One last time

[TYLER WOOD]

I know we see these every day. What lathe to get. Well this is some what like that but not really. I'm not looking at opinions on which lathe to buy.

I will be doing some minor production, a few humidors that I posted on here, plus some canisters that are similar to it. There is also the posibility that there might be pen production as well.

The question is, would I be happy with the Palmgren 15" lathe. For the bucks, you can not get the size anywhere else that I know of. Capacity and price are my two driving factors. My humidors are 8" diameter but may grow to 10". I will be doing bowls for my pleasure as well. I know quality is not up to par with the 800-1000 dollar machines, but I need something now with capacity. Would this machine slow me down, or cause me headaches? Waiting for another year to save up for the 1000 machine is not an option, unless I get return info that this machine will slow me down and cause me grief. I do hope to make money off the turnings and save up that way to get the prime machine, just not now.

Thanks for listening and advising me. If you do have recommendations on a better machine in the 500 price range please let me know. But don't say the jet is only 300-400 more or something like that.

[Jim Becker]

What's the minimum RPM for that lathe? It's important if you plan on turning larger objects...

[TYLER WOOD]

360-2400 rpm, still a little high but better than my 980 I have right now. I think that 10"-12" would be ok on this, am I right?

diameter X rpm = 6000 - 9000 safe range (from web sites, not personal experiance, I tend to be chicken)

so 12 x 360 = 4320 rpm, seems 12" is within a safe resonable speed according to numbers.

Based on those safe ranges it seems that a 15" (round, not out of balance) blank could be used (I would not do this, but the numbers are there to be able to)

well below recommended safe speed, or did I miss something in math class? Please comment if I am wrong. You guys have more experiance with what speed is safe with larger blanks. You input here would be helpful!!!

I do like the 1 hp motor, better tan 3/4 or lower for similar priced lathes!!!

[Bobby Perry]

I have this lathe and have had it since January. I broke off the lockdown bar on the tailstock. I called Palmgren about it last week. They told me it would be shipped to me that day. I called them back today because of another problem. I can smell wires burning when I am running the lathe and it has been clicking. Also the silver looking ring around the spindle is getting hot when I run the lathe. I turn a lot of pens on this machine. I was told to take the headstock apart and see if I could see if the fan was loose. If I found it loose they would send me a new screw to hold it. But I would have to fix it myself. If I didn't want to do that then I could find somebody to do it for me and then send them the bill where I had to pay and they would reimburse me for it.
I am still trying to figure out what the warrenty is for??? I am not going to take it apart I am going to run it till it either locks up or burns up. Then they can send me a new lathe or a refund. All the guy had to do was send me a new headstock and I would have shipped this old one back to them to fix. Not tell me to fix it myself.

I guess you have figured out I am not happy with them right now.

Oh I forgot I haven't got the part for the tailstock either it hadn't been sent as of today.

[Dennis Peacock]

Well, I'm not going to tell you to upgrade your lathe. That's a personal and financial decision that I can't make for you. As an owner of 2 previous lathes that are of the style of your lathe, I used them a good bit and was somewhat satisfied with them until they began to bug me with how lite in weight they were, how slow I could "not" turn with them, repairing the reeves drive about every other month...you get the picture. ;)

Since upgrading to what I have now, I have never once worried about the drive system, the solidness of the lathe, and I can crank out more turnings with a greater amount of ease than ever before. Another thing you buy with a lathe upgrade is reliability and longevity of the overall machine. Oh, and talk about turning a chunk of wood _slow_....That has made a great deal of improvement in my turnings that I never even thought about.

In short, if what you have now is working just fine for you, then stick with it, save your money for a lathe upgrade down the road. I know many turners that have bought, soldl, and upgraded their lathes over time until they got a setup that they feel they will not out grown in the near future.

Just my 2¢ on the topic.

Production turning eh?? Wow....I wish you the very best success in every turning you crank out. :D

[Alex Cam]

I've turned a bunch of small stuff on my Palmgren and have had no problems. This past weekend I destroyed a ~4.5" bowl, then chucked up a ~12" walnut blank and had no problems whatsoever (beside my inexperienced ham-hands). For me, for the price, it's a good piece of machinery. And I haven't heard any complaints about their customer service either. To comment on the motor -- I did quite a bit of research, and it's easily comparible to what you'll get on the Jet 1442 (which is also a "1hp").

For the price you won't find better, IMHO. Someday I'll get a 1642 or PM, but right now that type of machine would be wasted on me.

[Rex Guinn]

Tyler;
I got the Palmgren in December have turned about 20" bowls up to max size with no problems. I did break off the plastic handle. I did get the outboard adapter also and have used it a couple of times only to clip off the corners of a piece so it would turn over the ways. I don't have a chain saw yet or a bandsaw. I don't think you can go wrong for the money. You can always upgrade later when you get the $$$$$.

[Brodie Brickey]

Tyler,

I have no direct experience with the Palmgren lathe. The reviews I've read online from other users has been positive and very positive regarding customer service. Its the only thing slow enough for the larger blanks short of a Nova and that's way too much for your current budget.

You might check with turning clubs in your area for another used lathe, but even so, I think you won't get the dual needs of under 500 RPM & around 500 bucks.

360 RPM is a good bottom speed for any lathe under $900. You will be able to turn large bowls provided that they are pre-rounded and mostly balanced. I turned a 14" bowl from an uneven block outboard on a lathe with 500 RPM as a minimum. I won't do it again, and I highly discourage anyone from considering it. You won't have the same problems with the larger bowls because of the slower speed.

The odd size of the swing may result in problems with coring tools like woodcut or some of the others that use the tailstock. You'd want to double check with manufacturers before purchasing those kinds of items. The McKnaughton won't be affected if you end up getting one. The solution could be as simple as taking a little more off an overly long tool post.

You might also call Palmgren and see if they can refer you to a turner in your area who is using one of their lathes.

Bottom Line: If its going to make your life easier and give you piece of mind, get the lathe. While we all want the latest and greatest, we do at times still have to work within the confines of reality.

[Reed Gray]

For me, it would be a question of is this going to be the last lathe you will buy, or not. If you are going to use it professionally, the extra money is well spent. I really stressed over getting the PM, but it paid for itself 3 times the first year I had it. That translates to it paid for itself and all the accessories that I needed to go with it. If time is money for your business, a bigger and stronger (more hp) lathe will get all jobs done in less time with less physical effort on your part. You also get depreciation on your taxes.
robo hippy