Would adding this bed extension to a Jet 1642 be possible?

[Andrew McCarn]

Hey everyone,

As of now I own a 1642. Love the lathe but the capacity is starting to get to me...

I recently got a hold of some gorgeous sycamore that is around 18"-20" in diameter. Obviously I would hate to have to cut that down to the 15" diameter for bowls. I was just wondering if you all think it would be possible to attach this bed extension to it?

https://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/p/110/6713/JET-1640-20"-Bed-Extension-w-Post

Jet recently came out with their new line of lathes and made outboard turning possible with this. I figured all I would have to do is tap the holes where it would go but maybe I am over simplifying it?

Anyone with any experience with this kind of thing? I mean for $300, it comes in cheaper than a stand alone outboard stand.

Thanks!

 

[Gary Beasley]

Changing the length of the bed doesn't get you any more room for a larger diameter bowl, just a longer spindle. You would need a riser for both the head and tailstock same way you do for a bandsaw or either a rotating headstock like the DVR I have or sliding headstock like the big powermatics have to let the bowl hang off the bed.
Does your lathe have a means to slide or rotate? If it does you dont need the extension.

 

[Andrew McCarn]

The head stock slides. I guess I should've stated it better but yes, my question is if I slide the head stock to the end, mount this extension lower than the bed, would that be possible. It comes with the tool rest extension so this bed extension is made for outboard turning on the new Jet lathes, just not the 1642.

 

[hockenbery]

If you have a place to bolt this bed lower it can give extra swing.
Do you have a lower set of holes on your legs?
Craft supplies can tell you if it will fit.

I have an outboard bed on a General that bolts on 2” lowerthan the inboard lathe.
This give 24” on the outboard and 20” on the inboard

 

[john lucas]

I'm asumming you want to mount the bed extension lower on the legs so you can move the headstock and turn larger work. I have been looking at doing the same thing on my 3520A. It does not have holes or the thicker casting to take the lowered bed extension. What I have been looking at doing and might work on your lathe is to fasten a steel plate on the inside of the leg, probably with screws. Then drill and tap all the way through the legs and steel plate and fasten the bed extension to this. Be aware that you will need to make a height adaptor for your banjo to get the tool rests up far enough. You could buy the Powermatic banjo adaptor if you mount your bed extension low enough to be able to use that.

 

[Andrew McCarn]

@john lucas

Yes this is exactly what I want to do! Thats what I was really wondering is if the legs would be strong enough because as of now there is no where to bolt on the bed extension so I would have to drill the holes. Thank you for the steel plate idea too! Luckily this extension comes with a banjo adapter for outboard turning.

 

[Andrew McCarn]

@hockenbery

Sadly, my lathe doesnt have a place to bolt on the extension for outboard turning. I really just want to take this extension and make it a frankenstein lathe and just drill the holes myself so I can bolt it on.

 

[Raul McCai]

Changing the length of the bed doesn't get you any more room for a larger diameter bowl,

What he said~!!! Plus the manual for that model advertises a free standing turningn stand which I should expect means that you can re position the head to it suspends work off the lathe making the floor your theoretical maximum radius limit

 

[Tom Albrecht]

@hockenbery

Sadly, my lathe doesnt have a place to bolt on the extension for outboard turning. I really just want to take this extension and make it a frankenstein lathe and just drill the holes myself so I can bolt it on.

If you have the experience and knowledge of hand drilling and tapping I'd say go for it.

 

[john lucas]

When I look at the 3520B there is a little extra thickness built into the casting on the legs and a milled flat surface on the outside. I can probably grind the flat surface on the outside. If I must I'll epoxy some metal on and then grind this flat. Then I will put the metal plate on the back. I will drill and tap through all the metal so it's not dependant on the epoxy. I've planned this out pretty well but just haven't had the time to actually do it. Plus I want to buy another bed extension. I have one but I like having that on the lathe because it gives me the extra length. I'll install the other bed extension on the tailstock end down low. Then I will have 2 bed extensions, one on each end if I need a really long turning and can lower one of them down when I need something with more than 20" of swing.

 

[Gary Beasley]

A floor standing tool rest would get you in business without any additions. You just wouldn't have use of a tailstock. Using a faceplate this wouldn't be much of a problem, then build a donut chuck to finish the bottom.

 

[john lucas]

I tried a floor standing tools rest. I didn't like it. Mine was homemade but very heavy. It tended to move and pull the tool into the work. It wasn't bad on light cuts but roughing cuts were almost dangerous. With a fixed tool rest you can get really aggressive on roughing cuts with no problem. That's why I'm looking at the bed extension mounted to the lathe. that and I"m going to make a riser block for the tailstock so I use it at least on shallower pieces.

 

[Gary Beasley]

I can see your point. A floor rest would really need a strut you could attach to the lathe to stablize it. More complications than most folks want to deal with.

 

[john lucas]

VicMarc does exactly that. Their floor standing rest has an adjustable arm that fastens to the lathe and the stand. It's massive and would lock the stand really firmly. If I was going for a free standing tool rest that is what I would do.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

I have used blocks of wood and .....6 x 6 and 2 x 4....between powermatic free standing tool rest and back legs of jet 1642......it works well for nick agar type multi-axis turning....I imagine it would work with large bowls......a trip to Canada would be useful for blanks.....

 

[Bill Boehme]

VicMarc does exactly that. Their floor standing rest has an adjustable arm that fastens to the lathe and the stand. It's massive and would lock the stand really firmly. If I was going for a free standing tool rest that is what I would do.

Similar situation for the Robust AB. The outboard rest has two large joints that give the outboard rest a lot of maneuvering room.

 

[Bill Boehme]

I have read on the Lumberjocks forum that some Jet 1642 owners have used the Powermatic bed extension mounted a couple inches down on the legs and using steel backing like John suggested. The Powermatic extension is taller so it would have better bending moment support than the Jet. I've never actually seen this so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[john lucas]

Here is the Vicmarc rest.
https://vicmarc.com/index.php?optio...t_id=166&virtuemart_category_id=21&Itemid=528

 

[Gary Beasley]

Here is the Vicmarc rest.
https://vicmarc.com/index.php?optio...t_id=166&virtuemart_category_id=21&Itemid=528

Yes, looks like the same articulated action the Nova has except the post going to the floor makes a vast improvement in stability. I'll keep that in mind if mine gives me any grief. I think I could make a similar mod to it.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

Just need outboard tool holder

 

[john lucas]

I had the Nova articulating arm. It was useless without stabilizing it. There was simply too much chatter. What I did was to attach some Althread to the bottom and adjusted it to touch the floor and stabilize the arm. Then it worked great except my floor wasn't even close to level so everytime I had adjust the tool rest position I had redo the Althread stabilizer.

 

[Charlie Knighton]

Andrew.....with using free-standing tool holder and not able to use tail stock.....I would use at least a 6 inch face plate and not a chuck.....just make blank extra thick.....or put screws in bowl side.....and then use chuck turning inside of bowl.....it's possible to turn whole bowl from the initial holding of the face plate.....if you have plenty of face plate you could leave it attached while it dry for second turning.....Terry M. does this.....he also uses waste block.....but on this big of piece I would not use waste block.....just extra thick blanks....if turning completely from face plate use extre thick blank with inside bowl out.....turn edges of bowl front and back at least an inch into blank.....note you will not be able to return to this area if turning to finished thickness.....then alternating inside and outside......you will have to move outboard turning stand and brace it when moving from inside and outside of bowl....depending on how large the finished bowl is.....you need tail stock to jam chuck.....or make a tennis racket type holder.....there is a Woodturnering word for it but it escapes me.....to turn the bottom
.....