Richard Bell CA
02-15-2009, 11:04 PM
Hello all:
New to the forum and thought I might post about my first day with the Powermatic 3520B. I upgraded to this lathe from a Delta 46-612. While the Delta has been a good lathe, it lacked the turning capacity and slower speed I needed for larger bowls. The first bowl on the 3520B was a 14” black walnut/english walnut graft shown in the photo. I had started to turn this blank on the Delta, but was having trouble with the imbalance due to the difference in density of the wood, combined with a relatively high minimum speed. The diameter also required turning on the outboard side with a free standing tool rest. I was anxious to try the Powermatic table extension, so I started with this configuration. After the first bowl, I switched the tool rest to the main bed. The second photo shows the results at the end of the day. The bowls shown are a mixture of black and english walnut, from 6” to 17” diameter. These were all green, and have been coated with Sealtite (my normal method) and stored for drying.
This lathe is simply a pleasure to use - very solid and much quieter than the reeves drive on the Delta. While I am still getting used to it, it has already exceeded my expectations. I am in the process of gathering/ fabricating a few odds and ends that I will need for future work. I bought an adapter to allow use of my 1”-8 faceplates (under $19 at Amazon, very nicely machined and a great deal). I do wish they would have supplied a faceplate larger than 3” with the lathe. While I used it for a couple of 20” blanks without any issues, I feel more comfortable with a larger diameter. I just ordered a 6” faceplate for larger pieces. I also plan to build a steadyrest and some tools for hollow forms.
After checking out several forums, I decided I would like to participate in Sawmill Creek - seems like a friendly bunch. I have already benefited from reading the posts, and hope I can add something of value from time to time. I also plan to become a contributor to show my appreciation.
Thanks
Richard
New to the forum and thought I might post about my first day with the Powermatic 3520B. I upgraded to this lathe from a Delta 46-612. While the Delta has been a good lathe, it lacked the turning capacity and slower speed I needed for larger bowls. The first bowl on the 3520B was a 14” black walnut/english walnut graft shown in the photo. I had started to turn this blank on the Delta, but was having trouble with the imbalance due to the difference in density of the wood, combined with a relatively high minimum speed. The diameter also required turning on the outboard side with a free standing tool rest. I was anxious to try the Powermatic table extension, so I started with this configuration. After the first bowl, I switched the tool rest to the main bed. The second photo shows the results at the end of the day. The bowls shown are a mixture of black and english walnut, from 6” to 17” diameter. These were all green, and have been coated with Sealtite (my normal method) and stored for drying.
This lathe is simply a pleasure to use - very solid and much quieter than the reeves drive on the Delta. While I am still getting used to it, it has already exceeded my expectations. I am in the process of gathering/ fabricating a few odds and ends that I will need for future work. I bought an adapter to allow use of my 1”-8 faceplates (under $19 at Amazon, very nicely machined and a great deal). I do wish they would have supplied a faceplate larger than 3” with the lathe. While I used it for a couple of 20” blanks without any issues, I feel more comfortable with a larger diameter. I just ordered a 6” faceplate for larger pieces. I also plan to build a steadyrest and some tools for hollow forms.
After checking out several forums, I decided I would like to participate in Sawmill Creek - seems like a friendly bunch. I have already benefited from reading the posts, and hope I can add something of value from time to time. I also plan to become a contributor to show my appreciation.
Thanks
Richard