Oneway 24/36 worth upgrading to from Powermatic 3520c

[Dan Marion]

I'd like to get opinions on whether it would be worth it for me to upgrade the PM 3520c that I've had since Dec 22 to a Oneway 24/36 3hp.

Overall the powermatic has been good but I find myself pushing it's limits fairly regularly. I had the great fortune of becoming a regular at a big farmers market this season but have struggled to keep up with production demands. I was not prepared for the success and did not have enough bowls rough turned. (I do also make other products, but bowls are the staple) This summer I am looking to prepare fully and plan to rough turn 1-2000 bowls. With the PM I start with max 18in diameter billets I've taken to a hexagon with the chainsaw then I usually get one or two cores out it. I'm frequently having to start slow due to imbalance and stalling when trying to take a bigger cut. I also have to swap the coring set up on and off between each piece. That's not too bad but it does slow down the production.

My plan is to get the 24/36 with the outboard extension. This would let me keep the coring rig set up and allow me to use the tailstock side for initial roughing. Additionally I'd plan to use the shortbed side for finish bowl turning. I don't like having to get everything super clean before sliding the headstock on the PM so I almost never use it in the short bed position. Additionally I'd plan to bolt the OW to the concrete slab to allow me to get larger unbalanced blanks moving faster. The whole point of the upgrade would be to better handle production turning this summer.

The ability to have the advantages of a 3hp fixed headstock lathe while also having the shortbed set up is what makes me lean toward the Oneway over a Vicmarc or Robust. Of course, in theory I could keep the 3520 but I don't have a ton of space and it feels like getting the money out of it would also help with the cost of the potential upgrade.

I would appreciate any thoughts from people who have used both or if there are better options I have not considered. Thanks.

 

[Kevin Jenness]

You should try to get in touch with Mark Stinson, who started this thread on the same subject 5 years ago Oneway vs Vicmarc. He wound up getting a shortbed Oneway with the big outboard setup for production bowl turning. Dale Bonertz has a similar setup on a Vicmarc 300. new girlfriend

Your plan sounds solid. One minor consideration is that you will have to change your threaded accessories over to 33mm with the Oneway.

 

[Dan Marion]

You should try to get in touch with Mark Stinson, who started this thread on the same subject 5 years ago Oneway vs Vicmarc. He wound up getting a shortbed Oneway with the big outboard setup for production bowl turning. Dale Bonertz has a similar setup on a Vicmarc 300. new girlfriend

Your plan sounds solid. One minor consideration is that you will have to change your threaded accessories over to 33mm with the Oneway.

Thanks Kevin, I'll give both of those threads a read.

Great point regarding the 33mm spindle. Fortunately 2 of my 3 primary chucks are the insert kind so I'll just need new inserts. For the other chuck and my faceplate I think an adapter should be suitable.

 

[Dennis J Gooding]

I'd like to get opinions on whether it would be worth it for me to upgrade the PM 3520c that I've had since Dec 22 to a Oneway 24/36 3hp.

Overall the powermatic has been good but I find myself pushing it's limits fairly regularly. I had the great fortune of becoming a regular at a big farmers market this season but have struggled to keep up with production demands. I was not prepared for the success and did not have enough bowls rough turned. (I do also make other products, but bowls are the staple) This summer I am looking to prepare fully and plan to rough turn 1-2000 bowls. With the PM I start with max 18in diameter billets I've taken to a hexagon with the chainsaw then I usually get one or two cores out it. I'm frequently having to start slow due to imbalance and stalling when trying to take a bigger cut. I also have to swap the coring set up on and off between each piece. That's not too bad but it does slow down the production.

My plan is to get the 24/36 with the outboard extension. This would let me keep the coring rig set up and allow me to use the tailstock side for initial roughing. Additionally I'd plan to use the shortbed side for finish bowl turning. I don't like having to get everything super clean before sliding the headstock on the PM so I almost never use it in the short bed position. Additionally I'd plan to bolt the OW to the concrete slab to allow me to get larger unbalanced blanks moving faster. The whole point of the upgrade would be to better handle production turning this summer.

The ability to have the advantages of a 3hp fixed headstock lathe while also having the shortbed set up is what makes me lean toward the Oneway over a Vicmarc or Robust. Of course, in theory I could keep the 3520 but I don't have a ton of space and it feels like getting the money out of it would also help with the cost of the potential upgrade.

I would appreciate any thoughts from people who have used both or if there are better options I have not considered. Thanks.

