odie
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Magma cast iron
- Thread starter Omer Klee
- Start date
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I have owned fixed headstock, sliding headstock, rotating headstock and sliding/rotating headstock. They all have their place. The higher the quality of the lathe the less there is a problem with any of those features. I now have the sliding headstock and dont slide it as often as I should because its heavy. I would probably use a rotating headstock more often if I had that feature. I used it frequently on my Nova lathe. I did find you had more chatter probably due to the banjo having to be so far out.
The Nova outrigger helps that a lot with larger dia work.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
The NOva outrigger sucks. It created so much chatter I had to add a support under it going from the outrigger to the floor. Unfortunately in that shop my floor was not level at all so everytime I moved the outrigger/tool rest I had to readjust my support bar. It was a pain.
Whatever the reason we have had far different results. Might be that I use it on the Galaxi with much heavier structure. The older, spindlier legged Nova’s would certainly be more apt to allow chatter, inline or outboard.
It does make sense that they have improved the short comings of the early sliding and pivoting headstocks. They needed it. Biggest issue I ever had with a sliding headstock was my 3520A. The pressure plate was cast iron. While coring some black locust, it snapped. Fortunately it just tipped forward. I have always wondered about Stuart Batty's claim that sliding headstocks vibrate more than fixed headstocks. What I have noticed is a considerable variation on the size of the pressure plates. A friend recently got a Shop Fox, which he ended up sending back. They used the exact same pressure plate on the headstock, banjo, and tailstock. Obviously, the plate on the headstock needs to be considerably bigger than the ones on the banjo and tailstock. My AB has a plate that is the same size as the headstock base. The replacement one that PM sent me for the A, was maybe 5 inches long. I would think that size would be sufficient.
Never considered the play in the ways and sliding headstock to be an issue, until it was mentioned here. No clue as to if it would be an issue or not....
robo hippy
Never considered the play in the ways and sliding headstock to be an issue, until it was mentioned here. No clue as to if it would be an issue or not....
robo hippy
Hi Tim,
I am a retired electrician/CNC technician and have worked with servo drives and variable speed drives for many years. You are right the 50 hertz drives do work just fine at 60 hertz
MarkOmer, this page at their website says it is available for US delivery. And shipping is free.
Axminster Professional AP508WL Woodturning Lathe - 230V
This is the largest in our Professional Series woodturning lathes. It has all the features a serious woodturner would need for almost any woodturning project, large or small. Made almost entirely in cast iron, with the bed being particularly wide and...www.axminstertools.com
It's a very sweet lathe! Only thing I don't like about is the M33 spindle (instead of 1 1/4" x 8).
I know they have free international shipping over $125 but Scroll down and you will find the specifications as well as delivery/shipping.
I think Stuart Batty’s point about vibration with movable headstocks is that chips can get underneath. That can happen easily if the headstock lifts, which some do because the motor is at the back. As soon as the headstock is loosened the weight of the motor can pull it back enough for chips to get in. A better design is to have the motor below the spindle, as in the Titan. Then there is no tendency to tilt.
With any lathe, chips underneath the tailstock and banjo don’t seem to be a problem. They don’t lift when moved.
With any lathe, chips underneath the tailstock and banjo don’t seem to be a problem. They don’t lift when moved.
Yup, the info is inconsistent. Aggregating. They do provide a phone number, though.
Hi Mark
I messaged them. I don't think I'll hear from them until next week.
I'm still waiting to hear back from Magma as well.
As long as I was contacting manufacturers I sent a message to Vicmarc asking I they were able to ship any lathes other than the VL300 to the USA.
Wow Odie
That is beautiful work!
I've got away to go before I get to that level.
I would have to get hooked on turning, after most companies here quit manufacturing or even importing a lathe that peaks my interest.
If importing one doesn't work out, I hope I can wait long enough to find a used one here in the states.
Thanks for your input
Omer
That is beautiful work!
I've got away to go before I get to that level.
I would have to get hooked on turning, after most companies here quit manufacturing or even importing a lathe that peaks my interest.
