Laguna Revo 18 36 220V unboxing

[joseph moses]

Hello Creekers,

I picked up a Revo 18 36 today and thought I would share a little bit about the purchase and unboxing.
If you are looking for a review there is a good one by by John Keeton here. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...guna-Revo-1836 (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?241930-A-Hands-On-review-of-the-Laguna-Revo-1836).

Otherwise, this is simply about the purchase and unboxing. I will post a review after I have had it for a while.

I agonized over this purchase for a good long time. I have been turning on a Rikon 12x20 vs for a while and I have truly enjoyed the lathe. I keep bumping up the size of my turnings and I find myself having to chase the lathe around the shop a little bit. I think that the Rikon is a great lathe but I needed something more substantial. I looked at everything I could find including products by Vicmarc, Robust, Oneway, Jet, Powermatic, Laguna, and whatnot. The forum posts on Sawmill Creek had a lot to do with my decision-making process. I tried to read everything I could and then after I had determined my price range went out to see the lathes.

I started out wanting a Robust or a Oneway lathe but finally determined that I just couldn't afford it. One day, I will upgrade to the dream lathe, but for now, I must settle for something a little less expensive and a lottery ticket.

I travel a lot and so get to visit woodworking stores across the nation and had the opportunity to discuss different lathes at woodworking supply stores in Ohio, North Carolina, Colorado, Virginia, West Virginia, Florida, South Carolina and Georgia. I managed to see the Nova, Jet, Powermatic, Laguna and Rikon lathes and talk to salespeople about them. Most salespeople I spoke with seemed to know little about the Nova lathes and scared to talk about the Powermatic because of the price. They all seemed very knowledgeable about the Jet, Rikon, and Laguna lathes.


After a while, I had narrowed things down to the Powermatic 3520B and the Laguna 18 36. The price difference between the two products is significant but the reputation of the Powermatic is powerful. In fact, I was dead set on a 3520 B. I found myself spending my free time going to the local woodworking store to visit my future lathe. Every time I would go in I would see the Laguna sitting right next to it. After a while I began to investigate it a bit. Finally, after finding out everything that I could, it seemed like the Laguna has a better feature set for me and the price was certainly right. I am pretty sure that the Laguna is a sleeper and that when enough people find out about it the price will start going up.

I spent the day purchasing, picking up and assembling the lathe.

Today was a beautiful day in the south to go lathe shopping. I think that it was close to 70 degrees. After reading all of the input and looking at the Revo side by side with a new 3520b I awoke with the decision made. The Revo is magnificent in person and it is a lot of steel for the money. The reputation of the 3520B versus the newness of this Laguna lathe made this a very difficult decision.

I called all of the Woodcraft stores within reasonable driving distance to see if there was one in stock. All of them offered to sell me the floor model but I wanted it in the box for ease of travel. After pulling it out of the box I realize that it may have been easier to have bought the assembled unit. With the box on the floor, it just seems so much heavier.

The Roanoke Woodcraft had the model I was looking for in stock. That's about a 2-hour drive for me. I didn't mind the ride as it meant that I didn't have to wait for the lathe to ship from Laguna. I used a Home Depot trailer $39.00 for the day. I got the one with the tall sides. The Lathe was on sale for 2249.10. The guys at Woodcraft were very professional and had it ready to go when I arrived. They put it on the edge of the trailer and from there it was easy to slide it around the trailer with a little effort. I drove it home and was able to slide it off of the trailer and into my garage by myself. It is a VERY heavily constructed cardboard box. I have posted a couple of pictures below.
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Once I got it off of the trailer and opened the box I found that the lathe is packed in two layers.
The first is all of the small parts and the second is the heavy stuff. Here are some pictures.

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To get the heavy stuff out of the box you will need to destroy it unless you can pick it straight up out of the box. The box is designed to keep anything from moving and it is very effective. To remove the headstock, tailstock, and tool rest you will need to remove the stops from both ends of the ways. Below is a pic of the stop and of the beat up box.

