Best Sliding Headstock Lathe

[Bob Stroman]

What's the best sliding headstock lathe available in the USA?

I want to turn lots of salad bowls, but I can not decide what length bed would be best. Hence, the sliding headstock lathe question. Currently, I have a Delta 1642 with 1-1/2hp.

Bob Stroman

 

[Dario]

I can only talk about what I have...PM 3520B and love it.

 

[potter142]

Sliding Head Stock

I'm not sure which lathe is the the best. However, I have the Roust 25
with the tilt away tailstock and really enjoy working on it. Most all the
time I have the head slid half way down the ways which allows me to
work from the end of the lathe in an up right posture. Also it made in
America!

 

[john lucas]

I have the powermatic 3520A but I think the best sliding headstock lathe is the Robust. http://www.turnrobust.com/
They also have the best rotating headstock in thier smaller lathe.
The Jet 1642 has a sliding headstock. I think I read that the new Nova has a sliding and rotating headstock

 

[SMarlow]

Doesn't the Delta 1642 already HAVE a sliding headstock?

 

[C Edward Moore]

Robust 25 x 18

I have the Robust 25 x 18 and it is an excellent sliding headstock lathe. As was mentioned, the Tilt-Away feature for the tailstock is a valuable option.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Best? That is a very difficult question to answer.

I would guess that everybody has a somewhat different idea of what best boils down to. For some, it would be the best price. For others it might be the largest motor. It might even be the greatest swing. Most likely, it is some odd combination of numerous factors including the color of the paint.

What factors would be important in your idea of best and how much weight would each have in your decision?

If your criteria are purely performance oriented, then price = goodness and "oh my goodness" would be in the ballpark of best.

I spent a lot of time at SWAT ogling the large Robust lathe. Its price is at the top of the troposphere and it has great performance capabilities. While looking at it, some other folks commented that it was about as ugly as sin and they weren't the least bit interested because of that.

Anyway, that is my useless non-answer.

Bill

 

[GeorgeH]

Doesn't the Delta 1642 already HAVE a sliding headstock?

Well, I don't own one but from what I've read the Delta 1642 does have a sliding headstock. Go figure....

 

[Dario]

Bill,

Very good point.

Note that I cannot have the best...can't afford it. For me best is the best my money can buy. I always refer to it as "BEST VALUE". :cool2:

 

[C Edward Moore]

Best?

I spent a lot of time at SWAT ogling the large Robust lathe. Its price is at the top of the troposphere and it has great performance capabilities. While looking at it, some other folks commented that it was about as ugly as sin and they weren't the least bit interested because of that.

Bill,

In the $4500 and up range we have the Stubby 750 and 1000, the Oneway 2436, the Robust 25 x 18, and the Vicmarc VL300. I regard each of these lathes as being EXCELLENT. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I do not think Stubby lathes are pretty, and I have owned one. I think that the swinging arm for the Start-Stop switch on the Oneway makes it about as ugly as anything. I will concede that the Vicmarc is stately in appearance and is not ugly. So, should we conclude that the detracting bystanders all have Vicmarcs?

The remarks that you described are usually made by those who have second-tier (or third) objects and they make such silly statements to sort of justify not having a first-tier and first class item. It's the old "If you can't have one, then knock it!" syndrome.

I don't think HumVees are pretty. But I would like to have one. I have a ten year old Mazda B4000 pickup. And just because I can't afford a HumVee doesn't mean that I'm going to knock them.

 

[Dario]

Ed,

I don't think Bill meant it the way you took it. He is referring how he liked it but others don't (I think).

 

[Bob Stroman]

My Delta does have a sliding headstock, but I'm ready for a better lathe for turning bowls including more mass to handle off balance green blanks, more than 1-1/2hp, and more swing than 16".

The 3520B is cast iron and the Robust is steel. They are both worthy of serious consideration. Any others?

The reason I want a sliding headstock is that I like hollowing the bowl at the short end of my current lathe. I'm also not sure how short a short bed to buy. Finally, I don't think I want to eliminate the possibility of trying hollowing with a captured rig.

Thanks for the input. Keep it coming. My birthday's next month. :cool2:

 

[C Edward Moore]

My remarks were NOT directed at Bill

Dario,

If you read my comments carefully I think you will see that they were directed at the bystanders, not Bill. All Bill did was report what he heard being said.

And all I did was suggest that remarks of that nature usually come from certain types of people.

 

[Dario]

Ed,

My apologies...it is my mistake then

 

[Bill Boehme]

I thought that the Robust lathe looked just fine -- I woudn't enter any lathe in a beauty pageant -- it is just a functional machine. But .... while on the subject ..... who at Powermatic had the notion that "duck butter yellow" looked good? Maybe it was a clever marketing scheme to make the buyer look past styling and focus on performance instead.

Another story about the Robust: While standing there examining the machine one passerby commented that "she really looks good, but her legs are hideous". After looking around, I figured that he was talking about the Robust.

Bill

 

[Jim Stoppleworth]

Best -- I have no idea -- but I sure do like my 3520B and that's what I could afford("sorta".)

