Jet parts

[Rich Stewart]

Anybody know where I can buy Jet mini parts that I may need? Nothing broke yet but I have been using it pretty hard for about a year now so I know something is going to go sometime. I would like to be prepared so I am not down for too long.

Rich

[Larry Rupert]

You can get them from Jet of course, but some parts you can get other places, belts, bearings, etc...

Are you looking for specific parts as replacements to keep in stock, or ?

Larry

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Rich....I called the phone number for WMH listed on the owners manual. They were quick to respond.

[Rich Stewart]

ok thanks guys. I looked at the web site for WMH but it seemed like I just kept going in circles. I was thinking maybe one of the turners supply houses might stock them. I just want to have a switch, belt, capacitor on hand when I need it. Do they have to be jet parts or can you use hardware store stuff? Anybody have any experience with them there link belts? I thought I heard somebody say they were better than plain old belts.

Thanks,

Rich

[Dominic Greco]

Rich,
You can get most of the parts from Jet quiet easily. However, you should realize that many of the handles, knobs, and bearings on the lathe can be purchased from another source. Often times at a much more economical rate, and better quality.

When they broke, I bought several replacement ratchet style lever knobs for my Delta Midi from Reid Tool. All you need is the thread size. Heck, if you don't like plastic, they even have steel versions of most of the ones on your lathe! If I remember correctly, the ratchet levers I ordered were much sturdier than the ones that came with the lathe and were cheaper than spares from Jet.

Also, don't forget that any bearings in that lathe can be bought from a Bearing supplier at similar savings. All you need to do is use a vernier caliper to get accurate measurements, and you can find a replacement. My trick is to take these measurements and use McMaster-Carr's or Grainger's Web site to find an applicable replacement. Then I take that print out to the Grainger Store, bearing Supply House, or to a Motor Repair company, and I can get (3) bearings for the price of (1) equivalent manufacturer's spare.

Don't get me wrong, the people at Jet take good care of their customers! But like all power tool manufacturers, they charge an arm and a leg for spare parts. And if I can save a couple dollars here and there (so I can buy MORE tools), it's worth it!

[Bill Boehme]

Anybody know where I can buy Jet mini parts that I may need?

Rich,

If it is a generic part like a bearing or locking lever, then they do not need to be from Jet. Obviously, most of the parts are specific to the mini lathe and your best and quickest solution is just to contact them. You can usually get the replacements in a couple days. I have found that my local WC store has some mini lathe belts since they are something that will need to be replaced after a few years. Five years is about the limit on belt life even if you do not use it because of ozone cracking. For that reason, I would suggest NOT getting a spare belt, at least not until your present belt is getting near the end of its life. You ought to inspect it for ozone cracking at least a couple times a year after the belt is about three years old. I also would recommend that you do NOT get a spare capacitor. Depending upon the type they can lose their ability to work if left unused for several years on the shelf -- it would be analogous to allowing a NiMH battery to self discharge and set on the shelf discharged for several years -- you would find that it can no longer be charged.

FWIW, Jet mini lathe owners who have failed capacitors usually are the ones who push the motors to the limits with large turnings that make the motor run hot most of the time. If all of your turning is pens, bottle stoppers, and the like then the motor is never being stressed.

Bill

[Jeff Myers]

Rich,
I had to replace the capacitor on my Jet mini a few months ago,,,not knowing enuf about electric motors,,,I ordered directly from WMH(Jet)
for about $27 to my door pricing.
I also just last week thought my tailstock spindle or the "lead screw" that
it rides on and that the handle attaches to was stripped and needed replacing(because it was getting sooo hard to crank the tailstock spindle) so i just ordered/recv'd the two parts but found out the problem wasn't either of those parts it was just a burr on the inside of the cast iron tailstock hole that the lead screw fits through that needed filing to make cranking that handle so easy i can "flick" it now and watch it spin that handle about 5-6 complete revolutions!!! It turns so easy now
it's rediculous!
So, if you ever need a tailstock spindle or lead screw,,let me know.

[Clem Wixted]

... Anybody have any experience with them there link belts? I thought I heard somebody say they were better than plain old belts.

Thanks,

Rich

Rich,

The belt on the Jet Mini is a J belt which is a ribbed belt. Link type belts won't work on these pulleys. Use what Bill said about belt life and there are a number of economical web sources for these J belts.

Clem

[Bill Boehme]

Anybody have any experience with them there link belts? I thought I heard somebody say they were better than plain old belts.

Rich,

I take it that you have not actually seen the link belts. They are for use where you would use an A or B section belt. They are not better than standard belts and maybe not as good in some situations, but their real advantage is that you can make up your own belt to whatever length that you need which is a great time saving advantage. Also in some situations where there is a lot of vibration, the link belts are great for decoupling the vibration modes between the driver and load.

Bill

[Rich Stewart]

Thanks a lot fellas. Good info here for me to keep in mind. Especcially the part about turning big stuff on small lathes. Think my wife will buy it when I say I need a bigger lathe? Lol. Oh boy, here I go.

Thanks,

Rich