What Size of One Way Banjo do you have on your Powermatic 3520b Lathe?

[Chris Gunsolley]

For those of you who have a Powermatic 3520b lathe and are using a One Way banjo with it, are you using the version of that banjo that is designed for lathes with a 20" swing, or the one that's designed for lathes with a 16" swing?

I called One Way the other day to order a banjo for my 3520b, and they told me that for this particular lathe, I actually need their banjo that's designed for lathes with a 16" swing (even though the 3520b has a 20"swing). She said that people who have this lathe and ordered the 20" version said that the top part of the banjo is too high for their lathe. This made me hesitant to order, and I wanted to do some research before I did that.

So, I'm hoping there are forum members here who are using the One Way banjo on their 3520 and can give me some insight.

Thank you.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Here’s a turner that uses the Oneway banjo on his Powermatic, I don’t know his name sorry, Jerry something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcosINFTqxk&feature=em-upload_owner...

[Chris Gunsolley]

Here’s a turner that uses the Oneway banjo on his Powermatic, I don’t know his name sorry, Jerry something.

file:///Users/leovdl/Desktop/www.youtube.com:.webloc

Thanks for the prompt reply, Leo! It looks like something's wrong with that link?

[Roger Chandler]

I ordered a Oneway banjo for my Grizzly G0766, which has a 22" swing. Two things......first, the 16" oneway banjo is bigger than you think........it is made for their outboard attachment, and on my 22" swing lathe, I can actually get the space for a 28" blank [if my lathe had that much swing] as it extends 14" away from the spindle center. Confusing, huh? :D But trust me, those Oneway guys know their stuff! The second issue it the height of the neck on the banjo where the hole is for the post. The larger banjo has a taller neck, and the 16" they are talking about is the right size.

I did a coring demo last night at our club meeting on a 3520b, and have the Oneway 16" installed on my G0766 at present, so I wanted to make sure it fit on the 3520b at the club, which it worked great. Trust those guys at Oneway.......you will be glad you did! That banjo is a fine piece of equipment...........you will like it!

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Thanks for the prompt reply, Leo! It looks like something's wrong with that link?

Redone the link Chris, should work now I think

[Chris Gunsolley]

I ordered a Oneway banjo for my Grizzly G0766, which has a 22" swing. Two things......first, the 16" oneway banjo is bigger than you think........it is made for their outboard attachment, and on my 22" swing lathe, I can actually get the space for a 28" blank as it extends 14" away from the spindle center. Confusing, huh? :D But trust me, those Oneway guys know their stuff! The second issue it the height of the neck on the banjo where the hole is for the post. The larger banjo has a taller neck, and the 16" they are talking about is the right size.

I did a coring demo last night at our club meeting on a 3520b, and have the Oneway 16" installed on my G0766 at present, so I wanted to make sure it fit on the 3520b at the club, which it worked great. Trust those guys at Oneway.......you will be glad you did! That banjo is a fine piece of equipment...........you will like it!

Great info, Roger! I just wanted to make sure people are having good experiences with the 16 inch version on this lathe, and I think you may have convinced me.

[Harold Balzonia]

Chris - may I ask what the reason is for the swap? I'm just curious what the shortcomings of the original one may be. Im ignorant on this so I wonder what does the OneWay do that would merit a switch?

TIA!

[Roger Chandler]

Chris - may I ask what the reason is for the swap? I'm just curious what the shortcomings of the original one may be. Im ignorant on this so I wonder what does the OneWay do that would merit a switch?

TIA!I'm not Chris, but I'll give you the scoop. Originally, when the G0766 first came out, they put the same banjo that was on their 18/47 lathes, but when turners [like me & others] complained about it, they had larger versions made, and shipped them to the customers who had already purchased. That process took a few months for manufacture and shipping, so in the mean time, I was not willing to wait, so In purchased a Oneway banjo to put on my lathe, then I received the updated larger banjo from Grizzly, so I use both now, depending on what I happen to be doing. All the G0766's now ship with the larger updated banjo.

The main difference between the two banjos is the post lock mechanism. The PM 3520b and my Griz both have a simple screw with handle that threads into the post, and with a good torque down, it will leave a mark on the post where the end of the screw seats against it. The Oneway banjo has a curved cam that matches the banjo hole and wraps around the post a little when tightened down, and does not leave a mark on the post. Most Asian made lathes are like the Powermatics, Jets, Grizzly's, etc.

[Chris Gunsolley]

Chris - may I ask what the reason is for the swap? I'm just curious what the shortcomings of the original one may be. Im ignorant on this so I wonder what does the OneWay do that would merit a switch?

TIA!

Harold,

I want to begin by saying that I think the stock 3520b banjo will work great for most bowl turners. When you run into a problem is when you are turning very large pieces--much larger than what most bowl turners usually turn. That's why the stock banjo will do a good job for most. (Also, I love my lathe to death. Just want to throw that in there.)

The problem occurs when the circumstances are such that either 1) you need your tool to rest on part of a large tool rest that is far away from its post or 2) you need to hang the tool itself a few inches or more off of the end of a large tool rest. The tool rest slips even though it's been tightened, or the banjo itself slips even though it's been locked down (and the clamp block is indeed clear of sawdust). Both of these are very dangerous events, and the clamping mechanism just isn't strong enough under these circumstances. (And yes, I believe I'm using precise tool control--the banjo simply has its limits and I've met them.) Aside from my personal experiences, I have heard similar stories from others regarding the stock 3520 banjo. I'd bet you can find them in the archives.

