size question

[Brian Novotny]

don't get me wrong, even if I have a 16" swing I really usually turn smaller items, but so many people here pride themselves on their big lathes, maybe I'm missing something , but where are all of the gigantic pieces? Or is this lathe thing just a status symbol for some?

[Toney Robertson]

Brian,

I am sure that status is a part of the big lathe phenomenon but there is more than that to it.

First just because you have the capability to turn 30" does not mean that you have to turn that big but it does give you that option. Not many people want pieces that big.

I think if I ever upgraded to a larger lathe the factors for me would be first the stability that a larger lathe gives you especially when turning out of balance pieces. Next I would assume that larger lathes run smoother than my Nova since they are more expensive and once again I assume, better made with heavier and better components. Capacity would be a distant third since I have never had a request for a piece larger than I can turn now.

Remember the only difference between men and boys are the price of their toys.


Toney

[Jeff Nicol]

Brian, Just like the little guy out on the street corner who sells hotdogs all day wishes he owned a five star restaraunt, turners wish for a larger, better lathe to be able to handle any thing that may come thier way! The hotdog vendor wants crowds of 200 eating in his restaraunt and the turner wants to have the chance to turn a 36" wall platter! If you are happy doing it small stick with what makes you happy, but if you ever had a dream of going "BIGTIME" then your equipment will have to fit the dream! I turn some very big things and have posted pictures of some. THe forum is so large that it is hard to find all the posts on what has been done or not. Someday we hope to have an sectioned index so that people can look at specific types of posts. This is something that is not an easy task for the moderators and webmaster, but just like the hotdog guy we dream and someday the dreams come true! It is the American way!!!

Jeff

[Thom Sturgill]

In what seems to be a prior life, I was a military radio tech and then sold consumer electronics for a short while. When I sold a 200 watt amp, it was not so that the purchaser could blown out his neighbors eardrums, it was because at normal volumes there was no noise, just pure signal.

Similarly, if you manufacture to a set precision, it makes a difference whether what you are making is big or small. Larger machines would be expected to have bigger, more precise bearings, and motors, and run more smoothly under small loads than a smaller machine with a smaller motor. And that does not even take into consideration the vibration damping effect of the greater mass.

My question is just how big do I need to go? And can afford to go?

[Bob Hallowell]

Someday I wish to have a big oneway or a robust, Right now I have an older 16" delta which I love. Turning on it is a dream compared to my first 2 lathes. Size does matter in mass and the bigger lathe runs smoother. Bigger stronger tailstocks help in drilling items like peppermills which I make alot of. Plus I make alot of 13-14" bowls and being able to slide the toolrest under them is alot easier.

Bob

[Angie Orfanedes]

My current dream is a big heavy lathe that will swing an unbalanced chunk of wood at a slow rpm so I can rough it safely. When I try that on my little 12 inch lathe, it will gyrate like a belly dancer - and while that sounds interesting, at 600 rpm it is also frightening. So while I will likely never make anything over 12 inches in diameter, I long for a PM 3520b...or maybe even a Jet 1642. I fear the vortex is pulling me innnnnnn....

[Steve Frederick]

Size, equals mass, equals stability, equals safety.
My goal in getting a larger lathe would be the mass.
My current lathe, a Jet 1220VS, is anchored to a base that weighs over 200-lbs. Still scary when roughing a heavy, wet blank!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Brian,

It's been pretty well spelled out here:

Size, mass, more stability.

2ndly, my PM3520B has EVS and I can slow a blank WAY DOWN compared to my old Jet Mini VS.

I have a 20" cherry table top glued up. I couldn't have even thought about turning that on my old Jet Mini VS.

Most of the Minis/Midis with VS use DC variable speed. When you turn the RPMs down, you lose most of the torque. With the larger lathes that use 3-phase AC VS, when you go to the low RPMs, you maintain most of the torque.

You can turn small things on a big lathe....you can't easily turn big things on a small lathe.

[Reed Gray]

There is a market for bowls and other turnings over 20 inches, but it is specialized, and very limited. You have to develope a clientel. I do turn a few that size, but if not an order, they will sit for a long time before selling. I do like the extra power, and the stability of the extra mass. Insert 'Tim the tool man Taylor protosimian grunt'.

robo hippy

[Steve Schlumpf]

Brian - I went from a Craftsman 12" mono-tube to a Jet 1642. On both lathes I had to add bags of concrete to hold them down while roughing out of balance blanks. Someday I will move to a larger lathe and the reason will be mostly for the mass - but also for the larger swing.

