Hello all,
Looking for some advice regarding my next lathe.
Little background: I currently have a PennState Turncrafter Commander 12” with extended lathe bed. This is a great midi lathe for spindles and bowls up to 10 diam. While it has a 12” swing, it struggles with anything that large or even very dense/weighty bowl blanks. I do lots of different woodworking from furniture/casework to accent pieces to turned pieces. Turning is not the focus of my woodwork but I really enjoy it when I do. I’d love to have a Robust American Beauty lathe and never again think about what I’ve chucked up in my lathe, size-wise, but that’s just not going to happen (until I win the lottery).
My priority is to get a lathe with a minimum 12-16” swing, standard bed length, possibility to turn larger pieces externally (rotating head, or something similar), locking headstock, and a reversible, variable speed motor with enough power to handle larger/heavier pieces.
Rough budget is $2500.
Any advice, or am I way off on my wish list?
All recommendations/guidance welcome.
Happy 2021 !!
Replies
With that budget, the world is your mollusc.
Go for a NOVA SATURN - the lathe of champions.
Can turn 16" inboard and 29" outboard with an optional accessory.
Lathe bed can be extended if needed.
That having been said, I have a nice Walker-Turner lathe with Reeves Drive. It has no trouble handling 12" blanks (I've not tried larger) and it cost virtually nothing though it is nearly as old as my father. When it dies, I will replace it with a nova saturn, or whatever replaces that...
Comes in about USD 2700 based on direct conversion from NZD price to USD, though may well be less where you live.
needs 220V but has a 2HP monster motor.
https://www.carbatec.co.nz/product/18446-nova-dvr-saturn-wood-lathe-with-stand
When my father died several years ago I ended up with his jet lathe. It was a 14" with cast iron legs and if I remember correctly, with electronic variable speed.
I have a Oneway and didn't keep the Jet long, as I didn't need 2 lathes. I did do a little turning on it while I had it.
I was impressed with it's operation, it was smooth and solid. I see there is a 16" model at just over $2000.
You might give it a look.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Jet-JWL-1640EVS-16-in-x-40-in-Wood-Lathe-719500/302607115
I have the Jet 1642 EVS, and like it a lot. But I also don't turn often.
It really depends on what kind of turning you do. My Jet is great for spindles and up to medium size bowls. I'm looking for a bed extension to go beyond 42 inches, and having trouble finding it. So if you buy new, get accessories at the same time, as they can be hard to locate down the road.
If I did a lot of bowl turning, I'd want a different machine. Bigger, heavier, with a bigger swing. So it really depends on what you are going to do with it.
If I had to look at new machines, I'd probably look first at Oneway.
Hello all,
Circling back on this thread so say that in the end I went with the Powermatic 3520C lathe. I wanted to wait until I had a few turnings under my belt before coming back to this topic. FWIW I am happy to report the Powermatic 3520C has performed beyond my expectations. It is a solid (translate - heavy as hell) machine, very well balanced and finely tuned. The motor has handled very large blanks with no effort. I could not be happier with my choice. Sorry if this sounds like a commercial for Powermatic (I am not sponsored), but when a product performs so well, I think it's proper to share the positive experience. Admittedly, I spent far more than my $2500 budget, but I believe I've gotten my money's worth.
Thanks to Rob, John and 27b for your feedback.
Cheers,
Erick
I know all too well that the $2500. budget was exceeded. My wish list was 1. American Beauty. 2. Oneway 24/36. 3. Vicmarx 300. Couldn't afford these three. Really couldn't afford the 4th, PM 3520c, but I did. And have not been disappoint.
Updates like this are very much appreciated. Thanks.
There is always old iron! New high quality wood lathes are really expensive. The lesser priced new models have some nice features but they are rather light duty, such as a Jet that I have. Old Powermatic or Deltas are easy to come by and are usually priced way below your budget. For example right now on SF Craigslist is a former Disney Studios Oliver pattern makers lathe - 14" 8 ft bed and they're asking $2500. I think the seller is on a fishing expedition at that price actually as similar used machines often are listed for way less money. David Mark's old Oliver that used to be featured on his TV show recently came up for $800! Big Powermatics and Deltas show up all the time in the sub $1000 price range. The thing about lathes is you find out that the cheapest part of it is the lathe ! I have a an old Delta that came to me from Art Carpenter and besides for its nostalgic value the mass of all that cast iron really absorbs vibration. Vibration is the enemy and particularly with a lathe! The newer budget model machines really lack that kind of mass.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled