Christmas Wish Lists...

[John Grace]

Well...it's Black Friday with shopping madness beginning. To that end:

• What would be on this year's Christmas list?
• Is it a replacement tool/machine/accessory or are you looking to take on a new technique?
• If technique what are you trying to learn?

cheers all...john

 

[Pat Cogdal]

That’s a great question. I’m in a family secret Santa group and found myself surprised that I was having a hard time coming up with tools I “need” 🤣. But I’d love to upgrade my studio from a cold basement this winter to something with windows and heat. That would take a Christmas miracle though this year.

 

[Phil Hamel]

I already ordered my present. I'm just hoping it makes it here in time for Christmas!
(Nova Nebula)
Will need new tools to go with the updated spindle and tool rest sizes.

 

[Aaron Harris]

Santa has hidden a new Ellsworth 5/8" signature bowl gouge for me.

 

[Karl Best]

Yet another Vicmarc 120 chuck to reduce the number of times that I'm swapping jaws.

 

[Charles Cadenhead]

On my list is a new 200v outlet for my (new to me) Powermatic model 90 lathe. I'm going to pick it up in a couple of week so it will be here by Christmas.

 

[Gabriel Hoff]

On my list is a new 200v outlet for my (new to me) Powermatic model 90 lathe. I'm going to pick it up in a couple of week so it will be here by Christmas.

Probably a D-Way 1/2" spindle gouge to replace my current stubby one from years of sharpening!

 

[John Walls]

On my wish list? A class from one of our pros in a warm climate for the winter!

 

[Isaac Litster]

- Pink Ivory
- Mammoth Ivory
- Castello Boxwood
- American Holly

- Digital Calipers
- Sorby Thread Chasers or antique English thread chasers.

 

[John Grace]

I already ordered my present. I'm just hoping it makes it here in time for Christmas!
(Nova Nebula)
Will need new tools to go with the updated spindle and tool rest sizes.

I purchased a Nebula some months ago...let me know what you think and/or if you have any questions.

For what it's worth...if you do vacuum chucking, the Nebula is can easily use the Hold Fast vacuum chucking without any additional add ons.

If you need a vacuum adapter for the backside of the headstock, however, let me know as there's only one place in the country that manufacturers one and that's because I paid them to do a 'one off' for me.

Enjoy...j

 

[Raif Harik]

I've got tons of things I "want" but they all start at ~$100 which feels kind of high for my pool of potential gift givers. I could certainly buy a lot of them my self, but it feels like there has to be some kind of restraint. Like, x number of $ a month, or else what the hell. It's not like I could buy $1k worth of tools and then be "set". It would just keep on going. ugg.

 

[Phil Hamel]

I already ordered my present. I'm just hoping it makes it here in time for Christmas!
(Nova Nebula)
Will need new tools to go with the updated spindle and tool rest sizes.

Guess my Christmas won't be as happy as it should. Lathe delivery is now pushed out till February!!!😢😢

 

[Dave Hulett]

 

[Mark Fairchild]

Wife and daughter always give me a trove of nice blanks since I started turning 4 years ago. Always a good Christmas.

 

[Gabriel Hoff]

View attachment 69826

The log has a big split! Who's going to turn that?

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Guess my Christmas won't be as happy as it should. Lathe delivery is now pushed out till February!!!😢😢

That's pretty common with all the manufacturers I think. Well, the ones that get their parts from China and assemble here, anyway.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

My list:

• 3M Versaflow or similar
• Coring system
• Hollowing system (Trent Bosch probably)
• Hollowing visualizer (could just make one)

 

[Dave Landers]

The log has a big split! Who's going to turn that?

Hopefully it's still under warranty

 

[John Grace]

My list:

• 3M Versaflow or similar
• Coring system
• Hollowing system (Trent Bosch probably)
• Hollowing visualizer (could just make one)

I upgraded to the Versaflo several years ago...it's fabulous, you'll like it should it show up

 

[Darryn Achall]

I upgraded to the Versaflo several years ago...it's fabulous, you'll like it should it show up

I agree. Talk to Santa about dust and health. Maybe a Versaflow will show up.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

I agree. Talk to Santa about dust and health. Maybe a Versaflow will show up.

