Powermatic Swingaway

[Pete Jordan]

Harvey asked me to post pictures of the Butler swingaway to see it would interfere with turning near the end of the lathe. I have had no problems and find this product indispensable. It makes the lathe much easier to use.


http://www.butlerturning.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

[William Bachtel]

Where you get that tool rest, the curved one. Thanks.

[Frank Kobilsek]

Pete,

In January I was at John C. Campbell where the PMs were equiped with the Bulter swing away feature. With my big 5/8 bowl gouge I found the end of my tool handle colliding with the tailstock even when swung away. So I thought the feature was a bad idea. Since that time I have upgraded to the PM3520 and removing that heavy tailstock is just plain heavy. So I am re-thinking my opinion of the feature.

How long have you had the Bulter swing away installed? Are there any problems with it? Give us a little reveiw. 'Indispensable' wet my whistle but didn't sell me yet. Thanks

Frank

[Harvey M. Taylor]

Thanks ever so much Pete for the pictures and text. This afternoon or tomorrow I will ask the head of the intelligence dept. at my house to help me send a few pictures and explanation of how to stand squarely at the end of the lathe and have my tools handy without the lower bed extension in the way. I 'invented' this a couple weeks ago before I got interested in a swingaway. Cheers, Harvey.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Where you get that tool rest, the curved one. Thanks.

I think that is a oneway curved rest.

Great looking swing away Pete.

[Frank Kobilsek]

Harvey

I think you just hit on my other mild discontent about my PM. I bought the bed extension and the riser to turn larger diameter items off the end of the main bed. I have few observations base on my few months with the machine in this configuration.
1) It is not comfortable to slide the headstock down and try to turn over the bed extention on smaller items.
2) The bed ext. in the lower position is a great place to set the tail stock when removed.
3) Bowl blanks over 20" in diameter are hard to come by and even when faced with the opportunity to cut one from a log my 18" Stihl chain saw ain't enough tool for that job.

Given the right moment of a sturdy friend stopping by, I think my bed ext. will go into storage. Save it for the day when I stumble onto the right log, a bigger chain saw and the backbone to try something in the 30" range.

Frank

[Pete Jordan]

Hey Frank,

I have had the swingaway for about 3 months. I use it every time I turn and I am so glad not to have lift that thing every time! The way I turn is to rough the outside and then core the inside with the Oneway coring system so I don't use the headstock on the end. With the swing away I can just leave the coring system on the bed while I rough things out.

William, As Bernie said, that is the Oneway curved rest. I also have the one for the inside of the bowls and they both work great.

[William Bachtel]

Thanks guys, I'll pick a oneway up.

[Jerry Rhoads]

Hey Frank
Put the bed extension at the higher elevation, and you can slide the tailstock out of the way. Man they are heavy.

Jerry