I am new to your forum but have been turning for several years steadily but for many years though rarely.I started out with a one speed Craftsman then a old Bussey(?). Now, I have a Jet 12" Midi now. I find that I use the swivel head option a lot for hollow forms , as it's much more comfortable. I do three or four pieces a week in my spare time. I now find myself ready to move up to bigger pieces and with the extra funds to get whichever lathe I want, but I am basically frugal and don't want to over spend.. I am totally confused as to which lathe would best serve my needs as a hobby turner, but perphaps one that would eventually sell some pieces , as my friends keep telling me to do, or do it full time as I soon come to retirement. The Nova DVR and Powrematic or even the most expensive Grizzly or Jet ,on the low end of the price scale , seem to have a lot of great features. But I don't have any hands on experience with any of them. I see in the posts references to the Lagunas Pinnacle, Oneway and Stubby on the high end , but again I have no firstm hand experience. I want a machine that will let me do basically anything I want , that is my " last" lathe. I do belong to the Central Florida AAW chapter and have asked their opinions but I figured this forum might be an incredibly helpful site for this Question. Thanks
-
Beware of Counterfeit Woodturning Tools (click here for details) -
Johnathan Silwones is starting a new AAW chapter, Southern Alleghenies Woodturners, in Johnstown, PA. (click here for details) -
Congratulations to Jim Hills for "Journey II" being selected as Turning of the Week for May 6th, 2024 (click here for details) -
Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.
Getting a better lathe
- Thread starter Frank Alvarez
- Start date
Like you I have no experience on the larger lathes, but based on replies to questions I've asked here and on two other forums I'm currently salting money away for a Powermatic 3520b.
Most of the replies I got said mostly good things about the lathes you mention, so you're probably safe with whichever one you choose.
Jim
Most of the replies I got said mostly good things about the lathes you mention, so you're probably safe with whichever one you choose.
Jim
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I sold a Nova 3000 for the Powermatic 3520. What a huge difference. I love the powermatic. If I was limited to the price range of the Nova I would look at the Jet 1640. It's a smaller copy of the Powermatic but it really is a great lathe.
The Oneway 16 is a great machine but a lot more expensive.
The Oneway 16 is a great machine but a lot more expensive.
Hi Frank,
This is about like asking everyone if you should buy a Ford, Chevy or Lexus! I just went through this same decision making process and would recommend you get with your friends in the club and lay your hands on the different lathes. Until I actually turned on a Powermatic 3520A that would have been the machine I purchased - after finding out how badly it made my bad shoulders hurt to handle the monster tailstock they put on the machine, I ruled it out. Try to visit each of the lathes you are interested in - I even made a trip to Atlanta and went to Highland Hardware to check out the Oneways. Don't rush and be willing to pay for gas to actually get to see the lathes - even if you can't turn on it you can slide the tailstock, banjo, etc. like I did at Highland Hardware! An investment of time and a little money now could make you happy for years.
Lay out the requirements you want on your lathe - swing, bed length, mobile base, sliding head, swivel head, etc. Once you lay out the priorities on what you want in a lathe your decision will get easier.
I was looking for at least 16 inches over bed swing, with a sliding head and at least a 2 hp motor to go even larger off bed turning for platters. I had to have at least 40 inches bed length for the canes I turn. This narrowed my choices to about 4 or 5 lathes. I then looked at the ease of movement of tailstock and height adjustment due to my neck and shoulder problems. Again this narrowed my choices. To make a long story short - I wound up buying the Delta X5 46-755X from Amazon. For the money this was the best fit for my medical problems and what I turn. There have been some problems with Delta customer service in the Black and Decker take over. The one problem that came up on mine last month was handled fine once we insisted on talking direct to a Service Tech and got away from the Customer Service girls.
I absolutely LOVE my Delta - you will hear others cuss them. At the same time I will cuss a Powermatic because it makes me hurt. In other words - find the lathe that is right for you! Get a good warranty - you can get a lemon in anything but I don't know of any of the major manufacturers that will not give service on their machines.
