Need advice on New Lathe

[Jody Malinich]

Well guys and gals I am in need of your help. We lost one of our business partners, the one that does any turnings that we need. Not wanting to try and find a reliable person to fill this spot, I've decided to tackle the lathe work myself with the LOML learning it also. She'll do classes and I'll wing it as usual.;) What lathe do you recommend for us.

Before I busted with "What do you want to able to do with it" questions.

We need to be able to turn:

Table Legs
Bowls
Handle's for our ship's wheel's we make

I like the platter's that you all produce so I think i'd want that capability also.

Price range: $600- $1200. I'd like it closer to $600 so we can get the necessary accessories to get us up and running quickly. Space is not a concern.

Thanks
Jody

[Bob Noles]

Jody,

Looks like you are a good candidate for the Jet 1442 for the price range you are looking at. It will do everything you have listed and then some.

[Jeff Fritzson]

Jody,

I have the Jet 1442 and I believe it will do everything you are asking above and be closer to the $800 range. I wish it had electronic variable speed but that will have to wait for me. It does have variable speed from 450 -3200 RPM (IIRC.) For the price range you specified the only other thing I would recommend is if you can get a used Jet 1642 which would be towards the higher end.

I am a novice turner so my experience is limited but I have been very happy with the 1442.

Regards,
Jeff

[Mike Vickery]

I will not try to upsell you but will take you at your word that your price is firm.

The jet 1442 retails at about $950 and seems to best meet the needs you have described. It is long enough for your table legs and ship wheels handles (up to 42 inches) and can handle bowl up to 14 inches (though probably a little underpowered for a 14 inch bowl). It has a swivel head that will allow you to turn larger diameter platters.

[Corey Hallagan]

I would check out the new Grizzly Varial Speed 2 horse for that money as it is less than 500. Especially if you want to do mostly spindle turning.

corey

[Jody Malinich]

Thanks guys, looks like we'll be ordering up the Jet soon and some Sorby chisels. Again thanks for the help.

Jody

[Mike Jory]

Jody,
If you're still interested in the Jet 1442, I believe Jet still has a promotion for a discount of $100 or $200 depending on the tool purchased. At least, this is what I saw when I almost pulled the trigger on a Jet 1642. But I chickened out to save my marriage:rolleyes:
Mike

[Andy Hoyt]

Jody - better check this out

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=44452

[Dennis Peacock]

Jody - better check this out

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=44452

Well there ya go!!!! A good deal on a good lathe!!!! Nice pointer Andy. :)

[Frank Fusco]

All reccomendations so far are (normally) excellent. But the question involves the lathe for business use. Two questions come to my mind. Namely, the dollar limitation for a piece of production equipment seems unrealistic. Second, if used for production, a lathe designed for hobby/home use might fail in a relatively short period of time. Breakdowns of business equipment are costly. That $600.00 machine could end up costing the business many thousands of dollars. Maybe a trip to the bank first would be a wise way to go for a top-grade machine.

[Jody Malinich]

Frank,

Thought about that. We are however not turners by trade and have alot of learning to do. That's why we want to start with something relatively low cost but still get something that is going to be able to do what we need for the short term. We may only do 6 or 7 ships wheel's a year and at 8 handles a piece I can't see investing big money in something for such a small amount of handles per year, not a high volume product for us. Plus we have never ever turned a lathe on yet. We would drop it completely but just as we are about to drop it we get a half dozen inquires about it. Plus it has a high profit margin for very little work. :D Now say in the future we get somewhat proficient or find a reliable lathe person locally and the amount of lathe work expands then we would look into a production machine. Make sense?

Jody

[Andy Hoyt]

I can think of a number of turners in Maryland to whom you could job this out to. Keith Christopher (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/member.php?find=lastposter&f=28) comes to mind first.