What do you guys think about this lathe and it's potential?

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dreadroberts
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Joined: Tue Nov 19, 2013 3:59 pm
Location: Conyers, GA

What do you guys think about this lathe and it's potential?

Post by dreadroberts »

A little background:
I have a mutual shop where a friend an I have built up a meager collection of hand tools and power tools. Currently we have a very old wood lathe and a newer Jet wood lathe. My friend is making more and more large bowls and spindles and we are looking at an upgrade to our lathe setup. This particular lathe has push-button variable speeds and 24 point indexing. The really cool feature of this lathe is the ability for the head stock to rotate out from its normal position for the purpose of turning up to 29" material. My thoughts were to use this rotating head to attach a sanding disc and use that for shaping purposes. It seems you guys like the variable speed devices as well as the ability to shape at a wheel that is perpendicular to the user.

Here is a link:
http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/200548 ... Lathe.aspx

It is pricey, but in a shared shop where it will be used for a lot of purposes it isn't too bad.

I appreciate all of your input!
-Mat
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wisemanpipes
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Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2013 12:11 pm
Location: Guelph, Ontario

Re: What do you guys think about this lathe and it's potenti

Post by wisemanpipes »

I would never buy that! I don't even want to imagine what I would do if I had a $2500 budget.

that being said, I don't know your skillset, your friends desires and prerequisites (for the lathe) or why you want a woodlathe in the first place? I do know that if your making pipes only, that thing is the largest misuse of 2500 dollars. you can buy a really good metal lathe, motors for sanding, dust collection and even some tooling for that price. hate to be negative but that's just my thoughts and opinions. if you're set on a woodlathe, that seems awful expensive... I would keep looking around.

by any chance are you a professional wood turner or carpenter?
dreadroberts
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Joined: Tue Nov 19, 2013 3:59 pm
Location: Conyers, GA

Re: What do you guys think about this lathe and it's potenti

Post by dreadroberts »

I am a professional in neither field. :) My day job is IT and the rest of the time I am just plain obsessed with wood working. (And brewing beer)

It may in fact be overkill for a pipe maker and I understand why. We we're just looking for a dual purpose lathe.

All that being said, I lean towards overkill by nature. A fault I suppose. :)
-Mat
wdteipen
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Post by wdteipen »

If you have $2500 to burn, don't buy that lathe. Buy the best metal lathe you can afford. It will serve you far better in the long run.
Wayne Teipen
Teipen Handmade Briar Pipes
http://www.teipenpipes.com
dreadroberts
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Location: Conyers, GA

Re: What do you guys think about this lathe and it's potenti

Post by dreadroberts »

I do not have the ability nor the desire to drop 2500 on any one tool. I should have clarified that this was a technology that seemed cool to me and in my shopping of craigslist/ebay/yard sales if something like this shows up, would it be worth buying.

I am still very early in my pipe making adventure thus spending more money on tools than I have spent on all of the blocks of wood I've ever purchased seems silly.
-Mat
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Sasquatch
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Re: What do you guys think about this lathe and it's potenti

Post by Sasquatch »

It's not overkill for pipe making - it's underkill. None of the things you need, and a bunch of things you don't.
ALL YOUR PIPE ARE BELONG TO US!
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Sasquatch
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Re: What do you guys think about this lathe and it's potenti

Post by Sasquatch »

PS just you try and spin a 29" piece of something on there. Watch it hop down the street.
ALL YOUR PIPE ARE BELONG TO US!
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wisemanpipes
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Location: Guelph, Ontario

Re: What do you guys think about this lathe and it's potenti

Post by wisemanpipes »

Sasquatch wrote:PS just you try and spin a 29" piece of something on there. Watch it hop down the street.
this! ahah
dreadroberts
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Location: Conyers, GA

Re: What do you guys think about this lathe and it's potenti

Post by dreadroberts »

:lol: I have several stories where a 6x6x4 inch piece of material shot around the shop. I leave the turning to my buddy and stick to much safer endeavors.
-Mat
dogcatcher
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Location: Abilene TX or Ruidoso NM

Re: What do you guys think about this lathe and it's potenti

Post by dogcatcher »

For a woodturner it is a very good lathe, one of the best before you start blowing off $3000 plus. For a pipemaker, not so good. better than an old junker or the smaller Jet wood lathes, but your partner will be getting most of the benefit out of it. I am a woodturner, myself I would jump at the deal, but I see very little benefit for you.

The opposite would be true if you went with a metal lathe, he would get very little use and you would be the primary benefactor of nice metal lathe. You both might think about investing in what you each need separately and go jointly in what both of you can benefit in.
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LittleBill
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Re: What do you guys think about this lathe and it's potenti

Post by LittleBill »

I have been turning wood professionally for 21 years now, and have logged quite a few hours on this machine in various demos and classes around the country. I would not buy it for $2500, or just about any amount. The idea is nice, but several things just don't work out the way they ought. The electronics package is fiddly, and with those little tiny buttons, you are going to go nuts trying to ramp the speed up or down. Unless they have made changes, you have to press the button over and over to change it in (I think) 5 rpm increments. If you unbalance it, and you can even with an itty bitty pipe stummel blank, you can shut it down for a while until it decides to come back on. The whole thing is very top heavy in its design with the one piece headstock, narrow ways, and sheet metal stand. I see they offer a heavier stand now, but that adds another $420 to the price.

Pivot head lathes look good for outboard turning. They are mediocre as far as I am concerned, and I have owned three, including an 800 lb plus Poolewood with a huge motor and 3 phase VFD. Once that head pivots, you are off the axis and large turnings are going to be a problem. Setting it up to sand might be fine, but your buddy who wants to make big bowls is going to chafe at its limitations.

If it were me, and it almost was back in 2005, I would buy the Jet 1642 before I bought this machine. The design is better, support is better, and you won't have to worry about shipping your entire headstock back to the other side of the world if something goes hideously wrong with it. I ended up buying a Vega 2600, but that is a whole nother story. But before that popped up, I was very close to buying the Jet over the Nova for reasons listed above.

As for pipe making, I will leave the issue of metal vs wood lathe for more experienced pipe makers. :wink:
dreadroberts
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Location: Conyers, GA

Re: What do you guys think about this lathe and it's potenti

Post by dreadroberts »

I was hoping to hear from you LittleBill as I love the work that you are doing with your bowls and other pieces of turned art.

Thank you. We will put this on the "Nope List".
-Mat
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LittleBill
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Re: What do you guys think about this lathe and it's potenti

Post by LittleBill »

dreadroberts wrote:I was hoping to hear from you LittleBill as I love the work that you are doing with your bowls and other pieces of turned art.

Thank you. We will put this on the "Nope List".
You are welcome. And thank you. I don't know how fast you want to upgrade, but you might investigate the John C Campbell School in Brasstown NC. I believe they still sell off their Powermatic 3520 machines every few years. They see some hard use, but a lot of times you can get a real deal. And while I rep a different machine, the 3520 is about the best bang for the buck in woodturning today. Of course if I had my way, everyone would buy a Robust. :mrgreen:
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