We're talking about a guy who goes up and down countless chimneys without so much as an N-95 .

 

[Gabriel Hoff]

We're talking about a guy who goes up and down countless chimneys without so much as an N-95 .

I assume the beard will collect most of the soot!

 

[robo hippy]

I just want a new body..... I wore the old one out, but had a lot of fun doing it....

robo hippy

 

[Darryn Achall]

We're talking about a guy who goes up and down countless chimneys without so much as an N-95 .

I heard he started wearing a mask in 2020. Maybe will stay up late and try to peek. If I see anything I'll report back.

 

[hockenbery]

Santa is on the way

 

[Isaac Litster]

The log has a big split! Who's going to turn that?

I don't think that is a split, it looks like the broken fibers from falling the tree. I would turn it in, but only if someone gave it to me. It doesn't look that interesting.

 

[Odie]

I think it's inevitable that I'll buy another lathe at some point.....but, the perfect lathe for me hasn't been offered yet.

Oh well......this 32 year old Woodfast will have to do until then.

=o=

 

[John Grace]

I think it's inevitable that I'll buy another lathe at some point.....but, the perfect lathe for me hasn't been offered yet.

Oh well......this 32 year old Woodfast will have to do until then.

=o=

View attachment 70006

OK, now I'm curious...what does your dream lathe consist of?

 

[Odie]

OK, now I'm curious...what does your dream lathe consist of?

I have checked out quite a few lathes, and the only two lathes I really like are the Robust Sweet 16, and the Vicmark VL240. I keep checking the newest lathe options, and this forum gives me an up to date idea of what's currently available these days.

It will have a rotating headstock.....no exception on this. I could care less if it has a sliding headstock, or not.

1 1/4" x 8tpi spindle is a must, since I have a zillion accessories that I want to transfer over to the new lathe.

I prefer cast iron.
(Could be persuaded to get a Robust Sweet 16 if it had a rotating headstock)

It will weigh more than the 525lbs my Woodfast lathe currently weighs in at.

I do like the Vicmark VL240, but, it has a very poorly designed banjo. (I am aware of a few alternative banjo options, but the 19" swing the 240 has could be problematic.) I want the "pinch" style post lock like my current Robust banjo has, and it must be of the dog-leg style.

Access to the back side of a faceplate must be accommodated for....no exceptions! The shape of the headstock is what I'm referring to here. (Both the 240 and Sweet 16 are great in this respect.)

All this said, my old Woodfast lathe is everything I want in a lathe.......with the one exception that it doesn't have a rotating headstock.

16" swing will work, but I'm generally not interested in more than 20" swing.



=o=

 

[Mike Novak]

@Odie

My 3520c has a pinch style post lock. I recently upgraded to a oneway banjo, and was surprised at how much better the oneway post lock works vs the PM pinch lock. It’s just as solid and non marking. Where it’s better is it releases the post easier and it’s easier to swap rests. Plus it has a great locking handle. It’s NOT a dogleg, but that’s an advantage for me since I frequently use the tail stock.
YMMV

Edit
I just noticed an old thread of yours discussing the Oneway banjo. There was some concern about the height. In discussing with Oneway, their 16” banjo is closest in size the the 3520c banjo. The 20” banjo is taller. Either works on the 3520c. I ended up getting the taller one.

 

[DON FRANK]

I have checked out quite a few lathes, and the only two lathes I really like are the Robust Sweet 16, and the Vicmark VL240. I keep checking the newest lathe options, and this forum gives me an up to date idea of what's currently available these days.

It will have a rotating headstock.....no exception on this. I could care less if it has a sliding headstock, or not.

1 1/4" x 8tpi spindle is a must, since I have a zillion accessories that I want to transfer over to the new lathe.

I prefer cast iron.
(Could be persuaded to get a Robust Sweet 16 if it had a rotating headstock)

It will weigh more than the 525lbs my Woodfast lathe currently weighs in at.

