Jet Is Coming Out With Another Mini Lathe!!

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Randy_

Randy_

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Dallas suburb, Texas, USA.
Well, not really. Just wanted to suck you into this thread.

Sorry.:frown:

As most everyone knows, JET is pretty much the class of the field for mini lathes. The 1014 and now the 1220 have a rep for being very fine lathes. No doubt they are good lathes; but no tool is perfect and these machines do have a few warts.

I think it would be fun to pretend we have the ear of the chief design engineer in Switzerland and list all of the things we would like to see JET add, subtract or change about the mini to make it a better machine. I am not talking about major structural revisions that would change the basic character of the lathe; but rather just smaller stuff that would be relatively easy to do without coming out with a totally new lathe.

If you have more than one, pick the best one and hold the others for later. Once everyone has posted an idea, come back and add any that you think have been missed.

OK, I'll start.

I would like to see them include a point for their live center that was ground to a 60° angle. Since the point is replaceable, this would not require a whole new live center, just another point at 60° that would probably cost them about 50¢ to manufacture and save all of us the need to buy an after-market LC.

Who's next??:)
 
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Not sure I agree with you there Randy. I'd suggest the Vicmarc 100 variable speed is the king, but that is just my opinion. As for a slightly larger lathe, I would suggest the Oneway 1224. I know that both of these lathes are more expensive but purley on the technical aspects IMOP they are both superior.
Ian
 
Our good friend Jcollazo developed a Mini Lathe Tailstock Upgrade Clamp that I think Jet should incorporate on their lathe. Of course that means buying the design and rights from Joe.
 
Good one Mark; but Joe was not the first to make an improved clamp for the JET Mini. Several people have made them at one time or another. First guy I know of who did it was Keith Outten over at Saw Mill Creek; but can't say he was the first ever.

Interesting piece of information........ I actually mentioned this idea to one of the technicians at the JET facility in Tennessee. He claims they have had no complaints about this problem. Of course, he could have been sugar-coating the issue; but the official JET position is that the clamp is not a problem.
 
Comes with a 60 degree live center rather than the useless one if currently comes with.

Comes with a swiveling tailstock handle.

Now pulls air from the left side of the motor rather than directly where the dust falls in the middle of the lathe.

Has a special key that quickly removes the tool rest without removing the tailstock.
 
I'd like to see a better quality on-off switch on the VS. That chintzy toggle switch has been the first thing to go on many of those lathes.

I got a few more suggestions, but I'll just start with that one.
 
I agree with a better switch for the 1014vs. I've replaced mine twice already. I'd also like to see some sort of built in adjustable task light on a gooseneck or something like that.
 
How about one . . .

How about one that the centers line up with out having to become machinist . . .

We have (2) 1014 . . .neither lined up out of the box.

We still like them . . .

New feature . . . . low speed with power & reversible . . .

Steve
 
Randy,
This may entail a re-design, which I understand you are not advocating, but
I've never liked the motor under the ways... it collects dust and grit and grime and whatever else I spill off the turnings...
 
I would like to see them make a continuously variable 1014/1220 size without the need for pulley changing; IF they won't do that, I would at least appreciate it if they quit re-defining what "continuously variable" is, when in fact it is not. No retooling needed for this last one.

Bugs me for them to use the term "continuously variable" and post a 270-4200 speed range and still have to change belts to get that.

Continuously:"forming an unbroken whole; without interruption"
 
leehljp said:
I would like to see them make a continuously variable 1014/1220 size without the need for pulley changing; IF they won't do that, I would at least appreciate it if they quit re-defining what "continuously variable" is, when in fact it is not. No retooling needed for this last one.

Bugs me for them to use the term "continuously variable" and post a 270-4200 speed range and still have to change belts to get that.

Continuously:"forming an unbroken whole; without interruption"
Click to expand...

Like the DVR xp!!!

Barney
 
ozmandus said:
Randy,
This may entail a re-design, which I understand you are not advocating, but
I've never liked the motor under the ways... it collects dust and grit and grime and whatever else I spill off the turnings...
Click to expand...

Chuck: Couldn't agree more!! Because of my same concern, I started draping a piece of newspaper (actually a double layer) over the motor between the motor and the ways to protect it from some of that trash. It is a little bit of a PIA because the power cord to the motor gets in the way and you have to work around that.

This is not 100% effective in keeping junk away from the motor; but it does reduce the problem significantly. Whether or not this will increase the life of the motor to any extent will be determined somewhere down the road.

The use of a sheet of newspaper is sort of chintzy. I think I may switch over to a thin sheet of plastic of some sort. Only thing that comes to mind right now is one of those thin plastic flexible cutting boards. I've got two of them in the kitchen and may have to relocate one of them.:biggrin:
 
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