Jim

 

[Bill Grumbine]

The best is no longer available, unless you want to pay twice the price as it is a collector's item. Not only does it slide, it pivots, reverses direction, and the speed range is available from 0-3500 rpm with the twist of a dial. It is painted a beautiful shade of blue, and has a Union Jack on it for accent. I refer, of course, to the Poolewood Euro 2000. :cool2:

Bill

 

[john lucas]

Bill Isn't a company called Silverdrive or something like that trying to market them again. I think they are in England but not over here yet.

 

[Dario]

The best is no longer available, unless you want to pay twice the price as it is a collector's item. Not only does it slide, it pivots, reverses direction, and the speed range is available from 0-3500 rpm with the twist of a dial. It is painted a beautiful shade of blue, and has a Union Jack on it for accent. I refer, of course, to the Poolewood Euro 2000. :cool2:

Bill

Bill,

My officemate still have her Poolewood 3000 ...gathering dust.

This is the one that was used less than 5 hours or so by her late husband. The first bowl mounted on it was not even finished and I believe is still mounted on the lathe.

She paid a premium getting it here though and selling at almost full price.

 

[Bill Grumbine]

John, Silverdrive was the actual manufacturer of the Poolewood. Poolewood just painted them and put their name on them. I don't know if they will ever make it to the US or not, but the Brits seem to have some sort of genetic inability to make good marketing decisions with regard to the largest lathe market in the world. Poolewood relied on two or three distributors who ran the business as a side item to their principal activities. Silverdrive doesn't even seem to be doing that, and I know there was a lot of grumbling on one British forum about their lack of responsiveness for a long time. I haven't kept up with it, but I wouldn't buy one myself, if only for the color. That tone of red really gets to me. I am a blue/green guy at heart. If I had the ambition, I would paint my Vega a shade of blue or green!

Dario, she might as well learn to turn on that machine if she is going to get any use out of it. She has had it what, about four years now? It is a behemoth, and was never really supported by a network of distributors. David Ellsworth never sold the 3000, and I don't think any of the other importers did either. I think they had to have gone right to Poolewood directly. Is that right?

I would imagine that Poolewood might have spare parts for it, but even so, she or whoever would buy the thing would have to deal with them directly. They always treated me very well, but if the parts aren't there, then what? I wouldn't mind owning it, but I don't have that kind of money or the time to drive to TX to pick it up.

Bill

 

[Jake Debski]

............................................................................... I wouldn't mind owning it, but I don't have that kind of money or the time to drive to TX to pick it up.

Bill

Bill, just answered the original question, at least in my mind. The best sliding head machine is the one you can afford, or are willing to go in hock for.

 

[Brent@TurnRobust]

First, thanks to you who gave Robust a vote of confidence. I don't normally chime in too much on these forums, but I would say that if some folks find the legs ugly on a Robust, they are ugly by design.

Every Robust lathe comes with telescoping legs allowing you to set the spindle height where it is comfortable to you.* That way you avoid propping up your investment on 2x4's if it is too low, or standing on a platform if it is too high.

As the legs are extended, the width of the base is also increased, enhancing stability as the lathe is raised. The open floor plan the legs provide also allow you to get up to your work from any angle.

The legs themselves are made from 3/16" thick steel, plasma cut and formed in a press brake for maximum rigidity and locked into place with three 3/8" bolts and lock nuts, ensuring they won't loosen or slide out of position.* A foot made from 3/8" x 4" x 4" steel is welded to the bottom of each leg.

Every Robust lathe also comes with four leveling pads to fine tune the lathe at the height and degree of levelness you require. A shelf bracket is incorporated into the leg assembly so that you can store your tools or add more weight.

So in this case, form follows function. Nobody else gives you that much value from something so mundane. Thanks again for all the kind words from everyone.

 

[waltben]

So why a sliding headstock in the first place?

If you just want to make bowls and nothing else, a Vega will suit you beyond your wildest dreams. If you aren't certain about only bowls, but not about anything else either, get a Stubby 750. You will most likely never run into a challenge a Stubby can't meet. But then it'll cost twice as much as the Vega.

 

[Malcolm Smith]

I've been using a 2436 for a number of years and haven't a single complaint. Also, the company is very good to deal with. I'll grant that the swinging arm that the controls are on looks a bit odd but is the solution to turning outboard. Also, turning inboard, one isn't turning the lathe on with one's head lined up with the bowl one is working on. A dangerous practice. One configures the Oneway to exactly suit one's way of working and all the accessories are well designed. A couple of fine points to look for in a lathe. The tailstock should line up perfectly with the headstock. It does on the Oneway. The last lathe I owned had a rotating head and never lined up properly. Being able to lock chucks and faceplates in place allows one to reverse the lathe. I find I now frequently do this, in fact I find I do it on nearly every bowl when working on the base. It's very handy being able to apply a pull cut with a swept back bowl gouge. The people at Oneway seem to think of everything. It's a wonderful lathe.

Malcolm Smith