True. Very True. I know that I need to know what I want to do before I buy
a lathe.
At this point, I am "relatively" new to woodturning. I have made somewhere
between 50 & 75 pens and have just started with bowls and boxes.
In addition, I would like to do closed forms (such as vases and the like).
Also I find the precision of the segmented bowl to be amazing.
Currently, I have a shopsmith 10ER that I work on and it likes to do all
kinds of vibration things. Somedays, it likes to dance. Some days, it
likes to bounce up and down. And everyday it is just plain LOUD.
Later this week, I am planning on ordering my Jet JML-1014VS to do pen work
and small bowls. As my shop will be closing soon and I may be without it
(the shop) for 6-8 months.
What I am looking at now is my parents are moving to a new house that they
are building and will be building a new shop out at the new place. Because
we are moving the shop, it is a fine time to upgrade some of the equipment
in there. And through "sweat equity", my dad has agreed to purchase a new
lathe for the new shop (mainly because the SS sucks).
So, I am trying to get some ideas. I am a big believer in "buy the last one
you are going to buy first". With this in mind, I am trying to get some
reasonable ideas for lathes. Because I am intersted in bowls, I think that
variable speed and reversible would be requirements. With an interest in
larger bowls, a larger swing would be desired. With an interest in turning
pool cues, a longer bed would be nice.
So, as you can see, I am now looking for suggestions on a 1. high quality,
2. large swing, 3. long bed, 4. variable speed, 5. reversible lathe. That I
do not have to pay for.
But, it has to be reasonably priced. My current leader of the pack is the
Powermatic 3250a for $1899.
Rob
"Mark Hancock" wrote in message
...
Rob
Poolewood!!
You should really be asking what you want to turn and which lathe fits
your
requirements. For example what swing are you looking for? Do you want to
turn inboard and outboard or would a swivel headstock be more suitable?
Once
you have your lathe spec. then see which lathe fits it best.
--
Mark Hancock, South Wales, UK
http://www.markhancock.co.uk