Replies

1. 
   JeffHeath | Aug 18, 2005 08:16pm | #1

   brian

   I have been investigating the exact same issue for about 4 months now.  I have come to the conclusion that in your price range, which just so happens to be mine as well, the Oneway Lathe is THE way to go. 

   I just spent the weekend at Montanafest at Lee Grindinger's place (great Party!!), and Ellis Walentine from Woodcentral was turning a vessel out of big leaf maple burl.  He was using the newer version of the powermatic 2 hp lathe.  The burl was about 8 inches across, and he was CONSISTENTLY causing the turning to stall.  Very disappointing, but great to know.

   Hope this helps.  I'm definately buying the Oneway.

   Jeff

   
   

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   Edited 8/18/2005 3:50 pm ET by JeffHeath

1. 
   KeithNewton | Aug 19, 2005 01:57am | #4

   Brian, and Jeff. The One-Way and General are both very good tools. They are very solidly built, and as far as I have seen don't have any weak-links or design flaws. There are some others that are market in lthat price range, that I have not used, but I think I can see some things that I would not do if I had been engeneering them, but I am not an engineer.When it comes to choosing a motor, I think that you need at least one hp for each 3 of radius that you plan to cut without over-working the motor. If you are thinking of getting a 2 hp motor, I think you will be happier with a 3 hp for this size tools. I used a 3 hp on a PM for about 10 years, and when I built my big lathe about 3 years ago, I put a 5 hp on it with a Variable Frequency Drive VFD. I guess you probably have found http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com , they are a good source for a lot of turnig related things. Ugh, I just went to that site, and they only show a 1.5 hp for the one-way. However the catalog shows a 2 hp option. I could not go back to that myself.
   I hopw this helps. K

1. 
   JeffHeath | Aug 19, 2005 04:01am | #7

   Keith

   Thanks for the input.  I've seen your turnings, and trust your judgement.  I'd like to have you show me how you do what you do sometime!!  I definately want a lathe with 3 hp or more.  I was under the impression that the oneway is available that way, but I'm not positive.  I will find out.

   Jeff

1. 
   KeithNewton | Aug 19, 2005 04:51am | #8

   Jeff, the link above is a dealer for one-way, did you not find it? Try this.
   http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/catalog/oneway2000.htmlI will be happy to share anything I know about ww. If you are in an area that has a ww club, I am open to traveling to do workshops.

2. 
   brianmexico | Aug 19, 2005 06:12am | #10

   Kieth,

   Thanks for the excelent advice, I've looked over the entire website that you posted and I can already imagine the curls coming off my first project.

   When talking about the One way lathe do you think that there is a substancial difference between the model 1640 and the 2000 series? I see that one of the 1640 comes with a 2hp motor and the additional bed for turning on the opposite side of the headstock seems reasonably priced.

   Thanks again for the great link and your tips, maybe I'll have to fly you down here to show me how to use this beast.

   Best Regards,

   Brian

2. 
   brianmexico | Aug 19, 2005 02:00am | #5

   Jeff,

   After reading over many reviews I've seen the One Way lathe very favorably mentioned but couldn't find their website, if they have one. I'll google dealers and see what I find. Did you buy yours yet and if so what's the first impression?

   To others,

   I'm not so interested in the mechanical fast repeatability of a copying lathe, partly the reason I think the Lagunas aren't well suited to what I want to do. I want to do some bowls as well and for this reason I'm looking for an all round machine with some versatility. I plan on doing some not so small turnings so I want a big machine with some weight to it.

   Anybody have any suggestions for accesories, chucks, turnings tools, etc.....

   Thanks for the great advice,

   Brian

1. 
   JeffHeath | Aug 19, 2005 03:58am | #6

   brian

   I have a large 20" disc sander and a floor model oscillating spindle sander taking up space in my shop where the lathe will go.  As soon as I sell them, the lathe will have a happy home.

   Jeff

2. 
   docotter | Aug 19, 2005 06:04am | #9

   Brian,

   Oneway's web site can be found at http://www.oneway.ca

   FWIW, Highland Hardware is a dealer and they do show some prices on their web site, but there are bunch of options (motor sizes, height, bed extensions, outboard extensions, braking resistors, RFI filters, wheels), and they don't cover it all on the web site, but do have a better description in their printed catalog.

   Oneway makes one family with base models 2016, 2416, 2036, and 2436, where the first two digits are the swing over the ways (in inches) and the second two are the maximum spindle length that you can get between centers. The xx16 models are basically bowl lathes; the xx36 models are clearly made to do both bowls and spindles. Assuming that you'd want to do both spindles and bowls, the 2036 starts at around $5K.

