Dedicated Bowl Lathe - any in Australia?

[Hardenfast]

Afternoon Gents (& Ladies).

I've seen the occasional wood lathe dedicated to bowl turning, but can't find any for sale in OZ. I'm very happy with the new Vicmarc VL300 but thought that a nice specialty bowl lathe would compliment the outfit.

Any idea where I might find one, or does anyone have one for sale? Having settled the Vicmarc in with one small job, I'm about to sell the Leady Lathe (which has done very little work) and thought I could put that capital towards a bowl lathe.

Regards. Wayne (Ph. 0418 896 087)

[wheelinround]

Hi Wayne there has been a couple for sales on here not sure if they are still a live or not.
Hughie was one of those but I think it went recently.

What about an Omega Stubby Lathes, Australian Made Lathes, Wood Turning Machines | Omega Tool and Engineering (http://omegastubbylathes.com/)

Or build your own to suit.

[turnerted]

Leady makes a lathe in which most of the bed drops away . Maybe Bruce would do a trade in.
I also know someone who was trying to sell one a couple of years ago. If you want to chase it up , PM me and I'll give you a phone number and you can see if its still available.
Ted

[Hardenfast]

Thanks Ted - PM sent. I'll see if I can contact Bruce Leady to see what he's got. I bought & picked up the current Leady Lathe directly from him so it's worth a shot.

Ray (Wheelin), not sure why I've never noticed that Omega/Stubby make a bowl lathe - the F600. Of course, now I must have one. See what happens? I wonder if they're variable speed?

By the way, where does one purchase Omega/Stubby equipment these days? Have to do a little research - Maybe Enzo at Vermec? Thanks guys.

Wayne.

[nz_carver]

Ok stubby s1000 is $8000 or higher but then send it to enzo to get it pimped out with all the after market bits takes it to give or take $8500 give or take with out shipping

I'm in love with stubby but I don't love it that much
I like the vicmarc vl300 short bed that's a grate lathe think it's around $6500

[tea lady]

You could always go the whole hog and import a VB 36. Has a tendency to cause marital disruption though. :C:D

Working with a VB-36 wood lathe - YouTube

VB36 Wood Lathe | Hegner UK LTD (http://www.hegner.co.uk/VB36Lathe)

[Paul39]

Hardenfast,

After pricing bowl lathes, look here:

https://www.google.com/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=939&bih=556&q=home+made+bowl+lathes&oq=home+made+bowl+lathes&gs_l=img.12...2969.9195.0.11463.21.20.0.1.1.0.164.1617.19j1.20.0...0.0...1ac.2vHXxdX45Hk

You may find you can build, or have one built for less.

has one that I understand he does not use.

[Hardenfast]

Thanks Tea Lady.

That Hegner machine looks awesome, and with our high dollar at the moment the conversion is around GBP4,500 = AU$7,000. Not completely out of the question when compared to a Stubby. No probs with voltage/electrics apparently, but shipping could be a killer. I'm going to send them an enquiry as a matter of interest.

Apparently their Australian agent is The WoodWorks Tool & Book Company at Mona Vale. I wonder if they have one in stock.... :)

[Hardenfast]

Hardenfast,

After pricing bowl lathes, look here:

https://www.google.com/search?num=10&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=939&bih=556&q=home+made+bowl+lathes&oq=home+made+bowl+lathes&gs_l=img.12...2969.9195.0.11463.21.20.0.1.1.0.164.1617.19j1.20.0...0.0...1ac.2vHXxdX45Hk

You may find you can build, or have one built for less. has one that I understand he does not use.

Many thanks Paul. Certainly some interesting looking contraptions there. The better ones all seem to be copies of the brand names I've looked at.

I'm afraid I'm far too busy to consider making one myself and I'd want one with variable speed and all the goodies, so any home-made job would probably end up being disappointing in some way - although much more cost effective. I love buying locally so the Omega/Stubby is looking good, and the Hegner machine looks like a beast - very impressive!

NZ Carver - I would hope that the Stubby F600 is a little cheaper than the S1000, but you're right in that I would want Enzo's "fully pimped" version. I've sent him an email.

, is it true that you have something sitting in the shed that you don't want/need/use?

Wayne

[Paul39]

, is it true that you have something sitting in the shed that you don't want/need/use? Wayne

I went looking for 's bowl lathe and found this:

has since converted the "VB72" into a spindle lathe, just like nature abhors a vacuum, abhors bowl turning :D :stirthepot:. I know he changed the motor over and put a new start switch on it, not sure if he kept the gearbox or not :shrug:.

[wheelinround]

As said Hughie off this forum made this beasty (http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f6/fabricated-bowl-lathe-4529/) (can't locate this forums link)


:? If you already have The Leady (http://members.ozemail.com.au/~kjeeves/leady/lathe/images/lathe1.html) its headstock turns 90deg (http://www.woodworkforums.com/f221/prices-dropped-retiring-mate-sandstone-point-142577/#post1390299)

I am sure a variable speed motor can be fitted or like the set up at Ornamental Turners they have a dial up external gizmo thats the machine they demo the Oval turning on its a Leady.