Folks don't realize when they plan on upgrading their lathes - that if you want to turn a 16" bowl - you have to rough out a 17" to 18" blank in order to have enough wood left to finish turn down to a 16". Nothing more time consuming than placing a large blank on the lath and then trimming it until it can rotate by hand without hitting the ways! That alone will probably be my biggest motivator to move to a larger lathe.

[Richard Madison]

Steve, I made that same transition (C'man monotube to 1642).

Ken, It's the torque that you retain most of (w/ 3ph EVS), not hp. It is torque that rotates the spindle against a load, not hp.

[Paul Atkins]

I just got 3 blanks for moulding corners that are 42" in diameter. No one else around here can do that turning so I got the job. Bigger is better in this case. This is a faceplate lathe for this kind of stuff - not very heavy - most stuff is pretty well balanced when I get it. A little nerve wracking at that size though. I have 6 other lathes set up so this isn't a "do everything" one.

[Scott Hackler]

My Nova 1624 will swing 16" and I have turned a 15" and a 14" giant (at least to me) bowls on it without a problem BUT... I carefully rounded the blank as best I could and ran it at 300rpm until smoothly round. I then bumped it to 600rpm to hollow out the middle. Worked good this way. But I have also put a 10" out of balance blank on this lathe and at 1000rpm she walked across the floor until I shut it down and slowed it down.

Moral is I need to anchor it to the floor and balance my blanks well. If I had a mustard colored lathe, yeah it would not walk becuase of the shear weight of the lathe but I bought a whole lot of tools with the difference in the price between a PowerMatic and my Nova.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Richard,

Thanks....I corrected my mistake.

[Steve Kubien]

A lathe with greater swing than my Nova 1624 would allow me to tackle larger platters and sculptural type work. Also, as Steve S. said, a 16" bowl needs a 17-18" blank to feed it. As others have stated, bigger swing equals more mass and often a smooter ride.

FWI, I only swivel the headstock on my Nova when I absolutely have to. I think it is a PITA and it tends to put me in uncomfortable stances, for me. So for me, larger swing would get rid of a few problems and open up lots of doors. A sliding headstock would help significantly as well.

HTH
Steve

[George Guadiane]

I wouldn't use the word proud...
I'm pleased with my MM 3520. Mostly for the reasons stated.
I take great pleasure in the safety and control that it offers on the VAST majority of pieces that I turn.
When I do turn a big piece, it's usually for a gift or personal use. I rarely sell a big piece.
It's like a car in a way. You want enough horsepower to get out of your own way, even if you never use it... There is still a comfort in knowing that you can.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=105840;)
Larger lathes are not just for bowls !

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I would love to buy a Jet 1642 or PM 3520, for the reasons all of you mentioned. Safety being the top, and of course owning a mustard would not hurt my pride. I only have a Jet 1014, and while it has a 10 inch swing, the practical limit is about 9 inches. My "big" lathe is a vintage Shopsmith, on which is not really fun to turn a bowl over 6 inches. A 14 incher, I have to change shorts. Yes I would like to upgrade....

[Ryan Baker]

Some great 'justifications' going on in this thread! Good job guys! Me too for what they said :)

... a Stubby would be nice ... or a big Oneway ... or that monster green thing Ray Allen used to turn on ... or ....

It doesn't matter what you have now ... you always a looking for the next better thing. It's human nature.

[Curt Fuller]

The speedometer on my car goes to 120 mph. Doesn't mean I'll ever drive it that fast though.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

The speedometer on my car goes to 120 mph. Doesn't mean I'll ever drive it that fast though.

In my younger days I used to bury it regularly!:rolleyes:

[Richard Madison]

Me too Ken, every chance I got. Have owned a couple of relatively speedy sports cars in the past. But having finally recovered from "speed envy", am now seriously considering buying a Prius. Similarly recovered from "lathe envy", expect to be well satisfied with my 1642 indefinitely. But nothing wrong with having and using a "big one".

My mother used to complain that my father bought things (on a much smaller scale than lathes) just to "have them". Obviously depends upon the context. Collections are good examples of exceptions to that complaint, as they give pleasure in the viewing and ownership.

What was the question again?