have a question which is pertinent to this thread. There is the Jet Mini and the Jet Mini VS. I know the VS stands for variable speed, but can you change speeds on the the Jet Mini? ARe there pulleys inside that allows for the change of speed?


But most importantly, is the VS a better mini lathe to buy vs. the regular Jet mini?

Thanks
JOe

[Chris Barton]

Hi Joe,


Both have pullies but, the VS has only 2 pullies while the standard mini has several. The VS is infinitely adjustable across the range of speeds. For instance, I have the pullies set for the higher speed range but, that can be taken down to about 300 RPM using the reostat. The lowest speed on the standard is around 500 RPM and is not adjustable. Think of the standard Jet mini as a 5 speed lathe. While the standard is a good lathe, the mini is a great lathe.

[Randy Meijer]

The Jet mini is actually a 6 speed.....goes from 500± to 4000±.

The other side of the coin is that the standard model costs about a hundred bucks less and doesn't have all of that electronic speed control stuff to potentially go bad. (I'm sure it is very expensive to repair) I don't change speeds very much. I turn on the 5 gear(about 3000 RPMS and sand and drill on the first pulley(500 RPMS) and can change the speed in about 15 seconds.....maybe 20 if my fingers are cold.

I've never felt that the VS was worth an extra hundred bucks; but a lot of people do.

[John Hart]

Bob...I think you're making a great hobby/career choice here. Not only is Turning an art form...but it also gives a sense of instant gratification. You're not constrained by the typical measure-cut-build aspects of woodworking (although that comes into play a bit)...you go where your mood takes you. I love all types of woodworking...but this is my favorite.

[Jim Bell]

While at my local Woodcraft store last week I noticed a mini lathe I had never seen before. It is called a Ricon. It sells for about $250.00 and is in my opinion what a jet or delta mini should be. I was able to turn on one Sat and it is solid. I have the Delta midi and frankly the whole way home I had to wish it was a Ricon. Just a thought you might want to consider.
Jim

[Joseph O'Leary]

I have a Delta Midi with the bed extension and a Jet stand, funny how they fit together so well. I don't do as much turning as most folks here but I have experienced only good results from the Midi.

[Lee DeRaud]

While at my local Woodcraft store last week I noticed a mini lathe I had never seen before. It is called a Ricon. It sells for about $250.00 and is in my opinion what a jet or delta mini should be. I was able to turn on one Sat and it is solid. I have the Delta midi and frankly the whole way home I had to wish it was a Ricon. Just a thought you might want to consider.
Jim"Rikon" actually. Doesn't show up on Woodcraft's website but here is the page from the manufacturer (or importer/distributor/whatever):
http://www.rikontools.com/Lathes.html

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

I,too have a Jet mini non-variable speed and love it. The only reason I would replace it would be to get a larger lathe.

Well, until last weekend, that was a problem. My 9' X 10" working area will not support a full size lathe. Woodcraft had an open house and I got the oppertunity to turn with Rikon's version of a "mini/midi" lathe. It has a reasonable price, has a 12" diameter capacity and a HORSE of a motor. I couldn't bog it down. On the downside, the threads on the drive spindle were rough, but didn't cause a problem when a chuck was threaded on tight. Since I've been wanting to do some larger diameter pieces, I am going to upgrade to it. BTW, it weighs a lot more than the jet or delta midi.

Sorry to mess up the works, but in MHO, for the money, the Rikon is NOW the best buy.

Bruce

PS: forgot to mention it has indexing, too.

[Randy Meijer]

Both have pullies but, the VS has only 2 pullies while the standard mini has several. The VS is infinitely adjustable across the range of speeds. For instance, I have the pullies set for the higher speed range but, that can be taken down to about 300 RPM using the reostat. The lowest speed on the standard is around 500 RPM and is not adjustable. Think of the standard Jet mini as a 5 speed lathe. While the standard is a good lathe, the mini is a great lathe.

The VS actually has 3 speed ranges. They overlap; but you do have to change belt positions manually to take advantage of the full range of speeds. For those who may be interested, the ranges are:

500-1200,
1100-2600,
1700-3900.