Bit the bullet

[Hayes Rutherford]

Thanks Alex. I will check it out as am considering one if I sell some other equipment. Bye the way, congratulations.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Congrats on the new machine. What a wonderful trio you had to choose from. Only problem is you should have ordered it a couple months ago. You would already have it
faust

[Bob Bergstrom]

I turned on a AB the other day. I put an unbalanced piece on my 3520 and could reach 250 rpm before it started shaking. Put the same piece on the Robust and reached 500 rpm before it even began to vibrate. The legs on the AB are a good 6 to 8 " farther apart and diffidently make it stable. I wonder if anyone has pondered filling the diamond tube with sand. I believe it is closed design but a few holes would allow sand.

[alex grams]

I actually am going to bolt it down to the slab and be my usual over-engineering self.

[David Delo]

Since St. Paddy's day is just around the corner, I'm green with envy!

[Jeffrey J Smith]

I actually am going to bolt it down to the slab and be my usual over-engineering self.

Alex: I had considered bolting mine down (to a concrete floor) but have found that after leveling the bed and settling the legs the way it's described in the manual, it really isn't necessary. Once setup, it's solid as a rock even with blanks that are close to 100 pounds and out of round mounted.

[alex grams]

Thanks jeffrey, that is even better to know and even more affirmation I made the right choice.

[Adrian Anguiano]

Has it come in yet? I gotta see this thing in person... its going to be a huge beast i bet. I hope you never move houses

[alex grams]

no.. another 2 weeks left or so... the wait is killing me I sold the old DVR XP in about 5 days on craigslist. I thought I was asking high when I listed it for 75% of what I paid. After about 2.5 years of use it effectively cost me about $25/month to use that lathe... Apparently I should have listed it higher, because now I am having to turn down work for people wanting bowls/cigar trays/etc until I can get the new lathe in...

[Dan Hintz]

I did get the 3hp option, I forgot to mention that. I didn't plan on getting the tilt-away, but the 'try it for free for 6 months and just return it if you don't like it' sales pitch seemed just silly to say no to. I asked Deb how many people actually return the tilt-away and she said she can't remember anyone ever actually returning it after the trial period.

The 3hp was one of the main reasons I went up from the 3520b and was looking at the robust vs american beauty. I've never used a sliding headstock, but from the dozens of threads on here talking about it, it was one of the main features people kept raving about and always pointing out, so that was the main tipping point of the AB vs the Oneway.


yeah.... 6 weeks... ouch

You'll enjoy the tilt-away... just leave enough room to actually tilt the tailstock away as the tail is pretty high (didn't have adequate space i my old shop, so I could only tilt it about 45 degrees). So far, I haven't needed the sliding headstock, but then I haven't tried anything bigger than 25"... it sits at one end and everything else slides to it.

My shop is still down, too, since moving into the new house... I'm getting quite irritable because I don't have a creative outlet.

[Reed Gray]

I got mine because of the 3 hp motor. Insert Tim the Toolman Taylor protosimian grunts here.... No one makes one with a 5 hp motor... I do really like the tilt away feature for the tailstock. I do slide the tailstock onto the main bed when I use it as I have never been able to get it to line up perfectly with the ways, even by setting/tightening it with the tailstock half on the ways and half on the tilt away. When I got mine, it came with 3 speed range pulleys, and the sliding headstock had 2 nuts you had to use wrenches on to slide the headstock. This is now standard lever operated. I move the headstock a bit for just about every bowl I turn. It is always on the tailstock end, unless I am sanding, and then it is in the middle. I also got the bed extension, and have actually used the full length once or twice. I had Brent help me reprogram the speeds on the lathe. I need the less than 50 rpm for when I am sanding my warped bowls. I need some thing in the 20 rpm range (motor runs cooler when sanding than it does when I turn because I make that sucker WORK!!). He also adjusted the high end speeds too as I turned mostly on the mid range pulley. The low range was too slow for finish cuts, and the mid range was too slow for finish cuts on mid sized bowls too. I think mid range tops out at 2200 rpm. I don't think I have ever used the high end range. Thom, you probably could have your upper range speeds raised on the Liberty. I use mine mostly for bowl instruction, and I think it tops out at 2700 or so. Maybe a bit slow for some spindles, but the motor is surprisingly strong for 2 hp. It has the tilt away also.

robo hippy

[Mike Tilley]

Alex congrats on your purchase. Was wondering did you buy the long bed or the standard bed? Wasn't sure what most people buy since you can buy the extension. I have been going back and forth between the sweet 16 and the AB. Have held off since I 'am building a new shop to keep it in old shop had way to many moisture problems for me to put a robust in. Just trying to figure out what I want to do.

[alex grams]

I went with the regular bed. I rarely do long projects, and I can budget that later for the extension if need be..

this thread is not helping my patience, hah

[Bob Bergstrom]

Alex congrats on your purchase. Was wondering did you buy the long bed or the standard bed? Wasn't sure what most people buy since you can buy the extension. I have been going back and forth between the sweet 16 and the AB. Have held off since I 'am building a new shop to keep it in old shop had way to many moisture problems for me to put a robust in. Just trying to figure out what I want to do.

I spent 6 years on a 3520 with the extension and turned 24 to 26" bowls with the extension on the lower level. Always had trouble with vibration of the bolted on extension. I would put my hydraulic tale under it. Helped some. I shyed away from the Sweet 16. Between the banjo being extended with the gap removed and bolts holding the ways in other positions I felt more comfortable with the long bed. I will be limited to 25" but I will be turning on a rock solid base between the support legs. Ships somewhere in end of May. Order the 3 hp. No tilt away.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Ships somewhere in end of May. Order the 3 hp. No tilt away.

Bob: quick, get on the phone and call Deb to add the tilt-away. If you haven't done it yet, try hoisting that 25" tailstock a few times and that baby pays for itself in no time. It seems expensive, but the incremental addition to the cost of the lathe is small in the long run. Amen on the rock solid base...just my opinion.