If importing one doesn't work out, I hope I can wait long enough to find a used one here in the states.
Thanks for your input
Omer
Jim McLain
Artist
Omer - I special ordered my VL240 from Roger at Craft Supplies. It took about 6 months. I think they are the only option in the US, since Woodworkers Emporium no longer stocks Vicmarc Lathes.
Accurate if work is not loaded. The Nova Galaxi is the best design from this perspective, as the motor is around the spindle inside the HS. However, due to friction it can still tip when unlocked and its moved. I find if I follow Batty’s method, move the HS back and forth, the dust comes out.
I just attended a live demo with Stuart Batty where he stopped turning due to a vibration problem with a sliding headstock lathe. He removed the headstock(with help) and cleaned the bottom that contacted the bed. The rag was extremely dirty filled with smudge. Problem solved and the live demo resumed! I guess I got a little more education that I didn’t sign up for.
I was surprised that a small film layer could cause a vibration issue. It goes to show you that sliding headstock lathe owners have some additional maintenance considerations. Rotating headstock perhaps more.
I was surprised that a small film layer could cause a vibration issue. It goes to show you that sliding headstock lathe owners have some additional maintenance considerations. Rotating headstock perhaps more.
Same cleaning for sliding or rotating. I’ve seen a couple of vids where Stuart cleaned by moving the HS back and forth to solve the issue, not remove it, and he comments he’s used a paper shim on one Powermatic where the bottom of the HS had a slight “couple of thou” warp or machining error.
If the lathe in the demo had oily greasy smudge under the HS, just goes to show why oil and grease should not be used on the bed or sliding contact areas of a wood lathe - cause far more cleaning/maintenance issues vs any benefit.
odie
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Take this for what it's worth, because I've never had a sliding headstock......but, I read somewhere that vibration with a sliding headstock is increased, if the HS is positioned mid-way between the legs. It's better if positioned directly over the legs. I can't tell you that's true from experience, but on the surface, it does seem to make some sense...
Assuming that's true, then a rotating headstock does seem to have an advantage, since it's always directly above the legs....
-----odie-----
Assuming that's true, then a rotating headstock does seem to have an advantage, since it's always directly above the legs....
-----odie-----
The head on my 3520b has been used over every inch of the bed, moved to where ever the operator is comfortable with it and it has made no difference in its operation and there has been no vibration caused by head location along the bed.
The type of vibration we are discussing is resonance. Physics def.: relatively large selective response of an object or a system that vibrates in step or phase, with an externally applied oscillatory force.
The cutting action is the applied force. Changing anything within the system (tool mass, cutting edge shape and size, the work, the spindle connection, down to the lathe connection to its support, and down to earth, affects the resonant frequency and amplitude.
Thats the long winded answer - the short answer is probably, it depends.
The frequency is a function of mass and “spring constant”. Changing the HS position along the bed changes the spring constant. Could be better or worse.
A poor mechanical connection between the HS and bed actually acts as a “system damper”, disconnecting the system to some degree, changing the frequency.
I will echo what Bill said, resonance and/or vibration issues with steel tube or cast iron beds doesn't seem to exist, and I have a 6 foot bed on my AB. If it does exist, I can't tell.
robo hippy
robo hippy
I regularly slide the hs on my AB - rarely work with it at the left hand end unless doing some deeper hollowing. It's usually near the middle or closer to the right end. Vibration has seldom been a problem unless the blank is out of balance. I do regularly clean under the headstock - unlocking it and a slight rock both towards and away allows a good blast of air to clear anything underneath.
I've owned both cast iron bed and steel weldment bed lathes with sliding heads and haven't seen a dramatic difference between the two...
An acquaintance bought a Magma Titan several years ago - I was invited for a visit and a look at the new tool - it was a beautiful piece of equipment - well made, all steel as I recall. It handled toughing out a large, out of balance BL Maple blank with complete ease. Even then (9 or 10 years ago) he had a long wait for delivery. I had lost contact with the owner after I moved farther North and heard that he has since passed. I also heard his club was involved in liquidating his shop for the widow...so there's at least one here in Western Washington.
