Been reading for awhile

[dennis kranz]

Am new to posting on this site but have lurked for a short time. I do not own a lathe but want to before to long. Will take one of those turning classes at woodcraft first to be sure. The reason i even got on the forum is to ask about a lathe. I have seen where a lot of you realy like the pm3520 I think thats the number and it looks like a sweet machine. What I would like to know more about is the Jet 1440. I want more than a mini but the spendable bucks arn't there for the big machine. Will the 1440 handle most of what gets turned? Is it the kind of machine that if someone really gets into turning will do the job for at least 3 or 4 years?
I would like to say I have seen some really great projects that have been made by you guys. Pens, bowls vases or what ever they all look great. Just so everybody knows my thing at this time is the Scroll Saw.
Dennis

[John Hart]

Welcome Dennis!! Great bunch of folks here. They taught me everything....and will teach me more I'm sure. Can't help with your lathe choice though...sorry!

Spent my day yesterday on the scroll saw...and table saw....and miter saw...and router....and lathe.... But the only time I was truly happy was when I was turning. Quite an interesting experience.

[Bob Noles]

Dennis,

Welcome to SMC and the best crowd of WW folks anywhere.

I am new to all this turning just like yourself and have recently done on heck of a lot of homework. Although my goal was for a mini/midi, I had a lot of encouragement to look at the HF 34706 (Harbor Freight) which is a full size lathe. HF is not always the most popular choice, but they do have a diamond in the rough every now and then, and this model is bolstered as one of those diamonds. If working with limited funds to enter the turning world, this may be something you want to look into. It would give you a very workable solution to the direction your post indicates.

Stick around and have fun with us. This is a most helpful group of folks, even though we do get a little wild and crazy from time to time :D

[tod evans]

dennis, welcome!

[John Timberlake]

I have the Jet 1442 which has 14" swing and 42" between centers. The head with rotate and slide along the ways. This allows you to turn bowls bigger than 14" and move the head if necessary to ease of turning. I just finished a bowl with a blank that was more than 14" and was able to do it easily by rotating the head about 25 degrees. I also bought a 20" bed extension so I can turn 62" between centers. This allows me to make a 7' tall four poster bed with only two pieces and still have room to drill the end of one piece on the lathe.

This lathe is not a beefy as the Powermatic, but is a substantial upgrade from the standard 12x36 lathes that most people start with. I used a Sears for years and am very glad I moved up.

[John Bailey]

Dennis,

Welcome to the "Creek." If you've been lurking, you know what a great site this is with great members and great moderators. I'm not a turner, so I can't help with your choice. You'll get lot's of expert advice here from those who know. I do need to correct one thing though. Bob Noles, who can be excused because he's a new turner, said the turners are a little wild and crazy from time to time. Not true, the reason I check in to this forum often is that these folks are committed to wild and crazy most of the time.

Again, welcome.

John

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Dennis....Welcome to the Creek! From beginners to pros they're all here always willing to civily exchange information!

I'm not a turner but I too check in here regularly. I'm afraid I must correct John Bailey's mistatement. These turners ARE ALWAYS wild and crazy and they sometimes COULD BE COMMITED to an insane asylum!:p :D

Again..........Welcome to the Creek! Enjoy!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Welcome Dennis.This is a great place to learn and a great bunch of people to learn from. I to am just getting into turning. I bought the Delta Midi LA200. Reason is I don't have the room for a full size machine. I don't think you can go wrong with the Jet machine.

[Ron Ainge]

Dennis

there is a chapter of the American Woodturning Association located in your area and I am sure that if you contacted them they would be willing to arrange for someone to help you in figuring out what size lathe you will want. there email address is jimandjanbeaman@aol.com . My suggestion is to contact this person and let him know that you are thinking about buying a lathe and ask if he know anyone who has the lathes you are looking at. He will direct you to someone that can help you if he is anything like the people I have been fortunite enough to have met in my club. Good luck and I hope you get what you need.

[dennis kranz]

Thanks for all the welcomes. Theres not going to be a lot that I can give for help. You might say I'm here for the takeing of all the info I can get. In my first message I mentioned that I did some Scroll work I'll give you guys the URL and you take a look. Let me know what you think of my stuff. It is on a selling site just don't order anything, I'm all out. I use it more as a show off site.
scrollshop.com (http://scrollshop.com)

[Ernie Nyvall]

.......they sometimes COULD BE COMMITED to an insane asylum!:p :D
!


Hey hey, I prefer "Home for the special thinkers" if you don't mind, and I check myself in and out.:p :D :p :eek:

Welcome Dennis. I wish I could help. I'd talk you in to a Grizzly if you were closer, but I'm sure there are some 1440 owners here abouts. And as Ron mentioned, your local AWA chapter I'm sure would help.

Great looking tiger on your home page.

Ernie

[John Hart]

I like 'em all Dennis!! You do great scroll work! What blades do you use?

[Andy Hoyt]

Dennis - That Jet will be a lousy lathe - as long as it stays at the store. Bring it home, boot it up, and you'll love it. And welcome to the dark side.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Welcome Dennis. Love your scroll work. Really cool stuff.

[Jim Becker]

Dennis, welcome aboard!

The Jet 1442 is a nice machine for the money and has enough weight and power to do a decent job for most of the kind of work a hobbiest will get involved with. "Really large" items are not the best for this machine because of weight, power and the "high" lowest usable spindle speed, but that's fine...most people really don't turn large-large things and when they do they do it on heavier machinery. Go for it...I totally agree with the statement above that the machine in the store does you no good. It has to be in your shop! (And don't forget the safety gear, tooling and sharpening needs for this round addiction thing... ;) )