I guess there could be a good deal for a Leady coming up soon.:U

[hughie]

There was a Viceroy that sold for 500 or so on ebay a few months ago. Its a dedicated Bowl lathe English made and I was impressed with the solidness of it and at 500 its a steal.
The drop bed Leady lathe is an old design made for High Schools and they do come up from time to time, you may have to look at making your own as most dedicated bowl lathe fit into a specialist category and attrach a high price.

For this reason I have gone down this path and of course I have the means to do so,perhaps not available to all

http://www.woodworkforums.com/f8/diy-lathe-70958/

[tea lady]

, is it true that you have something sitting in the shed that you don't want/need/use?

Wayne:D Have met ? :doh:


I went looking for 's bowl lathe and found this:

has since converted the "VB72" into a spindle lathe, just like nature abhors a vacuum, abhors bowl turning :D :stirthepot:. I know he changed the motor over and put a new start switch on it, not sure if he kept the gearbox or not :shrug:.Yes we kept the gear bow. Very handy for reverse sanding. As it happens I turned a bowl on the VB72 yesterday. Only 470mm diameter. A mere baby.


There was a Viceroy that sold for 500 or so on ebay a few months ago. Its a dedicated Bowl lathe English made and I was impressed with the solidness of it and at 500 its a steal.Now all he needs is a time machine.:doh: Or is there a way to message the buyer? :think:

[orraloon]

I have the leady and have done up to a 16'' bowl on it. It is possable to go larger but I find that the lowest speed (350) makes the roughing process a bit of an adventure. If I get some cash together I would like to fit a variable speed motor and make a tool rest that has floor support. It is a very good general purpose lathe and well built too. The head actually can be set in any direction and anywhere along the bed so it has the potential to adapt to many things. I am also pondering on using it as a thickness sander as the head and tail stocks can be reversed.
There was a bowl lathe in Bruce's shed last time i was there but I dont know if he still makes them. It looked a bit older.
Regards
John

[soundman]

I concur that building a good bowl lathe is probably more viable that importing something.

After all, ya don't need 2/3s of a normal lathe....no bed no tail stock....just a headstock motor and a tool rest....nothing that would frighten any self respecing engineering shop.

As for the variable speed...these days no problem there.....single phase to 3 phase converting variable speed drives are far from uncommon or expensive.....hell they are putting them in washing machines & air conditioners now.
In industry they are off the shelf items.

I seem to remember CMG offering a single phase bolt up motor with variable speed built in.


The other way of going about it would be to get hold of either a compelte lathe or parts and re-mount the motor and headstock.

ANYway..just some thaughts.

cheers

[old pete]

Hi Hardenfast,

I have a Viceroy bowl lathe. I got it from a school where I used to teach and where it hadn't been used for more than 20years since someone on the staff had decreed that bowl turning was too dangerous for students. Usually I'd take issue with that sort of ill informed rubbish but this time I didn't!. Swings up to 16". 4 speed belt drive.Made in England in about the mid 60's. Very solid vibration free machine. It's not for sale but I could recommend it to you as a brand if you can get on to one second hand. Some folk say that 16" swing limits things. I'm not sure the same folk have ever tried to turn a 16" bowl....I suspect not!

There's a fair bit on the www about the Viceroy so I won't rush out to the workshop on Fathers Day to get you an image.

Good luck with your search..

Cheers Old Pete

[brendan stemp]

I would definitely buy a VB36 if I had the money and wanted a dedicated bowl lathe. However, it depends on how big a bowl you want to turn. A vicmarc VL175 with its swivelling head and outrigger would do the job and be a far more versatile lathe. Big bowl lathes and big bowls can end up being white elephants. Who wants a big bowl, who wants to pay for them and if you can't get rid of them then how many can you store at home.

[Paul39]

I would definitely buy a VB36 if I had the money and wanted a dedicated bowl lathe. However, it depends on how big a bowl you want to turn. A vicmarc VL175 with its swivelling head and outrigger would do the job and be a far more versatile lathe. Big bowl lathes and big bowls can end up being white elephants. Who wants a big bowl, who wants to pay for them and if you can't get rid of them then how many can you store at home.

All true. It is nice to have a 500 - 750 Kg lathe that is oversize for making smaller bowls from out of balance stumps that are roughed out with a chain saw.

I have a 20 inch swing Woodfast. I have had to saw off protruding chunks after mounting the blank to let it turn without hitting the bed.

[Paul39]

Hardenfast,

Have a look here:

http://www.woodworkforums.com/f8/lathe-bargain-158338/

[Hardenfast]

Well, I received a nice reply from the Hegner guys in the UK, confirming that they will be happy to ship to Australia. They recently shipped a fully optioned VB36 on two pallets to New Zealand for around GBP700 (around AU$1,080).

The other interesting bit is that they currently have everything reduced by 20% until the end of September, meaning that the machine itself is discounted from GBP4,536 to around GBP3,630 (approx. AU$5,630).

I'm a great fan & supporter of our Australian manufacturers - or what's left of them, and the Vicmarc & Stubby machines seem to be the equal of anything in the world. However, these Hegner bowl lathes are certainly worth a look.