I've owned both cast iron bed and steel weldment bed lathes with sliding heads and haven't seen a dramatic difference between the two...
An acquaintance bought a Magma Titan several years ago - I was invited for a visit and a look at the new tool - it was a beautiful piece of equipment - well made, all steel as I recall. It handled toughing out a large, out of balance BL Maple blank with complete ease. Even then (9 or 10 years ago) he had a long wait for delivery. I had lost contact with the owner after I moved farther North and heard that he has since passed. I also heard his club was involved in liquidating his shop for the widow...so there's at least one here in Western Washington.
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@Omer Klee I don’t have experience with the lathe you mentioned. However I have owned lathes with steel, cast iron, and stainless steel ways. I didn’t see any vibration issues because of the material on any of them. This is on three different manufactures, so no real comparison other than any vibration difference was undetectable. Regarding banjo and tailstock movement the steel was my least favorite. Just seemed to be “scratchy” and I needed to wax the ways more often. I haven’t noticed that with the stainless steel ways. My choice is stainless steel followed by cast iron and then steel. Just a preference not based on any problem with any material. IMO the things that play a much more important roll regarding vibration are weight, leg splay and lathe setup. I have a Robust AB. One of the main reason I decided to buy the AB was the swing away tailstock. Other reasons are reliability, warranty, access to parts and overall design. I just don’t think you can make any kind of argument between a quality lathe that has a sliding headstock versus one that swivels or the material use for the ways about vibration. IMO.
Having recently gone from a swivel HS on my prev Nova 1624-44 to my Grizzly G0733 wtth sliding HS, I do miss the rotating HS for finishing bowls. The swivel HS had a detent but required re-alignment whenever returning to straight position. The sliding HS is quite a bit larger, but has no noticeable play.
@Omer Klee , I heard back from Axminster on my spindle question.
"I am afraid that this lathe is only supplied with a M33 x 3.5 spindle. "
So, not the answer I was hoping for.
"I am afraid that this lathe is only supplied with a M33 x 3.5 spindle. "
So, not the answer I was hoping for.
Mark - That is a BIG disappointment. I wonder if they know that mot of N. America does NOT use the M33 x 3.5 thread. Just based on the number of brands that even offer that spindle size.....
Mark here is what I got back from Axminster, when I asked about shipping to the US.
Dear Omer,
I hope you are well, thanks for your question.
Regretfully we do not sell our machinery line outside of Europe.
There are two reasons for this, the first is that we have 230v & 50hz motors, yours are 110v 60hz. We also have no service agents in the US for this reason. As they are of China origin, there are really high import duties into the US, up to 50% on some machines.
I am sorry that I could not assist you any further.
Omer - Does not sound like our English cousins know diddly-squat about our electric grid......
Yah. It looks that way to me as well.Omer - Does not sound like our English cousins know diddly-squat about our electric grid......
The import fees seemed off as well. I've done some checking and the numbers I found were 15-19%.
I was surprised to see that the lathes are made in China and not Axminster's manufacturing plant in England.
I'm still waiting to get word back from Magma, as to importing a Titan..
Yeah, dont be surprised by any mfr of anything sourcing the whole thing or various parts of it from china.
I dont think Magma is a brand owned by Axminster. Their chucks on the other hand....are their brand and they are built literally down the block from the main store. And....FWIW....they are my favorite brand.Not to raise any hackles....but I am a convert - I used to be a Vicmarc fanboy. But these Axminster are cleanly machined, tight specs, ALL stainless...even the jaws. What's not to love?
TimI dont think Magma is a brand owned by Axminster. Their chucks on the other hand....are their brand and they are built literally down the block from the main store. And....FWIW....they are my favorite brand.Not to raise any hackles....but I am a convert - I used to be a Vicmarc fanboy. But these Axminster are cleanly machined, tight specs, ALL stainless...even the jaws. What's not to love?
I know Magma is not owned by Axminster. I had just contacted both of them asking about importing.
And…. what I should have added Omer, was I was hoping there may be another “sales agent” in Europe that may be more flexible with shipping one or more over here….?