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tom wood

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Joined
Nov 24, 2015
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Location
phoenix
I'm thinking of upgrading to a Powermatic 3520B. Looking for comments from fellow turners of pens, handles and small bowls. Thx......
 
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I bought a 3520 a couple years ago and love it. I had been turning pens on a 14" Jet that I decided to keep. If 1 lathe is good, 2 lathes is better, right? I use the jet for pens and the powermatic for bigger things light segmented bowls. However, to answer your question, the powermatic will handle pens fine. Just be sure that you level it with the leveling feet it comes with. The lathe is heavy enough that the frame will twist slightly and the center won't line up. I have been very happy with both lathes. Having 2 lets you work on 2 things at the same time.
 
I love my 3520B. I bought it about 4 years ago and have used it for making everything from pens to 16" platters. While it may be overkill if you are just making pens, the 3520B will allow you to expand in larger items. The lathe is much heavier than a midi so you can throw an out of balance blank on it and not worry about the lathe bouncing around. I've also cored some bowl blanks on it and I'm not sure I would attempt that on a midi lathe.

Hope this helps!
 
Tom,
It sounds like space nor budget is an issue here. My advice is to go for it!
You will enjoy how solid a lathe this is. A quality lathe is like anything else you purchase or use. Quality matters.

(Insert story here) Back in the seventies, I was in a Radio Shack store looking at something and overheard the clerk speaking with a gentleman. The conversation was regarding purchasing a television antenna. The clerk reasoned saying "when you are watching the Super Bowl, this less expensive antenna may give you a fuzzy/snowy picture while this better quality antenna will give you a great picture....."

Same with many other things.....like tools! Buy it once! It will last for decades.
As for the cost, like insurance and taxes....they will not cost less in the future....Buy it now....while the sale is going on.
The Powermatic will also be a lathe you can hand down in the future or should you need to sell, it will sell very quickly.

If you already have a chuck, most likely you can simply purchase a new spindle insert and be good to go.
I do recommend getting some new tool rests. Especially a shorty pen turning rest. (Check out Rick Herrell here on IAP)....again, a high quality product...and you are supporting an IAP vendor.

Please let us know your decision!
 
A buddy here is getting into turning and got a 3520 (used like new) as his first lathes. Told him it should be a long while before he needs to move up.

Spent a week turning on one and it is a fine piece of iron. I drive a Stubby myself, but the tie breaker was space.
 
Before I laid out the kind of cash for that lathe that's made in Taiwan, I'd invest in a Oneway lathe made in Canada.

But that's just me.
 
I bought mine about 6 years ago. It has worked great and everytime I use it I smile. I didn't tell my wife until the day it was supposed to arrive. I have never felt so good about sleeping on the couch. If you want to do table legs at any point you may want the 18 inch extension bed. I made a table and was barely able to fit the leg between centers. Now I have the extension bed and I've got room to spare.
 
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