Steve Schlumpf - We want to know the truth!!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Wow! What a long day of driving! Been home for a little bit, unpacked everything and moved my few purchases to the shop and have to admit that the symposium really exhausted me! Loved talking to everyone, seeing all the vendors but standing on hard concrete for all that time just seemed to wear me out!

Anyway... I'm home now. Plan on getting some much needed rest and then will try to figure out what all this 'secret' stuff John was talking about...

[Tim Thiebaut]

Very glad you made it home safely Steve! I see so many posts about the weekend here tonight I cant wait to go read it all!

[kenneth walker]

My guess it is big and white and has to be made so it will go down into steves basement.
Just my guess.
KW

[Steve Schlumpf]

Well, I did spend some money while at the symposium... but only for those things I absolutely had to had in order to turn.

I bought the Oneway Live Center because the original Jet live center I got with my lathe has seen better days. One problem I had with it was I could never get the center pin out of it. One of the Creekers there told me that they do indeed come out - just have to whack hard a few times to break it loose. Well, I had already bought the new live center, but once home I whacked the dickens out of the original and sure enough, the center pin finally did come out! Who knew???

Next thing I bought that I absolutely had to have to turn was one of Dave Schweitzer's 180 grit CBN sharpening wheels. Expensive for sure, but takes forever to wear out and I am right at that time where both of my grinding wheels need to be replaced. We let everyone know how well I like it after using it for a bit.

AND... the big secret? No real secret.... I went lathe shopping. John and I checked out all of these brands so I could see what each model had to offer and see if it fit in with my style of turning.

Powermatics.jpg
Powermatic models 3520B and the 4224

Vega Lathes.jpg
Vega lathes

Oneway.jpg
Oneway 2436

Robust.jpg
Robust American Beauty

Stubby 750.jpg
Stubby 750

Gave all the models a good going-over and a couple of the lathes would work OK for what I do but one really stood out and that is the one I ordered. I was given a 10 to 12 week time frame before the lathe would be ready for pickup. I know.... no photos... didn't happen! Sorry. I was going to wait to post about this but everyone knows John is just a big gossip.

This is a photo from their website that shows what I ordered. Should be pretty cool to turn on!
American Beauty.jpg

[Tim Rinehart]

I know you'll enjoy that 'beauty'. Congrats. I expect you ordered the 3 HP version...any other bells/whistles?

[Scott Hackler]

Whew! Glad you spilled the beans and I am really glad I don't live within reasonable driving distance to help you carry that big boy down the stairs!!

I like your style Steve, GO BIG OR GO HOME! (or buy big and go home without it for 10-12 weeks....)

[Bruce Page]

SaaWeeeet!
Congrats Steve. You should be all set with that Beauty!

[Reed Gray]

You will love it!!!!!!!!!!! I do mine. You won't believe how much of a step up it is from what you have now.

So great to meet every one. Wish I could remember all the names to connect with the faces. Information over load.

Wish I had enough hair to grow a pony tail.

Only tool that stirred really stirred up my tool lust was the Stewart Batty belt set up. I don't know if he has any pics up on his web site, but well thought out and designed. He tool the knife grinding sharpening station up a notch or two. Only $1800 for the 2 belt set up, when others 1 belt ones are about $1800.

Must go back into info digestion mode for another month or so.

robo hippy

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Steve
Your going to love this lathe. Although I don't own one I've got to use one a couple of times a week for over 3 1/2 yrs now. I'd buy one in a minute if I could only afford one. It's what I call a must have before retirement.
Congrats.

[Tim Thiebaut]

Oh now that is NICE!! Congrats on this Steve, hope you get many years of service out of this.

[Alan Trout]

Steve,

I was hoping it would go over 100 post before the reveal But heck it is going to be one hard 12 week wait.

Alan

[Rick Markham]

Good on you Steve! You certainly have earned it! That is one sweet Lathe, out of all of the choices you had, I would have made the same decision you did, that is a gorgeous machine! I'm super excited for you, that is super cool! The only thing it is missing is a red banjo. (sorry DD, I couldn't resist )

[John Keeton]

FINALLY!!!!!! I thought I was going to have to make another trip north to drag it out of you!!!

[Steve Schlumpf]

BOLD talk!

Was going to talk about it earlier but had to run to town. Always something!

[Toney Robertson]

Congrats Steve, that is a beauty all right.

I can't imagine how sweet it would be to turn on something like that one.