Laguna 18-36 extension

[William C Rogers]

I have the Laguna 18-36 and thinking about buying the extension to do larger turnings. What I am wondering is if turning bowls smaller do you need to remove the extension when you slide the headstock or is it fine to just use the extension? I’m thinking it might be easier to turn a 16” bowl with the extension as the banjo is not in the way. I.e. do you leave the extension in place all the time? Is the added capability a real plus?

[Dick Strauss]

Normally you are better off turning on the main bed because the extension might flex a bit if it is unsupported at the far end.

[Mick Fagan]

I have the Laguna Revo 24-36, which uses the exact same accessories that are used on the 18-36. In other words, my bed extension and tailstock riser are exactly what you would have. The bed of my machine is the same as yours. The legs, headstock and tailstock are larger and heavier than your 18-36, otherwise the lathes are remarkably similar.

I placed the bed extension on when new to see what it looked like and how things were going to work. I have not taken it off since doing that. Mostly I have it in the lower position and find it perfect for doing what you are thinking of doing. Bearing in mind that my banjo is bigger than yours, resulting in a slightly smaller possible swing under the banjo, there is almost no issue in leaving things in place.

The first picture shows the assembled lathe with the bed extension unit attached when new, the second and subsequent pictures, show the position the bed extension is almost permanently in. A friend helped me place that blank on, which was a very wet, as in chopped down oak tree about 4 hours old from felling. Dimensions were/are starting blank, around 650mm x 745mm blank(25½"x30"), finished measurement before coring (yet to happen) is approximately 520mm diameter(20½").

I found out that you cannot push the headstock when you have blanks this size mounted, the whole becomes front heavy. One needs to pull and lift the blank at the same time, the headstock just comes along for the ride.

When doing smaller stuff I still run the headstock down to the right end of the lathe, even with a wheel kit, apart from having to run the tailstock mounted light from an alternative power source, I have no issues. On this coming Monday, I have a 1200mm (47¼") spindle turning which I'll do with the bed extension in the lower position. If I have issues of spiraling, which I doubt, I'll let you know. The tailstock and headstock are in perfect alignment with the bed extension in the lower position, also true when in the upper position, but, you have to check and maybe fiddle slightly to ensure perfect alignment. At least, I need to check and sometimes make extremely minor adjustments.

And yes, that is me in the blue turning jacket. :D That blank weighed around 48Kg (105.6lb) it was so wet it was dripping as we moved it around.

Mick.


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[William C Rogers]

Mick, thanks. You answered the question i was trying to ask. Once installed do you need to remove it. That is a big blank. I have a 24" cherry bland (now dry) i will eventually turn. I also have four 20+" platter cherry blanks.

[Mick Fagan]

William, it is reasonably fiddly to get dead correct alignment of the bed extension, whether it be the upper or lower placement. I get the tailstock riser as close to the end of the bed as possible and half slide the tailstock onto the riser, then lock it in position. I then slightly loosen the bolts holding the bed extension, sort of loosen the tailstock then re-tighten. I then re-tighten the bed extension tight. Within reason, the bed extension is in then the correct position.

The tailstock riser also has the possibility of alignment, I sometimes need to make minute adjustments to get things super aligned.

To me, the Laguna Revo range of lathes, 18-36 and 24-36 that is, are excellent lathes. The sum of their parts, or possibilities, is what made them very attractive to me, sort of like a super additive chemical solution.

Yes that is a big blank, initial turning was around 170rpm, chunk, chunk, chunk........................ Eventually I was close to 700rpm as I got to a circular blank. The lathe did shimmy and shake a bit, but didn't move, if you understand what I'm trying to say. The mounted lights were wobbling a bit, but effectively, the lathe didn't move a millimetre; impressive.

With such a heavy blank, the motor break was inefective, it kept rolling along, slight hand pressure on the hand wheel was what I used to stop it.

Mick.

[Wes Henson]

I leave my bed extension in place, with the riser block. It is made to be supported on those bolts, so I'm not worried about sag. I was more worried about having to align it every time if I took it off and had to put it back on.
I turn over the main part of the ways and it seems fine. That stuff sticking off the end of the lathe is not heavy enough to make the lathe tippy or anything.

When I go to turn something big I take off the riser block and tail stock, slide the banjo out, install on the extension and then put together the tail sotck and riser.
Seems to work fine for me

Wes