Powermatic 4224B lathe at Carbatec

[jefferson]

I was browsing the Carbatec site here :http://www.carbatec.com.au/powermatic-4224b-lathe_c22373 and came up with a price: $7469 reduced from $8299. Surely this is just a typo? You can get a blue Vicmarc VL 300 for a bit over $6K (admittedly a short bed) or a Stubby for around the same money at the Powermatic. But why would you buy a non-Aust. lathe? Something's awry somewhere.

[nz_carver]

No $8300 is what there asking

[Mobyturns]

I know what brand lathe I would be putting that sort of money into. The VL300 & Stubby would be very serious contenders. :2tsup: I don't think the Powermatic would be very high up my list even with the huge wraps our US woodturner friends give them. But if I was given a Powermatic I could suffer using it :rolleyes:

[Tim the Timber Turner]

No $8300 is what there asking

Less 10% off storewide for the month of May =$7469

Cheers

Tim:)

[nz_carver]

Less 10% off storewide for the month of May =$7469

Cheers

Tim:)
All I can a is vicmarc vl300 better lathe less $$ and made in Australia

[robo hippy]

I have never had the chance to try out a Vicmark. Maybe at the Symposium in Phoenix next month. I did have one of the old PM3520A models for 8 years, and loved it, then stepped up to a Robust American Beauty (3 hp, 3 speed ranges, 25 inch max diameter bowl). If you like the sliding headstock, which to me is far better than the pivoting ones, they are great lathes. The new PM is a great lathe, heavy cast iron, and a great sliding headstock. If I was going to do the upgrade all over again, and this new version of the 4240 was available, I would take the Robust still. Made in the USA. I guess it is the same for you down there, buy local if you can afford it.

robo hippy

[jefferson]

Robo, we all get attached to particular brands of lathes. My brother, for example, swears by his big green Woodfast, originally made in Australia. There are endless arguments about which lathe brand is best. What surprised me about the Powermatic was the price. Dearer than anything made here. The sliding head arrangement is something I've never used, so I can't comment on that. That said, the outrigger supports for the Vicmarcs work OK. Not ideal, but OK. I'm not sure of the going rate for a VB36 but I wouldn't mind tucking one into a corner of my shed.

[Big Shed]

+1 for the sliding head

[jefferson]

The only other sliding head machine I know of is the Jet series. Does that sound right, Fred? It would be interesting to try one when hollowing boxes etc

[artme]

There are several sliding head lathes, all much the same.

Jet has one and Powermatic ( a mustard coloured jet by any other name ) obviously have one.

Fred has a Hafco Wl46 with a sliding head. Gary Pye at one stage, as far as I can remember, had his
own brand with a sliding head as did David Drescher.

The last three mentioned here all seem to be modelled on the Jet.

[Big Shed]

The only other sliding head machine I know of is the Jet series. Does that sound right, Fred? It would be interesting to try one when hollowing boxes etc

As artme said above, I have the Hafco WL46 (http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/W387) which has a sliding head and EVS. I also have the bowl turning attachment.

Very solid lathe, can be set up as a shorter bed lathe (which I normally do) and with head at the end as a larger diameter bowl/platter lathe. The tailstock quill has 75mm travel which is ideal for drilling operations on the lathe.

At the time I bought it it was one of the few lathes where the head and spindle lined up:;

The Woodfast M305 and the Vicmarc VL100 didn't (neither was even close). The only other lathe I found that lined up was the Woodfast M910, but that was way too big (high) for me, as well as rather exxy. Nice machine though.

It is a complete mystery to me why the manufacturers of wood lathes don't think it is important that the headstock and tailstock line up. My 9x20 metal was cheaper than the WL46 wood lathe and has a beautifully cast and ground cast iron V shaped bed that the (adjustable) tailstock slides on.

In contrast the tailstock on most, if not all, wood lathes moves around like the proverbial you know what in the bed slot.

[artme]

Your observations about alignment and tailstock problems are spot on Fred.

These are two areas that concern me with my TL 1200. I might be able to
fix the tailstock problem by adding some extra length to it.

I have also wondered why a woodlathe bed shouldn't be built like a metal lathe bed.
Just makes so much common sense.