Knot Rite wrote:
Mornin' Dennis I must fire a question back to hopefully assist. The club I must assume has been in action for awhile, your members will dictate lathe size, have you voted on that?? Well realize that some members turn items than one needs a magnifier to see & others turn HUGE items. To invest into a large lathe is not necessary for a group meeting ( our group uses a Oneway 1224 ) to demonstrate style & technique. Each demonstrator has a different approach / tool choice & sharpening of which is more important than size of turning object. Please remember that the larger the lathe / workpiece the lathe will have to be well anchored otherwise your demonstration will start out in Northwest WA & end up in Southeast WA .. you get the picture !! When we have guest turners it is strictly to watch & learn from their expertise ...... it is not going out to fell a tree then waste time trying to have it lathe mounted & spend hours watching chips or streamers fly. Each guest turner has their own way of doing things as you will find out with Cindy Drozda ... enjoy her demonstration. Long story short ...... what the majority of the members turn will dictate lathe size, but please remember that there are "others" !!
KR:
Thanks for the comments.
RE: lathe size - for the most part our monthly programs consist of guest turners from around the area, other clubs and occasionally from out (nearby) state. Annually, as I indicated, we invite a nationally known artist for an all day demo. We have had at least one occasion since I've been active in the club where a demonstrator has specifically requested a lathe with enough power to 'hog out' a good deal of wood in a short time to maximize the detail part of the program. But as we all know, turning isn't about brute force so much as finesse and technique. Thus I personally would set aside the argument for higher hp in favor of more readily available 110v power.
Granted it's seldom that a guest artist chooses to work larger than say, 10" diameter and granted even that size if not initially balanced can indeed lead to a 'moving' experience, thus the Sweet Sixteen seems a good choice between mobility and mass. Speaking of mobility, the integrated caster setup for this lathe is brilliantly designed in my opinion.
In the end I guess what I was really looking for was opinion(s) relating to 1 1/2 vs 2HP for a lathe to be used in the settings I originally described. But your points are well taken, KR, I'll weigh them along with all the other factors.
Thanks ...