which mini to buy

Joan Keeler

Member
Messages
135
hello all

ok so i am looking for a variable speed mini-lathe to buy untill i can set up my full size jet in about 8 months . i just cant take waiting anymore and want to get turning :D so the question is which VARIABLE SPEED mini to buy ?

i have rheumatoid arthiritis so my hands dont work like everyone elses . this makes belt changing almost impossible by myself. is there such a critter out there with no belt ? or if not, one where i can leave the belt in one place most of the time ? i will be looking for the minilathe as well as a stand and also an extension bed . anyone have the magic answer for me or some good suggestions :huh:

thanks in advance joan :D
 
I agree with Tod. The Jet mini with electronic variable speed is a good lathe, requires no belt changing (just turn the dial), and has a bed extension and stand available.
 
Joan, I have a mini lathe which is belt change... no problem, I leave it on the top speed.

Provided you're not attempting out of balance pieces it shouldn't be a problem; needless to say everthing must be secure before attempting to start the lathe!
 
I've enjoyed the Jet mini with the EVS. Although you can change belt positions for different speed ranges I haven't bothered and I've done everything from pens to 9" bowls to 36" spindles (with an extension). I've even done some fairly large out of round pieces though there were some hairy moments. Overall I'm very satisfied with it. Of course it has only whetted my appetite for a much bigger machine but that will be a future purchase. The EVS will definitely be on that bigger one though, I'm spoiled now.
Here's some examples of my biggest blank so far:
Out of round sumac.JPG

roughed out sumac.JPG
 
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The pen turning forums are practically houses of worship for the Jet Mini VS. It's the standard by which all other minis are judged. Check around, prices vary greatly and some sales are real bargains.
 
I'll quintuple the recommendations for the Jet Mini VS. I don't have one but I have used one and have taught classes using it. It is a fine little machine. I personally have the belted version which I love but if you have dexterity problems go with the VS.
 
Thanks everyone. Upon your advice I went to Rockwell to check out the Jet mini vs. There is belt changing but I was thinking that if I left it on the middle range I probably could do most any kind of project. I did see something on the internet about the Nova DVR. Any comments or experience using this lathe? :huh: From what I read I think it is completely eletronic wih no belt changes. Couldn't find a price so I don't know how it compares with the Jet, in that respect. :dunno:
 
Joan, the Nova DVR is about $2,000 or so. It's a great lathe, more in the league of the bigger Jet lathes...a very small step below the REAL big boys like the Powermatic and Oneway.
 
Joan I have the Nova DVR. I must say it is a joy to use. It is all electronic and you can set it with controls on the front. I can run the speed up or down with buttons or I can save 5 preset speeds to which I can go to any one of them with the touch of one button. I have Rikon midi which is a belt change which I like very much but for the money the DVR is one honey of a lathe. I can turn from 16" inboard to 29" outboard. All I can say it is one sweet lathe. I got mine at Woodcraft with 10% off and got the outboard turning jig. I have about $2500 in mine with the extra parts.
 
Wow guys, now I have to rethink some things. For the next 10 months I will be living in a rental with a small room I can do my turning, so I figured I would go with a mini lathe to start. The DVR sounds more like the bigger boys and maybe should be the one I get instead of the full size Jet lathe. I don't think the space would be able to handle the bigger sized lathes. It sounds from all of your advice that the Jet mini is the way to go for mini lathes and when I have a larger space to look into and compare the DVR with some of the larger sized lathes. Thanks for all the good tips. Really appreciated. :thumb:
 
Joan....A question?..........What are you planning on turning?

If you plan on turning anything fairly large...ie a small bowl or vase....that can be done on a mini..........However, select a mini with the lowest possible speed. When you place a wood blank on the lathe to begin the roughing out procedure, it will not be balanced. Even a small bowl blank...say a bowl with a 6-8" finished diameter, the slower speed you can initially start the lathe at until you have roughed turned it some, the better. Otherwise, the vibration caused by the out of balanced blank can cause you to have to chase that mini around the apartment/home/shop. After you get the blank roughed out some, you can then turn the speed up for turning it faster and some cases better turning.

