Woodfast vs. Vicmarc
 

In the pages of the Craft Supplies catalog, the Woodfast 20" lathe and the
Vicmarc VL300 look awfully similar in design and configuration. I realize
both are made in Oz, but I'm curious as to which came first, and if a
disgruntled employee of one company left to start the other, or what?

Does anyone have knowledge of these two lathes and their history?

TIA,
Max

"Maxprop" skrev i melding
ink.net...
In the pages of the Craft Supplies catalog, the Woodfast 20" lathe and the
Vicmarc VL300 look awfully similar in design and configuration. I realize
both are made in Oz, but I'm curious as to which came first, and if a
disgruntled employee of one company left to start the other, or what?

Does anyone have knowledge of these two lathes and their history?


A quick look reveals that the VIC is a _short_ lathe, mostly for
bowl-turning,(max 500mm)
while the Woodfast i a _long_ lathe, which also can handle long spindles
(max 950mm)

Otherwise both seem to be very good value.

Bjarte

Woodfast also used to make a very nice shortbed lathe. Woodfast, however, is no longer
building lathes at all. Vicmarc also builds longbed lathes but I'd guess that they sell many
more of the shortbed. Once you turn bowls and hollow forms on a shortbed you will not want
to go back to a longbed. Those machines with sliding headstocks, rotating headstocks, etc.
are no substitute for a good shortbed.

Bill

In article , says...

"Maxprop" skrev i melding
ink.net...
In the pages of the Craft Supplies catalog, the Woodfast 20" lathe and the
Vicmarc VL300 look awfully similar in design and configuration. I realize
both are made in Oz, but I'm curious as to which came first, and if a
disgruntled employee of one company left to start the other, or what?

Does anyone have knowledge of these two lathes and their history?


A quick look reveals that the VIC is a _short_ lathe, mostly for
bowl-turning,(max 500mm)
while the Woodfast i a _long_ lathe, which also can handle long spindles
(max 950mm)

Otherwise both seem to be very good value.

Bjarte

Max,

I believe both come as a long bed or a short bed. The Woodfast is a
20" swing and the Vicmarc is a 24" swing. I've used both and like the
Vicmarc better, but both are excellent machines.

Joe Fleming - SAn Diego
===========================

"Maxprop" wrote in message link.net...
In the pages of the Craft Supplies catalog, the Woodfast 20" lathe and the
Vicmarc VL300 look awfully similar in design and configuration. I realize
both are made in Oz, but I'm curious as to which came first, and if a
disgruntled employee of one company left to start the other, or what?

Does anyone have knowledge of these two lathes and their history?

TIA,
Max

On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 04:29:48 GMT, "Maxprop"
wrote:

In the pages of the Craft Supplies catalog, the Woodfast 20" lathe and the
Vicmarc VL300 look awfully similar in design and configuration. I realize
both are made in Oz, but I'm curious as to which came first, and if a
disgruntled employee of one company left to start the other, or what?

Does anyone have knowledge of these two lathes and their history?

Don't know much about them as I am not interested in a new lathe
but they are made in different states, about 1500 km apart, Vicmarc in
Queensland and Woodfast in South Australia. As far as I know,
Woodfast is the older company.
Alan
in beautiful Golden Bay, Western Oz, South 32.25.42, East 115.45.44 GMT+8
VK6 YAB ICQ 6581610 to reply, change oz to au in address

Outstanding Bill!!!! My lathe just doubled in price.......It is now a
collector's item..........:-)

--


M.J. Orr
http://www.island.net/~morr
ô¿ô
~

"Bill Rubenstein" wrote in message
et...
Woodfast also used to make a very nice shortbed lathe. Woodfast, however,
is no longer
building lathes at all. Vicmarc also builds longbed lathes but I'd guess
that they sell many
more of the shortbed. Once you turn bowls and hollow forms on a shortbed
you will not want
to go back to a longbed. Those machines with sliding headstocks, rotating
headstocks, etc.
are no substitute for a good shortbed.

Bill

In article ,
says...

"Maxprop" skrev i melding
ink.net...
In the pages of the Craft Supplies catalog, the Woodfast 20" lathe and
the
Vicmarc VL300 look awfully similar in design and configuration. I
realize
both are made in Oz, but I'm curious as to which came first, and if a
disgruntled employee of one company left to start the other, or what?

Does anyone have knowledge of these two lathes and their history?


A quick look reveals that the VIC is a _short_ lathe, mostly for
bowl-turning,(max 500mm)
while the Woodfast i a _long_ lathe, which also can handle long spindles
(max 950mm)

Otherwise both seem to be very good value.

Bjarte

"Bill Rubenstein" wrote in message

Woodfast also used to make a very nice shortbed lathe. Woodfast, however,
is no longer
building lathes at all. Vicmarc also builds longbed lathes but I'd guess
that they sell many
more of the shortbed. Once you turn bowls and hollow forms on a shortbed
you will not want
to go back to a longbed. Those machines with sliding headstocks, rotating
headstocks, etc.
are no substitute for a good shortbed.

While I can guess at the reason for this, I'd appreciate your take on
shortbed vs. longbed. Why would a longbed be any less desirable for bowls
and hollows? Thanks in advance, Bill.

Max

Maxprop said:

While I can guess at the reason for this, I'd appreciate your take on
shortbed vs. longbed. Why would a longbed be any less desirable for bowls
and hollows? Thanks in advance, Bill.

