Which lathe

Re: Which lathe

Paul Porter in Phoenix, AZ

>I have a 2436. And absolutely no buyers remorse.

Re: Which lathe

John Lucas

>Matt

I have the Powermatic and like it a lot. If I had the money I'd have the Oneway. It is better but more than double in price. I've never turned on a Poolewood so i can't answer that question.

Re: Which lathe

Mike Schwing from Md.

>Matt, make no mistake, the 3520 is an awesome lathe. But, when I grow weary of mine, the replacement will undoubtedly be a Oneway.

I have an unbelievable amount of frustration with the lousy spindle lock mechanism on the 3520. 2 positions, and both allow for almost 1/4" of travel. The Oneway comes standard with a 48 position indexer, not to mention stops that really do stop.

The only draback for me to the Oneway is I'd have to immediately buy outboard turning equipment because I will not turn bowls standing to the side. Hurts my back, and puts me in the line of fire/explosion.

The 20" swing on the 3520 doesn't really allow you to turn 20" without Herculean efforts. Anything "wet" can be roughed at 20" but to get the banjo underneath the work requires 2" (4" really) of air between work and bed. So when you rough that 20" blank, you have to be careful of where the banjo is, and then still, when it is good and round and ready for anchorseal it is probably closer to 18". Then after it dries and you retrue it you lose another inch or so.. so you never really turn 20"s. 20-30" blanks aren't tough to come by around here but I have to cut them all down to size.

Still, bigger isn't necessarily better in the bowl dept. But it IS in the lathe department, and the 2436 comes in at 825 pounds - almost 200 heavier than the 3520.

Please remember, I say this as a 3520 fan. But I know my next lathe will be a Oneway.

Re: Which lathe

Robert Cox

>Can I bid on your 3520?

Re: Which lathe

Mike Schwing from Md.

>It'll be my secondary lathe.

more swing for the Powermatic?

Richard Allen

>Hi Mike

Actualy a riser for the headstock would be perfect for the Powermatic. Put 2" of steel under the headstock and you have 24" of swing. I am a bit surprized, with all the Powermatic lathes out there, we don't see a third party riser for the powermatic. With the headstock, drive and motor all one piece a riser is all you would need to fuss with (you don't have to worry about longer belts or anything).

Oneway makes a 4" riser (8" of swing) for the tailstock of the 1642 to be used outboard. I wonder if that could be used on the Powermatic for the headstock and the tailstock.

BTW Mike, the spindle lock on the Oneway is in six positions and there is play in the spindle when the spindle lock is enguaged.

Yes 48 position indexing locks good and tight bit it isn't designed as a spindle lock. There is 96 position indexing availble (gives you 36 position as well) for a few dollars.

Richard

Re: Which lathe

Mike Johnson

>I have a Vicmarc VL-300 with an outboard attachment and I have been delighted with it. It is big, heavy, smooth, has huge capacity and a wide range of variable speed. However, it is in the same price range as the Oneway. I think it is worth every penny.

It might also depend...

Paul Porter in Phoenix, AZ

>...on your physical stature. If you are tall, bending/reaching around the lathe is no problem. If you are short, I can see the advantage of out-board turning, moveable headstock. It's just another consideration.

I bought the tallest spindle height and still had to raise the lathe the right height.

Re: It might also depend...

Mike Schwing from Md.

>Well I can see the only way I'm ever turning on your lathe is if I'm wearing moon boots! On a platform.

Re: It might also depend...

John Lucas

>Mike

When I demo on my friends Powermatic I have a box that is 8" tall and it's till too tall for me. I thinking and anti gravity belt might be the trick. then you wouldn't have to sit on the bed like Ellsworth.

Re: Which lathe

Matt Berry in Mi

>I forget all about Vicmarc, sure I use thier chucks but forget all about thier lathes.

Did you do any comparisons with other lathes before buying the Vicmarc? Any dislikes, minor anoyances? How was the fit and finish?

You can always email me [email protected]

Thanks

Matt

Re: So Far

Matt Berry in Mi

>So far it looks like the powermatic is going to be dropped from the list and replaced with the Vicmarc.

The General trend seems most people enjoy thier powermatic but still consider upgrading - which I don't want to do again.

From there it's still a toss up between the Vicmarc, Oneway or Poolewood. I'll just have to see what other feedback I receive.

