New Lathe

[Jim Tobias]

First, let me unequivocally state that I am a Woodworker who turns occasionally when the need arises.
I have a Jet Mini lathe, but am finding I would like to be able to turn larger pieces ( not longer).
I have started looking at the larger Jets and also Nova. I would want as much flexibility as possible as this will in all likelihood, be the last lathe I ever buy.
It sounds like the outboard capability is a nice feature that allows one to occasionally do larger pieces.
What all should I be looking for in a larger lathe?

Thanks for any advice and suggestions,
Jim

[Doug W Swanson]

It all depends on your budget. I have a Powermatic 3520B and I love it. I turn everything from pens to large platters on it. While it may be out of your budget, it's a really nice lathe. For a little less money, there is the Laguna lathes. I haven't turned on one but they look really nice and have some nice features.

Also, I would look for a heavier lathe and something with at least 1.5hp. The heavier lathe will allow you to start with an out of balance blank and the lathe won't bounce all over shop when you turn it on. The higher hp comes in handy for those heavy blanks and should you ever get into coring your bowl blanks.

I could turn outboard on my 3520 but since it already has a 20" capacity I haven't needed to turn outboard yet. That's one of the nice things about a 16" or larger lathe.

Hope this helps!

[John K Jordan]

I agree with Doug - much depends on your budget. It is almost never a bad idea to buy a lathe larger than you now imagine you need! Most "full sized" lathes take up roughly the same floor space so that shouldn't matter much. If you don't have easy access to 220v power that might suggest looking at a 110v lathe.

Mostly turn spindles with occasional bowls? A used Jet 1642 is a respectable lathe, even the 1 hp version. I keep one set up in the shop along with a larger PM 3520b, with another and a couple of Jet minis in a storage building. I mostly use the PM but the 1642 will do almost anything I want. The headstock can be pushed down to the end if you want to turn things larger than 16", but a 16" bowl is a pretty large bowl. The 1642 has a long bed I've used for shovel handles and such - I don't use the full length much but it sure is handy when I do. Some people consider the 1 hp motor too small but I've never stalled mine, even with larger pieces. (Sharp tools, skillful use, no problems.)

There is a bed extender available for the Jet mini to give more length. However, the electronic variable speed and the heavier duty components (and heavier weight) of the larger lathes are all big advantages. The 1hp 1642 runs on 110v power if that's a consideration.

There are many more useful lathes out there that would work. These are just the ones I am the most familiar with.

JKJ

[Prashun Patel]

".. I am probably looking at a lathe in the $1750 to $3500 range. "

I considered the Powermatic 3520C and Laguna 24-36 in that price range. I am sure there are others.

I would have probably considered the PM3520c more seriously if there were more reviews for it.

You really should consider what other accessories you might want. If you don't know, then I would conservatively reserve about $500 of your budget for this. Some lathes - like the 18-36 vsn of the Laguna offer aftermarket upgrades like a gap bed or swing away attachment, so you can upgrade the features and capacity if you get the itch later, but don't reasonably foresee needing these on day 1. This was a big factor in my decision to go 'middle of the road'.

[Jim Tobias]

Thanks again to everyone for feedback. I had to make a quick run to Kllingspor Woodworking Shop yesterday and while I was there I looked at the Lathes they had on the floor.
They had a Powermatic 3220, Jet 1640 and the Laguna 18/36. Of the 3, I liked the size and feel of the Laguna. But that is just standing next to it in the store. I have heard that the height of the Laguna makes it more comfortable? I'm 5' 10" in height so I don't know if the height of the Laguna is a plus or minus.
The Powermatic seemed too massive for the turning I will do on it.... again, I'm more of a woodworker who uses a lathe occasionally than a "Turner". I'm probably leaning toward the Laguna at this point but wondered what might be the advantages of the Laguna 24-36 vs the Laguna 18-36? I know the difference in swing but wondered what features are inportant to those who might own one of these two?
Also, do you have the mobile base attachment? I definitely want to be able to move this around when not in use. I even have my Jet Mini on wheels.

Jim

[Prashun Patel]

I am 5’ 10” and also have the 18-36 all the way down. I find it a tad short and am considering lifting it 2-3”.

[Mick Fagan]

Thanks again to everyone for feedback. I had to make a quick run to Kllingspor Woodworking Shop yesterday and while I was there I looked at the Lathes they had on the floor.
They had a Powermatic 3220, Jet 1640 and the Laguna 18/36. Of the 3, I liked the size and feel of the Laguna. But that is just standing next to it in the store. I have heard that the height of the Laguna makes it more comfortable? I'm 5' 10" in height so I don't know if the height of the Laguna is a plus or minus.
The Powermatic seemed too massive for the turning I will do on it.... again, I'm more of a woodworker who uses a lathe occasionally than a "Turner". I'm probably leaning toward the Laguna at this point but wondered what might be the advantages of the Laguna 24-36 vs the Laguna 18-36? I know the difference in swing but wondered what features are inportant to those who might own one of these two?
Also, do you have the mobile base attachment? I definitely want to be able to move this around when not in use. I even have my Jet Mini on wheels.

Jim

he main differences between the 18/36 and the 24/36 are, as far as I can work out, mainly in the head and legs. As well as the switch gear. The spindle height of the 24/36 is 76.5mm (3”) higher than the 18/36, the same spindle height of the Vicmarc 300 unit I have very comfortably used several times. I’m 174cm or 68.5” in height.

The output bearing on the spindle of the 18/36 is rated as per the accompanying clip from the technical PDF of the Taiwanese bearing manufacturer whose bearings are, according to Laguna, their bearing supplier. The 6207 bearing, is the output bearing in the 18/36 lathe.

As you can see the load is not onerous, nor is it light, but the speed is most likely lower than a reasonable percentage of turning work; the computed bearing life is 20,000 hours.
If you load the bearing by approximately 50% more, then the calculations come out to a bearing life of 7,000 hours. Add in some form of average speed increase and you will get a forecast decrease, but……….

With my current usage of approximately 10 hours of actual turning time per week and with no time off for holidays (I’m retired) other interests et cetera, then I have the impression that I wouldn’t be wearing the spindle bearings out on a Laguna 18/36 unit.

The Laguna 24/36 output spindle bearing, which is a 6307 bearing, has this over the 6207 bearing according to their website blurb, “The dynamic load rating is 30% higher than a 6207 ball bearing”. In short, the load rating, and by default the longevity factor if you don’t really change what you are turning, is quite favourable, on paper, over the smaller capacity lathe.

The wall thickness of the legs of the 24/36 are 80% thicker than the 18/36.

The real kicker for me is the remote switch as standard on the 24/36 something not at all available for the 18/36. Having used some Vicmarc lathes with a magnetic remote switch that enabled one to start or stop without being anywhere near the line of fire, is the real winner.

All the accessories for the 18/36 and 24/36 are identical.

I am awaiting delivery of a Laguna 24/36 unit and I am getting the wheels. I have seen and moved an 18/36 with wheels, unbelievable.

Mick.

Bearing_001.jpg

[Jim Tobias]

Thanks to all again for the advice and ideas. I'm certainly more informed now about my lathe selection.
I am pretty much settled on the Laguna 18-36....now I'll just wait for Klingspor or some other place to have a 10% discount.

Jim

[Jim Tobias]

Just a follow up on my "New Lathe" thread. I settled on the Laguna 18-36. Delivery came 2/3 weeks back. It was a bear to put it together because it is Sooooo heavy. But, that is also why it is so solid. So, as with all new endeavors, there is always some "extra" expenses that show. I had to have a 220 volt receptacle put outside under our deck where I want to do turning. I then had to change out the threshold coming out the back of the shop. The one that was there was about 1.5 inches high....no way I could roll this monster over that so we removed the threshold and put sweeps on the bottom of the double doors to keep in heat/cool and critters out. Then I had to get a 1.25"adaptor for my Nova 2 jaws to fit on the Laguna.
Well, today I finally got out and set up and turned a piece. The irony is that after buying this lathe so I could do larger pieces, my first piece was a small 3.25" diameter ring/jewelry bowl for my wife to use on the counter top in our bathroom.
Any feedback is welcome. I wanted to start out with something small just to get a feel for the lathe. Just got a coat of GF Seal a cell on it today. More GF Urethane /oil tomorrow.

Jim2.jpg1.jpg3.jpg4.jpg

[David DeCristoforo]

Don't want to get in to the "which lathe is the best" thing but I will get into the "which the is the worst" one. Do not seriously consider, at any price, the Shopsmith if you want a lathe. It is a very shaky, even dangerous lathe and a very dangerous table saw. It's great as a drilling machine.

[Jim Tobias]

David,
I bought the Laguna 18-36.

Jim

[Barry McFadden]

I think you'll love it...I got one last year and it's great.... I see some comments about it possibly being low for some turners. I'm 6' 1" and with the leveling legs up about 2" it puts the center of the spindle 44" from the floor. This seems very comfortable for me when I turn. My old lathe is a Record Coronet and I just checked and it is also 44" from the floor so maybe after turning on it for 30 years that height just seem right for me.

[Thomas Wilson80]

Do the leveling legs come with the lathe or is that part of a separate package? I've been planning on getting the laguna but am 5'11'' and after reading several comments was concerned that it would be too short. Unfortunately I don't know anyone with the lathe so can't test it out (but it felt ok standing by it in the store).
Thanks,
Tom

[John Sanford]

... Some lathes - like the 18-36 vsn of the Laguna offer aftermarket upgrades like a gap bed or swing away attachment, so you can upgrade the features and capacity if you get the itch later, but don't reasonably foresee needing these on day 1. This was a big factor in my decision to go 'middle of the road'.

One thing to keep in mind if you choose the "upgrade/get accessory later" path is don't wait too long! If you do, you might end up looking for goodies for a tool that is out of production. I got caught in this trap with my Jet 1014. It seems to me that it wouldn't have been too difficult for Jet to insure that the lathe bed extension was interchangeable between the 1014 and the later 1015, but nooooooooooo, it wasn't.

hmmmm, maybe I should heed my own warning and set some sheckles aside for the next Laguna sale, so I can get the extension or swing away for my 18-36.

[David Bassett]

You can turn small things on big lathes, but can't turn big things on small lathes. So, bigger is better. But we have to live with our individual constraints, whether space, power, or money. Until recently I had access to a large PowerMatic lathe that was wonderful, even though I usually turn small things. That said, I took a couple classes at our local Woodcraft that uses a (much) older model of the small Rikon lathe. It was very usable within it's size limits and I wouldn't hesitate to look at the Rikon midi-models if budget or space guided me that direction.

... turns occasionally when the need arises....

This is the boat I'm in too. The experts here will (usually) tell you variable speed is a nice but very optional feature. I believe it is for them. But, as an occasional turner, I'd rate it as almost essential. If I could look at a work piece and judge the exact speed I wanted to turn it and could accommodate the increments in speed with technique, belt changes aren't that awful. But being able to start slow to spin a piece while I judge its balance or being able to slightly tweak a speed to get a more comfortable cut is something I use almost constantly. (I can't really explain why dropping 50-100 rpm can so significantly change the quality of cut for me. Maybe it's psychological, but it has a very real effect on my enjoyment and the quality of my results.)