Bowl size

[Tom Megow]

I am considering up-grading my lathe this spring.
I have a 12" swing currently. The lathe I was looking at is the Nova DVR which has a 16" swing. (I guess that's with the head rotated)
The next step seem to be to 20" swing but the lathes are twice as much. My research is cursory thus far.
Is that 4" worth that ? I had hope to sell some bowls to pay for my newly found obsession. People buy big bowl 16" or more?

[Fred Belknap]

In my experience the market for bowls over 14" is pretty limited. A lot of people tell me they don't have room for a larger bowl. Most large bowls over 15" are bought by people as gifts for someone else. I keep some in my display because they do draw a lot of attention.

[Dave Paine]

I have the NOVA DVR XP lathe. The 16in swing is over the bed without the head rotated.

I have also read that large bowls over 12 - 14 in in diameter do not sell easily and so not seem to command the higher price you may desire.

I think you would like the NOVA DVR XP as much as I do. The extra swing also means more space above the banjo. Making a bowl or platter > 11in means I cannot move the banjo from one side of the work to the other without removing the work from the lathe. I know if I planned the turning perfectly I would work on a side then the other. However, I am not perfect and often find myself wanting/needing to do some additional work on the other side. It is a pain to have to remove the piece from the lathe just to move the banjo.

The NOVA DVR XP lathe is 1 3/4 HP if connected to 120V and 2 HP if connected to 240V. The controller board auto detects. No switches needed.

You will appreciate the extra power of the motor.

[Reed Gray]

I started with a 4 speed 12 inch lathe. Since I was already at the local Saturday Market selling, it was easy to put out my first bowls. The one constant request was for bigger bowls. I bit the bullet and bought a PM3520A. It paid for itself 3 times the first year I had it, which means (just in case you haven't figured it out yet) it also covered all the extra toys I needed to go along with the bigger lathe. As for what sells, bowls up to about 14 inch diameter sell fairly well. Lots go for wedding presents. Anything over 16 inch diameter is more of a specialty market.

Personally, I don't really like the DVR. It is okay, but not designed for production work. Part of it is I prefer a sliding headstock to the pivoting ones. It is much easier to slide the headstock compared to pivoting it. You want to do that so you can stand up straight when you turn and keep your arms and tools in closer to your body. The DVR speed control is way too slow compared to the twist a knob, and I don't know why they have such a slow ramp up/down set up. It does work well, but just not big and tough enough for me. It is a good price for a mid sized lathe, but I would take a Jet 16 inch 2 hp 220 volt lathe over it any day.

robo hippy

[Fred Perreault]

I have been turning since 2009, and have turned and sold more than 800 bowls from local wood from my area. 95%+ of my items are functional bowls of all sizes, platters, plates and containers for "stuff'. At the 1 day shows and galleries where I sell my products the first to go is always the larger bowls. They are 14" to 17" across. I started with a Craftsman monotube, then went to a Nova 16-44, and then to a PM 3520. It is nice to have the extra clearance on the 20" swing for a 15"+ bowl, wheras on a 16" swing it is tight. I really liked the Nova 16-44, but then I hadn't ever used a PM 3520 before. I am happy that I was able to afford the PM 3520, and it has provided a great return with it's size, power, EVS control, and ability to core bigger blanks.

[Thomas Canfield]

It seems that bowls over about 14" are hard to store and need to be left out. I have been turning some 19" oval natural edge (usually without bark and oiled for food use) that are about 14 to 15" wide that can be stored on a shelf, with a little overhang. I have a Powermatic 3520B and the 20" seems to be a good size. I like the additional clearance over the bed when buffing, and I could move the headstock down to end to have even more clearance. The 16" turning on the Nova and turning the head as extra clearance when buffing should cover your needs pretty well, but I like my Mustard Monster for additional size and mass.

