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Knowledge You Can Build On — Est. 1998

LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

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LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

#1

LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

JL work

>The recent discussion about a large bowl lathe got me to thinking about large bowls/platters and other large work. I have been taking a class with Nick Cook in Marietta, and he has a few (five or more) lathes in his shop. Two old Deltas, two Powermatics and a long General. I can see the need for an 8' bed when you are doing architectural work - i.e. columns for mantels, newel posts for stairs, columns for bedposts, etc. When you are spinning those, you need a lot of horsepower and a big lathe (long at least).

My questions are: What is the largest practical size for a bowl or platter? What size lathe (hp) do you need for it? How often do you sell such a piece?

I have seen a large bowl or two (large enough to contain a child) and picked it up. I don't know how much it would cost (except not cheap) or where you would put it once you bought it.

The main reason I am asking, is I see another lathe in my future. I like doing the occasional bowl or platter (10-14" max currently) and I turn chair parts and table legs (up to 30" now). I want a larger, heavier lathe with more hp to do these things.

I am currently looking at the Jet 1642 EVS. Is there enough a market out there to justify the costs of buying (or building) a larger lathe?

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

#2

Sure

TD

>JL, some of the uses of a big lathe are:

Table tops

Rounded Window Molding

Large round platters and bowls

Large natural edge platters of irregular shape

...and I am sure there are others

A large lathe requires a lot of support equipment though so don't think the lathe is the only expense. How do you get a 700 lb piece of wood on the lathe? How large a chainsaw do you need to cut the blank? How do you load the blank onto your truck or trailer? How do you turn the blank around to hollow after cutting the outside? These are real expenses that must be anticipated.

Market? Commercial mostly but I just sold a 29" diameter spalted pecan bowl that will be made into a coffee table. You won't sell one every day but when you do sell one it will be for the price of a lathe. One order paid for my first VB-36 but I already had all the support equipment because I have a sawmill. I could not justify the cost of the support equipment were it not for the sawmill.

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

#3

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

Alan Tolchinsky

>One thing JL. If you are looking at the Jet 1642 you should also consider the Powermatic 3520. For $400-500 more you get a much heavier lathe in another class than the Jet. That's what I'm lusting after but so far like Jimmy Carter it's only in my heart. :)

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

#4

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

Duane C.Leach

>I consider anything over 15" to 20" ( bowls that is) to be large. They are a little harded to turn. They take up lots of room and time to dry and display in order to sell. Some folks make 30" bowls or larger. The Jet 1642 lathe just won't handle the size or weight at least not safely.

It takes a big big house with a big big room and a big big table to display a 30' diameter bowl and not look out of place. Not to metion the big big bucks to buy it.

A lot of turners have had the same thoughts your having now. Turning big big stuff.So they spend big big bucks to buy the big big lathe, turn one or two big big bowls and go back to turning small to medium size stuff. Did I say it's harder to turn big stuff. Actualy it's a lot harder. Try turning a piece at 30 rpm. It might take 3 to 5 hrs or more just to get a 30" chunk of wood round. One last thing, please don't call me when it's time to mount that 30" chunk ( LOG )on the lathe. My back is starting to hurt just thinking about it.

I hope I haven't discouraged you from trying. I'm just trying to let you know of some of the stuff your going to face

Good luck and happy turning

Duane

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

#5

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

John Lucas

>JL

I bought the Powermatic 2035 and have turned a few big bowls. In this area bowls larger than 16" are really hard to sell. They look good in the show or exhibit and get a lot of attention but just don't sell well in this area.

I knew Terry would chime in on this he sells has a market for them. I just sold my second big one a few weeks ago. It was right at 16". I have another one that's dry and ready to turn at 18". I like Terry's idea of making it a coffee table. You can easily sell furniture for $1000 or more around here but big bowls just don't sell.

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

#6

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

JamieDonaldson

>There is no market for wood bird bathes! Many aspire to turn large pieces but few ever turn more than 1 or 2, and the material is seldom available or worth the effort.

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

#7

Actually...the market is limited but not zero.

