Thread: Teknatool DVR XP - a judgement

Going walkabout?

.........wiff ya bruddas aye

- bit cool in the loin cloth dont ya rekon. i'd wait for summa

Yep, driveabout.

In the Forester and camper trailer. We'll do the West Macdonnell Range, Kings Canyon, Uluru and the Olgas. Coober Pedy, across to the Oodnadatta Tk and then the Flinders Ranges. Lake Mungo and home.

Standard grey nomad pilgrimage.

Dunno how we'll survive without decent capuccinos

David, the Centre will be around the low 30s in the sun during the day. A waterproof breathable loincloth in fluoro colours should do the job.

On a serious note Ern, it would be good to get your evaluation on the new Stubby 250, swivel head - Jim is the only owner so far.

Cheers

Swivel head jobs have some specific design and manufacture challenges (says he in stentorian tones).

Eg. how far out will the banjo reach so's you can do off-bed turning? (With a 4" chuck, 50mm jaws and a faceplate ring, the DVR XP will only allow you to turn up to a 6" diam blank with the head at the 22 degree position. That's with the toolrest parallel to the blank side. You can go bigger if you start shaping from the bottom up while creeping the rest around the side.)

2nd question: what's the outrigger setup capacity (if any)? (The DVR XP outrigger, when used with the Titan chuck, Powergrips and the head at 90 degrees, allows you to work a blank of no more than 11cm thickness.)

3rd: how quick is it to unlock, rotate and relock the head?

4th: how reliably does the head return to spindle parallel to the bed?

5th: are the head casting and clamping solid enough to support a whirring lump?

I'm sure there are other questions.

I never buy the first model of anything btw if I can help it.

Have a good trip
don't get caught rustling too many blanks

Thanks for the comment on the outrigger
I was wondering whether it actually added much. Is the 11cm with your modification or before?

Hi Ern,

Enjoy your trip. I did just the West MecDonnell through to kings Canyon and Uluru ranges a few years back and it was spectacular.

Thanks for the review on the lathe. I'm not up to spending this sort of money yet, but will want to in the next few years. I did a turning course at Trend timbers and used the DVR XP and quite liked it. The head stock on mine got hot enough to nearly burn you though the other ones in the shed didn't. I did like the power, and how it smoothly spins up to speed. Was nice to use. The VL-175 would definitely be on the list at that point too.

The guy next to me in the course had the 1624-44 (think that's the right model number), and though it wasn't as fancy, I thought it looked quite good for a belt change lathe.

Cheers,
Dave

Thanks guys.

Nick, if a chainsaw and its spoils got priority in the camper trailer the missus'd be sitting in the dirt during dinner.

She's supportive but that'd be pushing it.

Re the outrigger, that max figure is unmodified; I've held off that mod til I see how often I want to be leaning against the headstock.

Course with a 4" chuck and 50 mm jaws there'd be more depth but I wouldn't go that route trying a platter obviously, which is the kind of thing you want to do outboard.

Dave, I quite like the DVR XP too, and it'll do most of what I want to do. If memory serves, it used to be around $2.5k for the basic setup and at that price I would've rated it a good buy then. (The 1622-44 was rated that by FWW recently by the way, and I guess the price diff between it and the DVR XP gives an indication of what you're paying for the electrickery).

Have a good trip Ern. Would be interested if you could put something in the Motor Vehicles, or Camping Forums when you get back. I have my second Forester after thoroughly enjoying my first. Wife drives that one now. I have done a lot of "off road to my favourite fishing spot" trips, but nothing of the order of the trip you outline. Would be interested in seeing how it goes.

Can do Rookie.

This will be a pretty 'soft' adventure with limited dirt roads. I've put light truck AT tyres on though as the first proper 4by track I tackled led to two sidewall gashes in 5 minutes in the original rubber. And replaced the limp thing that passes for a sump guard with an alloy plate.

Some Forester guys put on bigger wheels and do suspension lifts in order to tackle roads like the Tanami and Gibb. Course the Foz is light and performs well in the sand.

Now that you've been using the XP for a while, any easier on the hands?

For outside bowl shaping Ed, yep definitely. Tool holding is easier and the work goes quicker.

For bowl hollowing: makes a bit of difference but the scope for swivelled-out work with the banjo is limited.

Cheers from Port Augusta, Ern

Geez, Ern, you do get around.

Good to hear the new beast is working for you.

Enjoy the trip Ern. Didn't take you long to get there!

Cheers,

FrankG