Ray, I cannot speak to the differences between the two lathes but I can offer you a bargain on a Oneway 2430 with all of the goodies you could ask for. See my add in the For Sale Forum here or contact me at 541-660-3385 or djgood@ieee.org for details.

 

[robo hippy]

Difficult choice. Another option would be for a big bandsaw, one that cuts 16 inches high or more. You may have to have a 30 to 50 amp circuit installed. I found that incredibly handy for cutting slabs since the sides are almost perfectly parallel. Next step is to take the slabs to a smaller bandsaw to cut circles, I just use a compass/divider to scribe the circles. This is a HUGE time savings when compared to chain sawn blanks! Glenn Lucas did get a bandsaw mill which he likes, and that did solve the parallel sides issue, but I never liked slabs since they always included too many knots. I also use a forstner bit to drill a recess for mounting the bowl blanks, 2 5/8 inch fits my mid sized Vicmark chuck. You never need to use a face plate again. For an 18 inch bowl, I would probably use tailstock support, but that is an extra production step, unless you have the Robust tilt away option, which is the best out there. I do turn green to final thickness. The Vicmark does go slow enough to let you power sand at 10 to 15 rpm speeds. I had my Beauty reprogrammed for that low speed as well. The PM 3520C does go down to 15rpm. The Vicmark and Oneway lathes have 3 speed ranges, which to me is an advantage. I keep them in mid range which has enough torque for coring and enough speed for smaller bowls.

robo hippy

 

[Dan Marion]

Ray, I cannot speak to the differences between the two lathes but I can offer you a bargain on a Oneway 2430 with all of the goodies you could ask for. See my add in the For Sale Forum here or contact me at 541-660-3385 or djgood@ieee.org for details.

Thanks Dennis but I'm really looking for a 3hp unit.

 

[Dan Marion]

Difficult choice. Another option would be for a big bandsaw, one that cuts 16 inches high or more. You may have to have a 30 to 50 amp circuit installed. I found that incredibly handy for cutting slabs since the sides are almost perfectly parallel. Next step is to take the slabs to a smaller bandsaw to cut circles, I just use a compass/divider to scribe the circles. This is a HUGE time savings when compared to chain sawn blanks! Glenn Lucas did get a bandsaw mill which he likes, and that did solve the parallel sides issue, but I never liked slabs since they always included too many knots. I also use a forstner bit to drill a recess for mounting the bowl blanks, 2 5/8 inch fits my mid sized Vicmark chuck. You never need to use a face plate again. For an 18 inch bowl, I would probably use tailstock support, but that is an extra production step, unless you have the Robust tilt away option, which is the best out there. I do turn green to final thickness. The Vicmark does go slow enough to let you power sand at 10 to 15 rpm speeds. I had my Beauty reprogrammed for that low speed as well. The PM 3520C does go down to 15rpm. The Vicmark and Oneway lathes have 3 speed ranges, which to me is an advantage. I keep them in mid range which has enough torque for coring and enough speed for smaller bowls.

robo hippy

Thanks. I have considered upgrading my bandsaw in addition/separate to the lathe upgrade. That would help with the out of balance issue but I still think I'm somewhat limited by having a 2hp lathe for what I'm doing. I was regularly stalling eucalyptus blanks yesterday with a 5/8 bowl gouge. Of course I stall coring fairly frequently too. Also the inboard/outbard option seems like it would be ideal for my process. I had not realized the vicmarc offered such and option prior Kevin pointing it out in this thread.

 

[Brian Gustin]

I'd like to get opinions on whether it would be worth it for me to upgrade the PM 3520c that I've had since Dec 22 to a Oneway 24/36 3hp.

Overall the powermatic has been good but I find myself pushing it's limits fairly regularly. I had the great fortune of becoming a regular at a big farmers market this season but have struggled to keep up with production demands. I was not prepared for the success and did not have enough bowls rough turned. (I do also make other products, but bowls are the staple) This summer I am looking to prepare fully and plan to rough turn 1-2000 bowls. With the PM I start with max 18in diameter billets I've taken to a hexagon with the chainsaw then I usually get one or two cores out it. I'm frequently having to start slow due to imbalance and stalling when trying to take a bigger cut. I also have to swap the coring set up on and off between each piece. That's not too bad but it does slow down the production.

My plan is to get the 24/36 with the outboard extension. This would let me keep the coring rig set up and allow me to use the tailstock side for initial roughing. Additionally I'd plan to use the shortbed side for finish bowl turning. I don't like having to get everything super clean before sliding the headstock on the PM so I almost never use it in the short bed position. Additionally I'd plan to bolt the OW to the concrete slab to allow me to get larger unbalanced blanks moving faster. The whole point of the upgrade would be to better handle production turning this summer.

