Need New Lathe

[Emiliano Achaval]

Folks who have $5k to spend should buy a $3k lathe and spend $2k on a couple of classes.
skills will increase turning success and enjoyment more than a new lathe.

We all know you can do great work on a crappy lathe
And crappy work on a great lathe.

Lots of people from the Facebook group that i'm one of the administrators sort of accused me of been a good turner because of my Stubby late and good tools here in the USA. I did a demo for them, in Buenos Aires, on a home made lathe, a decent one, and I used home made gouges. I showed them that its not the arrow... lol Taking lessons is one of the things that I tell beginners that they need to do, join the AAW and the club, and DO NOT watch YouTube videos not approved by the AAW.... Amazing when a beginner tell me, but i saw that on youtube!!

 

[Odie]

but I like the indexing on my lathe. It uses a screw so it isn't as fast as a spring loaded plunger,

I watched Brent English's video on the AB, and he claims at 2:11 that the screw indexer was more accurate than the spring plunger. I wonder why he thinks that?

View: https://youtu.be/ZeXFNgVV6Dc

 

[Bill Boehme]

... How about the price, Bill?.......I really do like the AB, but the price is not do-able for many turners. I still am not able to even think about upgrading my old Woodfast lathe, but when that time comes, the AB is definitely on my dream list. At this point, the new Powermatic 3520c is very appealing, but even there, it isn't within my financial prospects. I suppose it's possible if I wanted either of these lathes badly enough......but, I still am having trouble believing the quality of my turnings could be improved with the upgrade. Someday though.......it'll probably happen!

Well the Robust AB isn't cheap, nor is a Oneway or a Vicmarc. A new lathe won't make your work better or more inspired or innovative, but it's the things like how smoothly all the controls operate, how smoothly the machine runs, how conveniently things are arranged .... all the little details plus the extra power if needed.

If it's a hobby then how do you justify the cost of any expenditure? We can rationalize all we want, but in reality it's all about wanting something. If we want it enough then we will make up reasons why we need it. How much we spend is a very personal choice.

 

[Bill Boehme]

I watched Brent English's video on the AB, and he claims at 2:11 that the screw indexer was more accurate than the spring plunger. I wonder why he thinks that? ...

It's a bit fancier than a hardware store screw. It is a precision fit screw with a tapered point that fits into a matching hole on the handwheel. The back end has a nice knurled knob. A plunger always has a tiny bit of play.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Learn something every day! I had no idea about this...

Oneway is sort of one way about what they make. I had them counterbore a tapered adapter for a t
Talon chuck and I wanted it to be threaded RH only. Well they refused to thread it RH only so I wound up with a RH/LH threaded adapter. Their argument was that someday I would buy a Oneway lathe.

 

[Odie]

Oneway is sort of one way about what they make. I had them counterbore a tapered adapter for a t
Talon chuck and I wanted it to be threaded RH only. Well they refused to thread it RH only so I wound up with a RH/LH threaded adapter. Their argument was that someday I would buy a Oneway lathe.

Oneway is very innovative in so many ways, but their business philosophy is limiting their success. There are other lathe makers who are bending over backwards trying to do what they think their customers want.....and, those are the ones who are going to make progress within the market, while Oneway will forever remain in the back of the pack.

The interesting thing is.....my oldest Stronghold chuck (purchased in late 1980's or early 1990's I think) has a RH only thread. The other two Stronghold chucks have RH/LH threads. I too, would rather have RH only. It's only a minor inconvenience, but the RH/LH threads are just a little more tricky to initially get the threads to mate to the spindle threads. This can sometimes be a PITA when the chuck is already mounted to a heavy block of wood.

-----odie-----

 

[R Henrickson]

I agree with every one of Bill's points completely. I've turned for 8-9 years. Last year I used a Robust for a week at Arrowmont. Since it was a Derek Weidman class, it was a good test of a lathe. I bought an AB the next week. A sliding headstock is crucial to my choice of lathe.

I have turned once on a Oneway for a demo. The control arm was distracting, but admittedly it was my first encounter with one. I checked very carefully before the demo to make sure that the club had an adapter for M33>1 1/4".

 

[john lucas]

I prefer the banjo on the Robust. Every Oneway I've used when I lock the tool rest post it's always been hard to unlock it to move the tool rest. With the Robust's that I've turned on it only takes 2 fingers. I really don't like the controls being on that moveable arm. I feel like I have to search for it every time I want to do something. I like the concept of the 3520C. I bought the parts to change my 3520A to a magnetic control panel. What you have to do is always put the control panel in the same spot each time so you never even have to think where it is in a panic. Just my 2 cents which is probably maybe iffy on how much that's worth.

 

[Brian McInturff]

The Stubby has a magnetic control box that's moveable. I'm so use to moving it to where I need it, it would be awkward if I didn't have the ability to move it.
If I had the space and money to purchase another lathe the AB would be it.
Their are some other lathes out there I'd like the opportunity to try one day. The Serious lathe looked interesting as well as the Steinart. I had the luxury to try out the VB36 and realized I'd need to build a platform to turn on it. And I'm not short(5'10").

