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My new 3520C Mustard Monster is here!

G

Greg Carles

Joined
Aug 22, 2022
Messages
108
Likes
104
Location
Kenton, OH
I took advantage of the latest 15% off sale with free shipping and here it is in all its glory.
It was a little crooked on the shipping crate and had busted through the pallet but I am keeping a close eye on things as I unpack the beast and so far all is good.
As you can see in the picture the much talked about on / off switch "dust guard" is now coming already installed on the machines and I am very glad of that. Woo Hoo!!
Also it came with a power cord that just needs wired up. ( I had heard some came with them and some didn't.) There is a really good video on You Tube on how to wire up the cord.
I have carried the legs, banjo, and tail stock to the basement already and will have to get some help with the head stock and lathe bed to get them down the stairs.
One leg is all about I could handle at a time and had to carefully slide down the stairs while still in the box. Incredibly heavy .
 

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I am a great admirer of this lathe, and I'd probably own one if it only had a rotating headstock.

This doesn't mean I don't think it's a great lathe for someone else's needs.....for sure, I definitely do believe it's everything many turners are looking for......only that when I decide to purchase a replacement lathe for my beloved Australian Woodfast, it will have this very important feature.

=o=
 
Odie said:
I am a great admirer of this lathe, and I'd probably own one if it only had a rotating headstock.

This doesn't mean I don't think it's a great lathe for someone else's needs.....for sure, I definitely do believe it's everything many turners are looking for......only that when I decide to purchase a replacement lathe for my beloved Australian Woodfast, it will have this very important feature.

=o=
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I had a lathe with this feature, I never liked it. I’d happily have a headstock that slides though, as long as the tolerances are tight.
 
Bill Alston said:
I had a lathe with this feature, I never liked it. I’d happily have a headstock that slides though, as long as the tolerances are tight.
Click to expand...

A rotating headstock isn't for everyone, but for those who like this feature, it's essential.

The international marketplace seems to place a rotating headstock in much higher regard than turners here in America. It's anyone's guess as to why that is, but to me, it would be much more applicable to my needs than a sliding headstock......mostly because I wouldn't need to relocate my body position, the myriad of special tools I have strategically placed on my lathe would all need to be moved......and my shop space considerations.

=o=
 
My pallet looked like that when I picked mine up at Woodcraft last summer. The cord for the control box was damaged on mine but Powermatic replaced it. If you want to know how much each item weighs go to Carl Ford's website, he has a very good review on his new one with each item's weight.
 
Vincent Vogel said:
My pallet looked like that when I picked mine up at Woodcraft last summer. The cord for the control box was damaged on mine but Powermatic replaced it.
Click to expand...
I have contacted the supplier who has contacted powermatic, Powermatic sent a very nice e-mail letting me know to go ahead and set it up and they are aware of the situation with the pallet in shipping ( and have the photos).
PM assured me if there was anything wrong that I found during unpacking, set up or running of the lathe , they would send me out a new unit.
I was happy and reassured with that information and I can't find anything wrong so far anyway, but it isn't plugged in yet either. I got a hand cart to help get the headstock down to the basement. I am going to get some adult help though-- as I would never attempt on my own anyway.
 
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Greg Carles said:
I have carried the legs, banjo, and tail stock to the basement already and will have to get some help with the head stock and lathe bed to get them down the stairs.
One leg is all about I could handle at a time and had to carefully slide down the stairs while still in the box. Incredibly heavy .
Click to expand...

I have the 'b' model and it was heavy too. Fortunately, no stairs, just off a trailer and in through double doors. The thing is massive.

When I set the bed on the legs I did one end at a time - jacked up one end of the bed with an automotive floor jack, positioned the leg (tilted) and installed the screws, then jacked up and fastened the other end. Somehow I got the headstock and the bed extension on the lathe without having to go to the ER but I wasn't 75 then. Just 65 or so, young and spry.

I did disassemble and move a Jet1642 by myself a few weeks ago but it's a lot lighter weight.

JKJ
 
Congratulations! I see the headstock has that big safety cage bracket (removable) coming off its backside. I think those lathes used to come standard with the cage. Is it now an option?
 
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Steve Tiedman said:
I see the headstock has that big safety cage bracket (removable) coming off its backside I think those lathes used to come standard with the cage. Is it now an option?
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I don't know about it being an option or not but that bracket is now used for what is called a "comparator". There is a bracket that goes on the tail stock as well and you put a piece you want to duplicate between the two brackets and "compare it" as you are turning to assist in trying to make a copy.
 
Mine didn't come with the rubber switch cover. I have about 100 hours on my lathe and haven't had any problems yet with the switches but I vacuum the lathe off every day after use and make sure it vacuum the switches and vfd very well. I'm going to call and order the cover someday when I remember.
 
Good Luck with her. A great lathe!! I got my 3520B delivered in a box by forklift. Fortunately had 2 weightlifters living next door. Could not have unpacked and assembled without them.

A funny story, I decided to upgrade when I found a used one available across the state. Several "friends" assured me I could disassemble, load in my car, then bring home. After the new one was delivered, I realized that task would have been an impossible nightmare! Very glad the new one was delivered!
 