They are already 240v and will only need to have an Australian plug fitted, and at around AU$6,700 including shipping they are competitively priced against the Ozzie machines.

Have a look at the Hegner VB36 brochure here:

http://www.hegner.co.uk/assets/downloads/brochures/VB36_Woodturning-Lathe.pdf

[wheelinround]

:2tsup: Now thats a good deal Wayne

[Paul39]

I agree with the brochure, that is the ULTIMATE bowl lathe. With the discount the price is competitive with less sturdy and less refined lathes.

If you can justify the $ and still sleep at night, order it.

As I am a retired old geezer, the cost of that lathe is about 6 months of my income.

I also have almost as much fun building and resurrecting equipment as turning.

BUY THE LATHE!!

[soundman]

Hell, that is one serious lump of iron.....and for what you get...good value for $7000 landed..don't forget to add the GST

BUT how many of us are going to cough up that sory of cash for a lathe.

cheers

[Hardenfast]

Yes, Soundman & Paul - you're both right (not necessarily agreeing that you're an old geezer, Paul), but this machine is a serious investment for any person. By the way, good point on the +GST, SM - add an additional $600 to the final figure.

Having recently outlayed around about the same amount for a Vicmarc VL300 it's certainly not a flippant decision to be making. Still. it looks so nice!

The only positive I can bring to the equation - apart from the beauty of the equipment, is that I can still justify & claim the expenditure as part of my construction business. You know... for all those... umm... post caps I need to make. :;

I'll wait until I learn more about the Stubby F600 options before making any decisions. Seems to be somewhat difficult to get info on the Omega/Stubby machines these days. Maybe they're now more focussed on the USA market than ours?

Ray (Wheelin), if I go ahead with it you'll have to get Sue to bring you north once a month for some play time.

Wayne.

[brendan stemp]

Ray (Wheelin), if I go ahead with it you'll have to get Sue to bring you north once a month for some play time.

Wayne.

You might find me knocking on your door too:U

[NeilS]

Back when the Graduate bowl lathe (http://www.woodturninglathes.co.uk/index.html) was first produced there was a real need for a dedicated bowl lathe. Us bowl turners hate all those ways that spindle turners add to their lathes that get in the 'way' of us standing directly in front of out bowls to turn the insides, causing us neck and backaches.

Since the introduction of swivel head lathes any real need for a dedicated bowl lathe has been eliminated, IMO. If you want a dedicated bowl lathe just buy a good swivel head lathe and dedicate it to that purpose, and if required, you can always sell it later to someone who wants to do both bowl and spindle work. My only reservation about the swivel head models that I would currently consider (Woodfast or Vicmarc) is that they are slightly underpowered (1.5HP) for any serious coring of larger bowls. Stubby did produce a 2HP VS swivel head model (the 500?) that would overcome that limitation and would be worth considering if still produced, they were about $5,500 but can't find a current price. As for bowl size, that is only limited by the toolrest configuration and/or the distance to the floor if you use a free standing toolrest.

But, as Brendan points out, there isn't much of a market for very large bowls. The average sized table/house isn't big enough to fit them and there isn't a lot of uses for them that an 18" bowl can't provide. Once people get over the excitement of making a few big ones they settle back to making bowls the sizes that people want and can use, which can be done on almost any lathe.

However, the VB36, at that price is tempting, very tempting. I could almost justify the cost, although at my current rate of sales (I only buy equipment out of the proceeds of my production) that would be just under three birthdays! A little less if I sell my Woodfast C1000X, which I've got to like a lot and would probably keep anyway for the occasional spindle work that I do.

However, one of the downsides of moving up to this level of equipment is the additional cost and hassle of getting the dedicated accessories that are required for it, along with any incompatibilities with your current gear. For example, I would hate to find that my Kel McNaughton corers didn't fit. The overall cost of ownership may be much higher than just the initial cost.

If I was a professional making my living from turning I could probably justify making such an investment, but sitting further down the woodturning heap I run the serious risk of being seen as a yuppie woodturner with a lathe that none of the professional woodturners can justify...:B

If 'a hammer does not a carpenter make', neither does a fancy lathe automatically make better woodturning; but it might just be more fun... :think:

PS - Apologies for the long post... I'm laid up now for six weeks after surgery and have too much idle time on my hands...:rolleyes:

[Jim Carroll]

I know you have just bought a VL300 but there is an upgrade coming soon for the outboard side of the lathe so you can attach a 500mm bed extension.

This came about from a request from Irelands Glenn Lucas a prolific bowl turner, he wanted the short bed of the VL300 for his inboard work but by putting an extension on the outboard side had the best of both worlds .
With the extension on the outboard side you can stand there with nothing on the floor to get in the way and still turn the 600mm diameter if need be. You can also have the tailstock on there if needed for stability when starting with an out of round bowl.

Have a look at the 2nd video on glenns website (http://glennlucas.com/working-method/)you will see what I mean.

[RETIRED]

I know you have just bought a VL300 but there is an upgrade coming soon for the outboard side of the lathe so you can attach a 500mm bed extension.

