new to sawmill, lathe question

[Dean S Walker]

Hello folks, new to the member part of SC. Long time lurker.

I have a question about coring. I a 2hp Oneway 1640 strong enough to do coring or will it leave me wanting a 3 hp.
Thanks

[Roger Chandler]

Lots of turners core with a 2 hp lathe. Many use the 2hp 3520b, as well as other makes. Use the lowest setting which gives you the most torque in the cut.....of course I am speaking of belt and pulley positions.

[Allan Ferguson]

I concurr with Roger.

[Bob Bouis]

2hp can do coring, but you will definitely find yourself slowing down to avoid stalling the lathe. It's also easy to stall with heavy roughing cuts. If you have a choice, go with 3hp.

[Dean S Walker]

Thank you fellas. I do have a choice. I am saving up for a new lathe and it looks like I need to save another 300 or so. I was on the fence to buy the Oneway 1640 or the 2436. It looks like the 2436 is the winner because you can't get the 3hp on the 1640. I really do not think I will turn larger than 24 but by going with the 2436 I will be able if I feel I needed to.

Thanks again!

[Roger Chandler]

Just a note of perspective....I have stalled a 3 hp Robust American Beauty with heavy cuts using a bowl gouge, and when coring green wood. 3 hp motors do help, but all lathes need to have the turner use the proper cutting techniques that varies from species to species and piece to piece.

My 3 hp lathe does coring well, but I have stalled it before.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Dean - Welcome to the Creek! You don't say where you are located. If possible, it would be a good idea to try and turn on a larger lathe before purchase. No matter which brand you go with - it is still quite a chunk of money and would be worth a little effort to make sure a particular lathe 'fits' you. Have fun with it! I look forward to seeing photos of your new lathe!

[Dean S Walker]

I'm in Texas, I have turned on an american beauty, the 3520 and a 2036 for the large lathe exp. I have been turning for 7-8 years on small lathes but I have been working with wood most of my life. I have a friend that has a Beauty that I have turned on quiet abit. I love doing this and I decided to go for a larger lathe. I like the oneways and the beauty but I do not care for the large head on the PM. I know this is a ton of cash but I have been saving a while and will not likely be able to get this lathe until late this year, that hasn't kept me from being less excited. I do mostly handtools for flat work and with exception of a 14&19inch bandsaw, grinder and drill press I do not have much money in power tools. kids are gone and supporting them selves so I started a "piggy bank" a couple years ago and from my view I'm getting close. The key importance is My wife is on board and has even tossed in a few bucks here and there.
Thanks again

[Bob Bouis]

A larger swing has an advantage even if you're not turning bowls that max out its capacity. If your workpiece approaches the capacity of the lathe you have to remove the workpiece to move the tool rest between the front and the back, and you sometimes can't get the center of the tool rest near the rim. Depending on what you're turning, that can be a problem.

[Bob Bergstrom]

Big jump in lathe size that you stated. I started coring on a 1 hp Delta, had a 3520 and cored a lot of bowls with it. I bought the larger MacNaughton set and could stall it coring a larger bowl with it. I bought a 3 hp Robust and as I got better with it, I didn't stall it as much. At first I was kicking out the inverter quite a bit. Either of those lathes will core wood, but what wood you are coring, what system are you using, how aggressive is cutting technique, and how good is your technique all play into it. I polished my cutting blades. I use WD-40 to lug the blades and any other tricks to ease the cut.

[Dean S Walker]

Thanks Bob, I have no experience in coring, I intend to take a seminar or get some personal instruction. My first thought on the matter was that looks like it could be dangerous for me and the machine so I will get some instruction first. I really hate to waste wood when I can get more from it. I spend a lot of time collecting wood and processing it I do not like to toss anymore than I have to.

Taking time and learning the proper cut seams to be a fascination with me, this little lathe I turn on is a good trainer with a smooth drive center if you put too much pressure it will stop, I learned this from Alan Lacer when learning the skew. I have applied this to most all of my between center turnings with all different tools and was amazed that you could find the sweet spot on each tool, even a scraper. Of course you can't do this with bowls after a certain point but you can slip a between center bowl till you need to chuck it. This is probably not news to you experience guys but I find it kind of cool.

[Reed Gray]

2 hp and 220 volts will handle coring easily. Make sure to keep coring tools sharp. Having the correct speeds on your lathe help, and on my Beauty, which has 3 speed ranges, I keep it in the middle range. On my old PM3520A, I kept it on the low end. I generally keep speed around 500 or so for minimum, and depending on the piece of wood, up to maybe 1000, though this range is more in the 'professional' range. Which coring system you use can make a difference also. I have a coring video up on using the McNaughton, and so does Dale Bonertz. That system requires some coaching and had more tendency to bind in the cut, but once you learn to use it, for me it is the fastest and easiest to use. The Oneway, and Woodcut are more simple. There are a few clips up on them.

robo hippy

[Bob Bouis]

I'm sure it depends on a lot of different factors -- the size of the blank you're coring, the wood species, the angle of the cut, the type of cutter, whether the wood is plain or figured, knotty, etc. Some woods core easily and some just don't, just like some scrape well and some don't. I'm not sure what the formula is.

At any rate, like I said, I often find the 2HP 3520b to limiting when coring and roughing. Likewise with the 20" swing. If I didn't already have a big backlog of roughed out bowls I'd trade it in for a bigger one.

[Dean S Walker]

The thing is I am pretty close to being able to buy the 1640, I think I'm just a little anxious to get a bigger lathe. I really want the 2436 but I do wonder if I need it. Truth is probably not but one your spending this much money I just don't want to think "crap I wish I would have waited". Money doesn't grow on trees and a pretty decent bandsaw costs 15-2000 so all this kind of stuff keeps messing with me.If a 1640 will be good it leaves enough for a saw etc. No worries i'll wait if for nothing else the 3hp motor.

I intend on using the one-way coring system. Several professionals use it and swear by it. some of the others too but this one has been around and oneway is a good company to deal with, I like the support knife concept. Species of wood could be anything I will try it all, you would be surprised are the beauty of some woods people consider junk. Hackberry,catalpa etc. Thaks again for the information fellas

[John K Jordan]

...spending this much money I just don't want to think "crap I wish I would have waited". ...

On the positive side, when you are richer and ready to buy the bigger lathe there are real advantages to having more than one in the shop, especially if they share the same spindle thread and tool rest size. I used a Jet 1642 for year and kept it when I added a PM3520b. Nice to turn something like a jam chuck without taking down what is on the other lathe, and especially if students or friends come to turn.

JKJ