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bloggs1968
4th June 2006, 12:48 AM
Ok guys,

I have just been to the Sydney wood show and had a look at one of the beaver lathes. Bruce Bell reckoned that they were a very good lathe for the money ( down to $1099 and probably cheaper tomorrow). I read another post here saying to stay away from them but it looked okay to my inexperienced eye. Ran smoothly, centres lined up, quite a solid unit.

Anyone out ther more experienced who can offer some insight to this lathe and whether it is to avoided or is OK???

TIA

AD

bsrlee
4th June 2006, 01:21 AM
Considering they were selling for $2500 or there abouts, being marked down to round the $1000 mark would seem to indicate that the rumours are true about a dud batch being shipped to Oz.

Nineteen 45
4th June 2006, 01:37 AM
Considering they were selling for $2500 or there abouts, being marked down to round the $1000 mark would seem to indicate that the rumours are true about a dud batch being shipped to Oz.

So whoever is selling the cheaper ones is knowingly selling faulty goods? :confused:

Steven

Farnk
4th June 2006, 07:18 PM
So, what sort of chisel do you use on Beaver?
I'm assuming that there is some specialised saftey gear involved as well?
They have big claws from what I'm led to believe!

Mulgabill
4th June 2006, 07:57 PM
Carba-Tec are selling Beavers as a "Clearance Special" on their web site. The 6spd is advertised for $1639.00 and the EVS for $2695.00.

hughie
4th June 2006, 09:23 PM
So, what sort of chisel do you use on Beaver?
They have big claws from what I'm led to believe!



Farnk, Big wood chomping teeth! gotta have bullet proof gloves...well beaver proof anyway. :D

hughie

soundman
4th June 2006, 10:13 PM
From what I hear the beaver was not the runaway marketing sucess it was expected to be. So I wouldn't surprise me if they are clearing them to recover some capital.
There is so much competition in that mid priced lathe market.

cheers

bloggs1968
5th June 2006, 05:30 AM
Soundman,

That's pretty much what Bruce said at the show. He bought a couple down and they were playing with prices to see where the market was at. He said they realised that they were launched too high in price and reckoned about a grand was where they should be.

I am really looking for a mid sized lathe, somewhere in between the bigger jet/vicmarcs and the mini lathes, at a reasonable price and this seemed to fit the bill but I was wondering why people weren't attracted to them at this price.

regards,

AD

hughie
5th June 2006, 01:19 PM
I am really looking for a mid sized lathe, somewhere in between the bigger jet/vicmarcs and the mini lathes, at a reasonable price and this seemed to fit the bill but I was wondering why people weren't attracted to them at this price.


Well look at the size of this forum. A couple of comments on how they might be crappy. Bingo theres goes your reputation in 30secs. Who wants to buy a lemon?

"If enough mud is thrown some of it will stick" Neville Wran

It seems Rockwell made a Beaver many years ago
http://edmonton.craigslist.org/tls/163585737.html
http://www.acetoolrepair.com/DeltaHtml/Tables/WoodLathes.htm
http://www.owwm.com/MfgIndex/Detail.asp?ID=698&PI=ALL

Some body has revived the name, Vicmarc?

Designed by Vicmarc and assembled in Taiwan, this electronic variable speed lathe is well made and features many of the features and specifications found on their VICMARC cousins. Also features a swivelling head.

