by Wood Raptor » Fri Aug 15, 2008 4:56 pm
Well if your a new kid to the Forum; this seems to be a nice place to get started.
I am presently turning on a 3520 B Powermatic.
It is the smoothest lathe I've ever used, except for a Oneway a friend let me give a spin. Alas my wife forbade the expence of the Oneway. I didn't like the lathe control bar moving around and the shear bulk of the unit. Maybe if I owned a blimp hanger in NJ for a shop. In the end she was happy I saved all that money and got the P. M.
My shop is not huge, but it's not small either. I beleive one of the most important aspects of turning is being able to move around your lathe. It should not be jamed into a corner or placed against a wall. As my mentor would say "leave yourself room to dance with your turning."
I started nine years ago with a Harbor Frieght nightmare, then a Shop Smith, then Craftsmen, then Delta. You might as well jump in and get what you want. It releaves frustration and improves your learning curve. Not to mention having to chase your lathe around, whenever your turning an out of balance piece of wood.
It's true, one should beleive in the "Gold Standard."
Wood Raptor: Try never to turn a predatory eye to your neighbors trees.
Turn to Learn