New in the shop

It's here.  My new Jet 1642 lathe that is.

The lathe has a 16 inch capacity over the bed and much larger when the head is pushed to the other end bed and you turn off the end.  At 2HP it has the power to spin it too.
Manufacturer's website
Woodcraft website

My initial impressions of the machine are very good.  The machine arrived without a mark on it thanks to my friends at Woodcraft in New Berlin.  At 440 pounds that can't be easy to do.

Getting it into the shop was loads of fun and took five people.  More on that when I get the pictures.  I need to thank Steve, Travis, Thomas, and Grace for taking a night out of their schedule to help me.  Also Barb for grabbing an baking pizzas for the lot of us.

The head stock has some great features.  A spindle lock and index, digital readout, reverse, and speed control are all in easy reach.  The power source for the machine is 220V single phase but it has a built in inverter that converts it to three phase.  According to the manufacturer that makes for smoother speed control throughout the range.  One thing I know, this thing is quiet.  No vibration, no noise.

Next up is spring cleaning and some racks to hold my supply of wood.

Shop Upgrade

This was a great weekend.

Arriving in the shop yesterday was the Saw Stop 52" fence and extension table.

The table and fence system was easy to install on my older Craftsman contractor style saw.  I was able to get it at my local Woodcraft.

I have to admit I was very impressed with the quality of the documentation.   I wasn't sure what to expect but the documentation is well written and presented well.  While I don't have immediate plans to replace the table saw, I will certainly consider the Saw Stop based on my experience with this component.

Wait until you see what's next.  It's on order but I don't have a delivery date yet.  Here's a hint:  "It will sure turn your head."