American Beauty Debut Pic heavy

[Bob Bergstrom]

Bob, welcome to the AB club. I can't believe all of your work to get the AB in your basement shop. You and your club members did a GREAT job on the move. Love all of your shaving from you coring. You broke it in right. What coring system did you us?

It didn't take that long with all the help. I wanted all to stay safe. Not a scratch was incurred. They must have worked up a good appetite because the fiesta size pizza didn't last long. I believe the bed is close to 400 lbs by itself.

[Dan Hintz]

Steve, I have th mcNaughton system with standard and large blades. The next to the largest bowl is 14" and it took all of the largest blade and still had about 1" spindle holding it in. A good rap popped it out. It is a 3hp motor with two step pulleys instead of the older model with 3 step pulleys. Bret told me when I toured the plant that the government made the motor manufacturators increase the effiency of them so the motor is bigger and wouldn't fit properly. Something had to go so 1 less step on the 3 hp model. When coring the largest one the belt squealed quite a bit, but the motor kept turning. My Powermatic did that also. Once the belt got broken in and more flexible. It will get a better grip pull better.

Mine has the 3-step pulley... not sure if I would like the 2- or 3-step better. In the end, the 3hp is so much torque it's difficult to stop the thing and you can get it to run plenty slow for big items.

[Bob Bergstrom]

Mine has the 3-step pulley... not sure if I would like the 2- or 3-step better. In the end, the 3hp is so much torque it's difficult to stop the thing and you can get it to run plenty slow for big items.

Dan, I know what your saying there may be some trade offs. Low side is 50 to 1500. High is 100 to 3,000. The motor looks like a 5 hp compared to a 2 hp one! Being able to run up to 1500 without changing the pulley will be the good part. Will see about toque at the low speeds. My 7/8" swept back bowl gouge was throwing some big chips and the motor was slowing down on the 18" bowl. I will test it out some more.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Bob, I have the 2-step pulley and it works just fine. I use the low setting for all large and out-of-balance pieces because the braking will kick in when you go to stop. If you have a super heavy piece on and the pulley is in the high range... you will get to watch it spin for a long time before it stops!

Also, you can pull down on the motor a little to create additional tension on the belt so things don't slip under load. Have fun making shavings!!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Congratulations! It didn't take long for you to cover up the bling in your shop!

[Doug Herzberg]

Looks like it made a real mess of your shop in a hurry.

[Doug Ladendorf]

That sure is a sweet lathe! Congratulations. Now you'll never make it up for dinner on time.

[Bob Bergstrom]

Bob, I have the 2-step pulley and it works just fine. I use the low setting for all large and out-of-balance pieces because the braking will kick in when you go to stop. If you have a super heavy piece on and the pulley is in the high range... you will get to watch it spin for a long time before it stops!

Also, you can pull down on the motor a little to create additional tension on the belt so things don't slip under load. Have fun making shavings!!

Thanks Steve, the first time I changed pulleys and dropped the motor down I pinched my finger. Learned a quick lesson there. Didn't realize the high speed rolls to a very slow stop. I always pushed on the motor on my Powermatic. I'm sure it will get better and I learn to get the right tension on it.

[Reed Gray]

Hmm, a few things for me to ponder here... Looks like it is a one piece bed rather than the 4 foot bed with a 2 foot extension, which my earlier version has. I know Brent has a different phase converter on the new machines, and I am thinking possibly a different motor, but can't remember. The speed range from 50 to 1500, and 50 to 3000 is what the original 3520A had, well except that the PM would go down to almost 0 before turning off. That was handy for sanding my warped bowls. I have the 3 speed pulley system. I keep it in mid range, which now goes from about 20 to 2200, which Brent helped me set it up to. The slow speed range was too slow, only going up to 1100, after adjustments. I could easily stall it in low range, and as well in mid range, but I am on the 'Brute Squad', or like Bill Grumbine commented once, 'I haven't met a lathe I can't stall, including the VB36'. I do scratch my head over bowl turners who have the sliding headstock, and don't use it for bowls, but that is just my way of doing things. That, in particular, makes the tilt away tailstock a blessing. You will have a lot of fun with this lathe.

robo hippy

[Bob Bergstrom]

[QUOTE=Reed Gray;2420700]Hmm, a few things for me to ponder here... Looks like it is a one piece bed rather than the 4 foot bed with a 2 foot extension, which my earlier version has. I know Brent has a different phase converter on the new machines, and I am thinking possibly a different motor, but can't remember. The speed range from 50 to 1500, and 50 to 3000 is what the original 3520A had, well except that the PM would go down to almost 0 before turning off. That was handy for sanding my warped bowls. I have the 3 speed pulley system. I keep it in mid range, which now goes from about 20 to 2200, which Brent helped me set it up to. The slow speed range was too slow, only going up to 1100, after adjustments. I could easily stall it in low range, and as well in mid range, but I am on the 'Brute Squad', or like Bill Grumbine commented once, 'I haven't met a lathe I can't stall, including the VB36'. I do scratch my head over bowl turners who have the sliding headstock, and don't use it for bowls, but that is just my way of doing things. That, in particular, makes the tilt away tailstock a blessing. You will have a lot of fun with this lathe.


That was one of the reasons I choose the long bed. It is a solid one piece six foot long bed. I didn't like the extension on the lower position on my 3520B. Big bowl rough outs caused vibration on the extension. I am sure I can stall this one, but am finding that extra 1 hp making rounding blanks a lot quicker. I've always turned on the wall and am quite comfortable. Between the wide stance of the lathe, the low height of the ways (34") and the extra power I'm already spoiled.

[Reed Gray]

I did find that with the extra height of the headstock spindle, the difference between 20 and 25 inch throw, that the remote, if it is on the lathe bed is too low. I keep it, most of the time in the same place it was on the PM. One reason I went with the AB was the 3 hp motor, which wasn't available with a sliding headstock on any other lathe.

robo hippy

[Curtis Myers]

Beautify American Machinery

[Bob Bergstrom]

I did find that with the extra height of the headstock spindle, the difference between 20 and 25 inch throw, that the remote, if it is on the lathe bed is too low. I keep it, most of the time in the same place it was on the PM. One reason I went with the AB was the 3 hp motor, which wasn't available with a sliding headstock on any other lathe.

robo hippy

same here it wouldn't be hard to thro a leg over the ways and ride it. The controls on the bed (won't stick to stainless ways) is hard to read in the shadows or curls hanging off it. The headstock is the best spot for the controls so far.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

The headstock is the best spot for the controls so far.

I leave it on the headstock most often, but also find the banjo and the tailstock convenient at times. When turning off the end, the banjo is really a convenient position for the controls.

[hu lowery]

Here it is three o'clock in the morning and I am looking at porn, lathe porn. That is one more sexy lady! Looks like you had a fine team of helpers and a plan getting her in place and put together. Like many, the American Beauty is my daydream lathe. Probably never happen but nice to dream.

Hu