As for personal experiences, my 14" Robust J-bar tool rest has slipped a few times while reaching deep into a large bowl, causing the tool to fly out of the bowl and in my direction. Thankfully, it's never hit me and has bounced off of the tool rest, deflecting it to the other side of my shop. But my goodness, that probably could have killed me and it's time for a more secure clamping mechanism! Not to mention that this ruins the rim on a piece that you've been working on for 2 full days. I can't afford that. Either of these are very dangerous events, especially when your hand and part of your arm is inside of your turning, and the results could be dire. I've had either the tool rest or banjo slip on a number of occasions, even though I make sure their clamping mechanism are clean, and I tighten them to the point that it hurts my palm pretty bad when I push on the handle. I don't want to damage my hand tightening the handles, and it still doesn't hold even with that level of effort (for the reason that Roger mentioned).

If I use my 15" straight Robust tool rest to round a large piece, when I approach the ends of it, the tool rest is guaranteed to slip. I need to be able to rough out pieces through this entire length without moving the banjo back and forth to do the top and bottom halves of the profile separately. When this happens, the blank is very likely to impact the tool rest (not good!).

Okay, I'm glad I got that out of me. Now, why do I think the Oneway banjo will be a solution? First is the design, second is the praise I've heard from those whom have experience with it. The Oneway banjo uses different, more secure, clamping mechanisms than all other banjos. I'll save the explanation, and you can simply see this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI2uwTZXeRk
The other reason I believe in the Oneway banjo is that I have heard nothing but praise from those whom have used it (similar to Roger). This is the tell tale.

[Harold Balzonia]

Thanks for the detailed explanation... I've got a newer (6 months old) 3520b and I haven't had any problems, yet. I really appreciate the heads up that this might happen and for providing a solution!

ill have to sell some bowls and keep the money in an "upgrade banjo" can!

[Fred Belknap]

The toolrest on my 3520 slips some when the situation is right. Since the banjo has an extra threaded hole I put a hex head bolt in it and if it slips or I think it will I tighten the bolt with a wrench. It won't slip

[Chris Gunsolley]

The toolrest on my 3520 slips some when the situation is right. Since the banjo has an extra threaded hole I put a hex head bolt in it and if it slips or I think it will I tighten the bolt with a wrench. It won't slip

Interesting. I didn't notice that hole. Do you by any chance know the thread size of that bolt? I did pull the trigger on the Oneway banjo, and it should arrive on Tuesday. Still, I'd like to put the bolt in the stock one in case I use it again.

[Ron Diamond]

I have a 3520B lathe with a 20" oneway banjo
works GREAT
it does require that I use a low profile tool rest--cannot use the powermatic tool rest and have trouble with my robust comfort tool rest
works great with the robust low profile tool rest
I do not know how it would work with the 16" banjo

[Reed Gray]

Not sure when they will be available, but they 'solved' the problems with that banjo with the one for the C model. It more closely resembles the Robust banjo where you have 2 wedges that pull together rather than the set pin, and that works a lot better. On my old A model, after wearing off the teeth on the second tightening handle (who in their right mind would put a cheap pot metal handle onto a hardened steel spline???? A lot of people it seems...) I had a machinest friend make me a set/locking pin that had a T handle and the top of the T would slide just like the handles on your bench vises. That worked a lot better, and I could get it tighter.

robo hippy

[robert baccus]

I think Fred has the right idea--how about even putting the factory clamp and a "bolt" both on problem pieces?

[Mike Goetzke]

The toolrest on my 3520 slips some when the situation is right. Since the banjo has an extra threaded hole I put a hex head bolt in it and if it slips or I think it will I tighten the bolt with a wrench. It won't slip

Always wondered what that extra hole was for - thanks for the information. I once twisted a coring knife like a pretzel when I found the tool rest dropped. Wish I knew this then. (I thought the knife was trash till
i saw Robo’s video on straightening them out.)

[Leo Van Der Loo]

There is more problems with the regular Banjo and tool rests, as we well know, depending where we set the banjo on the bed, that is, farther in or out, the shaft in the banjo will bend some when we put pressure on the shaft, and so the banjo handle ends up higher and lower every time depending where the banjo gets placed.

Oneway has designed and uses this patented cam lock in their Banjo, it will hold the banjo securely every time and at any setting.

376261

For the toolrest the fitted piece to hold the toolrest post works very good, with the tightening handle and the setup of the handle at the same position every time, if one wants to change that position, Oneway has designed the plate with 4 bolts and 8 openings in the plate/nut, so the handle can be set to whatever position suits best.

376262

Some more info on the Banjo and toolrest here.

376263

[Clint Bach]

On my g0766 I just ordered a couple of extra factory banjo tool rest locking screws from grizzly. They are cheap! Nothing slips unless I let it. My grizzly banjo has three threaded holes for the banjo locking screws. My guess is they are there so you can get them out of the way when they interfere with something. Btw they are metric. Regular screws work well too.

clint