Nice one Odie, as soon as the 240 came out it quickly established its self as a great lathe, very good choice my friend. Thats coming from a Woodfast fan.
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After 33 years with my Woodfast, a Vicmarc VL240 is now on the way!
- Thread starter Odie
- Start date
Hope you can get another 33 years out of the new lathe.
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
OK...I'll try and remember to take some photos, but it probably won't be my main focus......
=o=
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
Yeah, I can believe it, hughie.....
I've been watching for any news, reviews and anything else from owners of the 240 ever since it first came out. I've never heard anything negative. A lot of very happy owners.
I think the 240 has established itself in the international market, but Americans seem to be stuck on the idea of a sliding headstock. From my POV, a sliding headstock will definitely work, but the whole setup has to be moved as well. That one point is exactly why I wouldn't buy one of the very high-quality sliding headstock lathes available to us here in the USA.
=o=
I hope we can hope the new lathe will get another 33 years out of Odie
Oh the sliding headstock works fine. But for me my lathe handles a fairly decent swing of 28" so its not that important for me anyway. But Vicmarc make a darn fine lathe your grandkids will be using it.
Kevin Jesequel
TOTW Team
Congrats, Odie! I’ve had my VL240 for a bit over 1-1/2 years now and still absolutely love it. I am sure you will too!
I was a bit concerned about the tool post clamp when I first got it, but have had zero problems with it. I called Craft Supplies and ordered an adapter sleeve for it (I learned at this year’s symposium that Steve Sinner makes them as well), then ordered a new handle with a longer screw off Amazon. It hasn’t slipped once.
I was a bit concerned about the tool post clamp when I first got it, but have had zero problems with it. I called Craft Supplies and ordered an adapter sleeve for it (I learned at this year’s symposium that Steve Sinner makes them as well), then ordered a new handle with a longer screw off Amazon. It hasn’t slipped once.
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
OK....the VL240 has arrived.......so far, so good! 
Packaging was very good overall. There was some paint rubbed off of the very top of the headstock..... Looks like something heavy probably rode on top of the crate during shipment that did this. Otherwise the lathe survived without any other issues.
Definitely is a high-end woodturner's lathe.....
=o=
Packaging was very good overall. There was some paint rubbed off of the very top of the headstock..... Looks like something heavy probably rode on top of the crate during shipment that did this. Otherwise the lathe survived without any other issues.
Definitely is a high-end woodturner's lathe.....
=o=
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Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
You're right Kevin....... That screw for the banjo post clamp is too short to work with the adaptor. The funny thing is there were four clamps supplied with this lathe. One of them is longer than the other two, and the fourth has smaller size threads that goes with the tailstock quill locking clamp.
I grinded on the supplied screw and made the shoulder deeper, and now it has a longer reach..... this works fine......but, if I had known there was a longer screw in the accessories box, that would have saved me some time and effort modifying the supplied screw to fit.
Of those four screws supplied, I have yet to see where the fourth screw actually goes!
=o=
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Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
Headstock to tailstock orientation looks good!
=o=
=o=
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
Looks to me like the 30°, 60° and 90° headstock positions are suggestions only.
The headstock can be set to any angle and work fine!
=o=
The headstock can be set to any angle and work fine!
=o=
Do you mean the detent positions are not accurately 30, 60 & 90? Or that one does not need to use them when rotating the HS?
(Honestly, I'm a little disturbed to hear that the screw securing the tool rest is not long enough -- but only a little disturbed.)
Happy days, Odie, and congratulations again!
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Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
I don't know if the detents are accurate or not.
Does it really matter for any setting other than 0°?
=o=
Tom Gall
TOTW Team
Congrats on the new Vicmarc, Odie. Fun times ahead !!! How long will it take to wipe that smile off your face?
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
The fit of the swing-out bed extension looks good.
Banjo slides over the junction nicely.
Is this normal?
The rpm reading blinks on and off every couple of minutes.....with the power turned off.
Can't see it here, but I've attached a magnet with a paint spot on the rpm dial.
This is a holdover from my usual procedures when using the 'ol Woodfast lathe.
I realize I now have a digital readout on rpm, but I'm still thinking the old method
might be better. It's value on the VL240 is yet to be determined.
=o=
Banjo slides over the junction nicely.
Is this normal?
The rpm reading blinks on and off every couple of minutes.....with the power turned off.
Can't see it here, but I've attached a magnet with a paint spot on the rpm dial.
This is a holdover from my usual procedures when using the 'ol Woodfast lathe.
I realize I now have a digital readout on rpm, but I'm still thinking the old method
might be better. It's value on the VL240 is yet to be determined.
=o=
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
Ha,ha.....that smile is likely a permanent fixture for quite a while!
