Delta quality control issues looking for a new lathe

[Jordan Gilbert]

I just bought a delta 46-460 a week or 2 ago and have only used it 3 times . I thought all the problems I was having with my turnings were my tools not being sharp ....... I kept getting chatter and my work looked like crap . My dad was next to me watching me turn and said that things really loud I said its normal its a 1hp he said he had heard them before and they are silent . Then he pointed out that the whole thing was turning off center . The headstock where you screw you chuck onto was turning totally off center , adn the handle that you turn on the back part was clearly turning off . I thought it was my 5lb chuck doing it so I took it off and It was still doing it . So I brought it back to woodcraft and they gave me a new one . I just set it up this ones just as loud ( the motor sounds like its thumping) and the tailstock center is so off center its not even funny its an easy 1/8 off if you try and match them up . If you turn it on and watch it turn with a perfectly centered pen blank sized piece of wood it looks like I am turning a 12x12 piece of wood . I took the tail stock off and looked at it and wow its terrible if you spin it and looked its bad .
Its very puzzling as I know 10 people who have this and absolutely love this lathe . I saw the one in woodcraft turn on and spin and it was perfect and so quiet . I think my woodcraft got a bad batch though or something .

So now I have to figure how what new lathe I am getting ...... I am trying to figure out a way to get a powermatic 3520b but being 17 its hard . I could get one but it would take a few months ( I am currently getting payments on a 3k guitar I am selling ). It seems like its worth it because It would outlive me and I could turn anything I want . Is there anything else I should look at ? The jet 1642 is appealing but I have powermatic on the brain for some reason . If I could get a new powermatic for like 35-3600 out the door I would do it .

[Peter Elliott]

Email Sean at Toolnut.. he'll hook you up with a 3520B, it's an awesome lathe. Th Jet is nice and I had one but if you can swing the 3520B, do it..

[Mike Goetzke]

Why not go to WOODcraft and swap again and have them try it out first. I bought one a short while back and the only way I can tell it's running is by the static in my radio (well - almost).

Mike

[Michael James]

+1 on take it back and have them open one for you. i bought mine ~ a yr 1/2 and I love it. I see they bumped the retail price up $100 in one swoop.
Good luck whatever you decide!
mj

[Jordan Gilbert]

I am pretty sure I am going to be getting a powermatic 3520b , is there anything better I should look at or just wait the 3 months and pickup one? As long as woodcraft will take it back ( I bought it the 7th and already swapped it out once ) and will give me my cash back I will be turning on a mustard machine by january .

[Michelle Rich]

I would call Delta...now as to the tailstock, headstock not matching..first is your lathe level across all 4 feet? If the floor/base cab, whatever is not flat, twist will happens & they will not match up. 2nd; you could shim the tailstock ..it will only take 1/16 if you are really off 1/8. I would take back to Woodcraft and have them run it..and I'd get a new one out of the box and have them run it before i left with it. 600.00 vs. a 4,000.00 machine is a whopping jump. There are many many great lathes in between.

[Andrew Kertesz]

Depends on what you want to do. My local Woodcraft has a 90 day unconditional return policy. If it doesn't perform like expected, you just don't like or whatever they will take it back. That does include power tools as well.

[Michael Mills]

It doesn’t help your problem with the Delta but they also have the Nova 1624 on sale for $900 for a couple of more days. I don’t know but have heard, the Nova DRV will go on sale about the eom for $1700. I know the Powermatic is a heck of a lathe but for about $2000 more?

[Jordan Gilbert]

Well I brought it back to woodcraft today and the manager was shocked . He said 2 of them ? He went and got the one I brought back first and we went to the classroom and plugged them in . The 1st one had a big problem with thumping it was crazy and he said wow and put it back in the box . The new one he looked at and noticed the off center thing and gave me the me my options . They said they wouldn't return it unless I bought a new lathe right then and there , they would give me the unused one on the showroom floor because I knew it worked perfectly ( Was very iffy) or I could keep my 2nd one and take it to the warranty center . I was very pissed because I just bought a brand new machine and I called delta and they told me I could get my money back or get a new lathe because they had a deal worked out with woodcraft . The dude at woodcraft then called them infront of me the guy told him the same thing and he said we don't take back any powertools except festool its been like that since we opened . So I just took the one off the floor , its dead quiet and appears to work perfectly . It pisses me off but its not woodcrafts fault it says right on the receipt , it turns out when you call delta for tech support your talking to black and decker and they are the one causing all the problems . Hopefully everything works out with this lathe and nothing bad happens .