This came about from a request from Irelands Glenn Lucas a prolific bowl turner, he wanted the short bed of the VL300 for his inboard work but by putting an extension on the outboard side had the best of both worlds .
With the extension on the outboard side you can stand there with nothing on the floor to get in the way and still turn the 600mm diameter if need be. You can also have the tailstock on there if needed for stability when starting with an out of round bowl.

Have a look at the 2nd video on glenns website (http://glennlucas.com/working-method/)you will see what I mean.He is also using a tool rest the same shape as what I make.:cool:

[NeilS]

Running Hardenfast's numbers through the Customes Duty and Tax calculator, I get the following:

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td width="434">Customs value (Cval)
</td> <td width="57">
5,630.00
</td> <td width="72">
</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="434">Customs duty (Duty) @ 5% of Cval
</td> <td width="57">
281.50

</td> <td width="72">(Payable)
</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="434">International transport and insurance or postage (T&I)
</td> <td width="57">
1,080.00
</td> <td width="72">
</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="434">Value of the Taxable Importation (VoTI) (Cval+Duty+T&I)
</td> <td width="57">
6991.50
</td> <td width="72">
</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="434">Goods and Services Tax (GST) @ 10% of the VoTI
</td> <td width="57">
699.15
</td> <td width="72">(Payable)
</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="434">Total payable Duty + GST
</td> <td width="57">
980.65
</td> </tr></tbody></table>

Total cost (purchase price + transport + Duty & Tax) - A$7690.65

But I'm thinking, would I get an extra $4690 of fun out of using the VB36, that being the extra cost of purchasing it over the C1000X at just $3000, all up? Hmmmm........:think:

But, if the claim that

the lathe "will never be obsolete" and its engineering lives up to its hype, it should outlast last maybe two C1000Xs, ie if I can keep woodturning for another 15-20 years....:D ...so that makes it only $1690 for the extra fun. Have I convincing myself yet?

Maybe!

[Jim Carroll]

Running Hardenfast's numbers through the Customes Duty and Tax calculator, I get the following:

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td width="434">Customs value (Cval)
</td> <td width="57">
5,630.00
</td> <td width="72">
</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="434">Customs duty (Duty) @ 5% of Cval
</td> <td width="57">
281.50

</td> <td width="72">(Payable)
</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="434">International transport and insurance or postage (T&I)
</td> <td width="57">
1,080.00
</td> <td width="72">
</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="434">Value of the Taxable Importation (VoTI) (Cval+Duty+T&I)
</td> <td width="57">
6991.50
</td> <td width="72">
</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="434">Goods and Services Tax (GST) @ 10% of the VoTI
</td> <td width="57">
699.15
</td> <td width="72">(Payable)
</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="434">Total payable Duty + GST
</td> <td width="57">
980.65
</td> </tr></tbody></table>

Total cost (purchase price + transport + Duty & Tax) - A$7690.65

But I'm thinking, would I get an extra $4690 of fun out of using the VB36, that being the extra cost of purchasing it over the C1000X at just $3000, all up? Hmmmm........:think:

But, if the claim that

the lathe "will never be obsolete" and its engineering lives up to its hype, it should outlast last maybe two C1000Xs, ie if I can keep woodturning for another 15-20 years....:D ...so that makes it only $1690 for the extra fun. Have I convincing myself yet?

Maybe!

Keep working on it Neil the numbers are in your favour.

Having used a VB36 I would not put it high on my list for beign user freindly.
It has lots of grunt and is an awesome machine but moving the toolrest around can become very tiresome.

I would not knock one back if someone was to give me one :D

[RETIRED]

I will second Jim's statements.

When you boil it all down it has to only spin wood in a safe manner so that you can poke lengths of steel into it.

I like the extension bed idea on the VL300. It is the way I went with the Teknatool 3000.

[NeilS]

Keep working on it Neil the numbers are in your favour.

I'm thinking the planets would also need to be in alignment and in my favour...:D


Having used a VB36 I would not put it high on my list for beign user freindly.

It has lots of grunt and is an awesome machine but moving the toolrest around can become very tiresome.

Thanks for that insight, Jim (& seconded by ). That would discount it immediately for me. I guess that was the problem that John Bennison was attempting to solve (pg 15 of their brochure) when he got Hegner to make up their John Bennison Toolrest Adapter for him, which as far as I can see would reduce but not fully overcome the problem.

[soundman]

Before the advent of swivel head lathes, quite a few used to have the facility to mount on the back of the head stock.

arrangements varied, some had left hand threads and others you reversed the motor ( easy on 3 phase).

I also seem to remember some relativly small lathes that you simply picked up the whole head stock and motor and bolted it down the other way on the rails.....before someone had the idea of swiveling I supose.

Of course there is the old come down......"That would make a good bowl lathe"......:2tsup:......because its a home made POS, the bed is rubbish and the tail stock is useless, it just has a good bearing block and a big motor.

cheers

[Hardenfast]

I know you have just bought a VL300 but there is an upgrade coming soon for the outboard side of the lathe so you can attach a 500mm bed extension.