Wilford
This is about like asking everyone if you should buy a Ford, Chevy or Lexus! I just went through this same decision making process and would recommend you get with your friends in the club and lay your hands on the different lathes. Until I actually turned on a Powermatic 3520A that would have been the machine I purchased - after finding out how badly it made my bad shoulders hurt to handle the monster tailstock they put on the machine, I ruled it out. Try to visit each of the lathes you are interested in - I even made a trip to Atlanta and went to Highland Hardware to check out the Oneways. Don't rush and be willing to pay for gas to actually get to see the lathes - even if you can't turn on it you can slide the tailstock, banjo, etc. like I did at Highland Hardware! An investment of time and a little money now could make you happy for years.
Lay out the requirements you want on your lathe - swing, bed length, mobile base, sliding head, swivel head, etc. Once you lay out the priorities on what you want in a lathe your decision will get easier.
I was looking for at least 16 inches over bed swing, with a sliding head and at least a 2 hp motor to go even larger off bed turning for platters. I had to have at least 40 inches bed length for the canes I turn. This narrowed my choices to about 4 or 5 lathes. I then looked at the ease of movement of tailstock and height adjustment due to my neck and shoulder problems. Again this narrowed my choices. To make a long story short - I wound up buying the Delta X5 46-755X from Amazon. For the money this was the best fit for my medical problems and what I turn. There have been some problems with Delta customer service in the Black and Decker take over. The one problem that came up on mine last month was handled fine once we insisted on talking direct to a Service Tech and got away from the Customer Service girls.
I absolutely LOVE my Delta - you will hear others cuss them. At the same time I will cuss a Powermatic because it makes me hurt. In other words - find the lathe that is right for you! Get a good warranty - you can get a lemon in anything but I don't know of any of the major manufacturers that will not give service on their machines.
Wilford
Frank
I like my Jet 1642. I turn alot for a guy with a day job, 20-30 per week and I haven't stalled it yet. That said a Powermatic is in my future. WHM gives good service and the product is well built. If you just want to do big bowls I think the Vega looks like a great choice.
Frank
I like my Jet 1642. I turn alot for a guy with a day job, 20-30 per week and I haven't stalled it yet. That said a Powermatic is in my future. WHM gives good service and the product is well built. If you just want to do big bowls I think the Vega looks like a great choice.
Frank
Whm?
I really appreciate the input . I am stumped with the "WHM" reference though.
Thanks again.
Frank
I really appreciate the input . I am stumped with the "WHM" reference though.
Thanks again.
Frank
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2004
- Messages
- 372
- Likes
- 0
- Location
- Burnt Chimney, SW Virginia
- Website
- www.burntchimneystudios.com
WHM, shoulder problems, Robust
Frank,
WHM is the parent company of Jet and Powermatic.
Wilford,
I recently solved the shoulder/elbow problem by ordering a Robust 25 x 28 with the tilt-away device for the tailstock. In Louisville I romanced the heck out of the demo lathe Brent English had there. I even took SWMBO to the booth and had her rotate the tailstock and then pick it up off the floor. I had some severe tendonitis in my elbows some years back and I don't want it again. To my wife's credit, she accepted my decision to get the Robust with grace.
Frank,
WHM is the parent company of Jet and Powermatic.
Wilford,
I recently solved the shoulder/elbow problem by ordering a Robust 25 x 28 with the tilt-away device for the tailstock. In Louisville I romanced the heck out of the demo lathe Brent English had there. I even took SWMBO to the booth and had her rotate the tailstock and then pick it up off the floor. I had some severe tendonitis in my elbows some years back and I don't want it again. To my wife's credit, she accepted my decision to get the Robust with grace.
Shoulder elbow problems?
Ed
What lathe did you have that caused/ contributed to your problems? I have slight problem with mine so this could be important to me as well.
Frank
Ed
What lathe did you have that caused/ contributed to your problems? I have slight problem with mine so this could be important to me as well.
Frank
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
You can easily build a rotating tailstock device. I believe Al Crandall designed the device. We published a very brief description in the tips section of American Woodturner. Not sure what issue but I can check. It was probably one of the last 2 or 3.
Heavy tailstocks are the norm now on lathes bigger than 16" and that's out of necessity. My Powermatic tailstock is about 57lbs if I remember correctly. You can easily hurt yourself lifting this thing on and off if your not in good shape. there are a lot of options. I built a rolling cart for a friend. She can roll the cart up and slide the headstock on and then roll the whole thing away.
