Related to the 'drum shell' thread

[Steve Kubien]

Like many, I've been following the drum shell thread. It raises a question for me... Just how heavy an object can a lathe handle? If we are talking about a 24" wide x 20" deep bass drum and you have the swing to "swing" it, what would be happening to your bearings and motor? I can see Ted's idea of removing the core with a bandsaw and lightening the load but if you didn't/couldn't do that?!?!?!?! I've got a Nova 1624 coming soon and I wouldn't dream of something like this. Would we be looking at a big Oneway or Powermatic 4224? Something larger?

Curious more than anything.

Steve Kubien
Ajax, Ontario

[Jeffrey Fusaro]

something much larger.

check out this bad boy...

http://www.marklindquist.com/Liberty_Mallet_Sculpture_by_Mark_Lindquist.htm

[John Gornall]

Nova 1624 - you might be surprised

From their customer support page:

http://www.teknatool.com/support/FAQ_What%20is%20maximum%20weight%20on%20bearings%2 0for%20Nova%203000.pdf

[Pat Salter]

If you go to Brian McEvoy's site (you can google him) (don't want the "link police" tagging me :D ) and check the "how do I do it" page, and then go to the "making a vase" page you will see him turning pieces that weigh in the neighborhood of 600 lbs. :eek: He uses one of the big Oneways. Awesome article.

Here's Brian's site - perfectly okay to post links to sites like this. - Andy http://onegoodturn.ca/

[Gordon Seto]

A VB-36 bowl lathe may be more appropriate to handle massive side grain turning. It has 2½' spindle which is much beefier than Oneway or 4224. Because the blank is hold by one end during the hollowing. It should be very demanding on the headstock bearing. The Nova can handle 24+" diameter when turning outboard, but nowhere near 20" depth at that diameter.

I was shown a rough turned bowl recently. It still weighted 140 pounds. It is waiting for the weight loss to stop; so he can finish turn it. The blank before coring was estimated to be over 1000 pounds.

Gordon

[Andy Hoyt]

Here's a couple of pics I took at Dave Lancaster's shop this spring. Sopping wet 28" x 28" and mounted single-handed with a chain fall. The second pic proves that it's just mounted with a face plate (6" diameter and with some 4" lags, I recall). I think just about any lathe could do this - as long as it was built in Stratford, Ontario that is. It's all about the bearings.

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[Ken Fitzgerald]

Hoyt's right this time....it's all about bearings and shaft diameter and quality of steel involved.

And of course.....horsepower.

[Jim Becker]

When you get up into the 16" plus diameter by really deep range, you have a lot of mass on the spindle. Therefore, you're best served by a very heavy machine with a larger spindle, etc. There are not many folks who regularly turn in these big size ranges, even when they have the machine to do it...it's scary for one and the material itself is hard to handle. Hoists are not optional!

Bottom line: Just because you "can" mount a piece on your lathe doesn't mean you should. The forces involved in large turnings are huge.

[Mark Cothren]

Here's a little chunk of glued-up Pine that Joe Meazle turned on my PM. It was between centers - not sure how much it weighed, but it was a few pounds. He had knocked the corners off before we mounted it and the PM never even wobbled or grunted. But I can't say the same for me and Joe...:eek:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/markfromark/100_0165.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/markfromark/100_0162.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/markfromark/100_0159.jpg

[Ken Fitzgerald]

And Mark.....that cylinder became a ___________________?:confused: :D

[Pete Jordan]

Mark,

What is he making there?

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Here's a couple of pics I took at Dave Lancaster's shop this spring. Sopping wet 28" x 28" and mounted single-handed with a chain fall. The second pic proves that it's just mounted with a face plate (6" diameter and with some 4" lags, I recall). I think just about any lathe could do this - as long as it was built in Stratford, Ontario that is. It's all about the bearings.

66632 66633Ya Ya Ya!:D Take a look at the vase on the Robust site and see what "spoiled meat" according to some, can do.:p :D
http://www.turnrobust.com/About_Us.html
I'll bet Malcolm will be thinking ,"Uh Huh, if you only had a VB.:eek:

Lov ya anyway Andy!:D

[Joe Meazle]

Well guys, I don’t get down here into spinny world too often (I like corners). Mark gave me a heads up that he was throwing my name around and had folks asking questions. That cylinder became bench legs for a bench I made for a University furniture design project. I am no turner but once I go t over the initial intimidation of having that big chunk spinning at me it really ran pretty smooth.


Here is a pic of me and some old guy that makes chairs sitting on my bench. I am the one grinning like a little boy on Christmas morning.

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s107/meazlejr/Maloof053.jpg

http://i150.photobucket.com/albums/s107/meazlejr/Maloof056.jpg


Since then I have but a finish of BLO Danish oil thind with naptha. But have not taken any pics. I am waiting ofr the pine to oxidize a little then I will add some wax. BTW it took both Mark and me to get the blank on to the lathe.

Joe

[Steve Kubien]

Ok, that sort of sums up what I was thinking. In order to safely (?) turn wet chunks that big you need serious spindle size and serious bearings. Makes sense. Please don't misunderstand me...I wasn't thinking of putting anything like that on the new Nova. Too much work to lift the darn blanks!

Thanks everybody.

Steve Kubien

[Jim Becker]

Steve, good thinking...
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And Joe...here's your free bonus avatar!

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