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Rikon 70-450.....anyone seen one of these in person?

Sergio Villa said:
What are you referring to?
Click to expand...

He probably means the Rikon. I have a 1.5hp Leeson in my Australian Woodfast, and it's adequate for everything I turn. The Rikon is a little bigger swing, though. A 2hp might be a little more convenient at times, but I think it will do everything comfortably, depending on who's using it. One thing that seems to be a constant with woodturners......the more experienced turners don't require as much horsepower as the less experienced. I think that's mostly attributable to sharpening skills......

ooc
 
Before the advent of electronic variable speed control and swings of 20 inches and up, a 1.5 HP motor was considered quite large. It's only in recent years that 2 and 3 HP motors went from luxery item to necessity. However, when talking about a variable speed lathe with a very large swing, there is some justification in wanting a more powerful motor -- the downside of the simplicity and convenience of electronic speed control is a big penalty in power.
 
odie said:
I received a pm from one of our EU forum members. Seems as the Woodfast Rikon is getting some popularity over there, and in England as the Record-Power Maxi-1, and Woodfast C1000x.........

http://www.recordpower.co.uk/product/heavy-cast-iron-swivel-head-variable-speed-lathe#.Uza3GthOX3h
http://www.qcrtools.com/QCR_WebSite_E/Index.html look for link on left side "wood lathe" C1000x

ooc
Click to expand...


Here's something interesting, and I've never heard of before......go to the 2nd link and click on the C1000x link. Under the photo, click on "Off centre of headstock for turning bowls in stable" to see a photo showing that the spindle looks like it is centered over the rear bedway, not between, or centered between the bedways. I think that sentence, "Off centre of headstock for turning bowls in stable" has been cut short. Stable what? (edit: Knowing how some of the Brits have their own slang, such as flashlight=torch and car hood=bonnet......maybe "stable" is what they meant, only thing is, I just don't get it! 😕 No offense to the Brits, you know we love you guys! 😀)

Anyway, if there are any other lathes that are designed with an offset spindle, I'm unaware of it, and don't quite get the theory, or advantage of the offset.

No doubt that the Maxi-1, C1000x, and Rikon are all the same lathe......

ooc
 
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Odie said,

" One thing that seems to be a constant with woodturners......the more experienced turners don't require as much horsepower as the less experienced. I think that's mostly attributable to sharpening skills......"

I find this comment interesting when most experienced turners or professional turners have at least 2hp motors and so many have 3hp. Glenn Lucas, Mike Mahoney, David Ellsworth, John Jordon and on and on and on. It seems they have these for a very good reason (their reason) and I am sure their sharpening skills are better than most.
 
odie said:
Here's something interesting, and I've never heard of before......go to the 2nd link and click on the C1000x link. Under the photo, click on "Off centre of headstock for turning bowls in stable" to see a photo showing that the spindle looks like it is centered over the rear bedway, not between, or centered between the bedways. I think that sentence, "Off centre of headstock for turning bowls in stable" has been cut short. Stable what? (edit: Knowing how some of the Brits have their own slang, such as flashlight=torch and car hood=bonnet......maybe "stable" is what they meant, only thing is, I just don't get it! 😕 No offense to the Brits, you know we love you guys! 😀)

Anyway, if there are any other lathes that are designed with an offset spindle, I'm unaware of it, and don't quite get the theory, or advantage of the offset.

No doubt that the Maxi-1, C1000x, and Rikon are all the same lathe......

ooc
Click to expand...

Odie, that is an optical illusion due to o parallaxes effect.

You can see Glenn Lucas on his Facebook page saying marvels of the VL 240. It looks also very sturdy. Did you hear anything from Vicmarc or the importer that you can share?
I'm trying to make an addition to my small shop and perhaps add another lathe. Guess the brand.
 
dbonertz said:
Odie said,

" One thing that seems to be a constant with woodturners......the more experienced turners don't require as much horsepower as the less experienced. I think that's mostly attributable to sharpening skills......"