I went down to HD and made up a 220v extension cord just to check out the electricals and electronics today. That extension cord cost $50 to put together.....but you know I just had to know if everything was working like it should.....looks like it's "all systems go"!
The hard part comes now......redesigning some of my jigs to fit the new lathe......this could take me awhile to do it right!
=o=
Odie, if for some reason you think about different locking handles, here's my thread from not long ago about replacing one on my Oneway, and the source/model I went with. There are metal handle versions and plastic. I went all metal, and it's very high quality.
Odie - I am new here so I don't know you yet, but that is one HELL of a lathe!!
Enjoy my friend!
--Scott
Enjoy my friend!
--Scott
Kevin Jesequel
TOTW Team
I only count three on mine, tailstock, banjo and “turret”. Maybe they supplied two for the banjo - a short one for 30mm posts and a long one for use with the adapter. Mine didn’t come with the adapter or longer screw.
Mark, the screw is long enough to use with 30mm posts. You just need a longer one when using an adapter sleeve for 1” posts. Those items were aftermarket when I got mine, but it sounds like they come supplied with the lathe now (or at least whoever Odie ordered his through threw them in).
Kevin Jesequel
TOTW Team
Mine does this as well, not sure why. I rarely turn it off any more though.
Kevin, a human being should not turn wood 24/7, day after day. At some point you need to stop to eat and sleep. And let the machine rest and reboot as well. Maybe your local AAW chapter has a Turner-holics Anonymous support group to help with this.
With the motor appearing to be mounted in the base how does it transmit power when you twist the headstock?
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
I'm impressed, but disappointed with the Vicmarc banjo. It's heavy and actually built heavier and stronger than the Robust Sweet 16 banjo that I've been using for the past five years. I had thought about using the Robust banjo instead of the Vicmarc, but I'm now thinking the Vicmarc banjo should do the job nicely. I just wish Vicmarc had gotten with the program and used a better method of securing the tool rest post.
The disappointing aspect of the Vicmarc banjo is for such a progressive innovative lathe, the designers of this lathe chose to use a very old school method of using grub screw for securing the tool rest post. Using a pinch device, like the Robust has is far superior to a simple grub screw......but, overall, the heavier and longer Vicmarc banjo is the better banjo for this purpose.
Note: A dogleg style banjo is more useful to my bowl turning than a straight banjo. This is because it has better access to the back side of a mounted bowl.
Also, my bet is that Vicmarc does not offer a banjo that is made specifically for 1" posts, because otherwise the supplied tool rest that has a 30mm post wouldn't fit. It would have been better if they offered a banjo originally designed to use a 1" post from the git-go. This one thing is probably costing them sales on the American market.
=o=
The disappointing aspect of the Vicmarc banjo is for such a progressive innovative lathe, the designers of this lathe chose to use a very old school method of using grub screw for securing the tool rest post. Using a pinch device, like the Robust has is far superior to a simple grub screw......but, overall, the heavier and longer Vicmarc banjo is the better banjo for this purpose.
Note: A dogleg style banjo is more useful to my bowl turning than a straight banjo. This is because it has better access to the back side of a mounted bowl.
Also, my bet is that Vicmarc does not offer a banjo that is made specifically for 1" posts, because otherwise the supplied tool rest that has a 30mm post wouldn't fit. It would have been better if they offered a banjo originally designed to use a 1" post from the git-go. This one thing is probably costing them sales on the American market.
=o=
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Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
Both the banjo and headstock levers have been shortened about an inch or so. The headstock lever interferes with the motor when securing the headstock at 0°......plus, I know from experience that the longer lever on the banjo gets in the way with some set-ups. You just don't need the extra leverage available with the longer lever.
=o=
=o=
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
Looks to me like having the headstock set at 30°, I will be able to turn the interior of any bowl that can be mounted to this Vicmarc VL240 lathe.
The extra length of the banjo is necessary here.
=o=
The extra length of the banjo is necessary here.
=o=
Nope. Well, I haven't found any need in the year I've had my Rikon.
On my Rikon there's a detent but it isn't useful to align the headstock. I always use the double MT2 taper tool to ensure proper alignment.
I did notice with mine that the speed dial/knob turns the opposite way from what I am used to. Those Aussies do every thing backwards.... They have made a few changes. The space from the stop bar is now enclosed. Mine is open and a good place for shavings to gather. I have to pull mine out from the wall and cover that front and back.
robo hippy
robo hippy
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
15 out of 16 production jigs have now been converted to adapt to the Vicmarc lathe.....one more to go!
Almost ready to move the Woodfast lathe from it's corner spot in the shop, and move the Vicmarc in place. (I'll have to enlist the help of a friend to do that.) Once that's done, then there's lighting, air lines and a water separator to hook up.
