AAW Lathe Raffle Question

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

So as you may know the AAW is raffling off a Powermatic 3520b that has been custom painted by Bhin Pho. it also has the AAW 25th Anniversary logo on it.
My question to all of you is this. If you were to win this lathe would you actually use it,or preserve it as a piece of Art or a collectors item.
I'm not sure what I'd do. I'd love to own a piece of Bhin's work but realize I could never afford to buy one either. :confused:

[Baxter Smith]

Sell it to someone with more money than I, then pay cash to buy a Robust. Sorry, I couldn't resist.:)

[Rick Prosser]

When I buy (or win) a tool, it is put to work - not left to sit around and look pretty.

Now, if someone wanted to buy it before I put it to work, then I would follow Baxter's plan - and buy a different tool to put to use.

[John Hart]

Yeah...me too. Don't see much use in keeping something that belongs in a parlor.

I think I'd trade it for something.

What that might be...would depend on how much you wanted a 650 pound work of art. :)

[Bill Bukovec]

I would use it and sell my current lathe.

I hope that I have another 30 years of woodworking in me. That lathe will out last me.

Bill

[Scott Hackler]

It's cool looking but not really my taste. I would sell it and order a robust.

[Michael James]

:) What would Bhin do? :cool:

[Jim Underwood]

Obviously he'd paint a lathe.... :D

[Scott Hackler]

You know I been thinking about this "prize" and wonder what the AAW, Bhin and the people donating the lathe were thinking. Most of us use the tar out of our lathes and they DONT look brand new any more. Neither do our shops, most of the time. I would love to own a piece done by Bhin, but a big ole lathe? Seems like a strange prize. I would be afraid to get anything on it.

I think as a turner a better Bhin painted item might be a gouge handle or something turning related that we would covet and want to display. Of course that's just my opinion. If I win this lathe I sure hope there is a market for re-sell and that it would bring a premium. Or at least enough to foot the bill on a top end lathe that WILL have Blo, CA, stain, black walnut juice and lacquer coating it within 6 months! :)

[Dick Wilson]

If I won the lathe.................. no I wouldn't use it. Looking at my lathe I can only imagine what that lathe would look like after 6 months. The value is as is, new. I would sell it as said before. If I really desired a Bhin Pho piece I would take the money from the sale and buy one of his pieces to put in my living room display.

[John Keeton]

Sell the sucker to the highest bidder - and then..... don't know! I am pretty happy with the Jet 1642, but an American Beauty would be nice.....hmmmmm....

[Doug W Swanson]

Where is a picture of the lathe in question? I searched and couldn't find anything....

[David DeCristoforo]

First off, I'd like to see a picture of this Bhin Pho painted lathe. But to own it? What a dilemma. It would be like having a chain saw hand painted by Andrew Wyeth. How could you bring yourself to use it??? And yet, it's a big ol' lathe... how could you bring yourself not to use it?!?! Winning this would almost be "cruel and unusual" punishment. Maybe you could put it in your living room like a grand piano. You could have your living room draped by Christo and then you could get tool handles made by Richard Serra and engraved by Tiffany's. Maybe a chuck done in cloisonne enamel by Michael Romanik.

Scheech...

[Roger Chandler]

I am pretty happy with the Jet 1642, but an American Beauty would be nice.....hmmmmm....

John...........you are SOOOOO predictable! If you will recall, I said something to that effect when some were talking about buying your used Jet from you when you upgrade again! :p:rolleyes:;):D:D

If I upgrade, likely that will be what I go after as well.........American Beauty! :o:o;)

[Bob Bergstrom]

Members of the Chicago Woodturners were talking about this lathe last week (Bhin is a member there). According to some of the knowledgeable members the reason seems to be that there weren't enough raffle tickets sold last time to cover the cost of the lathe, so to raise interest in the lathe Bhin volunteered to paint it. One person said he thought total revenue from the tickets was a little over $2000. Bhin gave a talk about the raffle but did not give any insight why. It is a shame there isn't a way to slide the paint off the machine and place it on a few pierced vessels. The value of his art work on the lathe is probably 3 times the value of the lathe and I would think the winner will have some very quick offers to make sure it will never be used. Don't be surprise to see it in a prominent place at the AAW office complex or the museum at St. Paul some day.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I would offer it up for sale if someone would want it before it had been used and if no takers it would be put into use.

[David E Keller]

I've got the 'non-Pho' version of this lathe already, so I'd probably sell or donate the lathe if I won... If it was the 4224, I'd get it dirty and say goodbye to my current mustard mistress.

[Tim Thiebaut]

I would offer it up for sale if someone would want it before it had been used and if no takers it would be put into use.

I would do exactly what Bernie said above without question...if no one wanted to buy it, its getting dusty.

[Bruce Smith]

I for one would certainly put it to use, as they say you should
never sell something you win because if you do you will never
win anything in the future.

[Brodie Brickey]

I've got a 3520A, I'd hock it. I don't think this is one of their better ideas. I'd rather see them put a set of instructional videos signed by demonstrating turners with the lathe. I don't think they'll have any issues with selling enough tickets this year since the symposium is in the central US. Hartford was kinda quiet compared to Richmond. The last time it in was in Kansas they were overloaded.

[Jeff Nicol]

I would definitly use it and add all of my own love and blood, goo, oooze and stuff to it and then when I die it will be worth even more!!! You know what they say the good ones only become famous after death, so it will be about 40 years before it is worth much more!

I guess you could get a new bed for it and keep the painted bed as a prize and use the rest of it or sell it with some of the art, I guess we will have to wait and see who wins it!

Jeff