Of course the Robust lathe has everyone topped in this area with the accessory built in. I drooled over those lathes at the show. I don't have that kind of money but if I did it would be tough choice between the Robust, Stubby and Oneway. They all have things I like.
Heavy tailstocks are the norm now on lathes bigger than 16" and that's out of necessity. My Powermatic tailstock is about 57lbs if I remember correctly. You can easily hurt yourself lifting this thing on and off if your not in good shape. there are a lot of options. I built a rolling cart for a friend. She can roll the cart up and slide the headstock on and then roll the whole thing away.
Of course the Robust lathe has everyone topped in this area with the accessory built in. I drooled over those lathes at the show. I don't have that kind of money but if I did it would be tough choice between the Robust, Stubby and Oneway. They all have things I like.
I've been turning on a Powermatic 3520B since March. I bought it when I found that I could not turn the pieces I wanted to do on the lathe I had been using for the last 15 or so years. It is my fourth lathe after a single tube Craftsman, a '60s vintage 12 x 36 Delta Rockwell, and a homemade bowl lathe. The Powermatic is a very nice machine, solid, vibration free, and reasonably powerful. An industrial grade piece of equipment. I have had no trouble turning large pieces, and doing smaller hollow forms and lidded containers is much easier and cleaner then on my Rockwell.
The only nitpicking complaints that I have are that the headstock is wide enough that it sometimes gets in the way, and the indexing is awkward. I tend to do pieces with small feet and getting in there is not always easy. Mounting the turning in a chuck helps, and one of the days I'm going to pick up a set of long jaws. The indexing setup on the 3520B requires that you screw a pin into one of four holes in the headstock nose. Which holes and in what sequence is determined by the number of divisions you want. Since I am used to a lathe where the dividing is done by sliding a pin into holes in the drive pulley the PM system seems unnecessarily complicated. If I did a lot of indexing I would mount an indexing plate on the outboard end of the spindle.
My overall impression after a hundred plus turnings is that the 3520B is a pleasure to use, and a good value for the money.
Jan
The only nitpicking complaints that I have are that the headstock is wide enough that it sometimes gets in the way, and the indexing is awkward. I tend to do pieces with small feet and getting in there is not always easy. Mounting the turning in a chuck helps, and one of the days I'm going to pick up a set of long jaws. The indexing setup on the 3520B requires that you screw a pin into one of four holes in the headstock nose. Which holes and in what sequence is determined by the number of divisions you want. Since I am used to a lathe where the dividing is done by sliding a pin into holes in the drive pulley the PM system seems unnecessarily complicated. If I did a lot of indexing I would mount an indexing plate on the outboard end of the spindle.
My overall impression after a hundred plus turnings is that the 3520B is a pleasure to use, and a good value for the money.
Jan
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2004
- Messages
- 372
- Likes
- 0
- Location
- Burnt Chimney, SW Virginia
- Website
- www.burntchimneystudios.com
elbow problem/ Robust decision
Frank,
My elbow problems were pre-turning. I did too much heavy lifting while doing flatwork. I got out of that and when I decided to come back to woodworking I decided to try turning because I didn't want anymore heavy lifting. RIGHT!! I now have a larger chainsaw and wonder how I ever got some of those 150 pound sections of log up in that pickup. So the lathe did not cause problems.
My decision to get a larger lathe was sort of forced on me by a recent demand for more bowls. Certainly a Stubby S750 or S1000 or Oneway 2436 could handle what I had in mind, but the Stubby S500 which I have was not quite big enough. Having used the S500, I like the idea of a short-bed lathe or moving headstock. The Powermatic has a 20" swing and that isn't quite enough. So the only lathe which met all my personal requirements and eliminated the elbow concern was the Robust 25 x 28. And if I don't have any tendonitis from lifting the tailstock, then the difference in price was well worth it. And like Stubby and Oneway provides, I believe the personal service provided by Brent English of ROBUST to be excellent. Now all I have to do is rein in my impatience while the lathe is being built.
ROBUST LATHES
Frank,
My elbow problems were pre-turning. I did too much heavy lifting while doing flatwork. I got out of that and when I decided to come back to woodworking I decided to try turning because I didn't want anymore heavy lifting. RIGHT!! I now have a larger chainsaw and wonder how I ever got some of those 150 pound sections of log up in that pickup. So the lathe did not cause problems.
