Newsgroups: rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject: Re: One more ?? on the JET 1340 lathe
From: Robert Bastow <"teenut"@ hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 07 Mar 2000 04:03:57 GMT

On a cheap lathe, like this, steer clear of the gear drives..noisy at best,
nasty finishes at worst.  The belt drive will also give you LOWER
speeds..something that beginners tend to overlook in the search for magical top
speeds.  That is, until they try their hands at larger pieces and screw
cutting!!

My own Maximat Super II has a gear head..frankly I wish it were a nice quiet,
ripple free belt drive.  90% of all my turning is done at 300 and 600
rev/min..dropping down to 100 rev/min for screw cutting and up to 1100 rev/min
for polishing!  Very rarely do I crank it up to top speed of 2200 revs..never
much find the need for all that excitement!

And yes..I DO use carbide insert tooling..just never been fooled into believing
that a SHINY finish is necessarily a GOOD finish!

teenut

foxeye wrote:
 
> Am I gaining anything other than less speeds with the gear head, over
> the belt drive lathe and the convienience of not having to swap belts
> around?. How about changinbg the speeds, is changing the belt out all
> that much of a hassle. Its like $800.00 less for a belt drive JET, so
> just how often does one need to change the belts around?
> I assume it would be nicer if the GH had a lower speed, such as
> offered by the BD model.
> So is a belt driven job that much more of a hassle for $800.00
> difference in price?
> 
> Why are micrometer carraige stops not offered for a lathe like this.
> Is there a work around?
> 
> foxeye