Aww, hell yeah-you're gonna love that lathe! As you know if you've read the specs, that headstock is pushing 170," and the lathe bed about 370" if I remember correctly. DO NOT get under that thing going down the stairs unless you want to get killed before you even get it set up, seriously. When I got mine delivered from Woodcraft during their Black Friday sale a couple of years ago, I was fortunate to have my big strapping son and his equally brawny friend save the day (and my back!) getting it set up and moved to my shop. Find some muscle even if you have to show up at the local gym with a case of beer or something. Funny-I christened mine The Beast after the disturbing Yeats poem I used to teach, and a friend surprised me with custom stickers for it, which was cool.

No doubt you will start personalizing it to meet your needs right away. For me, the long rectangular light PM sells for it was an absolute requirement, plus I have several supplemental lights for hunting down sanding scratches, etc. And I can't imagine my back on large bowls without the tail-stock swingaway (yeah, I know it's not the Robust gas assisted wonder-you get used to it). The D-Way 3/8" hardened steel rod was a godsend for me too-I like a glass smooth tool-rest to the point of sanding it and waxing it regularly. You can put 2x6"es on the leg brackets for sand-bags, which is what I did, and some make a storage bin. A homemade supplemental tool tray above the head-stock with holes for centers and other taper accessories is a real help, too.

Have fun and report back when you get it dirty! I saved a very special piece of walnut for my 1st turn with mine.
 
Made it to the final resting place in the basement in one piece..
Now I need to get it leveled and powered up .
Yes this thing is a beast and glad for it. Its not coming out of the basement until my estate sale... LOL..
First impression:: Love it!
 

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Greg Carles said:
that bracket is now used for what is called a "comparator"
Click to expand...
I use mine for attaching things with magnets and, for one of those super bright WTWs LED lights, I drilled and tapped a hole for the flexible arm - sturdier and less bulky than the magnetic base:
lamp_mount_IMG_20171228_214144_854.jpg rizza_lamp.jpg

For those who've never worked with it, cast iron is quite easy to drill and tap.

JKJ
 
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I hope you have as much fun with your 3520C as I've had with mine. Got mine almost 5 years ago. Only problem I've had was a dusty forward/reverse switch. One blast of air and it's been fine since.

Ya know, you could've just slid the bed down the stairs. :eek:;)
 
Vincent Vogel said:
The Powermatic factory led light made for this lathe is worth having. I really like mine.
Click to expand...
I currently have this set up directly over the turning area.
That powermatic light might be a Christmas present when and if it goes on sale.....
 

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Tom Gall said:
Lookin' good, Greg ... nice shop! OK, why do you need so many pencils? 😄
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I can't speak for Greg, Tom-But I'm always dropping or losing pencils, and IMO you can't have too many pencils in your shop. A few years ago, I got in the habit of buying the old-fashioned Ticonderoga My First Pencils by the box (remember the big fat ones from 1st grade?). I have an old-school pencil sharpener right above me at my main workbench, and I try to keep at least 2 sharp pencils at every station in my shop along with one in my smock pocket. And yet, somehow, I still struggle to find pencils sometimes...I'll probably find a pile of them in some future shop clean-out along with all the little grub screws and other small parts I've dropped and lost in the shavings.
 
Aaron Harris said:
I can't speak for Greg, Tom-But I'm always dropping or losing pencils, and IMO you can't have too many pencils in your shop. A few years ago, I got in the habit of buying the old-fashioned Ticonderoga My First Pencils by the box (remember the big fat ones from 1st grade?). I have an old-school pencil sharpener right above me at my main workbench, and I try to keep at least 2 sharp pencils at every station in my shop along with one in my smock pocket. And yet, somehow, I still struggle to find pencils sometimes...I'll probably find a pile of them in some future shop clean-out along with all the little grub screws and other small parts I've dropped and lost in the shavings.
Click to expand...
Me too! Just recently bought a 2nd pencil sharpener but haven't installed it yet. It's hard for me to get around, so I have pencils and/or pens all over the shop to avoid extra steps. I just wondered why Greg had so many pencils at the lathe .... but maybe he has a stash like that all over the shop! :D
 
Boy, a new "old fashioned" hand crank pencil sharpener that doesn't eat the pencil like a group of piranhas would be great. They definitely don't make them the way they used to, unless I just haven't found it yet. The sharpeners of my school years (1970-80s), they stopped cutting wood when the point was sharp. New ones just keep on eating the pencil, could go from fresh to a nub in 30 second if I let it, like a wood chipper. The hand cranker I have now (from Staples Office Supply, house labeled), I insert it, pinch my finger on the pencil up againt the waste can, and spin rhe handle maybe twice while also twirling the pencil. Pin point sharp, but I have to be careful with it. No interest in ebay, etc. looking for old sharpeners, and electric just seems wrong. I'm used to it, does the job. I don't want a hand-held sharpener- I'd lose it every time!
 
I feel this in my bones! I have bought I think three of the garbage hand-cranked Amazon pencil sharpeners. We all know everything is just cheap Chinese crap now, smdh. I'd pay more for one of the real old ones that actually lasts. Sometimes I will sharpen mine on the same 2x72" knife-grinding belt sander on which I relieve my gouge bevels, but of course it's kinda uneven no matter how you try to rotate it.

Anyway, back to Greg's awesome new Mustard Monster!
 
Tom Gall said:
Bought this one less than a month ago from Lee Valley ... still in the box, so I can't give a performance review. :smile: Paid $19.90 - a few bucks higher today.
X-Acto KS Pencil Sharpener
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That one is available from Amazon, too. Can you update when you get it mounted? All the reviews say the mounting screws are too small/short. Hmmm, probably an easy fix for a woodworker!
 
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