Plan of Attack
Posted By Travis on January 22, 2010
As of this writing, I’m about $100 short for purchasing my lathe. I’m looking at the JET JML 1014VSI 10-Inch-by-14-Inch Variable Speed Indexing Mini Lathe. It runs about $437.49. I’m purchasing it from Amazon. I tend to prefer shopping much of my stuff there. Not only for the reviews, they really take care of you if you have any problems. Plus, I find them much cheaper than other sites. I’m hoping I’ll have rest of my funds together in the next few weeks.
I looked at the PSI lathes, and they are much cheaper. I know pen turners really like those lathes and my understanding its a great value. But I only wanted to buy a mini-lathe once. While I really want to turn pens, I’m also interested in all kinds of small projects. From small bowls, pepper mills, keychains, tool handles and whatever else comes to mind. Jet is such a solid machine, and a favorite among turners, I figured I’d spend the extra money and get something I know will grow with me. We’ll see how happy I am with my choice. 
Unfortunately, just buying a lathe doesn’t get you turning. You’ll need additional supplies. You’ll need turning chisels and a sharpening system. Since I want to start with pen turning, I also need a starter package for pens. This adds a lot to the startup. Especially when you’re scraping just to buy the lathe. I posted a question in the pen-turning forums about the basic equipment I need to get started.
Based on that advice, I decided to buy a cheap chisel set from Harbor Freight. The 8 piece turning set was $44, but it was on sale for $40. Plus the box was damaged, so I got it for a discount of $36! Basically they said this will work just fine. When I’m ready to upgrade a particular chisel, but a really nice one. But for now, this will do just fine.
As far as a starter kit, since I already have the chisels, they recommended a basic package from Craft Suppies USA. It doesn’t include a DVD, but with YouTube and all the instructions on the internet, I doubt I’ll need it.
OK. Here’s the big one…sharpening. I don’t have a bench grinder, so there’s an added expense. A grinder runs about $100-150. Plus, you’ll need a sharpening jig for the grinder, which also runs from $100. You can make your own jig easy enough, which I’ll definitely look into. But for now, I think I’ll do it the hard way and sharpen by hand. I think I’ll buy some diamond stones from Harbor Frieght for the job. I think I could rough it for a couple months until I buy the grinder I need. I may even look into purchasing a commercial jig instead of building my own. But we’ll see when the time comes.
Anyway, that’s my plan of attack to get me turning as soon as possible with a limited budget.