I recently picked this Jator J30 up at an auction for a good price. Looking to swap a 3/4 jaw on it and use it to tinker with. I know turrets don't make good hobby lathes but it'll do until I can find a good bench lathe.



I can't find any info on this thing at all. I'm not even sure how to change the collets yet. Haven't had a chance to play with it.

Anyway, does anybody know anything about the quality of Jator? Seems to be a well built machine. It's a little dirty but everything looks good except the power feed. The knob on the power feed transmission won't budge. I'll have to figure out how to take all the apart and see if I can't find out whats wrong.

Just from looking at it the tail-stock turret is an add-on. You can swap it out for a regular tail-stock if you can find one, but you should be able to set the turret up with a center. The turret looks decently equipped, the tool holders are there. It also looks like it has sat for some time since all the metal is black.

Try rotating the machine through while engaging/disengaging the power feed knob. Probably good to give the whole machine a bath in oil before you do much else.

My Google-fu is weak today, I haven't found anything useful.

Phil

Try posting this question on Practical Machinist web site.

The closest I can get on google (http://lathes.brokendesign.net/jator )

Since the link point back to www.lathes.co.uk ,you can try there as well but I do not find anything there except something that says Jator-Spain, so maybe you should brush up your spanish.

A lathe that isn't very useful is better then no lathe at all.

Well I haven't found anything about it yet. I found the Jator web site and tried to send a message but came back undeliverable. Haven't made it over to practical machinist yet.

I pulled the chuck apart and figured out how to change the collets but I still havent found out if the chuck come off. To me it looks like it doesn't, but what do I know? I did find a picture of a J50 that looks like it has a 3 or 4 jaw in it but there are no additional pictures. I might need a chuck that bolts to the spindle once the collet retainer comes off. Not sure yet. I did get a little cleaning done though and I got power feed to work! Apparently it hasn't moved in some time lol I oiled up the sticky turret slide as well. Now it just spins out with momentum of the handle where as I was fighting it before. Anyway, still a long way to go but so far so good.

Here is the J50 I found. Looks like the collet retainer comes off and a chuck bolts on. Not sure how though lol