This came about from a request from Irelands Glenn Lucas a prolific bowl turner, he wanted the short bed of the VL300 for his inboard work but by putting an extension on the outboard side had the best of both worlds .
With the extension on the outboard side you can stand there with nothing on the floor to get in the way and still turn the 600mm diameter if need be. You can also have the tailstock on there if needed for stability when starting with an out of round bowl.

Have a look at the 2nd video on glenns website (http://glennlucas.com/working-method/)you will see what I mean.

Had a look at the Glenn Lucas website, Jim. Fascinating, and he certainly is a prolific bowl turner. But did I see 6 Vicmarcs in his workshop? And a Oneway? And here's me with only 1 Vicmarc and a Leady Lathe... and a Jet Midi. Just doesn't seem right....

Granted, he's a prolific bowl turner and I'm not... having done around 10 bowls in 3 years. But the possibilities...

Anyway, I've decided to definitely sell the Leady and the Jet Midi, and to invest in either a Stubby F600 or the Hegner. I'll have to decide before the end of September to get the Hegner "summer sale" terms.

Nice works on the Customs Duty & GST calcs, Neil - thanks. I wasn't even aware that we still paid a Customs Duty as well as GST. I thought Customs Duties were abolished when the GST was introduced? I blame Julia Gillard.

Old Pete - I've actually ready a little bit about the Viceroy bowl lathes... very well regarded. You would be part of a small & select group to own one. Trouble is, noone ever seems to sell these wonderful machines once they've scored one, so they very rarely come onto the market. I suspect that when they do it's more often than not as part of a deceased estate. What did Charlton Heston say about his gun? ..."I'll give you my gun when you take it from my cold, dead hands"... That will be you and the Viceroy... or me and the Hegner, and I'll blame Julia Gillard.

Wayne

[TurnedByIan]

I'll chime in on the VB36 easy of use. Had a play on the "fully optioned one sent to NZ".
Awesome machine, built like the proverbial. All parts are beautifully machined.
Everything on it is massive, handled a 70kg out of round lump of Blue gum without any vibration. We lost our nerve long before before it reached max revs:oo:
However, I have decided against it myself as I found simply rotating the spindle too difficult when using one hand.
Bear in mind that I put the block on there in the first place so I'm not slightly built:D.
Highly recommend that you try one for your self though, I know it's owner loves it to bits and would never go back to a smaller machine.
Personally, the machine I dream about is MAGMA fine woodworking (http://www.magma-tools.de/Director/idKey/GRP1222966602719/artnr/DB-TITAN400/name/Magma+Black+Line+TITAN+400/).
However it will cost about 18K to land in my workshop in Auckland, so maybe not this Xmas.
Stubby 1000 is another option for me, Terry Scott seems to produce halfway decent stuff on it:D
Cheers Ian

[Hardenfast]

Small world Ian - that you would have used the actual machine that Hegner referred to in their email to me. A complimentary reference from your own personal experience adds weight to the growing appeal of the VB36.

I had never heard of Magma Fine Woodworking or the "Black Line Titan 400" until your reference and link. Awesome looking machine. It seems that the actual woodturners are now having input into the design of the machines and changing the practicalities of user-stance & accessibility etc, rather than an engineering company simply producing something which suits their manufacturing capabilities.

Still, at around 8,200 Euros + shipping + taxes + duties etc I won't be finding one in my Christmas stocking either. The current Hegner discount is quite compelling.

Still waiting to hear back about the Stubby F600. Why is it so difficult to get info on the Omega lathes?

Wayne

[wheelinround]

All in favour of Waynes place for next GtG once he's got the new lathe raise your hand:ohyaaa:

[NeilS]

Before the advent of swivel head lathes, quite a few used to have the facility to mount on the back of the head stock.

arrangements varied, some had left hand threads and others you reversed the motor (easy on 3 phase).



Soundman - that's where I did all of my bowl turning (which is what I mostly turn) before I got my C1000X. My previous Woodfast had an outboard turning table and toolpost on the rear of the headstock which had a left hand thread. Mine also had a VS with reversing switch, but it didn't have any means of keeping the chucks on when run in reverse (I think Vicmarc does). It worked well enough and I only upgraded to the C1000x for the moveable controls and the extra half horsepower, as much as anything.

Having used the outboard rigs on both Woodfasts for bowl turning I myself wouldn't want any longer bed than those (no more than 12" deep). The only thing you are missing is a tailstock to begin very large out-of-balance pieces, and most people do so few of those that it is not worth making a lathe purchase based on that requirement... just use more/longer screws to secure the blank to the faceplate... :2tsup:

What I would really like is a bigger brother to either the VM-175 or WF C1000X. Just need the extra power for large blank coring. If they still make the Stubby 500 with swivel head that would be a possibility, and I'm not sure about their outboard toolpost rig arrangement... it looks like it is just hung off the inboard bed, like the cheapies, which is unlikely to be adequate.

If anyone thinks I'm missing an option, other than the VB36, give us a heads up.