TD

>I have done several large bowls (29 to 36" diameter) and there is a limited demand. Some of the problems that will be encountered are: you can't haul it in your car or on the seat of your truck...it goes in the bed or in a trailer. Galleries complain about the amount of space they take up and the length of time they occupy that space before the right buyer comes along. Making it takes a minimum of 3 years from start to finish and it takes a lot of attention during that time to minimize checking and cracking. And as John said, it takes a lot of space while drying for that 3 years. The up side is that at a show you WILL have people in your booth! My first big bowl generated a lot of sales from people who came to see the "Big Bowl" and bought something smaller while here. It also got me a spot on our local TV station which helped to get people interested in starting a turning club here.

Don't underestimate the side benefits that come with doing something unusual.

TD

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

#8

Just curious...and kinda long....

Spence in Rhode Island

>How big of a sorta round chunk of wood can be safely turned on the PM3520? Trying to make my question a little clearer what I mean is after sliding the headstock to the end of the bed and cutting a big piece of walnut as round and/or balanced as posible with a chain saw how big could you go? I have two chunks of wood here that I've been saving for that "BIG" lathe. One is black walnut about 42"Dia and 60" long and the other is sycamore just a tad smaller. Both have been sealed and air dried for around 15 years. As soon as I sell the bike this spring I'll be ordering up the PM3520. :) TIA!

Spence

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

#9

What's a Bowl Table look like?

Dave MacLuskie

>I'm having a hard time picturing how the bowl is used in the table form? Are feet added? Is there a glass plate that sits on the top rim?

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

#10

Re: Just curious...and kinda long....

John Lucas

>spence

I think the limiting factor it the length of the piece not the diameter. I'm not sure how much weight a 1 1/4" hollow spindle will handle. The further the wood hangs out the more unstable it will be. I've heard of people bending the spindle on a Nova 3000 by turning too much weight. If you plan to turn something deeper than 8" and larger than 20 I would look at buying a new lathe. The VB36 comes to mind anytime I think of really big work.

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

#11

Re: Just curious...and kinda long....

Duane C.Leach

>Let me get this stright. You are asking if it would work to put a walnut log 42" in diameter on the end of a PM 3520. This chunk of walnut will weigh in at about 500 to 700 pounds. The Pm3520 only weighes 600 pounds. And the head stock is going to be at the end of the bed so the bowl blank will be hanging off the end of the lathe. Turning or tooling will be done using a floor stand tool rest. The 2 hp motor that the 3520 comes with is going to strugle just to get that much weight moving I am sure of that..It might not get the blank moving at all without help.. Once its moving and if it's out of balance very much at all it will through the lathe to the floor side ways.

If you are realy considering this idea then you had beter get a special made lathe. One weighing at 3,000 or 4,000 lbs and bolt it to a concret floor.

I hope I have helped Duane

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

#12

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

RonZ

>I agree with Alan' ssuggestion, go for the Powermatic 3520 if you can make the jump from the Jet.

Please say 'Hey' to Nick for me, Ron from Israel. You have yourself a good teacher.

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

#13

iron feet added

TD

>The lady who bought it is having a blacksmith make a stand and it will have a 36" round glass top. The bowl will be left empty. I thought she would put a silk arrangement in it or something but when I mentioned that she said "Oh No, I want to just see the wood". By the way, she is not the only one who considered it for a coffee table.

TD

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

#14

Re: Just curious...and kinda long....

Spence in Rhode Island

>Sorry for the confusion... Went out to the shed with a piece of chalk and a tape measure. Figure the blank would be a max of 18" deep and about 30" in diameter. Thats providing that I can cut the logs up correctly in the first place. Probably more like 15" deep and a 26-27" diameter. Hope to get two really big bowls/vessels out of each log. I like TD's idea of using them as an attention getter and of course the price that something of that size would bring in is a happy thought too. I'm pretty well locked in on getting the PM3520 at this point. Was just wondering what the max weight/size of a blank that it could take. Turn the whole log.....HHmmmm.... LOL

Thanks guys for the thoughts and info!

Spence

Re: LARGE Work and BIG Lathes (Long)

#15

Re: Just curious...and kinda long....

Gary in Zirconia,NC

>I have weighed a large piece that I put on my PM2035 and it was 104 lbs. I have put larger ones on it and it handles them well.

One thought, I have some large (about 24" dia.) blanks I would like to turn so I asked a local turner with a larger lathe if I could turn one on his lathe if I gave him a simular piece. He thought that would be a great idea, since we might learn a trick or two from each other at the same time.