<TABLE class=spectable cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=1 width="95%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=speccell>centre height</TD><TD class=speccell>155mm </TD></TR><TR><TD class=speccell>swing over bed</TD><TD class=speccell>310mm</TD></TR><TR><TD class=speccell>distance between centres</TD><TD class=speccell>500mm</TD></TR><TR><TD class=speccell>indexing</TD><TD class=speccell>24 divisions</TD></TR><TR><TD class=speccell>spindle thread</TD><TD class=speccell>M30 x 3.5 </TD></TR><TR><TD class=speccell>headstock spindle</TD><TD class=speccell>no. 2 MT</TD></TR><TR><TD class=speccell>spindle speeds</TD><TD class=speccell>infinitely variable: 100 -1000, 200 -2000, 300 - 3000</TD></TR><TR><TD class=speccell>tailstock spindle</TD><TD class=speccell>no. 2 MT</TD></TR><TR><TD class=speccell>tailstock spindle travel</TD><TD class=speccell>75mm</TD></TR><TR><TD class=speccell>tailstock spindle bore</TD><TD class=speccell>10.5mm</TD></TR><TR><TD class=speccell>motor</TD><TD class=speccell>.75 kw</TD></TR><TR><TD class=speccell>tool rest post diameter</TD><TD class=speccell>25.4mm</TD></TR><TR><TD class=speccell>net weight</TD><TD class=speccell>151 kg</TD></TR><TR><TD class=speccell align=middle colSpan=2>accessories included</TD></TR><TR><TD class=speccell colSpan=2>
1 x 100mm faceplate
1 x live centre (cup type)
1 x tool rest (300mm)
1 x knockout bar
1 x spur drive
1 x spanner
owner's manual $2,695.00<FORM name=multiple_products_cart_quantity action=http://www.carbatec.com.au/store/index.php?main_page=products_general_info&cPath=300_14570_14702&sort=20a&action=multiple_products_add_product method=post encType=multipart/form-data><TABLE cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=right colSpan=2><!-- <input type="submit" align="absmiddle" value="Add Selected Products to Cart" id="submit1" name="submit1" Class="SubmitBtn"> --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=pageresults></TD><TD class=pageresults align=right> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=productlisting colSpan=2><TABLE class=productListing-data cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=productListing-heading noWrap bgColor=#9cb9d2> Model (http://www.carbatec.com.au/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=300_14570_14702&page=1&sort=1a) </TD><TD class=productListing-heading noWrap bgColor=#9cb9d2> Product Name (http://www.carbatec.com.au/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=300_14570_14702&page=1&sort=3a) </TD><TD class=productListing-heading noWrap align=right width=90 bgColor=#9cb9d2> Price (http://www.carbatec.com.au/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=300_14570_14702&page=1&sort=7a) </TD></TR><TR class=productListing-odd><TD class=productListing-data>B150SH </TD><TD class=productListing-data>Vicmarc 500mm Electronic Variable Speed Wood Lathe</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></FORM>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
hughie

scooter
5th June 2006, 11:28 PM
Farnk, Big wood chomping teeth! gotta have bullet proof gloves...well beaver proof anyway. :D

hughie

Ah, the lines that are goin' unsaid here... :p

That's what being brung up gooder does :D


Cheers................Sean

hcbph
6th June 2006, 12:00 PM
Don't know if it's the same thing, but I've recently seen this unit advertised. Lists it as designed by Vicmarc Machinery.

You can see a picture of it at: http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/catalog/beaver.html

Paul

hackhofer
27th June 2010, 04:37 AM
From Spain, !Hello everybody!

Couple of years retired , started turning with a jet 1220 lathe 4 years ago (pens ,peppermills , table lamps etc.) . 6 months ago looking for a bigger lathe found that my suplier (" Tornyfusta.com" , Mallorca,Spain(Vicmarc representative)) was selling the Beaver B150SH. The owner of this company ( Miguel ) is a profesional woodturner and recomended this lathe to me ,of coarse I could not a ford a Vicmarc .
Seems like no review of this lathe on the web so I decided to contribute with my experience: the last six months I am working with this lathe , 6 to 8 hours every day , no problems at all and very happy with the general performance.
Came well boxed with a very solid stand (unassembled) once all assembled and leveled ,running very smooth and no vibrations. The only noticeable noise, is the vector control unit. Very solid lathe body and perfectly alined , solid tail stock with a 80 mm. travel very solid and smooth operating toolrest unit . The 1 HP induction motor is ("AEG" brand) superb ,noiseless and after 6 hours of continuos operation , not eaven warm. Came with the belt ratio in the 3000 rpm . position , I changed it to the midle ratio ( 2000 rpm.) I don`t need more . The variable speed unit never failed yet and reverse control works perfect , very usefull in fact. I wondered about the spindle bearings so I dismounted them for inspecction and yes, heavy duty "MTN" made in Japan tapered bearings . Swiveling the head stock is very simple . tested turning a bowl at 24 º and when moving back alines well in its place. So , designed by Vicmarc ( similar to the Vic 175 ) made in Taiwan ( in Spain , 1.350 € came with a vic 100 chuck free) and for the moment very happy with the lathe and with the diference from the Vic 175 ( 2000 € less) I have a nice brand new band saw.
Hope that this can help somebody and ofcoarse opened to any questions about the lathe.