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I seem to have run out of room for pics so I will continue on anothe page

[joseph moses]

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Here are some pictures of everything out of the box. I found that if I moved each part individually that I was able to manhandle the lathe around the back of my house and into the basement with a hand truck. It was heavy but by keeping my lifts short and paying close attention I was able to get the job done. For liability reasons, I feel that I should say. “Doing this job alone is not safe.” It was difficult for one man but would be quite easy for two men working together. Here are pictures of the box contents laid out for inspection. The only tools that I needed to do this were a #6 and #8 hex wrench, a box cutter, an adjustable wrench and something to hold the end of the ways while installing the 1st leg.

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I used part of a pallet to place the headstock on because I did not want it to sit on the dovetails and bolt while I was assembling the rest of the lathe. Be very careful with the headstock. I don’t think that bumping the VFD would be good for the lathe.
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There was a thin coating of grease all over the lathe that serves to keep it from rusting during travel. I don’t know what it is but it is much friendlier than cosmoline. It came off easily with some judicious use of a rag and some WD-40.

Here is a picture of the greasy coating.

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I turned the bed over while cleaning to inspect it. Everything looks well done. Here is an example of the welds from under the bed. They all seemed well done with no splatter. The steel ways are all scraped and well machined.

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I put a straight edge on the ways in every direction that I could and the ways are dead flat. I could not find a defect anywhere.

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Here are some pictures of the leveling feet being installed. I used a ruler to get them somewhat even so there would be less work later.

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[joseph moses]

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Here are some pics of me installing the ways onto the legs. It was a very simple task. I put the ways onto a workbench and slid one end off and onto the leg. I then bolted it to the leg with the four #6 hex socket cap screws that were included.

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Here is a picture of the ways installed onto the legs. I am amazed at how quickly the assembly is going at this point.

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At this point, I coated the bed in Boeshield T9 with a coat of Johnsons Paste Wax over the top of it. I have had tools rust in the past when I only use wax.
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[joseph moses]

Here is a picture of the 220V plug that is on the lathe. It appears to be a 220V 15 amp rated plug. 353738

Here are some pictures of the underside of the tailstock and tool rest. I have a ruler next to some areas to indicate how beefy the construction of these are.

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Here is a picture of the alignment out of the box. The tailstock was a little loose fitting in the ways but a ¼ turn with a hex wrench and it was perfect with no alignment necessary

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Here is a picture of the lathe with some sawdust on it. It is truly smooth and vibration free.

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[joseph moses]

The Nickel test


https://youtu.be/Ijt7QrjgqbM

[John Keeton]

Congrats, Joseph! You are going to love this lathe and as far as the "dream lathe" if you get the bed extension I don't think you will ever have a need for anything bigger or "better." It will turn anything you ever want IMO. The design is superb and the quality excellent. I turn on a lot of PMs and while they are quality lathes, I wouldn't trade my Revo even for one.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Congrats on your new lathe Joseph! I know John really likes his and he is super picky about everything! :D Thanks for the pictorial - it will help answer a lot of questions for those folks considering upgrading. Have fun turning!

[Adam Petersen]

What a sharp looking lathe! Great set of unboxing photos too. Color me jealous.

[joseph moses]

Thanks, guys. I am extraordinarily happy so far. Every nut, bolt, and thread went together like butter. I am really impressed.

[Jon McElwain]

Thanks, guys. I am extraordinarily happy so far. Every nut, bolt, and thread went together like butter. I am really impressed.

Of course I have had Lego kits that had less assembly required! But really - congratulations! I've been curious about these lathes and have seen them in the store. I bought several Laguna tools a few years back and gave mixed reviews on their quality, service, and design. I think they have come a long way in the last 3-4 years. Good luck!

[joseph moses]

Thanks for the post

[Russell Neyman]

I have two friends who own this lathe and absolutely love using it when I get the chance. The ONLY nit picky comment I have is I tend to rub up against the speed control when working on the spindle side, which is annoying

Great lathe. Good fit and finish.