The ability to have the advantages of a 3hp fixed headstock lathe while also having the shortbed set up is what makes me lean toward the Oneway over a Vicmarc or Robust. Of course, in theory I could keep the 3520 but I don't have a ton of space and it feels like getting the money out of it would also help with the cost of the potential upgrade.

I would appreciate any thoughts from people who have used both or if there are better options I have not considered. Thanks.

If I had the money to buy one, I'd take the ONEWAY over the Powermatic any day of the week... In other words, I'd vote to do the upgrade.

 

[Dean Center]

The Oneway and the Powermatic operate a little differently in several ways that would affect your interface with the lathe. In this setting, it might affect your productivity if levers go the 'wrong' way or you hate the banjo clamping mechanism, or the spindle locking method, etc. It would probably be wise to turn on both of them to see if those intimate little details make a difference to you.

 

[Kevin Jenness]

I totally agree with the idea of "try before you buy."

With the Oneway you have some different outboard options. The big outboard setup is great for large diameter work but is overkill for normal bowl turning, and is a bit of a shin-biter.. The tall banjo is somewhat cumbersome and takes toolrests with oversize (1 1/2"?) posts. If you want an outboard tailstock you will want the longer ways and a tailstock riser, all of which adds up in post-tariff dollars.

The alternative is a bed extension level with the main ways, either 17" or 24". 17" is great for hollowing bowls straight-on, 24" will allow for a tailstock, and you can use the standard banjo. I think 17" would work for the Oneway coring jig, not sure if you want a tailstock for that.

I have a 17" extension on each end of my 2436 and am happy with the setup. I rough out between centers inboard and the extension allows for longer spindle work and pulling the tailstock back out of the way for most work. I have a spare banjo which usually lives on the outboard side, and allows for turning bowl interiors and hollowing moderate size hollow forms without bending over.

One change I made to the stock lathe was removing the main control box from the swing arm and putting magnets on the back. Between that and the auxiliary start/stop station I can safely start and stop the lathe from either end without reaching around the line of fire.

I would recommend ordering the brake resistor if you get a Oneway. I don't know if you can add one afterwards.

You may want to consider bolting your lathe down for spinning blanks at higher rpms. Opinions differ on this subject.

Used Oneways seem to come up fairly regularly and they have a good long term track record. Vicmarcs are much thinner on the ground.

 

[Dan Marion]

The Oneway and the Powermatic operate a little differently in several ways that would affect your interface with the lathe. In this setting, it might affect your productivity if levers go the 'wrong' way or you hate the banjo clamping mechanism, or the spindle locking method, etc. It would probably be wise to turn on both of them to see if those intimate little details make a difference to you.

This is a good point though I don't know anyone who has either the Oneway or, as I'm now heavily consider, the vicmarc. I'm in the Tampa FL area if anyone happens to read this, lives, within a few hours, and has either a OW 24/36 or a Vicmarc VL300.

 

[Dan Marion]

I totally agree with the idea of "try before you buy."

With the Oneway you have some different outboard options. The big outboard setup is great for large diameter work but is overkill for normal bowl turning, and is a bit of a shin-biter.. The tall banjo is somewhat cumbersome and takes toolrests with oversize (1 1/2"?) posts. If you want an outboard tailstock you will want the longer ways and a tailstock riser, all of which adds up in post-tariff dollars.

The alternative is a bed extension level with the main ways, either 17" or 24". 17" is great for hollowing bowls straight-on, 24" will allow for a tailstock, and you can use the standard banjo. I think 17" would work for the Oneway coring jig, not sure if you want a tailstock for that.

I have a 17" extension on each end of my 2436 and am happy with the setup. I rough out between centers inboard and the extension allows for longer spindle work and pulling the tailstock back out of the way for most work. I have a spare banjo which usually lives on the outboard side, and allows for turning bowl interiors and hollowing moderate size hollow forms without bending over.

One change I made to the stock lathe was removing the main control box from the swing arm and putting magnets on the back. Between that and the auxiliary start/stop station I can safely start and stop the lathe from either end without reaching around the line of fire.

I would recommend ordering the brake resistor if you get a Oneway. I don't know if you can add one afterwards.

You may want to consider bolting your lathe down for spinning blanks at higher rpms. Opinions differ on this subject.

Used Oneways seem to come up fairly regularly and they have a good long term track record. Vicmarcs are much thinner on the ground.

