The importance of rotating headstocks

[Graham]

Having owned my first lathe for a few months now I am making a list of what attributes its successor MUST have. One  of them ( and there are many ) is a rotating headstock, I am short of available width in the workshop so for larger pieces, and access for hollowing smaller ones without wrecking my back, I feel it is essential...... but there are so many lathes I like the look of that just don't have it, notably the bigger Jets.
I knew it can be a bit of a pain lining up the head and tail stocks again but what are the views of those more experienced than I am ?

[Les Symonds]

I knew it can be a bit of a pain lining up the head and tail stocks again but what are the views of those more experienced than I am ?

Hi Graham....I don't consider myself particularly experienced, but I have experienced exactly what you're going through. My old lathe was fixed-head and I then swapped to Record Maxi 1 with a swivel head and I've never looked back. Apart from the fact that access into deep bowls is much easier, and, as you say, it's a lot easier on the back, I am now also able to make huge platters, which I enjoy making and find sell quite well - a good return for what proves to be not too high an investment in timber and time.

As for re-setting the head.....mine takes just a few seconds to reset to a central position. I swing the head to an almost-central position, pop a 4-prong drive in, bring up the tailstock with a revolving centre in and then tap the casting of the headstock with the heel of my hand until the two pints line up.....it gets central after just a couple of taps and has never caused me any trouble.


Les

[bodrighywood]

I use my rotating head a lot, not just for making larger pieces but also because access to a lot of face work is easier when the head is rotated a bit. Saves bending and stretching over the bed.

Pete

[john taylor]

For me it is essential, as it was in my last lathe your current Hegner  as is electronic variable speed.

If you are looking to upgrade from the Hegner I would recommend the Axminster AT1628VS http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-trade-series-at1628vs-woodturning-lathe


john

[Graham]

Those are just my points and my current lathe has a rotating headstock. So why are the likes of the Jet 35.20 and 24.24 sold without that feature ? Are there benefits in not having it.
My current lathe does not have a sliding headstock and that would also be useful at times but not at the expense of the rotation.

[Graham]

For me it is essential, as it was in my last lathe your current Hegner  as is electronic variable speed.

If you are looking to upgrade from the Hegner I would recommend the Axminster AT1628VS http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-trade-series-at1628vs-woodturning-lathe

john

Hi John
Not changing it yet a while   I am enjoying myself with it but will want something with a bigger motor at some stage. I have  been looking at the big Jets and not been particularly impressed.

[seventhdevil]

not wanting to be contentious but swivel heads are a waste in my opinion.

i have one of these to turn on,
http://www.axminster.co.uk/jet-3520b-heavy-duty-woodturning-lathe

ok if you've not got enough room a swivel head may be the answer but for me they arn't good enough in the robustness department. i used to own one of these for about 3 years and it was one of the biggest swivel heads about at the time./
http://www.sipuk.co.uk/sip-01940-14-x-43-professional-wood-lathe.html
for me however it was still lacking in capacity and power for the larger turnings. even the maxi1 which i did look at at the time but could not afford was not powerful enough.

1hp or 1.5hp does not have the oompfff for doing the really large capacity that these lathes state is possible.

i did a 28 bowl the other week and my jet coped fine with a wet blank that weighed 70kg (pictured)that's my size 12 boot in the middle.

i cant wait to find a bit of wood big enough to test the largest that jet claim this lathe can handle which with the lower bed extension is 38 1/2" but with the lower bed removed i think you could easily do 60"

for me the essentials are a sliding headstock variable speed and a really heavy lathe.

[seventhdevil]

i still don't seem to be able to post pictures on here.

[Graham]

Nothing contentious about your post Seventh, Opinions were what I asked for I already know the upside of rotation, I wanted to know the downside. Thank you for your thoughts.

[Bryan Milham]

Graham,

A lathe is a compromise of options.

If it's big bowls you want to turn, then something like the VB36 is your goal, if it's long Spindles then a long bed is needed. A big motor is great, but if all you turn is pens do you need it?

As for worrying about lining the headstock up with the tailstock, eh... why? You can offset a head by several degrees and still turn a smooth cylinder, it will be rotating between two points. The only time it's important is for drilling exact holes, but lathes now-a-days come with a positive locking arrangement to ensure that the heasdtock is positioned correctly to the lathe bed.

[seventhdevil]

lets try again with those pictures.

[seventhdevil]

yeeeeeehaaaaw, it finaly worked.


why wont it work with a pic that is within the 3000kb limit.

the original pic was 1.24 mb.

[Graham]

A 3mb, or even a 1.24mb pic is huge for the internet. With most peoples broadband it would take a fair old while to download. and a hell of a lot longer to upload. once you get down to around 100kb the problems go away, ( as you have discovered )

[seventhdevil]

i see....

i have no problem with that on arbtalk though.

[edbanger]

Graham

For what it's worth I'm new to turning (6 months) but I've sold tools for over 25 years I looked around at many lathes before purchasing I wanted to be able to turn large items and needed a lathe that could handle this, I needed a rotating head stock so I could either turn off the end of the lathe or out front. After a bit of research I purchased a Axminster AT1626VS and it does every thing that I need. I have just purchased a free standing tool rest (Jet) because I'm finding the bigger bowls that I'm turning getting the tool rest where a need it a bit of a problem.

But with saying that I've turned platters up to 30" and bowls 24" x 5" I could do larger on this lathe without problem now but just have not come up with the wood to do it. I have also mounted pieces of wood in excess of 50kg without a problem so it's been a good value for money lathe.

Our club also has one of these and a few people have gone off and got them as well.

When your ready to up-grade if your anywhere near me your welcome to come and give it a try.

Ed