 

[Hy Tran]

Back when I decided to upgrade from a Shopsmith, the Powermatic 3520B was my first choice. Then, the folks at work decided to give me a fairly substantial raise. This put both the Oneway, the Robust, and perhaps the Stubby on my radar screen. Unfortunately, this was around the time that Stubby USA had stopped importing (or perhaps Stubby Australia had stopped exporting, I'm not sure). I had two local mentors, one with the PM 3520A, the other with a large Oneway. I got to turn extensively on both lathes. Then, I also got to turn on a nearby Robust AB. When I took my raise, projected to retirement age, and my "years anticipated turning before the joints become decrepit", it was an easy choice to go to the best lathe (for me). (Price_of_Robust_AB - Price_of_Powermatic_3520B)/(# of years); then, there's present cost, amortization, and a whole bunch of weird accounting stuff...

To Al H's point, I did budget for 1 workshop (3 days)--my avatar photo is me at Trent Bosch's in Ft Collins CO. A workshop was factored in my cost analysis regardless of lathe (well, perhaps not "keeping the Shopsmith as my primary lathe"...).

Some of the other factors to look at, besides features & price: Support, warranty, expected lifetime (if 15 years from now, Wisconsin is struck by a meteor, and the power surge fries the electronics on my Robust, how easy is it to buy new electronics, etc.), cost/availability of future accessories (if the US is bought out by Canada and decides to go to hard metric, can we still get 1-1/4x8 faceplates, 1" diameter toolrests, etc.)

To respond peripherally to another discussion: When our club offers workshops with a professional, I try to sign up. And on my bucket list is a multi-day workshop someplace (heck, several multi-day workshops someplace).

 

[Hy Tran]

I prefer the banjo on the Robust. Every Oneway I've used when I lock the tool rest post it's always been hard to unlock it to move the tool rest. With the Robust's that I've turned on it only takes 2 fingers. I really don't like the controls being on that moveable arm. I feel like I have to search for it every time I want to do something. I like the concept of the 3520C. I bought the parts to change my 3520A to a magnetic control panel. What you have to do is always put the control panel in the same spot each time so you never even have to think where it is in a panic. Just my 2 cents which is probably maybe iffy on how much that's worth.

I have multiple locations for the control box, depending on what I'm turning. Small spindles (pens), control box on headstock. Larger spindles or initial bowls/platters, control box on tailstock. If tailstock has been pulled away to prevent turner's elbow, or the headstock slid forward to help me get a good angle on the bowl/platter entry point, control box on lathe or toolrest near my right knee.

As a matter of habit, I try to always turn the speed to low immediately after hitting the off button, so I never start the lathe at high speed (even with pens). Similarly, I always try to "stand outside the line of fire." That said, buffing is still a mystery to me, and I need to find a mentor to show me the appropriate amount of force (and wax) to buff a piece.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

I think it's "present value" instead of "present cost"........definitely a value decision!

 

[John Nicholson]

The best lathe in the world is a 25" Robust American Beauty.

 

[Lamar Wright]

I'm like the OP, I will be in the market for a new larger lathe in the future. The Delta I have is fine for small to medium bowls and when I bought this lathe 5 years ago I was just turning pens. Did not even think about bowls and platters in my future. Now I'm hooked on bowls and other larger things to turn......


I've been looking at the Laguna lathe and the Sweet 16 by Robust. Both weight about the same but big $$$$$ difference. I know that the Sweet 16 is probably a lot better lathe by a long shot. It is also a very versatile lathe.

 

[Bill Boehme]

$$ per pound isn't a useful metric. Just get the lathe that you want and be done with it. Remorse is much worse than guilt ... especially when you realize that it wasn't guilt after all, but actually overachieving frugality. Remorse caused by not getting what you really want never completely goes away and can lead to serious disorders such as artistic block.

 

[Tom Gall]

Remorse caused by not getting what you really want never completely goes away and can lead to serious disorders such as artistic block.

.......and a few tears!

 

[hockenbery]

There are lots of lathes on the market and all of them have some satisfied owners.
Best thing is to try and get some up close time with the machines to make an informed decision on what you like.

In the 24" range I like the Oneway, Robust, Vicmarc.
If you want to turn really big stuff then look at Oneway and the Vb36.
ONEWAY is the best for me.

Smaller lathes I like the Oneway 1640, Robust Sweet 16, jet 1840 all worth a long look.

I have a sort of love hate relationship with the Powermatic 3520.
I love to demo on it because it is a dependable machine that will do everything I need done in a demo.
I like the spring loaded spindle lock and its location.
Don't like the headstock, tailstock, banjo, index system, controls, the sliding head stock or marginal power.

 

[Lamar Wright]

$$ per pound isn't a useful metric. Just get the lathe that you want and be done with it. Remorse is much worse than guilt ... especially when you realize that it wasn't guilt after all, but actually overachieving frugality. Remorse caused by not getting what you really want never completely goes away and can lead to serious disorders such as artistic block.

