Vicmarc VL200 shortbed questions

Hi Don, I've never used the VL200. But, I spent a week at Arrowmont last June and they have some Vics and Woodfast (pretty similar in castings) in the shortbed style. On my observation of the shortbed, I would think if you were trying to turn a bowl from the end of the lathe, you would be in an awkward position and having to lean over. And if you were thinking of using a hollowing rig with a outrigger ala Jamieson style, then I would think the lathe bed would be too short. Kind of caught between a rock and a hard place with that one. Vicmarc does make a great lathe though. I have a VL 100 for a mini lathe and in the mini lathe class it can't be beat. Well there is the Oneway 1018, but to me, that lathe is not quite a mini lathe. To me a mini lathe is something you can pick up with two hands and have the entire lathe in hand motor and all. But I digress. To me the other alternative is outboard turning for bowls if you want to stand directly in front. Or get a lathe with a shorter bed just for bowls or look at one with the pivoting/sliding headstock. There are some dedicated bowl lathes like the Union Graduate. Outboard turning is available with many lathes. If you want a shortbed lathe in this regard a Oneway 2436, you can get the 17" bed extension for the outboard and thus have a bowl lathe where you can stand in front. Pivoting headstocks like Teknatools Nova 3000 and Nova DVR or Poolwood lathes. Sliding headstock - Powermatic. So you have options, but will have to look at each of them carefully. --Jim M.

"Don Wilson" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@posting.google.com...

Don

The best lathe for getting close to the work and still having a bed is the Stubby. A bit more money, but you will never have to wonder if you made the right purchase decision. This lathe is so versitile and has more than enough swing for bowls, platters etc - it can handle a 30" bowl with the bed extended. Definitley more than most of us want to attempt!

Check it out at

Ray Sandusky Proud Stubby owner

San Diego Woodturning Centre has the Vicmarc 300 and 200 short bed lathes in their classroom. I have taken a class there and used the lathes. Joe Fleming should also contribute to this thread since he has used both lathes too.

The bed length of the 200 is about 4 inches shorter than the bed length of the 300. You can stand at the tailstock end and hollow bowls using either short bed lathe. You do have to bend over some. A good way to approximate the distance is to stand about 6" from the end of a mini lathe and see if you can get the tool in a good position.

Depth of the bowl is not important since the bottom of a bowl is always in about the same spot on a lathe. More important is how deep of a foot and how thick your holding system is. Keep in mind the chuck you use will stick the bowl out 3 to 4 inches. When doing the mini lathe approximation, be sure to have a chuck and jaws on the lathe.

If you want a basic lathe, the Vicmarc is top quality. Very thick cast iron. Nice fit and finish. But there are none of the new era modern day gee whiz features such as pivoting beds, pivoting headstocks, sliding headstocks, extra extensions, etc., etc.

Hi Jim, I'm unfortunately purchasing 3 big tools (20 "bandsaw, 3 hp dust collector, lathe) over the next couple of months so have to watch my cash, and get the best quality I can. The other 2 are decided, and even tho the lathe will be my favorite to use of the 3 I can't afford more than $2k (including shipping, a few tools...) at the most, and this is more than I originally planned but looks necessary to get a good, strong piece of equipment. Vicmarc 200 bench models seem so far unbeatable for my situation. I do like the "idea" of the 175 swiveling head, but have no experience with swivel head lathes and have some concerns about them for large pieces ( excuse my suspicions). Oneways, VL300's, Graduates, etc. just aren't in the equation this time around (next year maybe), unfortunately, but I think a VL200 will satisfy. I expect to have to build an outboard stand and so far plan to use the old Oliver idea of a tripod style, I can get one welded locally for a decent price. If it doesn't seem the shortbed will allow me to stand in front I'll just go for the longbed and turn outboard more often. At least the choices exist! Don

Don. I can't speak to the VL200, but I purchased and use a shortbed Woodfast for exactly the reasons you mention. As to your concerns about using a hollowing setup, this is not a problem, it is very easy to make up an extension for the rear arrested type of hollowing tools. I used such an homebuilt extension until I discovered that my "spare" banjo fot the bill perfectly.

you can view my system at this link.

I have the VL300 shortbed you can turn between centers 21". The total length of bed is 36". That is plenty of space for a hollowing system. The 200 should be approx. 4" less. You can read about the discussion of long bed or short bed in the Vicmarc Owners Group.

Thanks everyone. James your website is very helpful. I'll let the info settle and make a decision soon. After viewing larger lathes, as in the Stubby link supplied (thanks)I'm leaning toward a larger lathe in the future and a longbed VL200 for now because of versatility. I can't deny the possibility of turning spindles for desks and tables that I sometimes make. Will need to work on outboard stand for either short or longbed VL200 to do large diameter work anyway, just like the idea of using the standard bed and tool rest as much as possible. There sure are some nice big lathes out there. Don