My decision to get a larger lathe was sort of forced on me by a recent demand for more bowls. Certainly a Stubby S750 or S1000 or Oneway 2436 could handle what I had in mind, but the Stubby S500 which I have was not quite big enough. Having used the S500, I like the idea of a short-bed lathe or moving headstock. The Powermatic has a 20" swing and that isn't quite enough. So the only lathe which met all my personal requirements and eliminated the elbow concern was the Robust 25 x 28. And if I don't have any tendonitis from lifting the tailstock, then the difference in price was well worth it. And like Stubby and Oneway provides, I believe the personal service provided by Brent English of ROBUST to be excellent. Now all I have to do is rein in my impatience while the lathe is being built.
ROBUST LATHES
Which lathe, hmmmm?
I pondered this question and asked myself what the desired/undesired features of each was. I finally came to the conclusion that the Oneway 2436 fit my shop and my personal size (6'4") best. they have now added the tailstock swinger which is a real back saver. With their reputation and service you also can be assured of good resale if and when you should ever have to sell (probably whoever inhierets it). Another nice thing is the choice in spindle heights.
But like the man said, it like chosing what looks good and feels good to you.
Vernon
I pondered this question and asked myself what the desired/undesired features of each was. I finally came to the conclusion that the Oneway 2436 fit my shop and my personal size (6'4") best. they have now added the tailstock swinger which is a real back saver. With their reputation and service you also can be assured of good resale if and when you should ever have to sell (probably whoever inhierets it). Another nice thing is the choice in spindle heights.
But like the man said, it like chosing what looks good and feels good to you.
Vernon
DMcIvor
AAW Staff
which lathe
Reading through this post I'd say there is a lot of good advice (as usual!) here. I just wanted to add that I've been using a Nova DVR 3000 for a year now and I remain quite pleased with it. For me this machine was a compromise between price and capacity. I'd love to have a Oneway, but just can't justify the expense right now. As a "bench top" lathe the DVR does need a good stand. I built my own, but this is an expense and/or time commitment you need to factor in. And if I were doing larger spindle turnings I'd have to break down and buy another bed section--so far I haven't needed to do that.
There are a lot of good lathes out there--vicmarc, oneway, poolewood, vb, powermatic, Nova--they all have their proponents. Many also have their detractors. Shipping cost may rule out several choices!
Reading through this post I'd say there is a lot of good advice (as usual!) here. I just wanted to add that I've been using a Nova DVR 3000 for a year now and I remain quite pleased with it. For me this machine was a compromise between price and capacity. I'd love to have a Oneway, but just can't justify the expense right now. As a "bench top" lathe the DVR does need a good stand. I built my own, but this is an expense and/or time commitment you need to factor in. And if I were doing larger spindle turnings I'd have to break down and buy another bed section--so far I haven't needed to do that.
There are a lot of good lathes out there--vicmarc, oneway, poolewood, vb, powermatic, Nova--they all have their proponents. Many also have their detractors. Shipping cost may rule out several choices!
Ed Moore said:Frank,
WHM is the parent company of Jet and Powermatic.
Wilford,
I recently solved the shoulder/elbow problem by ordering a Robust 25 x 28 with the tilt-away device for the tailstock. In Louisville I romanced the heck out of the demo lathe Brent English had there. I even took SWMBO to the booth and had her rotate the tailstock and then pick it up off the floor. I had some severe tendonitis in my elbows some years back and I don't want it again. To my wife's credit, she accepted my decision to get the Robust with grace.
My problems come from an inherited joint disease and the problems with most of the tailstocks was the actual resistance to moving on the bed. The thing I fell in love with my Delta over was the second cam release on the tailstock. When you pull the release lever all the way up it actually turns the tailstock totally loose to slide on the bed with almost no drag. This has made my turning much less painful and much more enjoyable. Like you Ed, I have a wife that is totally supportive and was behind my purchase 100%. She just wanted me to make sure the lathe I bought would allow me to enjoy my turning. Again, I would advise trying to actually handle the lathe before purchase - catalogs just cannot show you all the features!
Wilford