   Oneway is also making a model 1640 that is intended to compete with the Powermatics and Delta. With a 16" swing and 40" between centers, you can do "useful" sized bowls *and* the spindles that you'd probably want to do for furniture. The 1640 seems to be made to the same quality standards as its big brothers -- and I'm not trying to say that the Delta or Powermatics are comparable to the Oneway -- or even that the Delta 1640 is comparable to either of the Powermatics.  Oh, and the Oneway 1640 starts at about $3500. BTW, an outboard bed extension that provides a 24" swing is also available for this, so if you get the big bowl bug later...

   On the Powermatic front they've got two models; a 3520 (OK, they do the numbers backwards -- that's 35" between centers, 20" swing) and a 4224 (42" between centers, 24" swing). The 3520 runs about $2500, the 4224 about $4K. Not as nice as the Oneways, but very nice nonetheless.

   It's pretty easy to spend $1500-2000 on a couple of Stronghold chucks, a full set of jaws for said chucks, a modest selection of HSS turning tools, grinder, grinding jigs (I have a Oneway Wolverine), and sanding accessories. If that's coming out of your $4K budget, I'd be looking really hard at the Powermatic 3520.

   Good luck.

1. 
   brianmexico | Aug 19, 2005 06:20am | #11

   Great tips Doc,

   I just went over to the website that Kieth posted, do you think that the oneway chucks are good, and would I need all the accesorie jaws with them?? I'm aware of the fact that all of this will probably set me back another few dollars, but I think the Oneway 1640 looks like the winner for me. I want to buy a versatile machine and from the looks of it this unit fits the bill quite well.

   Thanks again Doc,

   Brian

   P.S. I'll fly you down with Kieth as well, all I can pay is cold beer, 20 miles of white sandy beaches, and some of the best fishing in the world.

1. 
   koikid | Aug 19, 2005 06:47am | #12

   Hey Brian Another new lathe to look at is the ROBUST, I saw it last month at the AAW National and it looked pretty nice with the short amount of time I had to look at it.
   They build it in several configurations like OneWay does 1.5 to 3 HP models and some nice features. Their web site is http://www.turnrobust.com
   to look at their site.Also Powermatic has got a New model out now to a few dealers, the 3520B that has some new features and additions that should make the price on their other models drop in price here soon since people will want the new version.Don't think you would go wrong getting any of the 3 brands. I still have my General 280 with riser blocks I bought 20 years ago. I would like to buy one of the new lathes here one of these days for myself if I could ever just find time to get out to the shop!
   Good luck
   KK

2. 
   brianmexico | Aug 19, 2005 05:06pm | #13

   Koikid,

   The Robust looks nice, but at a simple glance, it's more expensive than the Oneway and seems not as heavily built. Of course seeing these machines in action is what portrays their real ability. I think I want to keep away from the powermatic and stick with a more specialized unit.

   Thanks for the great advice,

   Brian

3. 
   docotter | Aug 20, 2005 06:27am | #14

   Are Oneway chucks good? Yeah, I'd say so. But, I'll say that there are a lot of opinions out there. Some people like Vicmarc, among others. Others would argue that Teknatool's Nova/Supernova chucks are good, although there are a fair number who'd argue that they're a little less expensive and you get what you pay for.

   Do you need all of the jaw sets? Probably not. But, more is better. Do you need more than one chuck? Not necessarily. Changing jaws is a PITA, but you may find that you don't swap often. Your work habits will dictate what you need. If you go with a Oneway chuck (with the Oneway 1640 I'd probably pick either a standard Oneway or Stronghold, not the Talon), I'd at least add the jumbo jaws in addition to the #2 jaws that come with it. With the jumbo jaws you can mount bowls by their rim so that you can turn the base/foot of your bowls. You can always add more jaws later. For that matter, Oneway will also sell you a body-only package if you decide that you don't like changing jaws.

   Oh, I forgot to mention. The Richard Raffan books are pretty good. A worthy investment, I'd say.

   Thanks for the offer. Wish I weren't so far underwater...

4. 
   brianmexico | Aug 20, 2005 06:06pm | #16

   Doc,

   Thanks for the great tips on the chucks, I'll be sure to take your tips into account when the time comes to make the buy.

   What kind of water are you under Doc, figurative or otherwise??