[Robert Weatherman]

Hi Joseph, or anyone who owns of these. I appreciate the review and pictures, particularly of the plug. I do have one question for anyone that may know the answer or has already inquired about this to Laguna. Laguna's web site description of this lathe states the circuit size to be 20 amps. However what confuses me is the manual for this lathe from the same web site states the recommended circuit size is 15 amps. I guess the question is what size circuit are you guys using? Joseph is correct that it does appear to be the 6-15 plug which is a 15 amp plug so I'm assuming the manual is correct vs. Laguna's web site description. I saw one review of this lathe on you tube where the guy smoked the power board on the lathe and I don't want the same to happen to mine (once they ship it to me) by installing a 20 amp circuit that has the potential to deliver more current than the tool can use. Btw, this is my first post and I look forward to getting this lathe and plan to post a similar review as did Joseph. My perspective will be coming as a brand new, green bean to wood turning :) Thanks to you all for any responses to this question and hope to hear from you soon.

Edit: I did buy the 220v version.
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[tom lucas]

Congrats. Nice lathe. Enjoy and be safe.

[John Keeton]

My 1836 2 hp has been on a 20 amp breaker for 2 years with no issue. An electrician might be better to shed light on this query, but I would think the breaker is more of a safeguard of the wiring so that an appliance or machine doesn’t draw a load in excess of the rating for the wiring.

[William C Rogers]

I agree with John. Unless an electrician says different My belief is breaker is matched to protect the wiring.

[Roger Chandler]

A 220v, 20 amp circuit, including proper sized wiring which is 12/2 [Romex,with a ground wire added inside the wire sheathing] should have a 20 amp double pole breaker to make the circuitry matched. Mismatching the breaker with smaller wire ,[14/2 for example] will allow the wiring to overheat, possibly causing a fire, in the event of a maximum load, but the proper size wiring will not overheat.

I have both my lathes, which have nema 6-15 plugs on 20 amp circuits using 12/2 romex and a Nema 16-20 receptacle for plug in, which allows for the additional amperage in case of overload. A complete circuit that allows for 20 amps is not a problem for a lathe or any other machine that calls for a 15 amp circuit. If you max out the amperage on a 15 amp circuit, then you will get a trip at the breaker, which is a safety feature. If you use too large of a breaker for the wire, then it will allow overheating in the wire run. If you use too big a wire, say 12/2 with a 15 amp breaker, then if full load amps go through that wire, then the breaker will overheat, short out, and either could start a fire .....in the panel box, or in the wall where the wire is run, depending on which scenario is present.

No competent electrician would ever put a 15 amp breaker on 20 amp wire, nor would they put a 20 amp breaker on 15 amp max. wire. Take heed and always match the recommended wire, breaker, and amperage for the circuit one is running........it will also save your lathe or other equipment from frying from mismatched components in a circuit, and possibly your house catching fire! :eek:

[Paul Williams]

I agree with Roger about matching ratings on all components of a circuit, but I am not sure I can agree with this part. "If you use too big a wire, say 12/2 with a 15 amp breaker, then if full load amps go through that wire, then the breaker will overheat, short out, and either could start a fire" In that situation there is no way to get "full load amps to go through that wire." The 15 amp breaker will operate first. My memory isn't all that good, but it seems to me that the allowable standard for breaker operation is 20% over the rating. Therefore the breaker should open between 15 and 18 amps.


Again this is from memory and I haven't worked with house wire in many years. There is an allowance for the last 6 feet or so of cord to an appliance (tool). If you are running a long cord from that 20 amp outlet, you should update the outlet and the cord to 12 gage wire. If your cord is less than 6 feet I believe it is ok by the electrical code. Again this is from memory. Check the existing code for your location if there is any question about what you are doing.

[tom lucas]

A 220v, 20 amp circuit, including proper sized wiring which is 12/2 [Romex,with a ground wire added inside the wire sheathing] should have a 20 amp double pole breaker to make the circuitry matched. Mismatching the breaker with smaller wire ,[14/2 for example] will allow the wiring to overheat, possibly causing a fire, in the event of a maximum load, but the proper size wiring will not overheat.

I have both my lathes, which have nema 6-15 plugs on 20 amp circuits using 12/2 romex and a Nema 16-20 receptacle for plug in, which allows for the additional amperage in case of overload. A complete circuit that allows for 20 amps is not a problem for a lathe or any other machine that calls for a 15 amp circuit. If you max out the amperage on a 15 amp circuit, then you will get a trip at the breaker, which is a safety feature. If you use too large of a breaker for the wire, then it will allow overheating in the wire run. If you use too big a wire, say 12/2 with a 15 amp breaker, then if full load amps go through that wire, then the breaker will overheat, short out, and either could start a fire .....in the panel box, or in the wall where the wire is run, depending on which scenario is present.

