Midi Lathe Recommendations

[havighurst]

I am looking to purchase a midi lathe in the next several months. I missed the Amazon sale on the Delta, but I will be watching Amazon closely in the future as I do not want to spend alot of money. I have been looking at the lathes from Delta and PSI for about $160 and the Jet and Rikon for about $250. I just want a lathe to turn pens and maybe some small bowls. I would be interested in hearing about any experiences with any of these lathes or other options that I might be missing.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

[MikeMcCoy]

Just a suggestion -- it might pay in the long run to look at a lathe that you can get a bed extension for. I bought a small lathe just for turning pens and small spindles and it took about 4 weeks before I had a larger Jet 1236 sitting in my already crowded shop. It worked just fine for pens but it doesn't take long till you want more capacity. At least that way, if (when) you get the bug for larger items, you are half way there and the accessories that you might (will) obtain will continue to work.

[Russianwolf]

I am looking to purchase a midi lathe in the next several months. I missed the Amazon sale on the Delta, but I will be watching Amazon closely in the future as I do not want to spend alot of money. I have been looking at the lathes from Delta and PSI for about $160 and the Jet and Rikon for about $250. I just want a lathe to turn pens and maybe some small bowls. I would be interested in hearing about any experiences with any of these lathes or other options that I might be missing.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

There are quite a few that use almost identical castings (jet, delta, and PSI to name a few), with just the fit and finish and paint scheme being the difference. The important things are that it be MT2 (since the accessories are transferable to larger lathes, and more widely available), and that you avoid the pipe lathes.

I have a PSI turncrafter pro (with a cracked base) and it turns things pretty well. I did have to shim one side of the tailstock to get it to line up with the headstock, but it was a fairly minor adjustment. I'm happy with it, but know I will upgrade to a true VS model later (much later most likely).

As far as VS units are concerned, there aren't many true VS midi's out there. Most of them reduce the amount of belts changes, but do not eliminate them totally. I think Steel City has a true VS model, but it's pricey.

[havighurst]

I just stopped in my local HF and saw that they had a larger lathe on sale for $199 and I have a 15% off coupon. Would this be a better option?

[guycox]

It depends.. Stay away from the one with the sheet metal bed. It seems that the lathe with the cast iron ways has a funny nose on the headstock. In any case, check that it has MT2 head/tailstock and that the threads on the headstock are "common" (check NOVA and Oneway for chuck thread adapters).

I'm pretty sure that there have been reviews written on bt3central on at least 2 of the HF lathes.

[Ken Massingale]

I just stopped in my local HF and saw that they had a larger lathe on sale for $199 and I have a 15% off coupon. Would this be a better option?

That's probably the 34706, 10 speed and rotating headstock. From user reviews on Woodnet and other forums it's a nice reliable lathe. The rotating headstock is a useful feature. I haven't used it but would give it serious consideration if I were in the market.

[Joe DeFazio]

I have the HF 34706, and I like it a lot (though I don't have that much experience with other lathes, other than the cheapie metal-tube-framed HF lathe which I quickly outgrew). I think that the HF34706 is an incredible bargain. It is a very-near clone of the Jet 1236 lathe, which is highly regarded, and which was itself thought to be a great bargain at $600 several years ago. In comparison, $169 is unreal.

After I weighted it down with more than 250 lbs. of pavers, it is rock-solid. The variable speed (reeves drive) is easy to use and extremely handy. The headstock and tailstock tapers are MT2, and the spindle threading is 1x8 - both common sizes that make it easy to find accessories. You can find more info on it if you search the archives and Woodnet's archives.

A common complaint on both the HF34706 and the Jet 1236 is that the headstock can creep upward slightly when you screw in the tailstock to secure work between centers. This is reportedly an issue with most swivelling-headstock lathes. Not a deal-breaker for me, but it's the only drawback I can see (other than the lack of a handwheel for turning the stock by hand or slowing the lathe after killing power, which doesn't bother me either, though workarounds are possible).

If no one has yet warned you, I'd better do so: after you get a lathe, you will very soon want to buy many expensive accessories (starting with a good chuck), so it can get to be an expensive hobby in a hurry....

I sure think that it's worth it!

Joe

[Ken Massingale]

http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthr...llapsed&sb=5&o=

Jet Mini, HF tools and a grinder for $250. This may be close enough for you, I don't know.

[Wooden_Go]

I have mostly Grizzly tools and boufght their new 10" Cast Iron that looks same as the Jet. MT2 tapers. It's on Sale! see at.......
http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0624

[havighurst]

Thanks for all the input. I ended up with the HF 34706. I was actually going to purchase the Rikon, but the associate at Woodcraft stated that she had the Jet 1236 and loved it. After hearing all the positives about the Jet, I went to HF with my 15% off coupon and bought the Jet clone for $170. I will be assembling it this weekend.

[BigguyZ]

Let me know what you think. I have the Jet Mini, but wouldn't mind moving up into a larger lathe.

[Joe DeFazio]

Congrats, havighurst!

In case you haven't found them yet, here are some Jet 1236 links from Tom Hintz, who frequents these parts. They contain some relevant info for HF 34706 owners as well, though the units aren't completely identical:

http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/jwl1236.html
http://www.newwoodworker.com/turning/JWL1236tips.html
http://www.newwoodworker.com/turning...lcjwl1236.html

I strongly suggest weighting down the base (easy to do). Richard Raffan, in one of his books, shows a picture of a 1236 with about six bags of cement on a shelf. You might consider raising the height of the lathe using risers or blocks if you are on the tall side. Of course, that's easier to do before you weight down the base. I made some storage space under my lathe as well.

Most folks here and elsewhere recommend the red-handled lathe tool set from HF. I, not knowing this, got the HF clear-handled set, and they work fine, though the tool steel is not quite as thick or long. If I could do it again, I'd get the red-handled ones. While you're at HF, you might want to pick up a drill chuck for boring at the lathe. They sell one with a MT2 taper (HF42340) that works very well. I think it was about 12 bucks. And whatever you do, get a face shield! Of course, HF usually stocks those as well. The one I got was from Lee Valley, and turned out to be identical to the HF one at twice the price (not knocking Lee Valley - they make great stuff, and I'm happy to help them to succeed in business by purchasing from them!).

Enjoy,

Joe