   Cheers,

   Brian

2. 
   SawdustSteve | Aug 18, 2005 10:04pm | #2

   Hi Brian... Let's back up a minute... WHAT do you plan on turning?? If the largest item you want to turn is a pen or a small bowl, then you're looking at one lathe... If you have thoughts of turning Newell (sp?) posts and large columns, then you're looking at another type of lathe. I can't remember the name, but I know that there is a lathe out there where they supply the head and tail-stocks, you supply the bed. You can even turn the head 180 degrees and do large table-tops.

   Just remember, even though the SPINDLE is turning at 150 RPM, the SF/M (surface feet per minute) GREATLY increases with the diameter of the piece. Yes, you can stall out a wood lathe under several different conditions, (large diameter piece with a deep scraper type cut, belts not properly tightened and, most important the torque rating of the motor.) As with any woodworking process, the sharpness of the lathe tool is of great importance.
   SawdustSteve

3. 
   woodbrain | Aug 18, 2005 10:52pm | #3

   If you just want to do spindle/columns, etc. for incorporation into your furniture/cabinets, where you will need to make indentical parts much of the time, then consider the legacy ornamental mill.   You won't get the "fun" of turning, but you will be able to produce intricate turnings, with designs you couldn't do on a lathe, and be able to produce identical parts very easily.  There is a small learnig curve, but not the magnitude of that needed to be able to produce consistent and intricate turnings on the lathe.  Once you get the thing set up, you're in business!  They are not cheap (for what they are), but you won't outgrow it.  The only things you can do on a lathe that you can't do on the legacy is bowls, vases, etc.  The legacy is not for small turnings such as knobs, etc - you can just get a mini-lathe for that stuff.

4. 
   daisy | Aug 20, 2005 05:28pm | #15

   For far less than 2k you can get a nice lathe.  I have a great Delta - can't remember model # but it's the top of the line.  I can do posts and turn the wood carrier section to do bowls.  I would recommend spending some time researching the hand tools.  Put your money into a set of really fine ones.  You don't want to spend all your time trying to sharpen crumby metal.  Also some metals heat up faster and the tips will burn and the whole tip will have to filed off to get a sharp edge again.

1. 
   brianmexico | Aug 20, 2005 06:20pm | #17

   Daisy,

   Post the model number so I can have a look and go over some reviews of the machine that you have mentioned (is it the 16" 46-756 and if so did you buy the X5 or the standard machine and are there any differences between them??).

   I'm definitely going to get some good turning and sharpening tools when the time comes.

   Thanks,

   Brian

5. 
   jptenberg | Aug 21, 2005 07:45pm | #18

   Brian--

   I purchased a delta 16-42 steel bed about 2 yrs ago--it's the same as the x-5, but without the 5 yr warrantee.  I do some spindle work, but mostly turn bowls.  I have not found the machine to be under-powered, but then again, I have never turned large burl slabs...Do get a machine with electronic variable speed--as it's so convienient to dial in the exat speed that works for the task at hand.

   Most of the bowls that I turn are segmented pieces, or smaller pieces from leftover scraps of wood.  If I had it to do again, would I buy a different lathe? Maybe, but for the 2K that I spent on the tool, I don't think think there is anything that I could have found better in a new tool--used is another ballgame tho.

   I did buy the oneway stronghold chuck, and I am very pleased w/ it.  The guy at the store told me to spend the extra and get the oneway over the nova, and I don' regret it.  I have the #1 jaws, #2, and the jumbo, all of which are very useful for me.

   Tools-wise, buy the best you can afford--mine are mostly sorby, which are nice, but not the top of the line.  The seem to hold an edge pretty well.  Speaking of edges, you have to think about sharpening too--

   I can recommend the wolverine sharpening system--also a oneway product.  It is invaluable for all types of turning tools.  I have a cheap 6" grinder w/ high quality wheels on it, and it works great.  I can regrind a bowl gouge in about 30 seconds.

   Turning is addictive, and once you get a feel for the way it works, you will find yourself thinking of all kinds of new ideas and techniques.  Buy a lathe, and a chuck, and maybe a good faceplate, a sharpening setup, and about 4 or 5 tools--skew, spindle gouge, round nose scraper, parting tool, and a spindle gouge ground to a fingernial profile. 

   Read a few books --Richard Raffan, Mike Darlow, and Alan Lacer are all good places to start, and enjoy the large piles of shavings that result.

   Peter

   jpswoodworking.com

1. 
   brianmexico | Aug 21, 2005 10:00pm | #19

   Thanks for the great tips,

   I'm looking forward to getting up to the USA and start looking for all these things that I will need. It's good to hear that the delta lathe is also a competitive machine, this may also be a good option for me, and leave me some extra money for the accesories as you have suggested.

   Cheers,

   Brian