[soundman]

Here ya go for anybody who wants a cheap bowl lathe.

http://www.woodworkforums.com/f221/ball-tearer-bowl-lathe-potencia-159391/#post1555021

cheers

[hughie]

One interesting thing about the VB36 is that on another forum one of the turners there had a problem with the bearings over heating, I think from memory at low speeds. After to-ing and fro-ing with Hegner as to the cause they settled on an uneven floor to which it was bolted down.
Given the mass of this lathe etc I was surprised at this, the owner of the lathe corrected the uneven mounting problem solved.

[Hardenfast]

So now that I've sold the Leady Lathe and the Jet Midi, I've decided to indulge myself a little and have ordered the Hegner VB36 bowl lathe from the UK. I've noted the various comments above that you only need something that spins a piece of wood etc etc, but it appears that the Hegner will spin it with much more ease & control. From the various comments & videos by owners/users on the 'net, these things seem to be amazing.

Have ordered it with a few extras... Short Bed Tailstock, On/Off Footswitch, Deep Hollowing Rest etc. Will be coming by slow boat from London so I don't expect to see it prior to Christmas. Hopefully it will be worth the wait and the outlay.

Thanks for original heads-up on this one Tea lady.

Wayne

[Paul39]

Wayne,

I'm first in line to say that you only need something that spins a piece of wood etc., BUT if one has the means, and especially if one has a company that will buy the lathe, DO IT!

I was a commercial photographer for 40 years and at one time the business owned a Cessna 150 airplane. I did aerial photography so it was more or less legitimate in the eyes of the Infernal Revenue.

The biggest lathe I have played on was a Poolewood, now gone, with a direct drive VFD motor and lots of swing and weight. Very sweet compared to my Hegner 175 with square tube bed.

http://www.ellsworthstudios.com/david/images/lathe/Euro-2000.jpg

I suspect you will be grinning like a mule eating briars when you turn on the new toy.

[wheelinround]

Wayne well done selling both lathes and now the ordering has been done for the new toy.

I could say the waiting time might give you time to actually get some time on the Blue new toy as well as the Ligno toys over the next 5/6 months.

You do know shipping times are estimated these days at 6 to 8 weeks its the Bond stores whom may have it for 3 months:; and thats in Sydney :dev:Time to contact my mates the dockhands, container transport game again me thinks:innocent:

[NeilS]

Onya, Wayne...:2tsup:

Enjoy!











... and if you don't, I might be able to help you out...:rolleyes:

[Hardenfast]

Yes, agreed Paul. One of the advantages in owning & running your own business is the discretion to purchases tools & equipment etc which may also be occasionally used as/for recreational purchases. I like to think that the amount of time that I spend cleaning & maintaining my tools & machinery - at no cost to the business, I might add - is a reasonable offset for the non-business or recreational use that I benefit from. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

By the way.... greetings from OZ. Been to NC a few times - nice part of the world. Also, do mules eat briars? What are briars anyway? I thought they were an English thorn bush. You know, Brer Rabbit and all that stuff?

Ray, you may be right with the actual shipping time from UK - I never actually asked the question. In any case if I don't expect it before Christmas I won't be disappointed if it doesn't arrive beforehand - will I? And yes, I'm determined to unpack the Ligno gear and have a play with it on the Vicmarc over the Christmas/New Year break.

Thanks Neil. I'm sure the Hegner will be the source of some local fascination once it arrives. I like to think it will retain much of it's purchase value over a period of time, but in the meantime I must go back to work now to pay for it.

Wayne

[Paul39]

By the way.... greetings from OZ. Been to NC a few times - nice part of the world. Also, do mules eat briars? What are briars anyway? I thought they were an English thorn bush. You know, Brer Rabbit and all that stuff?

Yes Brer Rabbit. Briars: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/pictures/20000/nahled/briars.jpg

Mules draw their lips back and nibble with their teeth so as not to get stuck. Mules eat less than horses, are more sure footed on bad ground, do the same or more work, and when they have reached the limit of endurance, will go no farther. Horses will go until they drop dead.

See also: Mules vs Horses - Horsetopia Forum (http://forum.horsetopia.com/long-ear-chat/129949-mules-vs-horses.html)

Paul

[Hardenfast]

So, just revisiting this thread with an update.

Having ordered (and paid for) the Hegner VB36 back in mid October I though it might be an outside chance for delivery prior to Christmas. However, having checked with the English supplier (Technology Supplies in Shropshire) in late November I was somewhat surprised to learn that they actually manufacture these machines to order, and that my lathe had not even been completed at that stage.

Indeed, they me informed that it probably wouldn't be ready to ship until after Christmas because of some manufacturing hold-ups. Huh? Anyway, after a few emails back & forth they soothed my displeasure somewhat by throwing in a few freebies - always a good pacifier.

Anyway, I now have a Bill of Lading which tells me that the VB36 left the Port of Tilbury on 11th January in a crate with a gross weight of 408 kgs. The local Sydney agent is still unsure of the exact arrival date but expects it towards the end of February - I would have thought these things are always pre-scheduled? All going well I should be able to pick it up in the first week of March, and will have to work out what to do with it from there.

