I went crazy and its all Steve Schlumpf's fault.

[Alan Trout]

Well I went crazy today. I sent my check to Brent English to build me an Extended Bed American Beauty. I will take delivery at SWAT which is the end of August. I just could not let Steve have all the fun of a new American Beauty.

What started all this is I have wanted at large swing lathe for my shop. I have always said that if I were going to buy a new large swing lathe it would either be a Vicmarc long bed VL300 or a extended bed Robust American Beauty. Both lathes are excellent machines, but the American Beauty was always considerably more expensive. I had herd that the Long bed Vic was going to be discontinued and figured if that Is what I was going to get this would be the time to purchase. Well the Australian dollar has been very strong and the price between the two is very close. This made the decision easy for me. Brent and his wife are the nicest people going, and they make a great product made in the USA and the being local I will have the support for years to come.

This was a big financial decision for me but I look forward to having it in my shop. Now I just have to get to making more pieces to pay for it.

Alan

[Reed Gray]

Welcome to the club. You will not regret it.

robo hippy

Beauty owner for 4 or 5 years, CRS syndrome, can't remember stuff (kept it polite).

[John Keeton]

Congrats, Alan!!! Having done the 3-day shopping thing with Steve while at AAW, and having watched him drool over the various machines, I can say he left a much larger pool of drool at the Robust booth! It is one sweet lathe, and should permit you to do even great things. Besides, with the well founded recognition you are receiving, it will get paid for in no time!

[Roger Chandler]

Hubba Hubba! :D Now that's what I'm talkin' about! Way to go Alan! That would be my choice as well, and I hope to do the same someday!!! Congratulations!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Congrats Alan!! You are going to love the machine!! Did you get all the bells and whistles? Do you plan on picking it up in person? If so, you will get to meet the 'crew'! Great bunch of talented machinists!

I suppose this means you can start looking for bigger acorns!!

[Alan Trout]

Thanks everyone,

Not quite all the bells an whistles. I ordered it with the 3HP option and it is the extended bed version. It will also have the tilt away on it. I figured I can add most of the other things on my own and as money and time permits. I think that it got with the important features for what I am going to use it for.

Steve,

Yes I need about 10,000 Burr Oak acorn caps. I will take delivery at the SWAT symposium as it saves me shipping cost and it will probably be used as a demo lathe as well which is fine with me.

Alan

[Tim Rinehart]

Congrats! Hopefully...you won't have to negotiate this machine down any stairs!!:eek:

[Marty Eargle]

Congratulations! I look forward to see a few shots of that bad boy covered in shavings in a few months. I dream of the day where I can make a purchase like that.

[Scott Hackler]

Alan, you have officially joined the "you suck" club! Congrats on a fantastic piece of gear. Someday....someday.....

PS: remind me and I will see about dragging a hoard of Bur Oak acorns down to Waco for you! My Dad's place has several 100+ year old Bur Oaks on it and if the acorn crop does well this year, there will be more than anyone would ever want. Although I might have to wrestle the deer and racoons for them!

[Jerry Marcantel]

Congratulations Alan.... I know you'll make a lot of "beauties" from your "Beauty"...... Jerry (in Tucson)

[Bernie Weishapl]

Congrats Alan. Beautiful lathe for sure.

[charlie knighton]

congratulations Alan, enjoy swat and your new lathe

[Bill Wyko]

An excellent choice Alan, congratulations. Your work deserves the ability to take it to the next level. Can't wait to see what you come up with when you have all that swing. Now time will sloooww down to a crawl until the day comes that you pick it up. It's like adding years to your life. LMAO.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Alan,
Way to go. Your work should come off a great American made machine, especially one with the quality Bret builds. Heck, I feel great just using his tool rests on my lathe. I wish you years of use and look forward to the spectacular pieces you will create with the Robust. Besides, you are a published artist now.
faust

[George Morris]

Congrats great lathe! Enjoy it.

[David DeCristoforo]

Great way to go crazy, Alan! If you gotta lose your mind, you might as well have fun doing it!

[Doug W Swanson]

Nice gloat, Alan. Now we'll be seeing pieces from you that are 2' and 3' tall. You'll have to buy resin in 55 gallon drums!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Congratulations Alan! That is one fantastic lathe!

[Nate Davey]

Congratulations Alan, what a sweet lathe. When I get mine, I can now blame you and Steve.

[Bob Bergstrom]

Looks like you'll need to find an even bigger pressure pot. It's a shame money isn't as plentiful as acorn caps.

[Vince Welch]

Steve is the man!!!!

[Baxter Smith]

Congrats Alan! Big time turners need big time lathes!;):D

[brian watts]

Congratulations Alan..

[Alan Trout]

Thanks everyone now it is just the wait. I need to do a little rearranging but I think I will be able to fit all three of my lathes behind my curtained off area and still have plenty of room to work. Now our club can have some pretty good open shop days, or I can teach a class or two, or have two or more pieces going at the same time. Oh all the wonderful possibilities :).

Alan

[Kathy Marshall]

Congrats Alan! Sure is a nice way to go crazy! Get some of your resin and color me GREEN with envy, I'm just waiting to hit the lotto before ordering mind! :D

[Roland Martin]

Drooling uncontrollably, congrats on your soon-to-be new family member.