I do like the Vicmark VL240, but, it has a very poorly designed banjo. (I am aware of a few alternative banjo options, but the 19" swing the 240 has could be problematic.) I want the "pinch" style post lock like my current Robust banjo has, and it must be of the dog-leg style.

Access to the back side of a faceplate must be accommodated for....no exceptions! The shape of the headstock is what I'm referring to here. (Both the 240 and Sweet 16 are great in this respect.)

All this said, my old Woodfast lathe is everything I want in a lathe.......with the one exception that it doesn't have a rotating headstock.

16" swing will work, but I'm generally not interested in more than 20" swing.



=o=

Odie,
I'm curious why the rotating headstock is a critical part of your perfect lathe set up. Have you ever turned on one? You mentioned that you could care less about a moveable headstock. I know a lot of people never move theirs but I move mine all the time towards the end of the lathe for almost every bowl I hollow. Of the things you didn't mention, the swing away tailstock is probably my favorite part of a robust lathe. It's so well engineered and works so effortlessly I can't imagine not having it. I suppose the fact that you do exclusively bowls on faceplates makes the tailstock issue a non issue. Also, you mentioned having a headstock that allows access to the faceplate. I'm curious about that as well.
I'm asking questions because you are a very skilled methodical wood turner. I think we can all learn something in your quest for the perfect lathe.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

Odie,
I'm curious why the rotating headstock is a critical part of your perfect lathe set up. Have you ever turned on one? You mentioned that you could care less about a moveable headstock. I know a lot of people never move theirs but I move mine all the time towards the end of the lathe for almost every bowl I hollow. Of the things you didn't mention, the swing away tailstock is probably my favorite part of a robust lathe. It's so well engineered and works so effortlessly I can't imagine not having it. I suppose the fact that you do exclusively bowls on faceplates makes the tailstock issue a non issue. Also, you mentioned having a headstock that allows access to the faceplate. I'm curious about that as well.
I'm asking questions because you are a very skilled methodical wood turner. I think we can all learn something in your quest for the perfect lathe.

I'm not Odie, but I do have a rotating headstock. The rotating vs. sliding headstock preference seems to be largely based on what the turner has now. I put a bed extension on my Rikon so I can slide the tailstock all the way to the end. It's not as slick as a swing-away tailstock, but the result is the same (I think).

I can't tell you why I like rotating vs. sliding because I've never had a sliding headstock. I do know that the rotating headstock works great. When I sand, I unlock the headstock and leave it loose (it has enough friction to stay in place). I can easily rotate the headstock to sand exterior vs. interior, etc. Very convenient to get the angle you want in 2 seconds. When I turn outboard (or sideboard, really) I do have to attach a tool rest extension on the banjo. That takes about 30 seconds.

If I had a Robust, I'm sure I would be quite happy with the sliding headstock (and everything else).

Does anyone have extensive time on both types that wants to weigh in?

 

[John Grace]

I have checked out quite a few lathes, and the only two lathes I really like are the Robust Sweet 16, and the Vicmark VL240. I keep checking the newest lathe options, and this forum gives me an up to date idea of what's currently available these days.

It will have a rotating headstock.....no exception on this. I could care less if it has a sliding headstock, or not.

1 1/4" x 8tpi spindle is a must, since I have a zillion accessories that I want to transfer over to the new lathe.

I prefer cast iron.
(Could be persuaded to get a Robust Sweet 16 if it had a rotating headstock)

It will weigh more than the 525lbs my Woodfast lathe currently weighs in at.

I do like the Vicmark VL240, but, it has a very poorly designed banjo. (I am aware of a few alternative banjo options, but the 19" swing the 240 has could be problematic.) I want the "pinch" style post lock like my current Robust banjo has, and it must be of the dog-leg style.

Access to the back side of a faceplate must be accommodated for....no exceptions! The shape of the headstock is what I'm referring to here. (Both the 240 and Sweet 16 are great in this respect.)

All this said, my old Woodfast lathe is everything I want in a lathe.......with the one exception that it doesn't have a rotating headstock.

16" swing will work, but I'm generally not interested in more than 20" swing.