[Mike Goetzke]

Well I brought it back to woodcraft today and the manager was shocked . He said 2 of them ? He went and got the one I brought back first and we went to the classroom and plugged them in . The 1st one had a big problem with thumping it was crazy and he said wow and put it back in the box . The new one he looked at and noticed the off center thing and gave me the me my options . They said they wouldn't return it unless I bought a new lathe right then and there , they would give me the unused one on the showroom floor because I knew it worked perfectly ( Was very iffy) or I could keep my 2nd one and take it to the warranty center . I was very pissed because I just bought a brand new machine and I called delta and they told me I could get my money back or get a new lathe because they had a deal worked out with woodcraft . The dude at woodcraft then called them infront of me the guy told him the same thing and he said we don't take back any powertools except festool its been like that since we opened . So I just took the one off the floor , its dead quiet and appears to work perfectly . It pisses me off but its not woodcrafts fault it says right on the receipt , it turns out when you call delta for tech support your talking to black and decker and they are the one causing all the problems . Hopefully everything works out with this lathe and nothing bad happens .

WOW! Did you get a discount for buying a used machine? (Thanks for letting us know the WC return policy)

Mike

[Jordan Gilbert]

He said it wasn't used , the belt looked newer than the one I had for a day lol . It didn't look used at all , It works better than the other 2 by alot he would have given me one in a box but theres a chance it could have been messed up and the one on the floor is mouse silent . I just got my new easy wood tools and didn't even bolt the later down there was no chatter or anything like there was with the 1st one . The 2nd lathes tailstock center was so bad as well , I am probably better off keeping the delta its a lot of lathe for 630.00 + tax . This new one is very nice though everything about it , I really see why people love them now .

[Mike Campbell KS]

Glad to hear that you got a good one. It's rare to receive 2 bad machines in a row, but it is not unheard of. I know I have had that luck with cellphones and computer routers. You are probably better off with the Delta than the Powermatic. Without knowing your future plans, at 17 years old, you may be headed to college and who knows where else in the next few years, and the Delta gives you more opportunity to travel with you. Just try getting 220 while living in an apartment, rental, or campus housing. Save that money (if you can) for a graduation gift for yourself. GL.

[Tony Wheeler]

where is this woodcraft store located i'm sure nobady else would want to do business there. I would call woodcraft corporate office and infor them of this store owner mangers setting policy is not woodcrafts. I bought a rikon band saw and we dropped it while loading and they took the saw back into the store and had a new one drop shipped to my house at no charge.

[Jordan Gilbert]

They would have given me a brand new one in box but I didn't want it because I didn't want it to be crappy either . Its delta's fault for running me around woodcraft didn't even have to swap out the first one heres there policy straight from the website . So they were being very nice giving me a new one 2 times in a row .
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[Jon Murphy]

I am surprised at your problems with the Delta lathe, I had the original Delta mini (10" swing) for ten years and had no problem. BTW, I mean original, my serial was # 00041. But I understand Delta was bought out in the interim, then the buyer bought out (I think the parent company is now Porter-Cable).

When I decided to go to a midi (12" swing) I looked at the Delta, the Jet, and the PSI (Penn State Industries). I chose the PSI Turncrafter Commander VS for both the price and the features. I have been using it for two years now, and have had some problems - but none insurmountable (the company is a family company outside of Philly and very responsive). They design their equipment but outsource the manufacture (but I think you may find that true with most these days).

First the features: 1 hp DC induction motor (not reversible), 12" swing, 18" between centers, speed range of 150 - 3800 rpm on two pulley pairs (150 - @2500 and @380 - 3800), LED speed read-out. Price is about $500, but I've never seen it on their site for more than $450 as they are always on discount.

Now the problems: The headstock wasn't perfectly aligned with the ways and the tailstock is a bit sloppy in the ways.

But the solution was easy. The headstock is mounted to the ways with four bolts, and the holes in the base of the headstock are slightly overdrilled. That allows just enough leeway to shift the headstock alignment slightly to bring it into line (and also to shim it if there is a vertical alignment problem). As to the slop in the tailstock (the ways are true), that can be taken care of with a bit of judicious filing of one edge to line it up - then one can press the tailstock against that edge before tightening it down. One way to line them up is to buy a double ended 2MT (sold for realigning "turnable" headstocks) use it to adjust the headstock and tailstock - another is to do it by eyeball with the points of your centers.

Your Delta 46-460 lists at about $700, the Powermatic at $4000, that is quite a jump (even if you can get a discount). You say you are 17, I've got 60 years on you - that makes us both in that low income category, although for different reasons. If I were to hit the lottery I'd buy a Robust Sweet Sixteen (@ $6000, and I look at it on the web with my tongue hanging out regularly). But I suggest that you not go high end at your age until you have developed the skills (my first guitar, at age 14 in 1949, was a Martin from a pawn shop - $15 - and I made a living some years later as a guitarist/singer).

I would guess that the PSI design, with the headstock not permanently fixed, is their recognition that the out-sourced manufacture will never be perfect and that it is better to allow for adjustments. I've looked at a picture of the Delta 46-460 and it appears the headstock is fixed. I think that all the lower priced lathes (and possibly even some of the higher priced ones) are out-sourced to other countries. They can machine the parts well, but the final fitting is suspect. I suggest you look into the PSI, and consider it a learning process. I play a number of stringed instruments, and make all my own. The point being that before you spend a lot of money you should "know your tools" - understand them, and know how to fix them.

Best, Jon