Thanks Folks.

robyn2839
27th June 2010, 08:35 AM
the beaver was the best lathe i have ever owned,every time i think of it i wonder why i sold it,it was the smoothest,quietest,most accurate lathe ever ,it is a vicmarc copy and only poor marketing was its downfall ,i would go for it specially at that price...bob

rsser
27th June 2010, 09:21 AM
Last time I looked Vermec were retailing them and if Enzo was prepared to back the product ....

Hackhofer, thanks for posting your experience and welcome to the forum.

artme
27th June 2010, 05:36 PM
I know that Beaver were a Vicmarc "clone". They always looked the goods but I felt they were overpriced, especially considering that they were made in Taiwan (apparently)

I think at the prices on offer now they would be a bargain.

kps
27th June 2010, 06:21 PM
For the price and size I have had a good run from the BEAVER apart from a headstock bearing failure. Bugger of a job to pull the head down and replace the bearings but running better than before. VERMEC offers excellent support.
Cheers, kps

hackhofer
30th June 2010, 03:42 AM
Hi Folks,

Thank`s to everybody for your reply. Specially glad to hear some positive opinions about the lathe. Still I have a doubt about the bearings, this are tapered open bearings (Not sealed ) so they are not dust proof , guess that Vicmarc has the same type of bearings . ¿ any special care on them?

Thanks`s again,

Jose

Allen Neighbors
30th June 2010, 05:08 AM
Personally, I wouldn't worry about the bearings. I have a VL100. I was drilling a couple of small screw holes in the headstock. When finished, I gave the spindle a spin with my hand -- gritty -- so I dismantled the spindle, and cleaned and regreased the bearings. Went back together easily, and the bearings haven't given a prob since. I've really given these a workout. Don't know if they're the same bearings as on the beaver, though, but if they are, they may be open bearings, but they're good, open bearings.

artme
30th June 2010, 07:54 AM
Yep bearings are tapered and not sealed. This is the one criticism I have heard about Vicmarc Lathes.

switt775
30th June 2010, 09:48 AM
I'm going to be in the market for a new lathe in the next few months, and I've put the beaver EVS on my list to look at. The one thing that bothers me is the motor being only 750W/ 1HP. As the lathe will need to turn everything from pens to large platters, I'm wondering if 1 HP will be an issue. Also can anyone tell me if it reverses for sanding?

rsser
30th June 2010, 10:07 AM
It'll be a real horsepower, not hamster power to use Skew's quip. The VL175 only comes std with 1 HP so it should be fine for most applications.

The kind of electronics used in the EVS also have an effect on the amount of usable power; that's one reason why Vermec sell a modified version of the Stubby.

switt775
30th June 2010, 10:36 AM
It'll be a real horsepower, not hamster power to use Skew's quip. The VL175 only comes std with 1 HP so it should be fine for most applications.


Yeah, I was thinking that might be the case. Had a chinese built table saw with a "3HP motor". When that blew, I replaced it with an aussie 2HP unit, and found there was more useable power.

The guy I bought the replacement motor from told me this was typical of goods currently coming out of China. I expect this will be the case for the foreseeable future.

hackhofer
30th June 2010, 10:50 AM
Thanks Allen. I`ll just put that on my maintenance scedule.

