Popular Woodworking 2004-12 № 145, страница 73

Jet

800-274-6848 ■ jettools.com

A lathe with electronic variable speed is a lot like a dishwasher. There's no sense in hand washing dishes when you can simply flip a switch (or in this case, turn a knob). This lathe was a joy to use. If we were to take Oneway's 1018 mini lathe out of the test for cost considerations, this one would be alone at the top of the list. Therefore it deserves our Editor's Choice award.

The $350 lathe featured three speed ranges that work like the gears on a bike. Changing the spindle speeds simply requires swinging the electronic variable-speed control box out of the way, and then opening the pulley cover on the back.

All the levers were metal and didn't interfere with one another when making adjustments. When spindle turning, we couldn't bog down the motor. When faceplate turning at the slow end of a speed range, you could bog the motor down a

JML-1014VS

bit - but that was expected with a DC motor and is a trade-off we're willing to make.

The lathe came with a faceplate that's beefier than others in our review. Also included were a live center, spur center, safety goggles and knockout bar. The knockout bar stores in the front - get a magnet and move it to the back so it's out of the way.

If you can't afford the Oneway (and many can't), get the Jet. You won't be disappointed.

JET JML-1014

Jet's JML-1014 mini lathe was the same quality lathe as the JML-1014VS minus the electronic variable speed - and it costs only $225. The Penn State lathe aside, it's the least expensive one in our review, offering superior features and functionality. Therefore it deserves our Best Value award.

Penn State

800-377-7297 ■ pennstateind.com

This was the least expensive lathe. Though it had decent power and torque, you might tire of its shortcomings, and that would be $160 wasted.

The bed was nicely machined. Included were a faceplate, spur center, live ~ center, two hex wrenches for adjustments (which you must keep track of) and a spare belt (which is nice). The tailstock handwheel handle wasn't fixed, which is good. Although parts of the levers were plastic, it was a much better expression of that form than other

plastic levers on lathes we tested. The toolrest had a decent configuration but was sloppily made and would require some extensive filing. The tailstock slipped, but it was comparable to other lathes.

Changing speeds was difficult. You must turn two knobs and swing two cover plates out of the way to access the pulleys - when you do so, the speed change chart is upside down. This is minor and something that could be easily fixed. The cover plates were plastic and one of ours was cracked. There was bad lever interference. The lathe featured plastic feet -you'll need to take them off to bolt your lathe down.

If you're looking for a bargain machine, we recommend you spend a bit more and get the Jet entry-level lathe. You'll save yourself some headaches.

Vicmarc

+61-7-3284-3103 ■ vicmarc.com

The Vicmarc lathe is sold in two configurations - we tested the VL100 Pro-Package ($650), which included an enclosed steel cabinet and motor. You can buy a less expensive ($340) version where you supply a motor and build a base. As none of the other lathes in our review required such work we tested the Pro-Package. The lathe itself offered quality power and torque, plus 24-pin indexing. Included are a faceplate, spur center, two nice live centers and a knockout bar that locks your spindle. But the base caused too many problems. VL100 PRO ^nis Changing speeds verged

JIIVICAARC VL1001,

on the ridiculous. You must completely remove two access plates, each attached with two machine screws, to access the belt. Once these plates are removed, the access holes were small.

The base also made the lathe too high for a typical workbench. You'll have to buy or build a stand to get the lathe to a comfortable height. Also, our pulleys were misaligned and couldn't be fixed. This would eventually shred the belt. The only decent part of the base was its built-in drawer.

On the lathe itself, the toolrest lever wasn't long enough to get adequate locking leverage. We liked other toolrest configurations better. The switch was in a location where it could easily be bumped.

If you want a decent lathe, and you have a spare motor and time on your hands to build a base, you might consider this machine. But as popular as this lathe has been, we think that better ones exist.

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100 Popular Woodworking December 2004