Jet/PM Lathe sale

Re: Jet/PM Lathe sale

John K Jordan

>To buy or not to buy and if so, the 3520b or the 1642...

Of course you should buy a lathe, duh!!!

The Jet 1642 is a great lathe. I have two, one for almost 15 years. I've made zillions of things and some fairly large, but it will only turn up to 16". A 16" bowl is pretty darned big though. The length is nice if you want to turn long spindles. I've made tool handles for the farm including a shovel handle, although slightly shorter than "regulation" size, what ever that is.

The 110v version of the 1642 is also great if you want to use it where there is no 220 power. It is lighter to move and set up - I've set up both without help.

That said, I have thought about a PM3520 some time, mostly for the occasional larger platter. (In fact, I'm finally getting one next week.) I've turned on one before and it was fine. It is more massive and should absorb a bit more vibration. However, a weighted 1642 will handle a lot of imbalance. The 3520 bed, of course, is shorter but there are bed extensions available. The 3520 has a more powerful motor, but I've never bogged down the 110v 1642s. If you want to use massive tools to hog out big forms the larger motor might be a better choice.

Both have the same spindle threads and can use the same chucks, etc. The Jet is, of course, a lot cheaper.

It is great that you are looking at these to start out. Many people, including me, started with a cheap, low-end lathe then quickly got a better lathe. The advantage of that is you can see if you really like woodturning before you spend a lot of money. Another advantage is when you get a bigger lathe you'll have a cheap one to give away and make someone very happy!

Here are the Jet lathes in use in my shop:

These girls are in the middle of their second turning lesson. They loved it!

JKJ

Re: Jet/PM Lathe sale

john Lucas

I go the opposite of John at least as experience goes. I've owned a Powermatic 3520A for about 12 years or more now. I've demoed and turned on a lot of Jet 1642's. I love both lathes. Probably 99% of all the things I turn can be turned on the Jet. There are two big differences (other than price). I don't know how old you are but the tailstock on the Jet is considerably lighter than the Powermatic. That can get to be a problem if your not careful. And it also depends on the projects you do as to whether you have to remove the tailstock. powermatic just introduced it's version of the swingaway tailstock adaptor and I'm going to get one as soon as I can sell enough turnings to buy one.

The other big difference is the weight. I do a fair amount of offcenter work. The only thing better than mass is foot print to keep the lathe from vibrating when turning off center work. You can obviously add weight to both I've found the Powermatic to really stand out in this factor. It's just flat out more massive.

Now if you are coring a log of bowls the larger horsepower on the Powermatic might come into play.

Re: Jet/PM Lathe sale

Ken Vaughan

A useful rule of thumb is to get as much lathe as you can afford and can fit into the space available.

There are few lathes that can make the claim to be better than the 3520 (and note that I drive a different brand but have turned on the 3520), and there are many "mustard monster" drivers who would argue with them.

Both are good choices

Re: Jet/PM Lathe sale

Tom Albrecht

If you can afford it, get the bigger one. You will never regret that, and you'll never have to buy another lathe!

Re: Jet/PM Lathe sale

cameron youngstrom

I'll be 43 this month. Are you saying that it can be too heavy to lug around?

Re: Jet/PM Lathe sale

john Lucas

Well the tailstock on the Powermatic is 57lbs. I don't know what the Jet is but it's a fair amount less. I still haul mine off the lathe and I'm 66 but I do make sure my back is straight and I'm lifting correctly. You could easily hurt your self if you throw that thing around.

Re: Jet/PM Lathe sale

John K Jordan

Cameron,

I can put the headstock on and off the Jet 1642 by myself but it is a chore. If I need to move one across the room I roll it on a furniture dolly. Once the lathe is set up I can skid the whole thing across the shop but it's not easy.

I'm getting elderly and feeble at 66 (but can still stack bales of hay 6 high!) Three times I've moved a 1642 and I had no trouble moving and setting it up myself (when broken down) but I did have to be careful. A slip could have been disastrous.

This page lists the weight of the 1642 at 456 lbs, the 3520 at 680 lbs.

http://woodlathepro.com/

Their reviews might be useful to you.

JKJ

Re: Jet/PM Lathe sale

Stuart Johnson

There are several examples probably on youtube showing cart with ways that the the tailstock can be slide onto so there is no lifting. I think there is also a commercial type of swing away available.

Re: Jet/PM Lathe sale

john Lucas

A female friend of mine had trouble moving her Powermatic tailstock so we purchased part of a bard door gliding rail and a deer hoist. She simply slides it over to the tailstock, lifts it with the deer hoist that's attached to the barn door rail and then slides it over to the wall away from the lathe. Quick and easy and nothing on the floor to get in your way.

No faceshields for kids????

of course

John K Jordan

Mike,

Kids wear faceshields or safety goggles as appropriate.

Adults 18 or older are educated and offered protective devices.

JKJ

Re: of course

Mike Brazeau

Your first picture showed individuals ( I can't judge age) doing faceplate type work with no face shield. They are wearing safety glasses which protect the eyes but do nothing for the rest of the facial area. My own personal opinion and one that we instituted in our guild is that no one in hands-on is allowed to turn without a face shield. Professional Demonstrators sign a waiver. If they do not wear a face shield. Many say " the microphone does not work with one". Our lapel mic works just great. Mir is a mentality thing. I just think it is a proper thing to teach people regardless of age from the very beginning that using a proper faceshield is the way to turn. I believe the AAW has moved in that direction as well. I guess having a fellow die from turning injuries about five years ago in a town nearby has had a profound influence on my thinking.

Re: of course

John K Jordan

Kids will happily wear what they are told. Adults make their own choice. Most adults are quite self-protective given a bit of education; some refuse to even wear breathing protection when making clouds of sanding dust. I also heard that some people drive too fast, use a phone while driving, don't always buckle seat belts. I've even seen people even shoot guns or run a chainsaw without hearing protection. Oh well.

I would very much like to find a source for child-sized face shields. All I've bought are too big for smaller kids and I have to pad the headband and rig up something to keep it from sliding down too far.

In this case, the 21-year-old girl on the left traded the face shield for goggles when working on the inside, out of the "line of fire." The other switched to goggles after truing the outside of her little cedar practice piece.

Your guild sounds very safe.

We insist kids wear a face shield even when turning a pen. Some say just for face turning; some only for "larger" face turnings, whatever that means. I do wonder what safety equipment is required for turning the 60 lb blank that could cave a face shield right into the skull. Use the safety cage?

JKJ

Re: of course

Mike Brazeau

John, it sounds like you are making the effort. My experience with large pieces is that they just fall off and tumble behind the lathe. It is the pieces of the 60 pound chunk that fly off that we need to worry about. I have been wanting to get my grandsons turning and have not really attempted yet mounting a Face shield on them but certainly will if we ever get there. They are at preteen stage.