Still standing at the tarmac, looking forward to flying.

[Brian Kent]

I am an avid hobbyest in flatwork and a long-time lurker at spinny things. (Like lathes, not spiny like lobsters).

I can carve out $1,000 from near future tax return and current savings. So I may be moving from lurking to active looking.
I invite your critique of my plans but will ZAP! each person that tells me to spend a little more now. I can delay and save more, but this season $1,000 is both a celebration and a limit.

Step 1: SDWT
I have attended one meeting of San Diego Wood Turners. I will spend $70 to join and get in on their classifieds and free DVD library ($930 left). Several Mentors have offered free lessons, which I will accept.

Step 2: Trying it
During Mentor lessons I can experience different lathes and see how quickly I will add bowls, or whether my bowl appetite will be satisfied making 10" bowls or 12" or 18" bowls.

Step 3: Look for excellent used mid-sized lathe (Jet 1442 or larger).
No reeves drives. No Harbor Freight. No rebuilding really old machines - that's not my hobby. Pulleys yes, overhaul no. Variable Speed preferred. Watch Craigslist. Ask mentors. Look for San Diego Wood Turners members who are upgrading. There were over 100 members present at the last meeting.

Step 4: If used tools can be included great. Otherwise see step 6.

Step 5: Backup Plan. Buy Delta 46-460 from Amazon. $599. Spend another $137.88 on either a stand, an extension, or a Nova G3 Chuck (For now I get to choose just one. The rest can come later). Now I have $193.12.

Step 6: Buy a face shield and my first 2 Thompson lathe tools. Make my own handles. (The rest can come later)

Step 7: Start turning my lumber and firewood pile.

Step 8: Backup Backup Plan: Put it in the savings account and earn more and buy something like Grizzly G0733 when I can afford it. I'm on my own timing. No outside pressure except from y'all.

Critique welcome

[David E Keller]

Sounds like a carefully constructed plan and well thought out… That immediately makes me suspicious and distrustful!

I think the $70 for free mentoring and DVD library is a steal!

The choice of lathes is a very personal thing, but I've never heard anyone say, "My lathe is too large and too powerful!" If you can pick one up used from a club member, I think that would be the route I'd go.

Since you only specifically mentioned zapping people who suggested spending more, I'll suggest that you sell your table saw, planer, jointer, drum sander, and every hand plane within reaching distance… You can do whatever you want with the extra money!

[John Keeton]

Step 4: If used tools can be included great. Otherwise see step 6.

Step 5: Backup Plan. Buy Delta 46-460 from Amazon. $599. Spend another $137.88 on either a stand, an extension, or a Nova G3 Chuck (For now I get to choose just one. The rest can come later). Now I have $193.12.

Step 6: Buy a face shield and my first 2 Thompson lathe tools. Make my own handles. (The rest can come later)

Step 7: Start turning my lumber and firewood pile.

Step 8: Backup Backup Plan: Put it in the savings account and earn more and buy something like Grizzly G0733 when I can afford it. I'm on my own timing. No outside pressure except from y'all.

Critique welcome

Brian, I was OK down to Step 4. Used tools will be very hard to come by, and may well be used up by the time you get them.

Step 5: While I favor a good deal on a used lathe, they are hard to come by, and the Delta is a super lathe. And, with the remaining money, I would suggest buying a reconditioned Nova chuck (SN2) from Teknatool. If you get the Delta, make a stand for it from 2x4s - cheaper and better. Been there and done that.

Step 6: While I do like my Thompson tools, you will need to learn sharpening - and it takes a bit of time (and metal) to get comfortable with that task. I would suggest the Harbor Freight $40 set of tools for awhile. I still use several of mine, and the price can't be beat. BUT.....back to that sharpening thing. If you buy the reconditioned chuck, and the HF tools, you should have enough for a slow speed grinder (unless you have one), and you really need the Wolverine setup with the Vari-grind jig.

Step 7: Good plan.

Step 8: Not a good plan. Lathe prices are going up much faster than any return on savings, and faster, it seems, than most folks can save up extra money. Whatever you do, you will be money ahead to do it now.

[Jeff Fagen]

$70. bucks huu! Our club lost membership when it recently went from $12. to $25. lol

[Brian Kent]

Ooooh. Good advice. That makes sense with the $40 set for practice, especially practice grinding.

Grinder question: I have a Delta 6" variable speed grinder and a combo sander. Will either of these work? Is that reconditioned Nova Chuck (SN2) better than the "Delta Industrial 46-461 Reversible Nova G3-D Woodturning Chuck"?

[Brian Kent]

$70. bucks huu! Our club lost membership when it recently went from $12. to $25. lol

I guess it is $40 for local dues and $30 for NWWA dues.

[Roger Chandler]

If I were in your shoes............I would go ahead with the Delta 46-460.............or just bite the bullet and go ahead with the G0733 from Grizzly..............unless I could find a used Jet 1642 evs for a decent price. It only hurts when you buy it, and that pain fades quickly when you use it a few times and turn something that someone will purchase from you [ 30 pens sold at $20 each will get you around $500 profit............not hard to do in short order!