If you don't want to make negative comments public please feel free to email me at [email protected]

Better check into...

Ted Owen, Pittsburgh

>the status of Poolewood. After losing the relationship with their factory, they're no longer making the big lathe. Have recently returned to business with a smaller lathe, it appears.

Not certain of all this, just suggesting you contact them.

Best, Ted

Re: Which lathe

vicmarc.fan

>I have had a Vicmarc VL300 for a year now and I like it more each day. I have some real issues with the Oneway lathes. I just recently got a refund on a workshop because the only lathe left was a Oneway. Just to point out one thing I like about the Vicmarc I have back trouble and if you look at the outboard attachment you will see it is set up like the VB36. I turn bowls standing in line with the wood, not leaning over. Better on the back, not in the line of fire if a bowl explodes. The Vic is a heavy lathe with cast iron, not steel like the Oneway, so it absorbes vibration. It has a bar across the entire front at knee heigth for an emergency stop, not some thing that swings anywhere but where you want it when it is needed most. This my lathe of choice but don't forget the Stubby. I could go on about the Vic but I think you get the picture.

Ron

Re: Which lathe

Fog Tanner

>I have the Australian Vicmarc 300 long bed. I looked at the Powermatics, but I already have a 16" movable head lathe and don't want another one. I looked at the 16", 20", and 24" Oneways. I found them cumbersome to work around the headstock, having turned on the 20" and 24".

The Vicmarc is a production grade machine and not a "consumer grade" like a lot of the smaller lathes. The tolerances are very close. The tailstock to spindle alingment is as close as a lot of engine lathes, being off no more than .003" on mine. At 1000lbs, it is rock solid. So far I haven't found any fault with mine and would buy it all over again.

Should you go the Vicmarc route, get the real machine from Australia. The base is much better than the C.S. vresion. I have turned on one of theirs and its as clumsy for me as a Oneway around the headstock. The motor and drive in the C.S. version are not as good as what Vic puts in theirs. I have seen the C.S. version stall and I can't even pull mine down, no matter what the cut. And the tool rest only has a 1" post compared to the 30mm (1 3/16") in the Aussie Vic. There is a difference in the two.

Guess you can tell I like my Vic just a little. But, as with all things, that is my impression on the one I have. Good luck in your decision, I was there and it's not easy to commit that much money. But, if I ever get another one it will be a Tomsway...

Re: Which lathe

Barry Turner

>Since you are in the price range........have you considered a Stubby 750 or 1000. Big, heavy, smooth. You can turn bowls from the end of the lathe. A lot of lathe for the money. The 750 is currently $4875 plus shipping. I love mine.

Re: Looking for some statistics/data

Rick Allen

>So far there is no distributor for Poolewood lathes in the USA. David Ellsworth did have the USA franchise for Poolewood.

It would be hard to go wrong with either the Vicmarc or the Oneway. You should try out both lathes as well as any other lathes that strike your fancy. Ask around at your woodturning club so you can try out different lathes. If you aren't a member of a woodturning club then this is a terrific reason to join. Perhaps the club you belong to is small and you are unable to find members with these lathes. I sugest you arange to visit another club. Contact that club president to see if they can point you in the right direction.

I have a Oneway 2436. It was an hard choice for me. I came very close to getting the Serious Lathe bowl lathe (not currently availble).

Good Luck with your quest.

Re: Which lathe

Bill Hale / The Wood Spinner

>There has to be a reason that the Oneway is sought after and I know why. I have one. The Oneway 2436 with the outboard is the way to go. Even when I am turning 16" or so bowls I find the outboard is great to finish the rough and finish the bowl. I start almost all my work between centers and then move outboard to finish.

If you can afford the best then bur the best and get the 2436.

Good turning and be safe

Bill in Casa Grande, AZ.

Re: Which lathe

Matt Berry in Mi

>Wow, the plot thickens, Just as I thought I had things figured out, here is another twist. I never even knew about the stubby, I'll need more information on it.

This also changes my list. Poolewood is being dropped (since they are in trouble) and being replaced with the stubby. So the new list of contenders is Vicmarc, Oneway and Stubby. This will be interesting

Spindles ?

Fred in NC

>Sometimes the answer is more than one lathe....

if you have the room for them.

Re: Spindles ?

Matt Berry in Mi

>That would make it easier just buy all three. Wonder how I could convince my wife on that one :)