Can I turn metal or other non-wood materials with your wood lathes? Although our wood lathes can physically turn many different types of materials, they are designed only to turn natural woods, wood-based products, and certain wood-bonding agents. Turning and chiseling materials not intended to be turned on a wood lathe can lead to serious injury for the operator or bystanders, shorten the machine's lifespan, and void the warranty.
How do I know what size of wood lathe I'll need? The answer primarily depends on what you want to turn. The most relevant specification when determining what you can turn is "swing over bed." Swing over bed is the distance from the center of the spindle to the top of the lathe's bed multiplied by two. This measurement determines the maximum diameter of stock the lathe can turn. So, a lathe that measures 5” from the top of the bed to the center of the spindle will have a swing over bed of 10”. Therefore, the maximum workpiece diameter that can be turned on the lathe would be 10”. If you plan to turn bowls, plates, and platters, then make swing over bed your primary consideration when purchasing a lathe. Another specification to consider when purchasing a wood lathe is "distance between centers.” Distance between centers is the length from the spindle center to the tailstock center when the headstock and tailstock are positioned as far apart as possible. If you plan to turn balusters, pillars, or baseball bats, then make distance between centers your primary consideration.
I see all your 220V wood lathes have 3-phase motors. Will the machines run on a single-phase power supply? Yes, all of our large- and medium-size wood lathes are equipped with variable frequency drives (VFDs). Features that our customers expect in a 220V wood lathe, such as smooth variable-speed control and forward/reverse direction, require 3-phase AC motors. A VFD converts the single-phase power that is common in most shops to the 3-phase power required by the motors on our large- and medium-size wood lathes.
What is the difference between the G0632Z 16" x 42" Variable-Speed Wood Lathe and the G0733 18" x 47" Variable-Speed Wood Lathe? The G0632Z has a 2 HP motor, 16" swing over bed, and 42" distance between centers; whereas, the G0733 has a 2 HP motor, 18" swing over bed, and 47" distance between centers.