I wanted a lathe that would be able to handle heavy pieces of wood but still be manageable enough to get into my basement -down a flight of stairs, round a corner and through a doorway.
I considered the Powermatic 3620 but ran into the "no Canadian dealers" problem and wondered what I would do if I had any problems. Also the spindle would not fit the chucks and faceplates that I own. The cost was higher too.
I also considered Generals bigger model 26020VD-M2 which may have been more suitable for heavier pieces but had some issues with getting it into my shop. The cost was higher.
There were also several special features available on the General that make it convenient to use and which helped swing my decision in favour of the purchase.
However one of the most important features to me was the ability to turn at very slow speeds and only electronic control or some fancy gearing would be able to accomplish this.
So when Levac supply phoned me and let me know that General had just put together an 18 inch capacity lathe with full electronic control I decided that I would go ahead and buy it. I reasoned that the electronic control would allow me to turn big wood by allowing very slow rotation. This is true but with some reservations as I will explain later.
I borrowed this trailer and towed the lathe home in its crate. It was rolled off the trailer by two men and wheeled to the basement entrance.
The electronic controls are installed in a metal box at the back of the lathe.
When the lathe arrived in the back yard it was apparent that a few bolts would allow it to be separated from the metal stand. This was done and the lathe was easily carried into the basement in separate pieces and then reassembled. There were no wires to disconnect and the task was done in about half an hour.
The lathe is the same lathe as General has been producing for some years but with a 3 inch taller head and tailstock and a taller banjo to hold the tool rest. In fact the brochure that came with the lathe is for the 12 inch lathe. You would think that they could update the documentation more easily than the machinery. The specifications for the 18 inch lathe are very similar to the 12 inch so I suppose there is no real conflict. Below is the front cover of the included brochure.
The cover of the accompanying brochure shows the 12 inch model 160-1 and 160-2 lathes. The motor is mounted on a platform that is easily raised with a lever to allow belt changes. I can't see the need for 4 speeds with electronic controls but having some mechanical advantage does make sense when turning large diameter pieces.
Instructions for the electronics module were contained in the electronics box and were supplied by its manufacturer the Square D company. These instructions were quite complex but there was a summary sheet for the essential items which I have not yet had to deal with.
The lathe has not shown any Electronics related problems and hopefully it will continue that way.
The lathe was installed and I did some serious turning. I started with a 13 inch Rock Maple bowl. The motor did bog down a few times when I was removing huge amounts of wood - extremely hard wood. But since it is only a one horse motor this is to be expected. I asked whether General would supply a 2 horse motor but they said it would not fit. The mechanical advantage provided by the belt drive helps supply more power than one expects from a one horse power motor. The motor turns faster thus the motor fan can keep the motor cool even when there is a high energy use. Also the 1 HP motor can turn heavier stock than a similar size direct drive motor without mechanical advantage (as in the Poolwood lathes and probably why Poolwood supplies a 2 HP motor)
I turned several bowl bottoms using the tailstock support. These went very well as the tailstock centre is perfectly aligned and the solidity of the lathe was quite apparent compared to my previous blocked up rotating head Chinese made Mastercraft lathe. The electronic controls also allow very slow rotation to check how well the bowl is centred. These are all definite advantages to bowl turning.
Next I turned an Elm vase from a log about 24 inch long by an off centre 8 inch diameter. Not being attached to the floor the lathe walked across the shop floor. But the task was completed at slow speed at least until the log was more balanced, then the speed was increased. This is where the electronics were not perfect as the speed would sometimes increase briefly after the tool jammed the work. But these were brief speed ups and caused only minor wobbles.
This
picture of the General lathe with a 24 inch tall Elm vase set up in my workshop.
I also used a steady when hollowing the vase. The tailstock had to be removed
for the hollowing process. The steady shown here was beefed up as there was
too much vibration (this was not due to the lathe)
Here is a nice clean view of the 18 inch General lathe installed in front of a home made dust collector.
The electronic control switch box is mounted with a magnetic pad and can be stuck anywhere on the steel lathe support or lathe itself. The tailstock casting is hollow on the back side rather than underneath as on the older model General lathes.
General Pros and Cons.
- Con: Would like the option of a larger motor.
- Con: Casting cavity on the tailstock could be more useful if it is on the front of the lathe (to hold stuff)
- Con: Tailstock spindle travel is only 2 inches.
- Con: Tailstock spindle is not hollow. (A hollow spindle allows drilling through the centre-for making flutes)
- Con: Need to change belts for different projects
- Con: Non rotating head limits some projects.
- Con: No switch to completely turn off the electronic module. It hums quietly even with motor turned off.
- Con: Operating instructions are dated and don't tell about electronics.
- Con: Electronic speed control slows the motor down and does not allow faster slow down by grabbing the handwheel - You will burn your hand if you try this.
- Pro: Electronic controls can be positioned anywhere.
- Pro: Electronic speed controls the slow down avoiding the problem of the screwed on faceplate unscewing.
- Pro: Motor is adequate for most operations.
- Pro: Mechanical advantage supplied by the different pulley sizes allows use of a "smaller" motor.
- Pro: Banjo, tailstock and toolrest all slide and work well. Handles are big and comfortable.
- Pro: Sturdiness.
- Pro: Non rotating head keeps things aligned
- Pro: Standard 1 inch by 8 threads per inch spindle and #2 Morse taper. Easily obtained accessories will fit.
In summary. This is a good lathe which is solidly built with everything working well. The price is excellent for an upper level lathe. The "old fashioned" design still has advantages. For those who occasionally may want to turn really large diameter projects there is always outboard turning.
For a rundown of features offered with the General lathe check out the Special Features page - click here.
John Williams
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