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New Lathe to me

Harry Robinette

Harry Robinette

Joined
Sep 10, 2010
Messages
148
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Location
Stow,Ohio
I have been looking for a Union Graduate that I could afford for about 15 years. I found this at HGR Industrial Surplus in Cleveland. If anyone finds a shot bed,tail stock or even a long bed for sell please let me know. The bed I have will work for a shot bed but is meant to be a sanding bed. I'm happy to have this much but hopefully I'll find the other pieces,without it taking another 15 year. Well this is going to start coming apart probable tomorrow I think I'm going to do allot of cleaning and maybe I'll do some painting.The bearings all fell tight but I'm going to need an inverter to run it cause it's 220v 3ph.
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Hey, that is fantastic, Harry......:cool2:

I would think finding a short bed for the Union Graduate would be a more difficult task than finding the lathe itself.

Since I don't use my tailstock but infrequently, having that capability wouldn't be that important to me. I'd be willing to bet whoever had that Union Graduate, did things very similarly to the way I doing things........it's a traditional technique for faceplate turners. The only times it's absolutely necessary, is for extreme out of balance conditions......and when you need it, you need it! Many turners here start a bowl between centers nearly every time, so I can see how it would be an important feature to have for them, and it may be for you, too.

It seems like you could probably adapt a tailstock extension from another lathe to fit the Union Graduate, if it were a necessity.......? Or, just keep your other lathe for any spindle turning, or even starting a bowl between centers.....?

Very nice......and a legend of a lathe specifically intended for bowl turning, you've found! 😀

ooc
 
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Odie
I'm going to keep my 18" General bed lathe and I'm not sure if or when but I'm probably going to sell my Vega 2600 bowl lathe. I love the Vega but I really think the Graduate is going to do everything I need it to do.The Graduate's been running in a school shop till they closed the shop so the bed and tool rest should do me well.
 
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