Turning advice

[Jake Helmboldt]

Hi all, I have a few questions about getting started in turning. Another newbie turner, Hal, has a similar thread, but I didn't want to hijack his with my specific issues.

My intro to turning took place 25+ years ago in middle school woodshop and I vowed I'd get a lathe one day. I intend to mostly turn bowls and vessels but I don't plan to do large spindle work (at least for now). I see a lot of advocates of midis, but with the limited swing I'm thinking I want something bigger for some bowls/platters. So...

1. What would be some moderately priced lathe reccommendations?

2. What are some "best buys" that folks reccommend?

3. How does the Jet 1236 stack up for this kind of work? I like the ability to rotate the head for outboard turning, but some say realigning the headstock can be a pain. Thoughts? Are there any major shortcomings to the 1236?

4. Has the 1236 changed in recent years or is it the same? Does anyone know what was different about the Jet "Gold Series" tools, if anything? I picked one up at a decent price (a bit of an impulsive buy due to price), but I've not set it up so I'm not wedded to keeping it. I could sell it and get something else if there is a better fit for my needs.

5. What is a good, reasonably priced chuck?

Any other advice is greatly appreciated.

JH

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Jake....You are about to enter the Abyss.....the Vortex....a bottomless pit with demonic pull that will relieve you of all monetary funds you thought you might have. How do I know? I got shoved into the Vortex by the inmates here 2 years ago.

Keep in mind the lathe is the cheapest part of turning.

I can answer your question about the Jet 1236 as I've not seen one.

There are about 3 ways to get into turning:

1.Buy a mini which will turn small things and allow you the chance to determine if you really want to turn.

2. Buy a used lathe and rebuild it and find out if you want to turn.

3. Buy a big lathe and not have to worry about upgrading.

The best bang for the money out there IMHO is the PM3520B. At around $3,000 you will probably never want to upgrade.

There are bigger lathes....more expensive lathes.....

A mini say the Rikon or Jet will cost around $300-400. While they are great little lathes and I have a Jet Mini VS.....you will probably want to upgrade someday in the future. I did and I own a PM3520B now.

Lathes can cost between $300-20,000......but they are just the beginning and really are the least expensive part of turning. It's the accessories that get expensive.....there is no end to the tools.....chucks.....etc...

Good luck with your decisions.

[George Morris]

RUN FAST don't look back if you fall in there is no saving you!!!!!

That said Like Ken said lots of ways to go ,also you have to buy tools lots of them, dust collection,grinder and sharping jigs.chucks bandsaw and on and on and on ............. But it is fun and you will have something to do with your free time !! Good luck this is a great group.

When I started I bought a used Jet 1442 good lathe came with some of the things I needed. Again RUN !!!!!!!!!! George

[Don Vito]

I agree with Ken. I started with a Delta Midi and they are more versatile than you think. Recently, the local Rockler had the Delta selling for $199. I've seen Jet's that low. If you want to spend $1000...well, Nova has the 1624. On occasion, you can find its predecessor on craigslist, a Nova 3000, for $500. Note too, I've often seen lathe setups including tools and chucks on craigslist. This is not a bad way to start.

Chucks...it is all a question of what you want to spend. I started with a Nova Midi. It really makes life easy for the novice. There are other chucks on the market, including some not as expensive.

You also need to think about sharpening those tools, dust control, and a face shield. Safety is extremely important.

[Dave Stoler]

I recently(2 months) purchased a jet mini. I really enjoy it. But have found that it,s small size can hamper proper technique in bowl turning.For spindles (I have the extension bed) I can see no project that i couldn,t tackle, excludeing extra large bed posts or pillars.
I am already researching a dedicated bowl lathe.
Get a good video.. Bill Grumbines increased my safety factor 10 fold.( have no affiliation).
I am very new,so take this with a grain of salt.It is very addicting.

[Jake Helmboldt]

I appreciate the input. I knew there are lots of related expenses; luckily I have the BS, grinder, etc. So it is only the lathe-specific tools I need. That can't cost too much, right?

Decisions, decisions!

[Rick Huelsbeck]

I have a 1236 and I don't have any problems lining it back up after turning it outboard. Really do enjoy the lathe. It should serve me well for a long time. As to a chuck I have 2, and I really like them both. I have a barracuda 2 that came with 4 sets of jaws. I bought a set for flat jaws for it. Those are good for reversing bowls to finish the bottom. I also have a pinnacle that woodcraft sells. I really like this chuck too. It was less than $100 for the insert and chuck. Came with #2 jaws, and I have bought the #3 and Flat jaws for this as well. The extra jaws are less than $30 a set.

Beware of the vortex, once you enter you will not be able to climb back out.

[Gordon Seto]

JH,

You can find the 1236 discussion here:
http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=73624
Unfortunately, there is not too many full size lathes that don't have too many corners cut to stay within $1K range.
http://www.teknatool.com/products/La...April%2007.pdf
The street prices quoted in the article were off now. The Jet 1642 was on sale for $1300 to $1400 recently.
If you don't want to spend that much; then a good mini or midi lathe is a better option for you to see whether you like turning.

[Pat Salter]

Something I encourage anyone wanted to "test the waters" is to find a local club and go to a meeting. introduce yourself and let them know you are interested in learning woodturning. Chances are there are a string of mentors who would be happy to have you come by their shops where you could at least test drive a lathe. Once you clear the chips from your pockets you would then have a better idea where to go. To find a local club go to the AAW website and look at the list. It can be found at: http://www.woodturner.org/community/...t=Chapter+List
Good luck.

