Another Lathe Question

[Noah Schlag]

hey guys,
i am interested in buying a lathe. i like the looks of the rikon mini and have heard good things about the jetmini. any suggestions?
is 1/2 hp too small for bowl? any opinions appreciated.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Welcome to the Creek!

Noah....they'll both do what you want and turn small bowls. Several members have the RIkon and like it. I have the Jet VS mini......Both appear to be good lathes.

Where are you at in southern Illinois? My father's family is from Flora where I went to HS.

[David Walser]

Noah,

Which lathe to recommend depends in large measure on two things you didn't mention:

How you expect to use your lathe (the kind and size of things you expect to turn, where you expect to use your lathe, etc.), and
Your budget.You can turn bowls on the the two lathes you mentioned, but a larger lathe might be better. Larger lathe's have more mass to absorb the vibrations from an out of round bowl blank. Larger lathes can deal with small turnings just as well as can smaller lathes. On the other hand, a mini lathe is great if you need to move the lathe out of the way whenever you are not using it.

[David Fried]

Noah,

I've got a Jet 1236 and the 3/4 horsepower has been enough so far. I think my largest bowl to date was 11". Yes, like everyone else I dream of lathe with a swing measured in feet, a displacement measured in tons, and more horsepower than my Honda but so far I really haven't needed it.

When I bought my lathe it was a toss up between the Jet 1236 and a Mini with the extension bed and stand. Two years later I think it's still pretty much a coin flip.

[Noah Schlag]

well i would like to be able to turn 10-12" bowls. i am still very new to turning so small stuff would be ok for now. budget wise i am somewhat limited. i would have no problem ordering a $250 -350 lathe but would save for anything more. i currently have a craftsman 12" but would like to upgrade. shop space is nearly unlimited so full sized lathe doenst matter. i do like the sound of owning a portable lathe but that isnt terribly important to me.

oh, i am only about 30 min. south of flora. maybe a little more

[Nancy Laird]

Noah, Check out the Woodtek midi-lathe at www.woodworker.com (http://www.woodworker.com). It's on sale right now. A very viable alternative to the Jet or Rikon, and it's a workhorse.

Nancy

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Noah..........I went to HS in Flora.....as a teen I raised a lot of Cain...Fairfield.......Mount Vernon.......Clay City...Louisville......I was one of those communist rock-n-roll musicians.....well wanna-be rock-n-roll musicians...anyway...My Dad's family farmed in the area......Still have a lot of cousins there. I get through there every 10 years or so. My father and sister are buried there. Had some friends I used to visit near Johnsonville. So.....I'm familiar with the area.

Welcome to the Creek!

BTW....if you have a Craftsman.....why would you want to get a mini?

[Noah Schlag]

wow, hard to believe that someone knows this area. i actually live in the country near belle rive, 20mins east mt.vernon, anyways, the craftsman seems to have lots of slop in the tailstock and i have talked myself into believing that i need one of newer design. i have purchased a live center and some other stuff for it so i am going to use the craftsman for a while. are these lathes worthy of using for the long haul or will i eventually find i need to get something nicer?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I have the Jet VS Mini. It was given to me by the inmates here about this time last year. I only have 2 complaints about it. You can only turn 9.5" diameter maximum.....and the lowest speed is 500 rpm.

The 9.5" maximum diameter I could live with but I'd really like to turn some bigger bowls and platters.

The 500 RPM lowest speed can be a real problem when trying to rough out an out of balance bowl blank ...even if it's only 9" in diameter. THe out of balance blank at 500 RPMs can cause some really strong vibrations.

The VS (variable speed) Jet Mini is a DC motor thus when it's at the lowest RPM it's horsepower is at it's minimum and you can stop it with your bare hand on the handwheel without trying too hard.

That's my only complaints. Later this year I hope to upgrade to a PowerMatic 3520B...a much larger lathe with AC variable speed...more horsepower at speeds as low as 0 rpms....

I will keep the Mini for small projects such as bottle stopper or pens...

BTW Johnsonville Lake was called Johnsonville Lake and I fished it as such when I was a kid!

[Noah Schlag]

is the jet your only lathe? would i be better off just using my craftsman until going to something like the 1642 jet or a powermatic etc.

[Dario Octaviano]

I have both the Jet mini VS and PM 3520B ... I like both and they have their own use. For now I am still using the mini most of the time since I am into penturning.

My setup is slowly switching towards bowls and hollow forms though...or atleast my recent tool purchases are :D.

Both are very solid and I won't give any of them up. Can't say the same for my first lathe (Jet 1236)...though it is a nice lathe, I will choose the mini over it anytime. It (1236) was sold shortly after getting my PM 3520.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Yes....the Jet VS is my only lathe.......You might be better off....

Maybe some of the others here will chime in.....Slop in your tailstock...could just be repairable......there are other lathes out there ...cheaper ...and in some cases with more capabilities.....

[Bernie Weishapl]

Noah I have the Rikon ($250 new), big 15" C-man, and the Delta LA 200 (Off e__y for $175 with bed extension). I really like the Rikon because of its price and the increased capacity (12" bowl). The Jet, Delta, and Rikon are all good lathes. A lot of guys wouldn't have anything but the variable speed. To me it is a additional expense. It takes me 30 seconds to change speed with the belt. I do like the Rikon and it is a good lathe. If you take lighter cuts on bigger bowls it does fine. I turned a bowl that was 11 7/8" and could still put a quarter between it and the bed. The Delta and Jet will do 10" or slightly less. By the way I find myself using my Rikon more than I do my big 15" unit.

[Gilbert Vega]

hey guys,
i am interested in buying a lathe. i like the looks of the rikon mini and have heard good things about the jetmini. any suggestions?
is 1/2 hp too small for bowl? any opinions appreciated.

I've been using a Delta Midi for about 3 years and I have been able to turn Mesquite and Pecan bowls that are 9.5" diameter and about 6" deep. My lathe only has 1/2 hp, so I have to go slow to keep from stalling it. I have just received the Palmgren lathe I bought while Amazon had it on sale. I will be able to turn up to 15" inboard and 20" outboard. Still building the base for so I haven't tried it yet. For the $290 I paid, I think it's a good value. Time will tell.

[David Walser]

All good recommendations. However, since you say space is not a consideration, you should consider the Harbor Freight clone of the Jet 1236 lathe. It is now on sale for less than $200 (in store), has a 12" swing and more than 33" between spindles. For a larger bowl, it's headstock rotates so you can turn outboard. Unlike some items Harbor Freight sells, this lathe is decent quality.

Here's a link to the lathe. Don't pay attention to the price. It's cheaper in store right now.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=34706