14 minutes ago, Polinn_ee said:

It’s interesting how many people shift from flat work to turning later in their journey, probably because the grain orientation logic is so different. I’ve been running a DeWalt planer for my stock prep lately and it handles the figured wood pretty well if the blades are fresh. Since you've been at it for 25 years, I’d be curious to hear your take on how modern lathe speeds compare to the older belt-driven setups you likely started on.

 

I'll share this post in our "Wednesday's Wisdom..." post in the Woodturners Forum and hopefully we can get some input!

 

As for myself, the electronic speed controls are a gamechanger! Sanding is more efficient with the available lower speeds. Applying finish at really low RPMs has eliminated runs and uneven layers. Just overall time saving when different speeds are needed is really nice.

 

I started with a Bridgewood 4 speed single tube, then a Delta Iron Iron Bed 1440 and now a Jet 1640evs. Looking back, I wonder how I made stuff in the beginning.

I started on a Montgomery Ward bench top 1/3 hp. and the only thing i knew about it was I wanted to turn a set of legs for a table i was working on😆 how hard can that be😱 then I graduated to a Harbor Freight 12x36 with a reeves drive, you have never lived until you try to turn a large out of balance bowl blank on a lathe with a 750 rpm low speed, all this is to show that I did not know what i was doing then and I am not certain  I do now 🤣. but i kept on and moved up to a big Grizzly G0766 w/variable speed, I don't know if the lathe helped or i finally started to learn how to turn. This probably does not answer your question but I would never go back to the old ways, unless that was the only way i could turn.