For Switt 775. I have beaver B150SH as I posted before and believe me the 750 W "AEG" motor combined with the vector control has a lot of tork and as I posted after all day continuos work does not even warm up . If you jam a tool on the blank get ready for a broken tool or blank it wont stop. Bigest piece I turned on this lathe for the moment is 300mm. Bubinga blank and planing to do some outboard turning with larger diameters.

Cheers,

Jose

hackhofer
30th June 2010, 10:55 AM
Oh, the motor that comes with the Beaver B150SH is not chinese , it`s german AEG made in Europe.

hackhofer
30th June 2010, 10:58 AM
Sorry , yes it reverses

switt775
30th June 2010, 11:16 AM
Oh, the motor that comes with the Beaver B150SH is not chinese , it`s german AEG made in Europe.

Thanks for that. Sorry if it wasn't clear in my earlier post. I'd asumed the motor in this lathe was a quality unit. Most of the other lathes I'm considering are assembled in China, so they are more of a worry.

And thanks for the other posts as well. Always good to hear from someone who has firsthand experience.:2tsup:

bobsreturn2003
1st July 2010, 07:03 PM
i have two vicmark lathes a vl175 1hp vspeed needs more power will put 2hp on it shortly , by changing motor and vsd . should motor then. the vl200 is mech v speed 1.5 hp and works fine power wise . the beaver was made designed sold by vicmark . and looks cheap at $1000 should be a good buy motor and controlls are worth half of that . and vicmarks are good gear ,cheers bob

scorpio_oz
1st July 2010, 11:22 PM
Hi,

Probably off topic.

The Vicmarc VL175 I looked at, at Vermec and the Brissie woodshow had a 1.1kw EVS motor as standard. Its listed on the Vicmarc website as 1.1kw as well.

I thought 1.1KW was 1.5HP not 1HP, or do I have my maths wrong? I'm numerically dyslexic, so conversions ain't my strong suit.

Sorry about the off topic.

I looked at a Beaver lathe a couple of months ago at Vermec. Looks a solid unit. The only comment I have with my limited knowledge is it its finish is a bit like my little chinese midi lathe. Its finish was rough, though to be fair it was standing alongside a VL175, so that kinda made it look rougher.

Regards

-Gavin

switt775
1st July 2010, 11:33 PM
the beaver was made designed sold by vicmark . and looks cheap at $1000 should be a good buy motor and controlls are worth half of that .
I'd love to know where you found them for $1000, with the VSD. The only ad I've seen is Vermec (http://vermec.tripod.com/PDFs/beaverlathes.pdf), and they want $1950.

Sturdee
2nd July 2010, 12:06 AM
I'd love to know where you found them for $1000, with the VSD. The only ad I've seen is Vermec (http://vermec.tripod.com/PDFs/beaverlathes.pdf), and they want $1950.

I think it is referring to the first post in this thread which is four years old.

Peter.

rsser
2nd July 2010, 08:44 AM
Hi,

Probably off topic.

The Vicmarc VL175 I looked at, at Vermec and the Brissie woodshow had a 1.1kw EVS motor as standard. Its listed on the Vicmarc website as 1.1kw as well.

I thought 1.1KW was 1.5HP not 1HP, or do I have my maths wrong? I'm numerically dyslexic, so conversions ain't my strong suit

-Gavin

No you're right.

1.5 used to be an option; seems it's now standard.

bobsreturn2003
2nd July 2010, 08:47 AM
the early ones must have had .75 kw 1hp because thats whats on mine , cheers

switt775
2nd July 2010, 10:00 AM
I think it is referring to the first post in this thread which is four years old.

Peter.

Pity.

And my time machine is in the shop and won't be ready until last week...:?

Manuka Jock
2nd July 2010, 08:25 PM
The latest guff on them .
All you wanted to know about BEAVER (http://www.woodturningworks.com/beaver.htm)



:2tsup:

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robyn2839
3rd July 2010, 12:20 AM
The latest guff on them .
All you wanted to know about BEAVER (http://www.woodturningworks.com/beaver.htm)



:2tsup:

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<!--mstheme--><!--msnavigation--> i think Victor Verrachia, is enzo (vermecs), brother.......................just for interest..........bob