Great that you can get mentoring, it will save you loads of time and mistakes. JK is correct.......you NEED a slow speed grinder and the Wolverine setup for sharpening gouges...........good luck Brian!

[Brian Kent]

I looked up the Wolverine Grinding Jig. Do you recommend Vari-Grind or Vari-Grind 2 with its own base or something else?

[Tim Chase]

Brian
The Delta should work but you'll likely need a riser/ wooden spacer, to get the proper spacing to the wheel center for the wolverine jig.
On the Nova chuck you'll likely get more / longer use out of the SN2 refurb as it will be the one you use more with your 2nd / larger lathe. I say this as I had a Delta midi lathe for 6- 8 months before I was shopping for a larger swing lathe.
I skipped the cheap tools and had little trouble learning to sharpen on a shop made wolverine style grinder jig (King Hepel) (maybe wrong name) but some one here will have a link to the online plans. It worked great but I picked up a wolverine on sale a few years later. With all the mentoring you'll get the sharpening down in no time. I was totally self taught so you'll learn many of the mistakes before ever making them. Keep your eye's open for a used Nova 16-24 lots of capacity 16" swing and the closest thing to variable speed your gonna find for the $ spent. I'd go for more lathe and less accessories adding chucks etc later as I had the extra $
JMHO
Tim

[David E Keller]

Most prefer the original vari-grind it seems.

[Wally Dickerman]

WARNING...Save your retirement money!!! Don"t let guys who speak of turning fruitcakes sway you...Get your table saw blade sharpened and forget woodturning.

[Doug Herzberg]

Brian, I can tell you're a slow "decider" like me. It was two years from my first bowls on my old tube lathe (from the 70s) to my decision to join SMC in November 2011 (I was an occasional visitor and lurker before) and take the plunge. My windfall was a little larger than yours, but after my 18" band saw and GO698 lathe, it was gone.

Beware the pull of the Vortex! Since spending the entire windfall, I have purchased: Trend AS Pro, Woodcraft grinder, Wolverine grinding system & original vari-grind, Thompson 5/8" V bowl gouge, outboard extension, and the beginnings of a high speed sanding system (after reading Dan's post a few weeks ago). And that's just what I can remember. The grocery money and the education of your children is at risk!

JK is right - practice grinding on cheap steel. Don't wait too long to get a good bowl gouge, though. After a few times with the cheap tools, you will appreciate the good stuff. You can make your 6" grinder work, but what kind of wheels do you have on it? For me, the Woodcraft on sale with two wheels was a better deal than trying to make one of my high speed grinders work. I got the Vari-grind first, intending to make the sliding pocket, then, on a whim went to WC and paid full retail for the Wolverine system. Never looked back.

You will want a scroll chuck. I went with Grizzly and had some problems, but they took care of it under warranty. I just had to wait. If you can get the rebuilt SN2 for $99, it won't be much more, but that doesn't include the insert and the accessory jaws cost more than Grizzly.

Not to be too political, but I think inflation is in our country's future. I've been wrong about this for a long time now, but that hasn't stopped me from buying things while I can afford them. Interest is cheap, so you could buy a better lathe and figure out a way to pay back the loan (skip Starbucks and pocket $3/day=$90/month). Lathes are like motorcycles - I'll always want a bigger one.

And listen to Wally. Make sure you have retirement and family covered before taking the plunge. Somehow I think you've already considered that.

Don't be too quick to dismiss a really cheap lathe. You can learn a lot about whether this is the hobby for you without spending much at all. If I could figure out a way to get it to you, I'd give you my old tube lathe. It has a four jaw chuck, but not the self-centering kind. Still, you could get a SN2 and just buy a new insert to match the new lathe if you decide this is the sport for you.

Good luck.

[Brian Kent]

Great advice, Doug. If I had a truck I'd take a trip to my old stomping grounds in Colorado and get that old lathe! (Born in Greeley, raised in Westminster, day trips to Colorado Sprints)

And yes, I am taking seriously the ongoing skyrocket costs. I am on the "Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University" plan. This is way subordinate to more important steps and I am practicing not using the card for hobby stuff. The only exception to the rule is safety equipment.

My plan was to wait until I could afford the initial purchase.

It is obvious I know nothing about this. Had no idea that a chuck and jaws were a separate purchase. I'll google "chuck insert" and find out what the heck that is.

The advise you guys are giving me is great!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Brian the chuck is made with a standard thread. The spindles on lathes have threads. Different lathe and chuck manufacturers use different threads. So a chuck insert matches the thread on the chuck with the thread on a specific lathe.

[Mike Svoma]

Welcome to the dark side, Brian. You do realize that this is how the vortex got a grip onto Keaton, and has since fully engulfed him? You can try to take it slow, but once you're in, you will not have a chance to turn back........