Looking for classes around here is near impossible. Home lessons are very expensive.
The only lessons availble at decent prices, close enough for me, are at night.
My disability is becoming too challenging at night for me to risk doing anything with machines. I like my fingers.
Like you, Ive been looking for a used Jet.
I wanted to practice to make sure I can handle the work, but didnt want to invest alot of money and then have to dump it all.
So I went against everything I believe in just this one time.
I promised myself if I need to buy something for woodworking, Id stick to a better known tested and well reviewed brand. Im mechanically challenged, and would prefer having a good support team/company behind their product.
So, I was stuck on this one. Did not want to spend 1000 bucks on the Jet I want, chisels, chuck, and wheel.
Not yet. Not until I know I can deal with turning, something again, is difficult for me to explain, since my vision and eye coordination is extremely bad now.
I had one choice, drive into brookly at night, and get certified to use someone else lathe, at 30 dollars a session. (150 for certification, which I guess is strictly for insurance reasons, since I know Im more qualified from experience to work with woodworking machines then some of the people I saw working in the place)
But working at night now has become near impossible for me as I mentioned.
I was in Atlantic City this past weekend with my wife.
I have stopped gambling, but since I must avoid the heat, stay out of the sun, and dont do well in the evenings, I was extremely bored. I go for my wife, she loves it.
My wife kept mentioning I should walk over to a table and throw some dice.
So I did. It was a good night.
I drove over to the new harbor freight store in Egg Harbor Twshp. Right off the garden state, exit 37. 15 minutes from the casino.
I had one 20% off coupon and one 15% off coupon from the subscripition magazine I get, for one item at harbor freight.
I walked up and down each aisle, buying all the little 99 cent sale items. Rope, gloves, tweezers with magnifyer. They had 2 inch castors on sale for 99 cents, took some of those, cant go wrong for that price. Took a whole bunch of 1.99 items, drill stops, scissors, , bought nortons sanding disks for my orbital in all grits, and alot of other things.
I wanted a recoiling heavy duty extension cord, to hang in the center of my garage, and although they didnt have a great price, I had the coupons for one item purchase.
Then I mosied down the tool aisle.
I stood there for a quite a while, just playing.
They had a 40 inch length bed lathe with sanding disc on sale for 109.
I had a 20% off coupon. 88 dollars for a lathe. 88 dollars. I thought to myself, even if its junk, Im only out 88 dollars and my win the night before would cover me ten times that. But I said, no, you buy junk, you get junk, and walked.
But then I started thinking, no way I can drive into brooklyn at night, I wont be able to really work well, gotta worry about late night driving, finding parking, and pay 30 bucks for a few hours each time I go.
88 dollars. 88 dollars. 88 dollars, the more I said it, the more I said hey, only 88 dollars.
Now I know everyone here will say Im insane, and yes, perhaps I am, but I took the gamble for 88 dollars.
I can practice all I want, and I know Im not getting a quality machine, and expect nothing great to come of it, but its practice, and I need to put time in to see if I can tolerate it. 88 dollars I kept saying all the way home.
I took some wood, drew out the center lines, made slight cuts on the lines with my bandsaw, and the 3 pieces of wood I put into the lathe, have worked fine. I didnt put the sanding disc on. Im just interested in turning cheap scraps for now. I had purchased a cheap chinese made set of chisels a while back for practice, knowing chisels arent something you look to cheapo out on, but this is all a physical issue for me, and I need to know before I invest I can handle it.
So, I invested 88 dollars for a lathe, against my better judgement, but Im having a blast so far.
IN six months from now, Im sure I can sell it for 30-50 dollars, so my total investment will be less than 50 bucks.
I just need to get a sharpening wheel. Not an expensive item.
Sorry about the long post, wanted to explain where I am with this stuff. Hope you guys dont throw me under the bus for not jumping in and getting the jet right now. its on my list as my next purchase.(If my vision and hand coordination work out, I will most certainly get the jet variable, I think the model I want is the 1236)
