Powermatic 3520

Hi all,

I'm a life-long woodworker and I'm finally going to extend my craft to turning. I've been shopping around and I've settled on the Powermatic

3520B as a perfect lathe. I don't want to buy another one in my life so I'm willing to spend to get a good one that won't leave me wishing for another.

Here is my question. Are there folks in the group who have good or bad things to say about this lathe? If you were buying your dream lathe, why wouldn't you buy this one? It's too expensive to get this wrong! If there is something out there cheaper that will serve me well, then I'd like to hear about that too.

Reply to
bud
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Perfect is usually a subjective term. I chose the 3520B because I felt it was the best value and performance lathe.

I believe it's an excellent choice for spindle and bowl work and even small stuff like pens and finials. I haven't the slightest regret for my choice of the 3520B. Reversing and variable speed plus sliding to the end for big stuff if you choose is very nice. Speed indicator is a nice convenience. Solid and stable, feels good to use. Used by some of the most notable schools as is the Oneway which would be my next choice without money as a factor. Again, if you move cost aside, there's some great things to be said for the Stubby which is our club's choice.

While I've had a few difficulties with Powermatic equipment I've found their service department to be great. Any time the stuff is manufactured offshore you can get the left hand not understanding the right hand.

I'd say buy it, enjoy it, and Merry Christmas.

TomNie

Reply to
TomNie

I stepped up to the 3520A from a 4 speed Atlas about 8 years ago. It is the best Christmas present I ever got myself. I turn professionally, and I have abused this lathe severely. I have worn out one set of headstock bearings. It has performed well. If I could make changes, I would make the headstock spindle unit removable by unbolting. I need to replace the belt, and the only way is to remove the bearings, which I can't do myself. The biggest difference between the A and B models is that the minimum low speed on the A is almost zero, and on the B it is about 50 rpm. This comes in handy for sanding. I turn green wood to final thickness, then let them dry and warp before sanding and finishing. You can't sand a warped bowl at 50 rpm too easily.

I will probably be stepping up again this next year to a Robust American Beauty, which as far as I am concerned is a better lathe than the Oneway 2436 if for no other reason because it has a sliding headstock. The reason I will be stepping up is partly because I am a tool junkie, and partly because it is a bit heavier and more powerful than the PM. I won't be turning bigger, but the added power will be nice for production. The PM is a fine lathe, and the best lathe for the money.

robo hippy

Reply to
robo hippy

It's only your "last lathe" if you die before buying another, trust me

Reply to
Ralph E Lindberg

Hi Bud, First off I do not own a powermatic lathe but might be able to shed a little light on your query. If your buying a lathe in that catagory (powermatic, oneway, stubby, vicmarc) then they will all be lifetime machines. The only difference would be features and probably a little price differences. When I was looking I choose to get a vicmarc and build my own stand and add my own motor and controller. This allowed me to get one of the high end machines at a lower cost. You can see my setup here.

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As to the powermatic it seems to me that folks that have been woodworkers seem to go that route because of the powermatic reputation in woodworking machinery. That said as you know powermatic is an excellent company and make a great lathe but it's not your only option. I've had my vicmarc lathe for about 10 years and it has been flawless but I believe you would be able to say that about all the high end machines. Bob
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Reply to
turnerbob

Hi Bud, First off I do not own a powermatic lathe but might be able to shed a little light on your query. If your buying a lathe in that catagory (powermatic, oneway, stubby, vicmarc) then they will all be lifetime machines. The only difference would be features and probably a little price differences. When I was looking I choose to get a vicmarc and build my own stand and add my own motor and controller. This allowed me to get one of the high end machines at a lower cost. You can see my setup here.

formatting link
As to the powermatic it seems to me that folks that have been woodworkers seem to go that route because of the powermatic reputation in woodworking machinery. That said as you know powermatic is an excellent company and make a great lathe but it's not your only option. I've had my vicmarc lathe for about 10 years and it has been flawless but I believe you would be able to say that about all the high end machines. Bob
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some follow up on bob's post:

  1. look at how large a diameter you will want between centers - I can turn a little over 40 inches, which for me is enough - the swing over the bed is important - you can then take an object and mess with it to get the right orientation - you can't do that once it's mounted to a faceplate
  2. think about what you will turn - classical woodworking will require spindles - table legs, chair parts and so on - "artistic" wood turning is different, more along the lines of variations on the them of bowls - spindle lathes typically need length, bowl lathes need swing over bed
  3. some folks like outboard turning for large things - I don't - think about it
  4. mass is really important - particularly if you will attempt to be an artist and will want to turn out of balance things with holes in them
  5. a sliding/rotating headstock looks cool, but it's a source of vibration and lack of precision - consider whether you want it
  6. most folks add a vacuum chuck - make sure your lathe will permit this with relative ease
  7. consider your supplier and what kind of relation you want with the supplier - what kind of help do you expect, for example?
  8. spindle thread - 1.25X8 is common in the US, Oneway uses metric - you may not care, but be sure it's standard, whatever it is
  9. Horsepower and variable speed - at least 2, and yes. I would insist on a knob to set speed, no need for an indicator
Reply to
William Noble

Thanks everyone for your advice and thoughts. It is actually very helpful and I've done a bit more research based on your inputs. This is going to be fun...

Thanks again, Bud

Reply to
bud

Bud:

I got the 3520B a little over a year ago. I wasn't going to drop $5K+ on a OneWay and I wanted a general-purpose lathe as opposed to a bowl-lathe.

I have no regrets whatsoever. My only suggestion is that if you want to turn smaller items (eg. pens, bottle stoppers, etc.) you probably also want to get a shorter tool rest. The 12" default makes it kind of difficult when turning shorter pieces. Good luck.

~Mark.

Reply to
Mark Ohlund

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