I ended up ordering the machine with a Short Bed Tailstock complete with Centres, a Foot-switch, Deep Hollowing Rest with Accessories, an Adaptor to suit the Vicmarc Chucks etc. Looking forward to getting some time off to play with it later in the year. :)

Who else has one of these in Australia?

[Pat]

I know of one VB36 in Victoria and has the VB72 :;

[wheelinround]

Wayne all good things come to those who wait so I am told :roll:

I guess the GtG on central coast is now delayed of course you have been playing with the other toys and ready to show those off. IF NOT I'll be happy to come and set them up for you if you don't have the time :U

[RETIRED]

So, just revisiting this thread with an update.

Having ordered (and paid for) the Hegner VB36 back in mid October I though it might be an outside chance for delivery prior to Christmas. However, having checked with the English supplier (Technology Supplies in Shropshire) in late November I was somewhat surprised to learn that they actually manufacture these machines to order, and that my lathe had not even been completed at that stage.

Indeed, they me informed that it probably wouldn't be ready to ship until after Christmas because of some manufacturing hold-ups. Huh? Anyway, after a few emails back & forth they soothed my displeasure somewhat by throwing in a few freebies - always a good pacifier.

Anyway, I now have a Bill of Lading which tells me that the VB36 left the Port of Tilbury on 11th January in a crate with a gross weight of 408 kgs. The local Sydney agent is still unsure of the exact arrival date but expects it towards the end of February - I would have thought these things are always pre-scheduled? All going well I should be able to pick it up in the first week of March, and will have to work out what to do with it from there.

I ended up ordering the machine with a Short Bed Tailstock complete with Centres, a Foot-switch, Deep Hollowing Rest with Accessories, an Adaptor to suit the Vicmarc Chucks etc. Looking forward to getting some time off to play with it later in the year. :)

Who else has one of these in Australia?I hope you got the delivery address correct. Woodturner in Tooradin will find me ok. The deep hollowing rest I don't really need so if you send me your address I will forward it on.:D

[wheelinround]

Wayne here's an excellent write up on the VB6 thought you might be interested. VB6 Report (http://www.wheelchairwoodturners.org.uk/vb36_report.htm) Looks so easy to use.

[Hardenfast]

Wayne here's an excellent write up on the VB6 thought you might be interested. VB6 Report (http://www.wheelchairwoodturners.org.uk/vb36_report.htm) Looks so easy to use.

Thanks Ray.

I had a read of that article which seems to be very honest and impartial. From my understanding the few problems they had in the early production stages with bearing fitments were resolved fairly quickly, and since then the performance standard & general feedback seems to have been excellent. The article was also very interesting in that the author had ordered his machine with a virtually identical list of attachments & extras to mine.

If you wheelchair guys find these things easy to manipulate & operate then I should have no excuses at all.

All going well the shipment should be arriving in Sydney within the next 2-3 weeks.

Wayne

[wheelinround]

Thanks Ray.

I had a read of that article which seems to be very honest and impartial. From my understanding the few problems they had in the early production stages with bearing fitments were resolved fairly quickly, and since then the performance standard & general feedback seems to have been excellent. The article was also very interesting in that the author had ordered his machine with a virtually identical list of attachments & extras to mine.

If you wheelchair guys find these things easy to manipulate & operate then I should have no excuses at all.

All going well the shipment should be arriving in Sydney within the next 2-3 weeks.

Wayne

When it arrives Wayne will be glad to test run it from my stool and let you know what its like. Can't turn from the wheelchair not even a micro lathe as it puts pressure on points from shoulders to lower back. You are right tho if a guy in a wheelchair can use one anyone should be able too with in reason. I mean there are those who just get giddy watching turners and those who set their own limits and not a wheelchair in sight. Bit like my aversion to ............oh climbing ladders not that I am afraid of heights legs just won't push me up them these days. Cherry Picker no worries:;

[Kevin-R]

Hi
Interesting topic. What are the requiemets of a bowl turning lathe

Kev

[wheelinround]

Hi
Interesting topic. What are the requiemets of a bowl turning lathe

Kev

Kev depends on the size of bowl for starters. You can turn a bowl on a mini lathe about 10" dia then through the ranks of lathes available on the market up to and past what Wayne has bought. Have a look at this (http://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/bgm-vb36-the-assembly-wip-t36997.html)about 1/2 way down

Wayne's into segmentation (http://www.cnew.org/cnew-gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=15804&g2_imageViewsIndex=1) and its an ideal lathe for stuff this size

[Hardenfast]

Yes, as Ray has said it tends to be all about the diameter of the bowls, Kev. Keep in mind that when you're starting off on a rough bowl blank you'll need much greater clearance than the finished size you end up with. It would not be unusual for a bowl with a finished diameter of 300mm to require clearance of 400mm or more when you start to spin the rough blank, even when you have initially trimmed it to shape.

You can turn some pretty big bowls on a standard lathe. The swing on a Vicmarc VL300 will allow you to spin a 600mm finished-size piece - I think the open-bed Stubby machines will allow up to 800m of swing. Some of the lathes can also be adapted for outboard turning - you just need to buy the specialised components for the machine. There also lathes which have a swivel-head capability, and this allows you to pivot the bowl outside the bed if the diameter is too big. I used this facility a few times on my Leady lathe, but it can then be difficult to get the right setup on your tool-rests etc to work the piece comfortably.