I reached out to the folks at Oneway and they were very helpful with the recommendation and providing a quote. For optioning I went with SS ways, breaking resistor, remote start stop, and 24" extension.

I figured the 24" would give me just a bit more flexibility. The giant outboard option looked compelling but outside of any of my current uses and would take up more space in my very small shop.

The oneway seemed like it was going to be the next lathe for sure but they're 4-6 months out which would put its arrival directly after the big production push I want to do this summer. Of course I don't want to base a 20+ year purchase on a few months difference, but it factors in. Additionally, fully optioned out, with shipping, and now tariffs, I'll probably be looking at over $11,000 to go one way (that's assuming "ext. price" includes tarrifts and it won't be another 25% on top of the quote. I do believe in buy once cry once and getting the best tool for the job, but that does start to feel steep, especially with the wait time added.

The VL300 would be able to arrive much sooner and with the outboard option it would still be doing exactly what I need. Additionally, only having one extension might be great for my small shop. If I ever need a full length bed I could swap the extension to the other side, otherwise I can just keep it in a dual bowl turning setup which might be ideal.

For either option I plan to bolt it the concrete slab.

 

[Tom Albrecht]

If you want something that big, you'd be foolish not to consider the Robust American Beauty. I got that when I moved up from my Oneway 24/36. (And no need to switch to 33mm threads).

There are at least two Robust dealers in FL.

Robust AB

 

[Dan Marion]

If you want something that big, you'd be foolish not to consider the Robust American Beauty. I got that when I moved up from my Oneway 24/36. (And no need to switch to 33mm threads).

There are at least two Robust dealers in FL.

Robust AB

I have a sliding headstock lathe currently and think having a dual inboard and outboard set up on a fixed headstock lathe will work better for my needs.

 

[Donna Banfield]

I have a sliding headstock lathe currently and think having a dual inboard and outboard set up on a fixed headstock lathe will work better for my needs.

As a former Oneway 2436 owner, with the large outboard set up (tailstock riser block, big outboard banjo and three outboard tool rests), make sure that your chucks and faceplates have set screws to lock them on the spindle. Turning outboard means you’re reversing the spin rotation. If your face plates and chucks are not secured on the spindle, the first time you stop your lathe, that huge chunk of whatever you have mounted will unthread itself rapidly. Don’t ask me how I know that.

 

[Dan Marion]

As a former Oneway 2436 owner, with the large outboard set up (tailstock riser block, big outboard banjo and three outboard tool rests), make sure that your chucks and faceplates have set screws to lock them on the spindle. Turning outboard means you’re reversing the spin rotation. If your face plates and chucks are not secured on the spindle, the first time you stop your lathe, that huge chunk of whatever you have mounted will unthread itself rapidly. Don’t ask me how I know that.

So how do you know that?

Ha, but yes I was wondering if this might be an issue.. I'll definitely need to accommodate appropriately!

 

[Dean Center]

Dan, if you're an AAW member, you can find other members in your area on the main web site. (Membership tab-->Find a member). Whether or not a member, you can search for clubs in your area and use that as a vehicle to find owners of lathes in which you are interested.

 

[Kevin Jenness]

As a former Oneway 2436 owner, with the large outboard set up (tailstock riser block, big outboard banjo and three outboard tool rests), make sure that your chucks and faceplates have set screws to lock them on the spindle. Turning outboard means you’re reversing the spin rotation. If your face plates and chucks are not secured on the spindle, the first time you stop your lathe, that huge chunk of whatever you have mounted will unthread itself rapidly. Don’t ask me how I know that.

Admittedly a quibble, but this is an issue regardless of spindle rotation. The spindle has a right hand thread on both ends. The problem manifests with a heavy blank whether it's decelerating from forward rotation or accelerating in reverse. Tightening the grubscrews is a good habit for the same reason as fastening your seatbelt on a forklift. Most of the time it's not a problem but when it is...

 

[Donna Banfield]

Admittedly a quibble, but this is an issue regardless of spindle rotation. The spindle has a right hand thread on both ends. The problem manifests with a heavy blank whether it's decelerating from forward rotation or accelerating in reverse. Tightening the grubscrews is a good habit for the same reason as fastening your seatbelt on a forklift. Most of the time it's not a problem but when it is...

I never experienced that unthreading until I mounted a blank outboard in my Vicmarc chuck. They did not have a grubscrew at the time I discovered that issue. I don't know if that has changed because I haven't needed a new chuck in 20 years. But you can rest assured I had all my Vicmarc chucks at a machinist who was able to tap and drill every chuck, with a grub screw shortly after that episode.