Getting really anxious to resume turning....and getting back to normal shop time!
=o=
Almost ready to move the Woodfast lathe from it's corner spot in the shop, and move the Vicmarc in place. (I'll have to enlist the help of a friend to do that.) Once that's done, then there's lighting, air lines and a water separator to hook up.
Getting really anxious to resume turning....and getting back to normal shop time!
=o=
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
Note: I put out an enquiry about current production lights in another thread in the "newbie" forum, but not getting much response there.
These are some that I'm considering:
woodturnerswonders.com
woodturnerswonders.com
(Looking for a little feedback and comments on lathe lighting.....thanks.)
=o=
These are some that I'm considering:
Super Nova LED Machine Lamp + 120 Kg Pull Magnetic BaseDefault Title
Energy efficient, industrial strength lighting provides bright illumination for up to 50,000 hours. With features like switchable magnetic bases, 9' power cords, and 30" flexible necks that stay put without sagging, these LED lamps are ideal for a wide range of industrial applications, including...
woodturnerswonders.com
Quasar LED Machine Lamp + 120 Kg Pull Magnetic BaseDefault Title
According to our internet research "Quasars are among the brightest, oldest, and most powerful objects in the universe. Powered by massive black holes at the center of most known galaxies, quasars can emit enormous amounts of energy, up to a thousand times the total output of the hundreds of...
woodturnerswonders.com
(Looking for a little feedback and comments on lathe lighting.....thanks.)
=o=
Mark Hepburn
Artist & Chef
I’ve used the same lights on my lathes with great results. If not those very ones then very similar.Note: I put out an enquiry about current production lights in another thread in the "newbie" forum, but not getting much response there.
These are some that I'm considering:
Super Nova LED Machine Lamp + 120 Kg Pull Magnetic BaseDefault Title
Energy efficient, industrial strength lighting provides bright illumination for up to 50,000 hours. With features like switchable magnetic bases, 9' power cords, and 30" flexible necks that stay put without sagging, these LED lamps are ideal for a wide range of industrial applications, including...
Quasar LED Machine Lamp + 120 Kg Pull Magnetic BaseDefault Title
According to our internet research "Quasars are among the brightest, oldest, and most powerful objects in the universe. Powered by massive black holes at the center of most known galaxies, quasars can emit enormous amounts of energy, up to a thousand times the total output of the hundreds of...
(Looking for a little feedback and comments on lathe lighting.....thanks.)
=o=
I like using multiples to reduce shadows.
Directional task light shadows can be helpful in identifying surface imperfections from the tooling, like tiny ridges or coves, or scratches, on an otherwise smooth, flowing surface, where those imperfections are masked by the shadow-less lighting. This is easy to achieve just by turning off a light from one direction or the other when nearing completion. Think of it as the inspection stage of your process.
I like the dedicated-style task light shown, just not their price. I've always just used clamp-on style swing arm desk lights, like you'd see mounted to drafting tables back in the day. Places like Blick Art Supply sometimes sells versions a step above the Walmart quality versions.
I like the dedicated-style task light shown, just not their price. I've always just used clamp-on style swing arm desk lights, like you'd see mounted to drafting tables back in the day. Places like Blick Art Supply sometimes sells versions a step above the Walmart quality versions.
Just curious, why the wish for a bigger magnet footprint? From the picture it looks like the same base as on their SuperNova lamp.
Is it not holding well to some surfaces?
I've done some things to secure the SuperNova lamps in various places in the shop.
JKJ
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
15 out of 16 production jigs have now been converted to adapt to the Vicmarc lathe.....one more to go!
Actually there were 17 production jigs that needed altering.....but as of this afternoon, all have now been converted to be used on the Vicmarc lathe.
Glad that's done, and without having to completely disassemble or redesign any of them! (....took a heck of a lot of sanding in tough places, though!)
Next step is to build some shelving on the back side of the lathe....
=o=
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Zounds!
Certain of us (I mean me) might benefit from a little schooling of what you use some of those jigs for, maybe favorites or most used? I can't begin to imagine.
JKJ
Odie
Panning for Montana gold, with Betsy, the mule!
I see maximum rpm for the three belt settings is 938, 2040, and 3000.
For my bowl turning, it will always be on the 938 rpm setting. (The rpm readout shows it to be 961 rpm.)
This is a little slower range than I'm used to using with my Woodfast lathe, but I almost never go over 1000 rpm anyway.
=o=
For my bowl turning, it will always be on the 938 rpm setting. (The rpm readout shows it to be 961 rpm.)
This is a little slower range than I'm used to using with my Woodfast lathe, but I almost never go over 1000 rpm anyway.
=o=
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