I find this comment interesting when most experienced turners or professional turners have at least 2hp motors and so many have 3hp. Glenn Lucas, Mike Mahoney, David Ellsworth, John Jordon and on and on and on. It seems they have these for a very good reason (their reason) and I am sure their sharpening skills are better than most.
Click to expand...

I tend to agree with Odie, unless I used a coring system in particularly difficult wood I never had a stalling problem even with the 2HP JET 1642. Of course, when one keeps on coring or shaping bowls and time is of essence HP may be relevant.

Regards
 
dbonertz said:
Odie said,

" One thing that seems to be a constant with woodturners......the more experienced turners don't require as much horsepower as the less experienced. I think that's mostly attributable to sharpening skills......"

I find this comment interesting when most experienced turners or professional turners have at least 2hp motors and so many have 3hp. Glenn Lucas, Mike Mahoney, David Ellsworth, John Jordon and on and on and on. It seems they have these for a very good reason (their reason) and I am sure their sharpening skills are better than most.
Click to expand...
Sergio Villa said:
I tend to agree with Odie, unless I used a coring system in particularly difficult wood I never had a stalling problem even with the 2HP JET 1642. Of course, when one keeps on coring or shaping bowls and time is of essence HP may be relevant.

Regards
Click to expand...


Yes.......Perhaps I should have said the more experienced turners do more with less horsepower. Having more HP isn't something that's undesirable, it's just not required for the same reasons as the less experienced foresee the need......like forcing a cut. 😀

ooc
 
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Sergio Villa said:
Odie, that is an optical illusion due to o parallaxes effect.

You can see Glenn Lucas on his Facebook page saying marvels of the VL 240. It looks also very sturdy. Did you hear anything from Vicmarc or the importer that you can share?
I'm trying to make an addition to my small shop and perhaps add another lathe. Guess the brand.
Click to expand...

"Off centre of headstock for turning bowls in stable"
Click to expand...


Perhaps you are right, Sergio.......

I guess I misunderstood the meanings of the terminology used, and applied that to what I saw. The more I think about that, the more I believe the England version of "stable" may mean something similar to "where the bowl is turned", instead of stability.......and, "off centre" may be referring to the spindle when the headstock is swiveled out of alignment with the tailstock.

ooc
 
Odie,

The sentence looks fine if you use the right meaning of "stable". Where do you park your horse at night?

Needing and Wanting -- a capable person can do more with less although I have heard as an all-inclusive axiom that it is also possible to do more with more.
 
Well, I come into this a bit late.

First, the difference between steel lathe bed and frame, and cast bed and frame: After turning on a PM3520A for about 8 years, and the Robust Beauty for the last 6 or so years, the ONLY real difference in the lathe builds is the noised they make when you are turning. No difference in vibration, stability, and dampening. Like Yogi Berra said, "it's 90% mental and 10% in your head". I have pondered putting sand into the hollow body for added mass. It would have to be as dry as Phoenix though...

Sliding headstock vs pivoting headstock: I haven't seen one pivoting headstock that isn't a LOT more work than the sliding headstocks, and that includes alignment. I am constantly moving my headstock so I can stand straight up, and in the most ergonomically correct position for what I am turning. It might take 5 seconds at the most to move the headstock so I can stand more comfortably.

Horse power: I like the 3 hp motors and the added torque. As a production turner, when roughing, there is no such thing as 'cut the wood as it wishes to be cut'. Get the waste out of the way, then finish cuts where you cut as the wood wishes to be cut. 'Wow, that looks kind of rough!' 'Well they call it roughing cuts for a reason.' If there was a 5 hp lathe available, I would take one. Brent English said he wouldn't make them. Main reason, is probably liability because it would be like putting an Indy car in the hands of your average driver.... That scares even me and I am fearless..... (from a friend who was a copter gunner in Nam).

I just do not understand the DVR push button speed control as compared to the dial a knob. Again, for production turning, it isn't practical, as in way too time consuming.

robo hippy
 
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