=o=

Your thorough response says to me that you've turned for some time and those years have helped you determine what you're specifically looking for. Good luck...j

 

[Odie]

Odie,
I'm curious why the rotating headstock is a critical part of your perfect lathe set up. Have you ever turned on one? You mentioned that you could care less about a moveable headstock. I know a lot of people never move theirs but I move mine all the time towards the end of the lathe for almost every bowl I hollow. Of the things you didn't mention, the swing away tailstock is probably my favorite part of a robust lathe. It's so well engineered and works so effortlessly I can't imagine not having it. I suppose the fact that you do exclusively bowls on faceplates makes the tailstock issue a non issue. Also, you mentioned having a headstock that allows access to the faceplate. I'm curious about that as well.
I'm asking questions because you are a very skilled methodical wood turner. I think we can all learn something in your quest for the perfect lathe.

Nope, never turned on a rotating headstock.....but, I know that I want one! I know that because for the extreme undercut rims I frequently do on bowls, I've been leaning over the lathe bed to get up under there. This is hard on my back, but I do wear a back brace and have several padded cushioned jigs that helps a lot......see the photo for a look at one of them....that blue thing that hangs from the bedways.

I have literally a hundred special homemade jigs that I use for my bowls, and you can see some of them on the right side of the bedways. I have grown to like the way I make my bowls, and these jigs are a part of the program. (Many more special jigs are hanging on the wall.) A sliding headstock means that I would need to move these special tools and change my body's location for doing bowl interiors, and I'm not willing to do that. Because I've grown accustomed to doing things my way, and I'm not willing to change my habits, a sliding headstock just won't work for me. (I understand that there are those who really like their sliding headstock......and I can understand that, but they are not me!)

Since I am a faceplate turner (A dying breed!) I do the bottoms of my bowls up to where the foot would be while the wasteblock is still attached. This means that I have to do all the fine details from the headstock side of the turning. If you take a look, the Robust and Vicmarc VL240 have been designed to accommodate this with the shape of the headstock. This is important to me, and something like the Powermatic 3520a or b is terribly designed to accommodate attacking the back side of a bowl. I could never use a lathe that doesn't take this aspect into consideration right from the drawing board. The Powermatic 3520c sort of addresses this by extending the spindle away from the headstock.....this helps, but not as much as totally redesigning the shape of the headstock would have been. I really like the 3520c, but from my standpoint, it would never compete with Robust or Vicmarc.....even if it had a rotating headstock.

My Woodfast lathe kinda addresses this headstock shape issue, but if you look closely at the shiny spot on the headstock, you'll see that I've ground away some of the corner because it sometimes interferes with my tool handles.

I would agree with you that the Robust American Beauty (and Sweet 16) are super well engineered lathes........but, they don't have a rotating headstock. The Am Beauty is too big a swing and would require me to re-do a lot of the special homemade jigs I've been using. To re-do all those special jigs is something I'm not willing to do.

=o=

 

[Alan Weinberg]

I've been leaning over the lathe bed to get up under there.

@Odie—ever turned from the other side of the lathe? As a left handed, I do that often but it might help you reduce needing to bend over. Just a thought.

 

[Odie]

@Odie—ever turned from the other side of the lathe? As a left handed, I do that often but it might help you reduce needing to bend over. Just a thought.

Howdy Alan.....

Yes, actually I have turned from the other side of the lathe, but still doing it right handed. This was quite a few years ago, and it didn't work out very well for me. I have accessories mounted to the lathe on that side, and there just isn't the space for me.

=o=

 

[James Seyfried]

Did someone say Black Friday Sale?
I can't believe that the tractor-trailer backed up 600' or so around the pond to my pole barn.


And dropped this off.


With the lift table and a small engine hoist I assembled it myself.


I opted for leveling caster over the mobile base that was over four time the price.

 

[Monte Richard]

Guess my Christmas won't be as happy as it should. Lathe delivery is now pushed out till February!!!😢😢

Hang in there Phil, it'll be worth it. I just bought a new Nova Neptune and I'm really impressed with it.