No competent electrician would ever put a 15 amp breaker on 20 amp wire, nor would they put a 20 amp breaker on 15 amp max. wire. Take heed and always match the recommended wire, breaker, and amperage for the circuit one is running........it will also save your lathe or other equipment from frying from mismatched components in a circuit, and possibly your house catching fire! :eek:

I believe, according the the NEC, that it is perfectly fine to use wire rated for more current than the breaker it is attached to. So in this case, using 12 AWG on a 15 amp breaker is perfectly OK. As long as the wire can carry at least the current rated for the breaker , it is OK. As long as the breaker trips before the wire burns, it's OK. Wire size has no affect on how the breaker works. Bigger wire can carry more current than smaller wire (all other things the same). You can always go bigger on the wire as long as the parts are designed to accept larger wire. No one over sizes their wire (almost no one) due to cost, and the fact that bigger wire is harder to work with. And there may be some parts that aren't meant to be used with larger wire.

[Roger Chandler]

Drawing more current amps through a wire than it is designed to carry will cause the wire to overheat. A couple weeks ago when we had that cold polar vortex for a few days, without thinking anything about it, I plugged in a small space heater on a 10 amp rated extension cord, one rated for outdoor use. Man, I caught it just before it was going to melt the insulation. That wire was too hot to touch! I should have checked the markings on that 25 ft. extension cord, but like most people, I just plugged it in! :o

Just be careful was my main point. Sometimes we inadvertently do things without checking specs, etc. so if a circuit is set up correctly to begin with, the chances of something going wrong is greatly diminished. Proper size breaker and wire should always be combined, bottom line.

I would agree that there is likely not a breaker issue with 12 AWG on a 15 amp breaker, but 14 AWG on a 20 amp breaker is a problem for sure! Code does call for proper sizing on both, at least from what I have read, so I encourage all who wire up things to adhere to code.

[tom lucas]

Drawing more current amps through a wire than it is designed to carry will cause the wire to overheat. A couple weeks ago when we had that cold polar vortex for a few days, without thinking anything about it, I plugged in a small space heater on a 10 amp rated extension cord, one rated for outdoor use. Man, I caught it just before it was going to melt the insulation. That wire was too hot to touch! I should have checked the markings on that 25 ft. extension cord, but like most people, I just plugged it in! :o

Just be careful was my main point. Sometimes we inadvertently do things without checking specs, etc. so if a circuit is set up correctly to begin with, the chances of something going wrong is greatly diminished. Proper size breaker and wire should always be combined, bottom line.

I would agree that there is likely not a breaker issue with 12 AWG on a 15 amp breaker, but 14 AWG on a 20 amp breaker is a problem for sure! Code does call for proper sizing on both, at least from what I have read, so I encourage all who wire up things to adhere to code.


Yeah, you have to watch extension cords, especially on heaters and such. Today's extension cords are built to just barely meet the requirement. If you shop strictlly on wire gauge you quickly see that many are 16 AWG, some are 14 AWG, a few are 12 AWG, and 10 AWG is almost nonexistent. And if you find 10 AWG, be prepared for the sticker shock. I have a an extension cord I made for my generator. I think it's 8 AWG. That cable cost me a small fortune, without plugs/receptacles and weighs like 40 lbs (20 feet long). And remember to keep your cords as short as possible. Longer cords are more resistive and will cause problems faster than shorter ones. Also, current starving a motor by using a long cord can damage the machine.

[Paul Williams]

While we are beating the dead electrical horse, I will add one more example of why you might use larger than required wire. The NEC recommends a maximum voltage drop of 3% over the length of your wire. 14 gage wire experiences a 3% drop in 50 feet. 12 gage has the 3% drop in 60 feet. So if you are going to run a 15 amp circuit more than 50 feet you would use 20 amp wire. This is something to look into if you extend the cord on your machine or use an extension cord. It is very important if you run to a shop that is many feet from your main panel. Take Roger's advise to follow code and be careful.

