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PostPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 12:02 am 
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Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2004 1:01 am
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Location: Rolling Meadows, IL. USA
My old lathe is perty much dead, the reeves pulleys are breaking up.
Barely usuable for now.
Looking for a replacment for my full size lathe.
I am using it to try to turn bowls
Looking for one on a very limited budget
Was trying to turn a bowl for SWMBO's Christmas gift.

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PostPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 5:39 am 
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One of those "alleged" Reeves drives like the Delta 46-701 or clone? They require continuous care. The old iron with the real Reeves are almost student-proof. Look for some old iron if you are willing to live with 12" over the bed. For 300 or sometimes less, you can get a 46-2XX type, sometimes even a 46-5XX. Another common vintage lathe is Powermatic, with virtual clones of the Delta. Pictures of what's in the shopper can be found at vintagemachinery.org to give you a better idea.

If you want new, look at the "midi" lathes - 12" swing. They come with DC motors if you think infinitely variable rpm is worth it, but at a higher price. Best mechanical lathe out there is probably the offspring of my Nova 3000, the 16-24 (or more). They start over a grand, even on sale.


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PostPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 11:56 am 
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Location: Skagit Co WA
I'm not a real fan of Grizzley machines but they do get the job done. A step up would be Jet. I'd really suggest saving your lunch money and pop for the variable speed option on whatever you decide.

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PostPosted: Tue Dec 22, 2015 11:46 pm 
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Location: Rolling Meadows, IL. USA
The shives are made out of pot metal
It is a Harbor Freight, 12 in. x 33-3/8 in. 3/4 HP Wood Lathe with Reversible Head. It apears to be very similer to the Jet 1236
The Jet also has isues with the Reeves drives also.
It seamed well built and had very good reviews on line and other sourses, stable and long running.
Unfourtantly I got a bad one, I had used it about 2 hours then it set in my shop for over 3 years.

Some one sugested that I use the carcus and install new step shives a 3 phase motor with a frequency drive.

New good lathes a $1500+ aint't going to happen for a very long time.

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PostPosted: Thu Dec 24, 2015 12:26 pm 
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Joined: Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:01 am
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Location: Linwood, Ma, USA, The Center of the known universe
"Some one sugested that I use the carcus and install new step shives a 3 phase motor with a frequency drive"

Best way to go,


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PostPosted: Fri Jan 22, 2016 9:31 pm 
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Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:46 pm
Posts: 278
Location: Hamilton, MS
I have a Jet 1642. Variable speed. Solid heavy machine. I love it and have had no trouble with it. Turns true. I bought a
vacuum chuck that works great with it. I have several chucks and a longsworth chuck I made.
I took the tool rest from an old lathe I had and had it mounted on an adjustable stand that I can use to turn over sized
bowls. I take off the tail stock and move the headstock to the end of the lathe. Then I can turn projects larger than the
bed of the lathe allows. It wasn't cheap, but you get what you pay for.

I had a small Grizzly mini lathe for turning pens and other small projects. It was a piece of junk. Grizzly sent me parts to
fix it, but they didn't work. I finally sent it back and they changed the circuit board and returned it. Still it was never right.

I have a cheap mini lathe from Harbor Freight. Real cheap. On sale one Christmas for $115. It is variable speed and worked ok for a couple of years until the variabe speed switch died. I couldn't get a replacement from Harbor Freight and couldn't find it on the internet. I finally got a variable switch from a local heat and ac place and soldiered it in as a replacement. It isn't exactly right but it works OK. My opinion on Harbor Freight stuff is it is so cheap it is better to use it until it wears out and then just replace it.

Grizzly is not my favorite vendor. I got a cheap grinder motor from them that was threaded backward. I couldn't keep the
stone on it. They finally gave me my money back.


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PostPosted: Sun Jun 14, 2020 9:49 am 
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Joined: Mon Nov 04, 2002 1:01 am
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Location: Big Prairie Ohio USA
Grizzly sells all levels of machine tools ,some junk, some not so bad. I have two of their shapers ,their larger wood lathe and 14 inch bandsaw.and like all of them. But the motor on their knife sharpened gave out quickly. and they stopped carrying them!


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