Thus....one of the parameters to consider when buying that mini is the slowest speed available.

I understand the problems involved in having arthritus....You can, however, circumvent that by the use of "cheater" pipes... small short pieces of pipe placed over the lock and tension adjustment levers to give you mechanical advantage and allow you to properly tension the belt and lock it without using a great amount of force.

If you are turning pens or just doing spindle work, for the most part, the slower speeds aren't really as important as they are in bowl and vase and Hollow Form (HF) turning.

I use a Jet mini VS. It's lowest speed is 500 RPM IIRC and when I first turn on the lathe with a small bowl blank on it....It can be interesting....and if the last thing you turned was a pen and you had the speed set to 3200 RPM and forgot to change the belt and lower the speed....It can MORE than interesting..it can be down right exciting.

My advice...if you are thinking of turning bowls....find a mini with a good reputation for reliablity and with a slow speed setting....Don't be worry too much about changing the belts as you can use "cheater pipes" to gain mechanical advantage and reduce the mechanical force you have to exert to tighten things up.

Jet VS Mini....Jet Mini.....Rikon Mini.......all have pretty good reputations and happy users.

Good luck with your trip into the Vortex!
 
Thank you Ken :D I appreciate the tip on "cheaper pipes". In all phrases of my life I find ways to adapt so I can still do things. I am always looking for ways to do that, so your tip will really help. It also helped me realize I can still go ahead and purchase a mini lathe because I have found that almost all mini's seem to have the belt changes at certain speeds. I will probably start out doing pens and smaller objects like candle stick holders etc and than try a bowl or two :)
 
Joan one of the things I did and still do for my peace of mind is I use a face plate. Yep I am a face plate turner. If you take a bowl blank that is out of balance use a face plate then bring the tailstock up against the piece. This way you have it sandwiched inbetween the faceplate and tailstock. Once I get it round, the outside turned and more balanced I then put a tenon of for the chuck. It is safe and at least for me gives me peace of mind.
 
hi joan

comparing the jet to the nova is a capital offense and you could be given an imediate death sentence for it if the wrong person sees this post :eek::eek::eek: :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

on a more serious note the dvr is a full size lathe , so its not really fair to compare it to a mini :doh:
 
Hi Joan

I see you are looking at a couple of different machines for your turning. The Jet mini is probably the most common and has the highest regard overall. Parts are easy enough to get and accessories are plentiful. If you go with a variable speed machine, you can plan on not having to change the belt very much if you do not want to. In fact, if you are focusing on a certain type of turning, you might never need to change it!

Pens, bottle stoppers, and other "skinny" spindle projects do very well at higher speeds. You almost never need the low end torque you would with a bowl, but the high speed top end for cutting and polishing is a real bonus. On the other hand, if you are going to do a run of bowls, then the low end is where you want to be. That gives you enough torque to move the thing without having the motor run so slow that you keep stalling it.

I do not own a DVR, but I have turned on one a number of times, and it would be an ideal machine for you if you want to avoid belt changing. I almost bought one myself a couple of years ago when I was preparing to put a third lathe in the shop for classes. I ended up buying a Vega bowl lathe, but that is a different machine and a different story altogether. But the DVR is a very nice machine. The only thing you could fault if for is the stand is a little on the light side. That is easy enough to remedy though, and should not be a hindrance in choosing this machine. It has the benefit of being able to swing large blanks, while still keeping the high speed for small spindle work.

The best of both worlds of course, is two lathes! :D That way you can go back and forth depending on how they are set up, and if you are turning a hollow form on the big one, you can do finials and collars for it on the mini. Good luck with your decision, and if you have more questions, be sure to post them.

Bill
 
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