[ELY WALTON]

I have two friends who own this lathe and absolutely love using it when I get the chance. The ONLY nit picky comment I have is I tend to rub up against the speed control when working on the spindle side, which is annoying

Great lathe. Good fit and finish.

Ditto! Great lathe, but I also found myself changing speed when getting up-close and personal with the headstock... I simply swapped the knob with a nice smaller one on my Razortip burner... solved! Also, I did not care for the little rubber ball knob on the tailstock and replaced it with a shiny rotating handle as is common with metal-working lathes...

And in agreement with Mr. Keeton -- IMHO, everyone should spring for the Revo bed extension with tailstock riser -- it just makes the machine look very macho and heavy (not to mention the bigger bowl and platter capacity)... What's more, I added the two Laguna OEM articulating spotlights just because they looked cool (after using them I could not do without). And if you are over 6 feet tall, don't forget the leg extensions...

Outfit the Revo right and enjoy!! Just sayin'

Ely

[Thomas Wilson80]

IMHO, everyone should spring for the Revo bed extension with tailstock riser -- it just makes the machine look very macho and heavy (not to mention the bigger bowl and platter capacity)... What's more, I added the two Laguna OEM articulating spotlights just because they looked cool (after using them I could not do without). And if you are over 6 feet tall, don't forget the leg extensions...
Ely

This is my current dilemma....the 1836 with bed extension and risers will total around $3050 (waiting for next 10% sale) whereas the 2436 standard totals around $3420 on sale and is heavier and with bigger motor. There haven't been many posts/reviews on the 2436. Does anyone have recommendations/experience with the 2436 alone vs 1836 with accessories?

Thanks,
Tom

[John Keeton]

Thomas, I can’t compare the two as I haven’t turned on the 2436. But, at full retail there is $800 difference in the 2436 naked and the 1836 with the bed extension - a little less difference on sale. I guess it depends on what you intend to turn. If you aren’t interested in the 32” swing or the added potential for 20” more length, then the heavier lathe would make sense if money isn’t an issue. It would be better for coring and has a bit more height, along with quite a bit more mass.

With my ballast box and drawer unit the 1836 is rock solid, and I like the lower height, the ability to turn large platters, etc., as well as not spending the extra $800.

[tom lucas]

Your actually paying about $800 more for extra HP and weight while sacrificing length. If I had $3K to put on a lathe, it would've been the 1836 with extension. Without the extension, the swing is a bit limiting, especially over the rest. With the extension, it's pretty nice, though one needs more shop space for it compared to others. If I had near $4K, I'd probably go for the Powermatic. The 2436 takes up less space by giving up length (extension assumed on 1836). 24" swing is more the than adequate for most turners, but is it the best band for buck? Probably can't go wrong with any of them.

[Mick Fagan]

This is my current dilemma....the 1836 with bed extension and risers will total around $3050 (waiting for next 10% sale) whereas the 2436 standard totals around $3420 on sale and is heavier and with bigger motor. There haven't been many posts/reviews on the 2436. Does anyone have recommendations/experience with the 2436 alone vs 1836 with accessories?

Thanks,
Tom

I have played around with the 18-36, not seriously, but long enough to change my mind from a Vicmarc 300 to a Laguna Revo unit. I never saw any 24-36 Laguna revo unit, until I unpacked mine from the tray back on my ute. I did ask around, but as far as I could ascertain there were none in the country, only the older Laguna 24-36 and I received a single reply from an Australian woodworking site from a member with that older lathe. I believe there are only 9, 24-36 units in Australia, mine is one of them; build date is 08-2018.

Every available accessory for the 24-36, is labeled as being for the 18-36. I have every accessory made, except for the vacuum unit. In short, I bought a 24-36 with all the fruit.

I'll do something on another thread, this is about someone with their 18-36.

Mick.

[ELY WALTON]

[...] from the tray back on my ute. [...] Mick.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hu8tX2BAD1k

Just had to.... Ely :D

[Mick Fagan]

Sorry, forgot you don't have utes in the USA, more a pick-up type of thing in your language. Usually with a tub on the rear, however in my case I have a tray, or as usually said in this country, a tray back on the rear.

The day I picked up the Laguna, 21 of November 2018, very warm day.

Here the drop sides are off, which allowed me to remove the plethora of boxes containing the accessories first. :D

Mick.



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