I'm no expert, but my answer would be that the bed gets in the way of
an optimal approach to the hollow of the bowl/vessel - interfering
with both your body and your tool handles.


Greg G.

Greg has pretty much nailed it. On a shortbed you can stand at the end of the lathe and keep
the tools near your body where you have more control. On a longbed you need to extend your
arms, it is tiring, you lose control, etc.

Or, you can use the old David Ellsworth method of riding the ways.

The best way to find out the advantage of a shortbed -- try it. You will not want to go
back.

Bill

In article , Greg G. says...
Maxprop said:

While I can guess at the reason for this, I'd appreciate your take on
shortbed vs. longbed. Why would a longbed be any less desirable for bowls
and hollows? Thanks in advance, Bill.

I'm no expert, but my answer would be that the bed gets in the way of
an optimal approach to the hollow of the bowl/vessel - interfering
with both your body and your tool handles.


Greg G.

There is one other option available though Bill. The method I use on my
long bed Woodfast is to simply run the lathe in reverse and turn my Stewart
system hooker tool upside down to hollow out vessels. Works very
well..............


M.J. Orr
http://www.island.net/~morr
ô¿ô
~

"Bill Rubenstein" wrote in message
. net...
Greg has pretty much nailed it. On a shortbed you can stand at the end of
the lathe and keep
the tools near your body where you have more control. On a longbed you
need to extend your
arms, it is tiring, you lose control, etc.

Or, you can use the old David Ellsworth method of riding the ways.

The best way to find out the advantage of a shortbed -- try it. You will
not want to go
back.

Bill

In article , Greg G. says...
Maxprop said:

While I can guess at the reason for this, I'd appreciate your take on
shortbed vs. longbed. Why would a longbed be any less desirable for
bowls
and hollows? Thanks in advance, Bill.

I'm no expert, but my answer would be that the bed gets in the way of
an optimal approach to the hollow of the bowl/vessel - interfering
with both your body and your tool handles.


Greg G.

More than one option. If you decide not to be a strict constructionist and
use a "bowl gouge" because it's a bowl, you can use your toolrest up close,
your short-handled gouges held so they're almost catch-free, and peel wood
to a fair-thee-well. Leverage makes you mighty, a close toolrest also makes
you steady. Make a virtue out of a necessity by shedding your
preconceptions.

As I am right-handed, I am only modestly inconvenienced by hollowing over
the bed. Were my arms attached at centerline, it might be worse.

"M.J. Orr" wrote in message
...
There is one other option available though Bill. The method I use on my
long bed Woodfast is to simply run the lathe in reverse and turn my
Stewart
system hooker tool upside down to hollow out vessels. Works very
well..............
..net wrote in message
. net...
Greg has pretty much nailed it. On a shortbed you can stand at the end
of
the lathe and keep
the tools near your body where you have more control. On a longbed you
need to extend your
arms, it is tiring, you lose control, etc.

Or, you can use the old David Ellsworth method of riding the ways.

The best way to find out the advantage of a shortbed -- try it. You
will
not want to go
back.

Bill

In article , Greg G. says...
Maxprop said:

While I can guess at the reason for this, I'd appreciate your take on
shortbed vs. longbed. Why would a longbed be any less desirable for
bowls
and hollows? Thanks in advance, Bill.

I'm no expert, but my answer would be that the bed gets in the way of
an optimal approach to the hollow of the bowl/vessel - interfering
with both your body and your tool handles.


Greg G.

"Bill Rubenstein" wrote in message

Greg has pretty much nailed it. On a shortbed you can stand at the end of
the lathe and keep
the tools near your body where you have more control. On a longbed you
need to extend your
arms, it is tiring, you lose control, etc.

Which is probably why I choose to rotate my headstock 45 degrees outboard.
But your point is well taken. I've often thought I'd replace my Jet 1442
with a more advanced lathe, but perhaps I'll just keep it (it wasn't that
expensive at $767) for the occasional long project, eg--baseball bat, etc.

The reason I posed this question is that I'm considering upgrading. The
shortbed Vicmarc and Woodfast lathes are appealing, but as you've said the
Woodfast is no longer available. Any idea why the company went out of
business?

Max

Why Woodfast went out of business? I don't think that they are out of business, just no
longer making lathes.

Some guesses why they are no longer making lathes? Competition -- their machine is pretty
much unchanged for many years. Excellent machines from Vicmarc and Omega Stubby for
shortbeds and Omeway for longbeds, strong Australian dollar in relationship to US and
Canadian dollar, ineffective sales effort by US/Canadian distributors -- all just guesses.
Another guess -- all of the above.

Bill

In article .net,
says...

"Bill Rubenstein" wrote in message

Greg has pretty much nailed it. On a shortbed you can stand at the end of
the lathe and keep
the tools near your body where you have more control. On a longbed you
need to extend your
arms, it is tiring, you lose control, etc.

Which is probably why I choose to rotate my headstock 45 degrees outboard.
But your point is well taken. I've often thought I'd replace my Jet 1442
with a more advanced lathe, but perhaps I'll just keep it (it wasn't that
expensive at $767) for the occasional long project, eg--baseball bat, etc.

The reason I posed this question is that I'm considering upgrading. The
shortbed Vicmarc and Woodfast lathes are appealing, but as you've said the
Woodfast is no longer available. Any idea why the company went out of
business?

Max