Nathan Hawkes
03-01-2009, 1:26 PM
Well, I ordered my new lathe Friday. It'll be about 2-3 weeks before it arrives, but I'm the (future) owner of a 3520B with bed extension for outboard turning. I got a very good price, and am purchasing it through a local dealer, which I really value in terms of service and local business, especially in these economic times!! I looked at several online dealers, and decided to go local because of the economy. I buy most things from local dealers if I can. They rely on your patronage especially now. Support local business and local farmers! Hope I don't sound too much like I'm on a soapbox. I buy my share of things on the net, and would'nt be anywhere without it.
I was very, very close to ordering a long bed Vicmarc, but decided I just don't have the time to devote to the stand for it. I have a thing about using wood that I've milled for projets, and need several hours on a friend's equipment to do it right (a bunch of hard black locust). My jointer is only a 4" rockwell, and the HSS knives on my planer just can't handle the locust. Its plenty heavy, but it just can't cut it without some pretty good tearout. A friend has a 24" Extrema with carbide knives, and a 12" bridgewood jointer. It would have been a week or more of work on a stand built to the heavy specs that I want and need, as well as some design issues about easy disassembly. I figured it would've weighed at least 400-500 lbs assembled, if not a lot more. I like things to be overbuilt. Well, the Vicmarc VL300 is a much heavier duty lathe than the Powermatic, and used by many notable pros, but the 3520 is a GREAT lathe and the sliding headstock will make it do just about anything I need it to do right now, anyway. I will need to build a ballast box, but that is far less work than the stand would've been. I have a few salvaged 2x12's from a construction site dumpster which should suffice nicely.
In the meantime while I'm waiting (in a quiet, restrained, jumping up and down motion) for my new lathe, I'll be working on the footings for it--the shed I work in is just 2x6" joists--enough for the old riding lawn mower & a few tools, but now has no lawn mower, but a bandsaw, 12 cast iron planer, extended fence table saw, chop saw, lathe, small jointer, etc. And a whole lot of unturned blanks! I bought 800 lbs of concrete, and will likely buy a bit more before all is said and done. I have to rip up a couple pieces of plywood and dig some footings, and probably rent a mixer! Call me a wimp, but mixing 10 bags by hand is not something I'm really excited about. I'm planning on a 3x5 foot slab, about 8" thick, with some poured in blocks under the legs to bring it up to the level of the 1" plywood floor. I may or may not bolt it down, depending on if it moves around at all. I have a hammer drill, so that should be easy enough. I'm likely going to use fiber reinforced concrete for the supports just under the lathe legs, just to give some extra protection, and to make sure I don't crack it with the drill. Anyone know what kind of rebar I should use or what pattern?? Thanks in advance.
I was very, very close to ordering a long bed Vicmarc, but decided I just don't have the time to devote to the stand for it. I have a thing about using wood that I've milled for projets, and need several hours on a friend's equipment to do it right (a bunch of hard black locust). My jointer is only a 4" rockwell, and the HSS knives on my planer just can't handle the locust. Its plenty heavy, but it just can't cut it without some pretty good tearout. A friend has a 24" Extrema with carbide knives, and a 12" bridgewood jointer. It would have been a week or more of work on a stand built to the heavy specs that I want and need, as well as some design issues about easy disassembly. I figured it would've weighed at least 400-500 lbs assembled, if not a lot more. I like things to be overbuilt. Well, the Vicmarc VL300 is a much heavier duty lathe than the Powermatic, and used by many notable pros, but the 3520 is a GREAT lathe and the sliding headstock will make it do just about anything I need it to do right now, anyway. I will need to build a ballast box, but that is far less work than the stand would've been. I have a few salvaged 2x12's from a construction site dumpster which should suffice nicely.
In the meantime while I'm waiting (in a quiet, restrained, jumping up and down motion) for my new lathe, I'll be working on the footings for it--the shed I work in is just 2x6" joists--enough for the old riding lawn mower & a few tools, but now has no lawn mower, but a bandsaw, 12 cast iron planer, extended fence table saw, chop saw, lathe, small jointer, etc. And a whole lot of unturned blanks! I bought 800 lbs of concrete, and will likely buy a bit more before all is said and done. I have to rip up a couple pieces of plywood and dig some footings, and probably rent a mixer! Call me a wimp, but mixing 10 bags by hand is not something I'm really excited about. I'm planning on a 3x5 foot slab, about 8" thick, with some poured in blocks under the legs to bring it up to the level of the 1" plywood floor. I may or may not bolt it down, depending on if it moves around at all. I have a hammer drill, so that should be easy enough. I'm likely going to use fiber reinforced concrete for the supports just under the lathe legs, just to give some extra protection, and to make sure I don't crack it with the drill. Anyone know what kind of rebar I should use or what pattern?? Thanks in advance.