Local Store to buy a Turncrafter or Jet

[go4broke44]

Tagger, I agree with you, I run mine wide open pretty much all of the time.

When through-drilling harder wood like birch or mahogany though (I through-drill on the lathe) its a lot easier at the slowest speed, the bits just get wayyyy too hot at wide open.

Also, when doing pen blanks, you have to slow down when sanding or it burns the wood, or melts the plastic if you are using one of those fancy plastic blanks.

[Charleston]

It's important to remember the the variable speed lathes are only variable between the belt/pully settings.
My Jet has 4 belt/pully positions. I use 2. The slowest and the fastest.
When turning I am at WOT When through drilling I am in the higher range of the slowest belt/pully seting. When cutting a popper cup I am at the slowest of that same range. It is simply a turn of the knob.
Some drills like the 5/16 or 3/8 used for tail weights don't like the faster speeds of the through drill or nose gromet drill. Simply slow it down.

The few extra $$ for a VS machine is well worth it in my book.