I have searched the archives and read all I can on mini-lathes and chucks, and etc. I still have a few questions I hope someone can answer. First of all, bear in mind I'm at this point a hobby builder, building for me and friends, and funds are fairly limited.

1.) Looking to purchase a Rikon or a PSI Turncrafter Pro - both of these, while at slightly different price points, seem to be great values.

2.) Accessories - I know I need a live center, and I would buy a jacobs chuck right away as well, then hopefully a 4 jaw chuck ala the Nova Precision - but has anyone used the PSI 4 jawed chucks? How do they stack up against the Nova? I plan to use the live center/jacobs chuck setup for mandrel work.

3.) Does Andy's video show the techniques/tools/etc. to bore out wood grips, etc? Lathes are brand new to me, and I have a hard time picturing how you mount/drill/etc. a grip.

4.) I know I need a good sharpening system - but to start off, can I go with sanding discs as I've seen mentioned and found on some websites? As far as a slow speed grinder with pink/white wheels - can anyone recommend where to buy these at?

I hate to sound cheap, but I'm trying to get into the turning world with intelligent choices made in an order in which I can benefit most right away, without having to buy it all at once, since I simply cannot afford it all at once.

Thanks in advance for any help!

Hi Rich,
Here are answers to your questions:

1. Yes, they are...I know folks who have used both lathes, and they were satisfied with both.

2.The lathe should come with a live center, spur center and face plate. The jacobs chuck is best used in the tailstock with a drill bit to bore wood for reelseats. The Nova is a great chuck, but I have also heard good things about the new PSI I think it's called a barracuda?

3. The DVD wil walk you through just about EVERYTHING you need to know regarding the use of a wood lathe for rodmaking purposes, from pieces and parts of the lathe to shaping cork, boring and turning reelseats and endcaps, sharpening etc...

4 I use a belt sander to sharpen tools and it works fine. I also have a slow speed grinder with special wheels and all that fancy stuff, but find myself using the belt sander for just about everything these days. It's cheaper, more forgiving, and seems to give very good results.

Andy Dear
Lamar Fishing

Thanks for the quick response Andy - I can guarantee that the first thing I buy after the lathe will be your DVD!

Can you also use the jacobs chuck in the headstock to hold the mandrel? Is there a disadvantage to doing this?

I'm assuming you use a slow speed belt sander - 1725rpm? With fine grit belts? I have one of those little 3450 rpm jobs, but I'd be afraid to attempt anything the least bit precision on it - although it works well for guide prep.

you can, but there are 2 slight disadvantages:

1. The jacobs has no hole in the back of it like a standard chuck. The hole allows you to slide your mandrel through and grip it in the middle, decresing the possibility of "whip"

2. The jacobs chuck sticks out over the bed farther, which slightly decreases the length of the grip you canmake.

These are small disadvantages, but are there none the less

Andy

I have the PSI 4 jaw Utility chuck and am very happy with it. Had the Barracuda been available when I got mine, I would have gotten it! I agree with Andy (of course) on the Jacobs chuck to hold the mandrel although it will work. You will want one to put in the tail stock to bore with though. I bore my stock first, then mount on Andy's mandrels and turn. That way the piece will be concentric to the hole.

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/2006 12:38AM by Mike Barkley.

Ah, makes sense on the jacobs chuck thing - I can see wanting to be able to make the mandrel's effective length as short as possible.

Mike - can you give me a guesstimate of the length of mandrel you can accomodate with the Turncrafter, your 4 jaw chuck, live center, and no extension bed? I'm assuming it's well under 18" but how much? Thanks!

Rich

1) Get the Jet and cry once.

2) Spur center, live center, and a face plate will come with the lathe. A jacobs chuck is useful but not needed. I use my drill press mostly for drilling out blanks but that's me. As for a chuck, get a three jaw chuck for your lathe if you're buying the chuck to hold mandrels. 4-jaw chucks are great for woodturning (bowls) but aren't necessary, making a jam chuck on a face plate works well too. The Nova chuck is good, stick with that or the better Oneway Talon or Vicmark chucks. A nice 4-jaw chuck is a good investment if you plan on making bowls, but they aren't used for turning spindles.

3) Haven't seen it but I'm sure it's good if Andy makes it.

4) The Woodcraft slow speed 8" grinder is very good for the price and it comes with fairly decent wheels that you don't need to upgrade. Craft's Supplies (www.woodturnerscatalog.com) or Packard Woodworks (www.packardwoodworks.com) are good sources of wheels if you get a different grinder. You'll find that a repeatable grinding setup is very useful for your woodturning tools. If you can't maintain the same geometry when you sharpen your tool then you’re using a different tool each time at the lathe. There are many ways you can accomplish a repeatable setup (I once built a device for a 1”x42” belt sander that lets me use my Tormek jigs) but the most used and one of the easiest to setup is the Oneway Wolverine system.

I have a Turncrafter Pro with 54" bed with the 9 piece Barracuda chuck with 4 sets of jaws, etc. I am really satisified with the lathe. It is very simple to work with and the Barracuda chuck kit is awesome. Your mind is the limit when working with this setup. I mainly purchased the lathe for turning cork and to make wood handles for Rod Blanks. I also make Topwater lures, Suspending lures, Slow sinking lures, etc. You can turn projects at High RPM or slower RPM. Good luck with the lathe you purchase.

Capt. Marvin Engel
Big M's Fishing Charters LLC

Rich,

I have the PSI turncrafter and the longest 1-piece grip I can do is about 15". This is the reason I got this was due to the 17" between centers without the bed extension. I do both spey foregrips and long salmon/steelhead rear grips that hit 14" and this seems to fit fine.

I have the PSI C series utility chuck and the cheap 3-jaw chuck. I ordered the pin jaws for the utility chuck and I should have enough range to cover all the mandrels now. Make sure you get a chuck that has a hole in it so that you can shorten the mandrels when you want. I've also used the jacobs chuck more than I would have thought so would recommend getting it. The keyed ones are about $10 cheaper and if you aren't switching bits out all the time, it works great.

Good luck!

Terry

I have only used the Jet Mini and it is excellent. No matter which lathe you choose the dust will need to be managed. Look on the Photo Page under Equipment and Tools for Mike Barkley's Economy Filter set up. It's a Box Fan with a 3M Filtrete (Furnace) Filter "Medium" attached to the back. The fan stands behind the lathe; facing away. This will collect most of the airborne dust particles. A shop vac (temporarily) attached to a strategically placed collector hood is ideal for getting the larger stuff. If you can mount your lathe on a wheeled stand and roll it outdoors for working then the dust problem is lessened. But for working indoors you will quickly become sick of the messuy dust a lathe can generate. EVA and some of the cork products are particularly pernicious in clinging to everything in the area. This does not have to cost a lot but I believe you will find it a vital necessity in short order. Best to plan for it at the getgo.

Dave

i have the jet and love it. i have a 4 jaw chuck and would recommend it over the 3 jaw. i say this as the 4 jaw can hold a mandrel and hold square stock for center boring. the 3 jaw holds a mandrel well ,but cant hold square stock. i have heard good things about the other lathes, but have no first hand knowledge.
good luck with whatever you get