[steven carter]

Jake,

Like you my turning dates back to my school days, and I always wanted to get a lathe. I am just about at my one year anniversary. I started with the Jet 1236. I really haven't done any turning in the outboard fashion, mainly because I haven't had a blank that large that was balanced enough. You'll want to add some ballast to the lathe to make it more stable for outboard turning. As far as alignment, I really haven't had any problems, I just bring up the tailstock and align the headstock and tighten it down, only takes a minute. I went with the SuperNova chuck and it does fine. I recently made a donut chuck for finishing the bottom of bowls. Even though I like my jet I have my eye on a mustard 3520, but am having a hard time justifying the 2700 bucks to take the plunge, as well as running 220 power to the shop. The mustard is something I want, not something I need. One thing to keep in mind, the cost of the lathe is just the beginning. I have a lot more invested in tools and accessories than in the lathe.

[George Guadiane]

I appreciate the input. I knew there are lots of related expenses; luckily I have the BS, grinder, etc. So it is only the lathe-specific tools I need. That can't cost too much, right?

Decisions, decisions!

Join a club, go to demos and symposiums, take some classes, find a mentor and ask to try every tool and lathe you can find. In good company, the learning curve can be shortened dramatically. If it feels good to you the first time it will probably be a strong indication of compatibility. I have done a few demos and STILL go to our club demos, from beginners on up. That helps me to refresh my skills, remember safety and learn new stuff (I don't BELIEVE I will ever know it all, no matter what I say). I LOVE out symposium, it always gives me new projects and ideas I will never get to.
I have a Delta Midi with the extension sitting in a corner. It lasted me the first year. I am now turning on a PM 3520 and that is it for me, couldn't be happier. So, what Ken said!
You mentioned vessels (hollow forms?), the tools for bowl and vessel turning can get fairly costly, then you have all of the sanding, power and otherwise.
If you can get the right information for you, you MIGHT get away with only 2 or 3 "wrong" tools per style, but when you hit it, it's like heaven.
Learning how to use a tool is almost more important than the tool itself. I use several old carbon steel custom sharpened screwdrivers for certain details in my work. For me, it's easier for me than learning how to use the "proper" tools, but certainly not better.

Welcome To The Vortex

[Dean Thomas]

Hey Jake,

I own a 1236 and like it a lot. No, it's not as big as I lust for, but it's plenty for what I actually turn a lot of--small stuff! With my club affiliations and my local friends, I can turn a LOT bigger, if I need to, but most of the time, my 1236 is plenty.

I can answer your lathe-specific questions and can offer some wisdom, I think.

First, edit your profile and put at least a state in there, preferably a city. There might be folks in your back yard who can help you a whole lot with hands on experience.

Second, re-alignment of the head is not a big deal. First, make sure your headstock & tailstock align. Make note of where in the ways your tailstock rests. Mine rests all the way to the back of the space. There is about a mm of fudge room in my tailstock. Once you figure out where your tailstock has to be in order for the point of your spur drive and your tailstock's pointy center to perfectly align, you can get the headstock back there in a couple of seconds.

Third, if you buy the 1236 and if you're more than 5'8" tall, you'll probably want to invest some time in putting a spacer between the legs assembly and the lathe itself to get the spindle up to your elbow.

Fourth, the 1236 has not changed appreciably in a number of years. It was their bargain priced, full-sized lathe. At the time I bought mine, it was the best size:dollar ratio that I could manage. Today, I could get a lightly used 1442 Jet for about the same or maybe less, but that's a couple of years later.

Hope that helps. Contact me here or through email if you have other 1236 specific questions. Can't help you with the "gold" question, though. I do, however, have a friend who might be able to do that for you. Let me know.

[Ben Gastfriend]

Ken, I wouldn't call us inmates.... Ok, yes I would!

I must say something about learning to turn: It's really scary if you don't have someone there, showing you how to do it. Many folks here would urge you to join a turning club, but if you can't make meeting, like me, there are some really good books on the topic:

#1----> "Woodturning - A Foundation Course" by Keith Rowley

#2----> "Turned Bowls Made Easy" by Bill Grumbine (an SMC member!)

#3----> Anything Richard Raffan...

Good luck, and don't forget to show photos of your new setup when you get it!

[Jim Becker]

As you can see, the "vortex" is already swirling around you...

The Jet 1236 is a serviceable lathe, but it was originally designed/patterned as a spindle lathe. It's pretty light-weight when it comes to turning larger bowls and vessels and has a relatively high "lowest" speed. And you can get essentially the same machine design with the Harbor Frieght 34706 which often sells for under $200 on sale. I started there, but found that I very quickly outgrew the capabilities and had to upgrade sooner than I might have liked.

My suggestion would be to try to go a little beefier if you can do so. If not, consider starting with a Midi or frankly, the Jet 1224 midi (especially the version in VS when it arrives on the market soon) which has the same swing as the 1236 and makes for a very capable bowl and vessel lathe for your bench. The Jet 1442 is a much more recent model if you want a "full size" lathe and has a lot more weight with the cast iron legs, etc. There also have been some nice sale prices lately on the Jet 1642 1.5hp VS machine which while at a significantly higher price point, could be a much better long term tool investment if you can swing it (pardon the pun) or wait an extra month or three to save more funds.

[John Shuk]

I'd stick with the Jet 1224 as well. I just don't think the 1236 is a very good value for the money. The Mini/midi lathes are built to a much better quality in my opinion. True variable speed is a much more important feature than swing I find.