Jet mini lathe

[bdad]

Hopefully I'm posting this in the right place. I'm looking at buying my first lathe, and I'm considering the this lathe and tools. Is this a good lathe to start with and is it a fair price? Any feed back would be appriciated.

Jet JML 1014I 10 Inch X 14 Inch Indexing Mini Lathe
http://tinyurl.com/yvnpk4

PSI Woodworking LCMINI2 Mini 5 Piece HSS Wood Lathe Chisel Turning Set
http://tinyurl.com/2c335f

[Tom Miller]

I'd jump on the lathe in a heartbeat, especially at $189. I have the Jet mini (non-variable speed like the one at Amazon), and recommend it highly.

I can't say anything about the tools, though at ~$18 for 5 HSS mini tools, you can hardly go wrong.

And, yes, you did post in the right place...although, at that price, you could even post it in "Bargain Alerts" if it's not already there.

Regards,
Tom

[gerti]

The Jet Mini is a decent lathe, everybody seems to like it.

I bought the PSI mini chisel set a year or two ago when it was on sale for $12 or so. These tools are very light weight, and I don't think they are all that useful other than for the occasional special delicate cut. You'd be better of with the Harbor Freight HSS chisel kit or something like it.

[Brodie]

Lathe Good, but wrong tool set

You can't go wrong with Jet. Its a good little lathe and a real workhorse. Most people are selling that model to get the variable speed version, but you don't really need VS in that size lathe.

The tools you have listed are "mini" meaning small. If you were turning buttons or really delicate bottle stoppers I'd recommend getting a set after you had a regular set.

The tools you purchase depend on what you are planning to do. If you are going to be bowl turning, you need a 1/2" bowl gouge, a spindle gouge, and a scraper. If you are going to do spindle turning (pens, bottlestoppers) you will need a set similar to the one you found, but larger with an overall length of about 14"+. The length gives you the fulcrum you need to control the tool. Harbor Freight has an inexpensive set for something like $36.00 that is full size.http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=47066

When you start looking at bowl gouges, you will receive some sticker shock. They aren't nearly as inexpensive as the spindle stuff. Try Cutting Edge Tools (1-800/790-7980) http://www.cuttingedgetools.com/

They are really reasonably priced wise and helpful. Give them a ring and chat to get an idea of what would work best for your needs.

Also, for very active boards you might try some of the following:
http://www.woodcentral.com/newforum/turning.shtml
http://www.woodturner.org/vbforum/ (American Association of Woodturners)
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/index.php

All of them have, in my experience been very helpful. They also have extensive archives for searching past questions.

When you get tired of bowls and pens check out travel mugs as a new project. They aren't as hard as bowls, but use most of the same tools.



Regards,

Brodie
http://www.SmoothTurning.com