Agree Bill, you'll never be happy if you don't get what you won't.

 

[Odie]

Lots of people from the Facebook group that i'm one of the administrators sort of accused me of been a good turner because of my Stubby

I have noticed that Emiliano.......and, it's not just that generally, many people tend to judge you by the "things" you have, instead of by your heart and soul, and.......of course, your results!

-----odie-----

 

[Odie]

Agree Bill, you'll never be happy if you don't get what you won't.

Wow.......I think that might have been a typo.......but, it certainly seems like a "Freudian slip", Lamar!

Of course, what you can afford comes into play, as well.

My Woodfast lathe was exactly what I wanted when I bought it 25 years ago......and, I've been very happy with it over the years. Getting a new lathe isn't going to make me a better turner.....I know that.....but, at this point, I wouldn't mind getting something with a sliding (or pivoting) headstock, a little more swing capacity, position-able controls, adjustable height, and a few other of the "latest" goodies.

Right now, the new PM 3520C seems my best bet, but if money wasn't a consideration, I'd probably go with the Robust AB.

-----odie-----

 

[Emiliano Achaval]

It's been several years since Stubby stopped exporting lathes to the US. Bill Rubenstein was supporting existing owners for several years, but wasn't selling new lathes. Has there been a recent change that I haven't heard about?

Stubby has the best customer service. Rod Cadeye the owner will help any Stubby owner, no matter who they bought it from. He even remembers some of the lathes from their serial number. Worldwide delivery. Best lathe in the world and I have turn in a lot of different ones...

 

[Lamar Wright]

Wow.......I think that might have been a typo.......but, it certainly seems like a "Freudian slip", Lamar!

Of course, what you can afford comes into play, as well.

My Woodfast lathe was exactly what I wanted when I bought it 25 years ago......and, I've been very happy with it over the years. Getting a new lathe isn't going to make me a better turner.....I know that.....but, at this point, I wouldn't mind getting something with a sliding (or pivoting) headstock, a little more swing capacity, position-able controls, adjustable height, and a few other of the "latest" goodies.

Right now, the new PM 3520C seems my best bet, but if money wasn't a consideration, I'd probably go with the Robust AB.

-----odie-----

Hi Odie, I'm thinking like you, I know that buying a larger new lathe will not make me a better turner, that comes with practice and time behind the lathe. There are so many new lathes on the market now that makes it hard to decide but choices are a good thing. I have a place for a full size lathe in my shop but it will take a crane to lift the boxes that a full size lathe comes with!!! lol. My Delta midi weighs 97 lbs vs 400-600lbs for a full size lathe. Talking about a pivoting headstock, I really like that idea to give you plenty of swing capacity. That would be an important feature for me. Best thing is I'm in no rush, just thinking and planing. Thanks so much for your input Odie and Happy turning my friend.

 

[hockenbery]

... know that buying a larger new lathe will not make me a better turner, that comes with practice and time behind the lathe. it will take a crane to lift the boxes that a full size lathe comes with!!! lol.

Agree completely - you can do great work on a crappy lathe
You can do crappy work on a great lathe

Building skills through classes, practice, mentoring will make you a much better and happier turner than getting a new lathe.

A bigger lathe is however essential for doing bigger work

Fear not the set up!
A big lathe is not all that hard to deal with.
My 2436 arrived on a pallet with some assembly required.
3 club members came over. We set up the legs. Then slid short 2x4 under the ways.
It is a breeze for 4 to carry the bed&motor to the legs and bolt it on. Then bolt on the headstock, slide on the banjo, slide on the tailstock done.

I set up a 2416 by myself using a hydraulic table to hold the bed in place while I bolted on the legs.
Powermatic, Robust, Vicmar just as easy to set up. A hydraulic table or a couple of friends make it a snap.

ONEWAY and Robust have excellent wheel sets. ONEWAY wheels go on in less than a minute and being pneumatic tires they roll over lawns and up any trailer ramp.

 

[Mike Johnson]

As the baby boomer generation retires and old age sets in you will see a plethora of lathes coming
onto the used market going forward. Many of these machines were lightly used and will be available
at a fraction of the cost of new. Over the years I have purchased used package deals getting the machine along with all of the accessories that go along with the deal. When you add up the cost of
accessories for this type of equipment the accessories usually exceed the value of the machine. A quick google search on any model of machine can quickly determine fair marker value. You can also research the machines that have good track records of quality and reliability.

 

[Lamar Wright]

Building skills through classes, practice, mentoring will make you a much better and happier turner than getting a new lathe.

I agree Al. Learning bowl turning skills is much more important to me right now Happy turning.

 

[Lamar Wright]

When you add up the cost of
accessories for this type of equipment the accessories usually exceed the value of the machine.

Hi Mike, I have noticed that. Nice to buy a package deal I would think? Happy turning!