Scott Conners
03-10-2012, 10:22 PM
I have a friend who wants to invest in a lathe for turning large architectural items - columns, balusters etc. I've been keeping an eye out on craigslist and other places for a large oliver or something, but I recently realized that a more standard type lathe with bed extensions might be enough. He's looking for something with a nice long bed 96"+ and a reasonable swing and power. I've seen a couple 10' homemade looking ones on CL for a few grand, and I realized that you could put together a Jet 1642 with a 57" bed extension for right around three thousand, and have 99" between centers as well as a sliding headstock and modern features. I'd love to see the options for something one step bigger.
With that in mind, what brand(s) of lathes would you look at for putting together a lathe with at least 16" of swing and accepts long bed extension(s)? We have a reasonable budget to work with, I figure at least 5-6K for the lathe and then some for accessories and tools.
With that in mind, what brand(s) of lathes would you look at for putting together a lathe with at least 16" of swing and accepts long bed extension(s)? We have a reasonable budget to work with, I figure at least 5-6K for the lathe and then some for accessories and tools.