Outboard Turning Tool Test Options?

[Whit AndersonIL]

Thanks to everyone who replied. There were a lot of good points brought up for me to think about. At this point I see two main problems. If there is flex in the Laguna articulated banjo arm that seems like a bad thing. A big bowl gives the gouge a pounding until the bowl gets pretty round. The other red flag is the caution from Charlie and Jamie that the free standing tool rest might have a tendency to move or tip. I suppose I could brace the free standing tool rest.
--Whit

[Whit AndersonIL]

Doug--
Your review was great. There seems to be a dearth of information about the size of the parts of the Laguna accessory. I was very pleased to see some measurements.
--Whit

[Whit AndersonIL]

Charlie--
When you said, "you must put something (block of wood) between the stand and the end of the lathe," did you mean attach a brace near the top of the stand? When I first read that I thought maybe you meant that the stand "walked" as you used it and you put a piece of wood on the floor. Then I thought maybe you meant that it tipped toward the lathe. A much scarier prospect.
--Whit

[Whit AndersonIL]

John--
I saw that design when I searched the archives. It is ingenious. It does look very sturdy. It also looks like the easiest version to build myself. It is, however, not completely without cost. 2 pieces of steel (4" x 1/2" x 12") would cost me between $50 and $75 at McMaster-Carr. It looks to me like the Powermatic Extension post is about another $90. Then there is a bunch of Baltic Birch to buy. Some people might have some steel lying around, or a bin full of Baltic Birch, which would make that design more economical.
--Whit

[Whit AndersonIL]

Roland--
I hadn't seen Baxter's Tool Rest. Thanks for pointing it out. I unfortunately don't have a welding setup (nor skills). I'm still not sure what I want to do.
--Whit

[Whit AndersonIL]

Jamie--
You have several good points here. I have no desire for an unexpected meeting of my hands, body, or head with the gouge or a large piece of spinning wood. I think that the Powermatic free standing tool rest is as close as I am going to find in a tool rest designed for the Jet lathe that I have. I was told that the free standing tool rest was once available in white for Jet owners.
I agree that turning a bowl can be physically demanding. Just carrying the big blanks down to the basement is a bit of a workout. Then the cutoffs and shavings all have to come up again. But the 15 something inch bowls that I can turn are fun and worth the effort.
--Whit

[charlie knighton]

Whit,

this is what i use

i do not have problem with tilting, but the stand does get drawn into the turning if i do not use stop on the feet

[John M. Smith]

Whit,

I purchased the steel at a local company. Cost around $20. I was lucky enough to have the scrap baltic birch from work for free. And yes the post was $90 . I feel it was well worth it. With the riser block I made for the tailstock, I am able to reverse chuck a bowl, and finish turn the bottom.

[Richard Allen]

There are a lot of different solutions. My first solution would be to "impose" on someone with a larger lathe and turn a large bowl (or whatever) on that lathe.

1. You may find that you really like turning big stuff.
2. You may find that turning big stuff is fun but something you actually want to do only a few times a year.
3. You may find you don't like turning big stuff.

My solutions would be for condition:

1. Buy a bigger lathe
2. Impose on friends with bigger lathes a few times a year
3. Focus on the turning I like to do

Turning BIG stuff puts a LOT of stress on your turning apparatus. The outboard solutions that you are selecting from are LESS capable than the lathe turning over the ways. Why would you want to turn BIG wood (which can do bodily harm) on a less capable turning apparatus? I am aware of only one outboard turning setup which is more stable than the inboard turning setup. That is the Oneway large outboard turning system. That system is designed for the large Oneway lathes and costs well over $1000. For that $1000 you get a lathe bed which is 17" wide. The banjo Is HUGE supporting a tool rest with a 1 1/2" post. As you can tell from the specs this is a VERY stable platform for turning large hunks of wood. When you turn wood using this setup you can focus on the turning and forget about the stability of the lathe (just like you do when you turn wood inboard on you lathe).

[Jeffrey J Smith]

I just sold my 1642 for a lathe with a larger swing, it's being picked up today; but, when I researched options for outboard turning, the Vicmark outboard turning attachment was mentioned often. It is adaptable to many lathes, only requires drilling a couple of holes in a leg to attach. It looks and functions a lot like the one Robust offers for their equipment.

I just noticed that the cost has escalated since I first did my research a couple of years ago.

[Whit AndersonIL]

Charlie--

Thanks for your response and for the picture. It gives me another perspective on how that tripod works. That looks like it shouldn't be much of a problem to brace the tripod.

I should do what you have done and put a bunch of weight on the bottom of my lathe. I suppose I should also clean my floor as well as you have. I'd be embarrassed to post a picture showing the floor in my shop. :^)

--Whit

[Whit AndersonIL]

Jeffrey--

Thanks for suggesting I look at the Vicmarc. They even mention that people use it with Jet lathes.

The more I look, the more confused I get.

--Whit

[charlie knighton]

I should do what you have done and put a bunch of weight on the bottom of my lathe.

most big blanks are going to be irregular , the 1642 is made to make a platform with 2 2 by 4's and plywood, run the lathe at slow slow speed til you get the blank balanced, the 1642 does not have a very big footprint, almost would like an outrigger to steady it up on the turners side

[Dick Strauss]

Don't forget to take into account the separation between the rails of the ways (the PM3520 has a 2.5" space, the Jet 1642 has a 1.75" spacing, and the Delta 1440 has a 1.5" spacing between the way rails). In other words, any accessories (banjo, etc) from the Jet will not work with the PM bed extension. I don't know the spacing on the Laguna so it may or may not be the same as the Jet 1642.

[Doug Herzberg]

I don't know the spacing on the Laguna so it may or may not be the same as the Jet 1642.

The spacing on the Busy Bee is 1.5".