Lathe preference

smilner01

smilner01

New member
What lathe are you guys running? My 13 y/o turned a bowl on a friends lathe and is hooked and I think it will be a good hobby for us to get into together. So thinking about getting a more entry level lathe that he can work on and We can try our hand at making a few calls.
 
My Jet lathe has been used almost daily since '06. NO problems ever with it.

If I had to buy another lathe, I'd buy the same model again.

There are many great lathes out there. Shop around, buy the best you can afford, then take good care of it.
 
We saw that rockler has the exelsior bundle on sale, it gets good reviews on rocklers website, but if you go to other places for reviews it says it is under powered and the slowest speed of 760 is too fast. So we are looking at the Nova Comet ii, the delta 46-460, and the Jet 1015 (maybe the variable speed). Guess the hard part is not really having an idea of what we will be primarily turning with it in the long run. Hate to spend the money on the excelsior (even though it is much cheaper) if it will be a dud in the long run.
 
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I actually have the Excelsior. Had it for going on 10 years now and it’s honestly been a good machine. The one regret I have is that it’s not variable speed. And yes, the speed becomes an issue when drilling and doing a CA finish. I have put it thru the ringer and it’s held up good. It’s had enough power for what I have needed. The power issue comes in when you are working on bowls and bigger projects
 
That is great to hear. They definitely have a great price on a bundle with tools, and it would allow enough wiggle room to get a chuck and other tools as well.

Is the lack of a reverse function a real drawback or is that a feature you wouldn’t use much in turning anyway?
 
Something you will find is there isn’t a reverse function on most midi sized lathes I don’t believe. That would be handy when sanding. But really the only time I could think you would really need it. And for the extra cost of buying a bigger lathe that will reverse, I can flip a call around to sand it. Lol
 
In the DFW area I would check out Wood World of Texas store. It has been a few years since I was in it, but they had a decent selection to look at. I believe they are also the location of one of the woodworking clubs meeting area.

Also check out your Craigslist, a few years ago I picked up a nice piece of old iron, a full size Delta for a $100 off the Dallas Craigslist. Just make sure you know what they are selling, some pieces of junk on that site.
 
Jet Mini. Also found a newer Jet Mini for my son on Craig's List with a bunch of tools for $100. Just about killed myself getting over there with the cash.

Moosetrot
 
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