Thread: Dedicated Bowl Lathe - any in Australia?

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 know of one VB36 in Victoria and has the VB72

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

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

Originally Posted by 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?

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.

Wayne here's an excellent write up on the VB6 thought you might be interested. VB6 Report Looks so easy to use.

Originally Posted by wheelinround

Wayne here's an excellent write up on the VB6 thought you might be interested. VB6 Report 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

Originally Posted by Hardenfast

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

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

Kev

Originally Posted by Kevin-R

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 about 1/2 way down

Wayne's into segmentation and its an ideal lathe for stuff this size

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

Originally Posted by Hardenfast

...
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

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.

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 ?????

Originally Posted by Pat

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

It would be a sight to behold.


Peter.

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
I am more up market I use a Draughtsmans stool.

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

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.