Need for Ballast Box with a Powermatic?

[Perry Higgins]

I'm moving on from my Jet 1642 to a Powermatic. The Jet worked great but definitely benefitted from the ballast box and 300 lbs of sand. I see that the Powermatic legs have the same casting design to accomodate a ballast box. Has anyone found the need to add ballast to their Powermatic?

[Dan Forman]

Perry, check out this thread, some interesting ideas toward the end about where to have the balast: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=101271

I currently have about 150 pounds in the usual location, plus two concrete blocks sitting atop the headstock.



Based on the above thread, I tried to lose the sand, but found that it did actually help. Most important is to have the lathe balanced, which does not necessarily mean level. When mine was level, I still got vibration. See also this thread: Leveling in 5 minutes or less , my post # 11 goes into detail about this.

I've been doing mostly spindle work of late, but I did turn one bowl since that last thread, and though the blank was unbalanced, the lathe seemed more stable than before.


Dan

[alex carey]

Absolutely it will help and you will want it. I have a ballast set up and a little bit of weight on it but not enough. While roughing a large blank one day I turned up the speed so it just started to vibrate then I stepped on the ballast which added another 165 pounds and the vibration went completely away. It definitely helps for the big stuff. I'd go for it.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I definitely would build a ballast box. It will keep the lathe from shaking with out of round big blanks.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I guess I'm lucky. I don't have a ballast box on mine and haven't need one.......yet....

[RL Johnson]

I can see that Ken has not turned any three or five sided bowls yet. Ballast is important when doing off center turning.

[Jeff Nicol]

I thought that I could get away with out one, but when I started turning some things that weighed 80 to 100lbs, it only takes a second to think the speed you bumped it up to is going to be fine......when it is a bit to fast and the world starts to shake rattle and roll! Since I put in the ballast box no troubles! It is worth the effort.

Jeff

[Tim Dorcas]

I have the Powermatic and have added the dowel rail that they describe in the manual. Inside of that I added about 300 lbs of tile (1 foot tiles fit in perfectly). The lathe was already heavy but this just finishes it off.

I also have to agree with some of the other posters. Just adding more weight isn't enough. I would make the lathe is balanced. This makes a HUGE difference in reducing vibrations on the lathe.

I never thought about added weight to the headstock but I think I may give this a try.

[Mike Peace]

Just because you can add weight does not mean you need to. I decided to turn without it until I really see a need. It is easier for me to cleanup around the lathe without a ballast shelf. The few larger bowls I have turned at a reasonable speed did fine without additional weight. Maybe I will see a need one day, but I will wait until I get some really bad vibration. I have had a PM3520 for a year and a half and it hasn't happened yet.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

While I haven't turned any 3 or 5 sided bowls, I have turned a winged bowl of some size without ballast.

I have another even larger blank sitting there waiting for me to get to it.

[Gary Conklin]

http://coeur-de-larbre.com/3520_ballast_toolbox.doc


Here is a great link to Ray Lanham's ballast box.

[Dick Sowa]

I don't use any ballast, although I probably could. A lot of the need is because the blanks are so far out of round that they cause the lathe to "walk". I spend a lot of time at my band saw getting blanks as round an balanced as possible. Then, when I do my roughing, I keep the speed low, till it's even rounder.

So I guess the answer to your question is that if you try to turn really out of balance blanks, then yes...add ballast. If instead, you keep your speeds low, and turn already pretty rounded blanks, then you won't need the ballast.