WOW what a fantastic event. The talent there was out of this world and there are a few new tools that are real game changers for sure. I also have to say, Malcolm Tibbetts, Bruce Campbell and several other extremely talented legends in the turning world took me under their wing and walked the entire gallery discussing every aspect of almost every piece there teaching me something new at every step. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the knowledge they shared with me. When they took several pieces from the gallery to do a critique on them, I was the guy that got to carry every piece to the table for discussion. This allowed me a very close look at the top pieces of the show. The people here were the nicest crowd of wood workers you could ever ask to meet. The event was incredibly well organized and really brought out the best of the best. There were turnings larger than a basket ball turned to 1/16" thick.
On to the tools, First I have to say, the new PM4224b is by far the most incredible lathe I've ever seen. It has a built in vacuum clamp, turn away extended bed(the only option) an amazing 2 light system, sliding head stock, 94 point indexing, slows to40 rpms and weighs in over 1000lbs. From the Robust camp, a new sit down lathe that is extremely well thought out, sliding head stock, adjustable legs and a big motor. So If a person is in a wheel chair or just wants to sit & turn, they can enjoy turning every bit as much as someone standing in front of the lathe. I commend them for creating this unit. There's also a new steady rest that I'll be ordering asap, it offers the ability to open up the circle w/o removing the entire unit to access your project, plus you can position the wheels almost any where you want on your project. You also gave the ability to order a new ring if you go bigger with your lathe. The base can be adjusted to fit almost any lathe bed. I have their name at home, I'll update this later with more pics and info. I'll add pics of the amazing art work later. After I left the event I flew to Reno to plan a wine cellar. As part of the payment for the cellar, I received a car. I drove about 1000 miles straight, got home, slept for an hour then wet to work a full day. Came back to a ton of work so I'm just now getting time to get all the pics together. All I can say is, The people, the tools, the exhibitors and those that planned this event are all amazing people. I had the time of my life. I can't thank the people at Powermatic, Malcolm, Bruce and everyone that made this such an enjoyable event, enough for their kindness and generosity. What an incredible time I had. Again, more pics soon.
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Originally Posted by David DeCristoforo