None of these things are cheap. Interestingly, I don't think that the total cost of the Hegner VB36 imported into Australia will be a great deal more than a Stubby 1000 or a Vicmarc VL300 with an outboard turning setup plus accessories & delivery costs etc. Mind you, I was lucky enough that the company in England was having a 20%-off sale when I ordered mine, so that saving effectively paid for the shipping costs etc.

Also, the stance options for the turner seem to be somewhat revolutionary with the VB36. You can position yourself immediately at the face of the piece as it's spinning, rather than having to lean over it from the side as you do with a conventional lathe. I think this feature is particularly appealing to the wheelchair turners like Ray who are somewhat limited in how/where they position themselves when working the piece. Further to his comments above, I'm intrigued by the thought of Ray hanging from a cherry-picker in a bosun's chair while working on his lathe.

Anyway, I hope to be able to do an Australian review of the Hegner VB36 later in the year once it's set up and I've tried it out on a few projects.

Wayne

[Sawdust Maker]

...
I'm intrigued by the thought of Ray hanging from a cherry-picker in a bosun's chair while working on his lathe.

Anyway, I hope to be able to do an Australian review of the Hegner VB36 later in the year once it's set up and I've tried it out on a few projects.

Wayne

Now there's an image which I can't get out of my mind :C

Happy new lathe, I might be up Terrigal way during the school hols, I'll invite myself around for a looksee and a bit of tyrekicking

A review would be nice for us whom can only think about owning such equipment. :2tsup:

[Pat]

Further to his comments above, I'm intrigued by the thought of Ray hanging from a cherry-picker in a bosun's chair while working on his lathe.

Why am I here chuckling evilly away at that thought ?????:evillaugh:

[Sturdee]

Why am I here chuckling evilly away at that thought ?????:evillaugh:

It would be a sight to behold. :U


Peter.

[wheelinround]

Pat thank's at least you have an idea I am willing to give it a go :;

I remind you again I DO NOT TURN sitting in that wheelchair at all :no:
I am more up market I use a Draughtsmans stool.:U

This gives me height and hip swivel as well as having wheels I can move about the work face easier.

:D Guy's prior being in a wheelchair you'd be surprised what and where I have hung off.

The thought of sitting in a Cherry Picker turning a decent sized bowl doesn't faze me. Just need to set everything up right even for a small bowl.

[Hardenfast]

Nice works on the Customs Duty & GST calcs, Neil - thanks. I wasn't even aware that we still paid a Customs Duty as well as GST. I thought Customs Duties were abolished when the GST was introduced? I blame Julia Gillard.
Wayne

So I was advised on Monday that the Hegner VB36 lather was now ready for pickup, having arrived from England via container ship at Port Botany about 10 days ago. In the same email I was also advised that if it wasn't picked up by Tuesday 3.00pm they would start adding storage fees to the total amount payable.

What was the total payable? Well, I had already paid all packaging & shipping costs to the supplier in England so it couldn't be too much - could it? Mind you, I had already been given a preview by Neil that both Customs Duties and GST would be applied to the total purchase price by the Federal Government, but that would be about it, right?

How about this list for a great way to rip you a new one?



$620.00 Packaging & Freight (GBP416 prepaid)
$1,159.46 Government Duties & Taxes (Duty $330.13 + $759.33 GST)
$120.00 Australian Quarantine inspection fee
$139.00 Quarantine fees
$150.00 Shipping Agent fee
$27.00 CMR fee (whatever that is)
$70.00 Delivery Order (whatever that is)
$15.00 EDI fee (whatever that is)
$137.70 Port Service Charges
$45.00 Sea Cargo Automation fee
$5.00 Terminal Security fee
$56.97 Additional GST on fees & charges


A grand total of almost $2,600 paid in shipping costs plus fees, additional taxes, fees, duties, fees, charges, fees ... oh, and don't forget the additional fee to pay the amount by credit card! Further, if I didn't pick it up yesterday they would start to add storage cost fees of $180.00 per day, plus whatever additional fees, charges & fees they could dream up. This has been an enlightening & costly exercise, boys & girls.
Turns out the actual VB36 machine was a relatively good deal from the English supplier - compared to the rorting, mongrel thieves in our Australian Government and local shipping agents. And yes, I blame Julia Gillard.

The worst part is I won't actually get to use (or even unpack) the machine for quite a while - possibly 6 months or more. We're currently negotiating to buy a new acreage property which will be a great improvement on our current situation, but which at the moment doesn't have a decent shed or workshop. Oh well.

Wayne

[wheelinround]

:oo:

Ned Kelly was hung years ago............or was he/she.

So did you pick it up?

Hope the new place is a bottler and makes up for it all.:2tsup:

Photo of create so we can drool

[hughie]

Ned Kelly was hung years ago............or was he/she.
l

Yep! He was, cos' the Government does not tolerate any competition then and now.