How big a bowl can I turn, outboard, on the G0698?

[Phil Landwer]

I've got a Grizzly G0698 lathe.
I also just got a fresh red oak tree, that's about 62" at the base.
I see this lathe allows me to slide the head, to the end of the bed, for outboard turning.
Anyone ever do this, with this lathe?

I roughed a chunk of the tree out, with the chainsaw, making a bowl blank.
I'm estimating it weighs in at 200 pounds.
Is that too much for that lathe to handle?

Can someone point out where I can get one of those tool rests for outboard turning?

Even if I sand-bagged the lathe to give it more weight, I'm concerned the bearings in the head aren't gonna handle something this large.

[Kevin Bourque]

I'd be concerned about the bearings more than anything else. I doubt they were engineered to handle a load that heavy.

But I'm curious,exactly what are you planning to make that needs to be THAT big?

[Gary Max]

Sand bags do not make a bigger lathe.-----sorry

[Phil Landwer]

But I'm curious,exactly what are you planning to make that needs to be THAT big?

A one of a kind, bowl.

[Curt Fuller]

Well, I wouldn't try it. First, you have no tailstock support with the headstock at the end of the ways. So unless the 200 pound blank is very round to begin with and very balanced, besides testing the lathe bearings you'll also be testing the mounting system. A large faceplate with a lot of screws might hold on to it, but the emphasis would be on "might". The thing I think is most important to consider on a large and unusual turning is not if it could possibly work but what would happen if it didn't. Is it worth damaging the lathe, knocking a hole in the wall, getting seriously hurt by a 200 pound dead plow to the body or worse the head. You might pull it off and have bragging rights but you might not and you never know what might happen or when it might happen. I would have no problem with a well balanced 17 1/2" diameter blank on an 18" lathe that could be turned between centers. But going out on the end of the ways with no support just to see if I could is something I would never suggest doing.

[Roger Chandler]

I have the G0698 as well.........with no tailstock support, I would not put a 200 pound blank on it! The thing weighs in at about 500 lbs, and unless you have added significant ballast, and made sure the blank is really balanced to begin with then you are likely to see the lathe start walking. Now, with all that said, this is a capable lathe, and with a good outboard rest and a blank that is balanced fairly well, you can turn a big bowl........think 22 - 25 inches diameter for one that is not real deep. The outboard turning capacity is mainly for larger platters that are to big for over the ways.

I have not personally turned a bowl that big on my G0698, but the lathe has 2 hp and will handle a fairly substantial piece of wood.......I have turned blanks over 85 lbs a couple of times..........I would see if I could not find a way to add tailstock support .........do you have the bed extension? +1 on using a faceplate with fairly long screws.........you need a real solid hold.

[Roger Chandler]

Phil,

You should take a look at the Grizzly Green Monster Group [GGMG] and post this question to some other owners who have the 18/47 G0698 or G0733.........there might be one who has turned a larger than I have.............go to the "community" tab at the top of the page.......click on that, then "groups" and you will see it.........you are welcome to join the other 45 members already a part of the group. We have a Grizzly specific user group who might have some ideas for you, based on their experiences with the Grizzly lathes.

[Doug Herzberg]

Phil, I have the GO698 as well and have been working with some 18" diameter by 9" deep blanks of very green maple. I've been hollowing the bowls as much as possible with the tailstock up, but as soon as I pull the tailstock back to finish, it starts wobbling. Probably 1/8" runout. The belt groans and I hear other scary noises. The last of these blanks weighed 16# when I finished rough turning, so I would guess 3 or 4 times that much when I started, maybe more.

I don't have nearly enough weight on the lathe right now, but I don't think I can get enough for these blanks. I think the only solution will be to bolt it to the floor. I'm hoping a bowl steady will help, too. I've been corresponding with Grizzly and someone there is checking now to see if the lathe has a recommended maximum weight.

If you check your owners' manual, I'm pretty sure it suggests that you limit outboard turning to 17" or so, which you can almost always do inboard. I do have an outboard bed extension from Busy Bee Tools in Canada, which fits the Griz, but until I fabricate a tailstock for it and bolt the lathe down, I'm not going bigger. I have done larger platters, maybe 22", but not much weight there, and it was still a thrilling ride. I posted some of my initial impressions on the extension bed here: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ion&highlight=

Good luck. Be safe. Start with something much smaller. I doubt you'll want to mount a 200# log after you've tried a 50 pounder.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Ditto what Curt said. I put a log outboard on my lathe that was 20" X 8" deep. Thought I had it screwed pretty good with 12 screws in my faceplate and had it cut pretty well round with the bandsaw. Needless to say I never did that again. If I don't have tailstock support to rough something out I am not doing it outboard without. Like Doug my lathe walked, shook, and groaned the whole time. Besides at least around here a bowl over 16" doesn't sell and it takes up a lot of real estate on the shelf.

[Phil Landwer]

Good luck. Be safe. Start with something much smaller. I doubt you'll want to mount a 200# log after you've tried a 50 pounder.

I've turned several 100# logs on this lathe with success. Always between centers, however, during roughing.
I do not have the bed extension.
I sold a 28" diameter Box Elder blank, last year, and I had people fighting over it....so I do have a market for large blanks, and large bowls.
However, without tail stock support, I think I'd just be asking for an accident.
I don't know....maybe I can rough it out with a chainsaw, to lighten the load......