[John Grace]

I too have the NOVA DVR XP and enjoy it very much. To concur with a previous post, it does have a 16" turn over center but I would be cautious about turning 20" with the swivel head. As nice as the unit is, it is relatively light...I'd weigh (no pun intended) to cost of the PM against frequency of turning larger pieces. Good luck...

[Dennis Ford]

If this is a hobby and you want to sell a few bowls to partially offset the cost; get the machine that you want and can afford. The Nova is a good lathe, I would rather have a Jet but that is just me. If you are more interested in making bowls to sell than hobbyist turning; the Nova may not be up to the challenge.

[Michelle Rich]

my experience is that bowls over 12 " are looked at, but not real good sellers. Hard to store the big bowls. Most folks want utilitarian bowls. But if you are a real artist & want to decorate with crushed rock and pewter, and what-all, then larger art work sells as wall hanging.

[Eric Murphy]

Just as some food for thought if you would like to step up to 20" swing and/or you're considering turning the headstock and doing outboard turning. Performance Tool Center has 10% off Nova products through the month of April. That makes the DVR XP in the range of 1700 and the DVR 2024 XP about 2700. I don't believe the DVR XP includes the legs while the DVR 2024 does. They are cast iron legs and that adds a substantial amount of weight. The DVR 2024 as they are selling it also includes the outrigger to turn with the headstock turned, a bed extension, and the swing away knuckle so you can swing the bed extension and tailstock out of the way. So, IF you think you will make use of those extras, the price of the DVR 2024 is a lot easier to justify. I had no previous experience with Performance Tool Center but I just bought a DVR 2024 from them...just took delivery of it two days ago so I haven't had a chance to use it yet, just got it set up yesterday. I can tell you that I had an excellent customer service experience with them. They also have free shipping with free lift gate service if you think you'll want it. http://www.performancetoolcenter.com/nova-57080-dvr-2024-24-inch-electric-variable-speed-wood-lathe/

[allen thunem]

heres a thought on you next trip to denver you can take my 3520B off my hands so i can upgrade to an american beauty:)

[Pat Scott]

I make utility items with salad bowls being at the top of the list. I like a size between 11" to 13", with 12" being what I call "the sweet spot". It's a good size, not too big and not too small, and it will hold plenty of salad or whatever you want to put in it. It will also fit on the shelf in a cupboard which is nice. A 14" to 15" salad bowl looks impressive, but that's a large bowl and takes up a lot of space on the table. And it takes up a lot of space in the cupboard unless you want to keep it on the counter all the time. My wife has an 18" bowl on the dining room table for decoration only. That size is just too large for use.

I make a lot of platters also. My "sweet spot" for those are 14" to 16". I've made 20" platters (which you have to make at least once if your lathe is capable - just because you can!). We have used it a few times at parties, but most of my platters over 16" live on a display stand. My wife loves 13" to 14" platters as they fit in the corner cupboard and are not too big.

I got my Powermatic because I wanted to make big platters and big bowls. I got it, I made them, but I have yet to sell a 20" platter or 20" bowl. But I do like the heft and weight of the Powermatic. The Nova looks lightweight, I'd find some way to weigh it down. But a 16" swing lathe wouldn't slow me down much at all over my 20".

[Paul Gilbert]

I just got back form a two day class run by my turning club (Dallas Area Woodturners) on turning three leg stools. I have a PM 3420b and the club owns 6 Jet 16" 1 1/2 HP 120V lathes. I was astonished at how easy it was to stall the Jets. I have squealed the belt when roughing out big out of round bowl blanks, but never stalled the motor. The fit and finish of the Jets was decidedly second rate. I thank what ever Gods there be for my decision to jump directly from a vintage Delta to the PM. I have never turned on a Nova so I won't comment on that. My comment on swing is that you can turn a pen on a Robust American Beauty, but anything less limits your possibilities. If I had it to do over I would buy an AB, but now that my PM has depreciated, I can not justify the hassle and cost of upgrading.