New rikon lathe?

Gardnaaa

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Has anyone seen the new rikon lathe coming out in April? The rikon 70-3040. It has an electric sliding bed. the swing is usually 25 3/16 and when you extend the bed it goes to a 31 13/16 swing. No price info on it yet, but it’s cool. I might have to sell my laguna midi!
 

trc65

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Interesting concept. Wonder how well it slides back and forth after a week of turning dusty or wet wood with the bed extended? Also wonder about stability. If something has the capability to slide, can it be as strong/ stable as another machine that doesn't slide?

Will be interesting to see pricing and how it compares to other manufacturers. If you occasionally need a 31" swing, would you buy this instead of another? Same question with bed length.

I've only turned on my Rikon 70-220 so I have no idea on how the specs compare to machines of similar size.
 

Gardnaaa

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I’m curious to know pricing as well, because I feel like rikon has very fair prices. I love my laguna 1216, but I feel so limited. This lathe seems pretty awesome. I was going to look into the laguna 2436, but it’s so expensive, I’m sure it’s definitely worth it, but expensive. So price would make or break it for me. I doubt it’ll be cheap, but I wonder if
It’ll be $3400 like the 2436.
 

Wildthings

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How do you turn a larger bowl in the newly exposed deeper swing? You have to move your banjo to that area and your tool rest has to expand to the new height. Just thinking out loud
 

Gardnaaa

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How do you turn a larger bowl in the newly exposed deeper swing? You have to move your banjo to that area and your tool rest has to expand to the new height. Just thinking out loud
The banjo moves down to the lower level, and I think the tail stock stays where it is
 

Wildthings

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I've got a midi lathe. My banjo slides in from the right side after taking the tail off. If that's the case on this one I don't see how it works. Can you install a banjo at any point on this type of lathe
 

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Barring any possible weakness with the lead screw for the sliding bed, this looks like a novel and solid contender to the likes of other full size lathes. I'm going to guess that they are using an acme thread for the sliding table, since they've opted to that on the tailstock as well. Acme threads are less likely to bind up from my recollection and can carry higher loads, and is what you'd find on feed screw applications for machine tools. I think you'd have to get in habit of regularly cleaning and oiling down the sliding members (WD40 or Teflon spray/wipe).
Rest of it looks solid to me, the sliding table will lockdown, the control box can be moved, the index feature looks good, 3HP is always good..., weight about same as PM3520. Don't see any height adjustability, would be nice to know what the height to the center is off the floor.
 

Gardnaaa

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Barring any possible weakness with the lead screw for the sliding bed, this looks like a novel and solid contender to the likes of other full size lathes. I'm going to guess that they are using an acme thread for the sliding table, since they've opted to that on the tailstock as well. Acme threads are less likely to bind up from my recollection and can carry higher loads, and is what you'd find on feed screw applications for machine tools. I think you'd have to get in habit of regularly cleaning and oiling down the sliding members (WD40 or Teflon spray/wipe).
Rest of it looks solid to me, the sliding table will lockdown, the control box can be moved, the index feature looks good, 3HP is always good..., weight about same as PM3520. Don't see any height adjustability, would be nice to know what the height to the center is off the floor.

what I’m most curious about is the price point. The laguna doesn’t really have any competition for their wide swing lathes except for brands that are more expensive like robust probably. Grizzly has a decent sized one that is around 2k I think, but that’s all I know of at the moment. The sliding bed is cool, I’m just interested in the 30” swing though honestly. But price is what I’m super curious about. Since it has new technology and more electronics in it.
 

Nubsnstubs

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Tail stock won't need to move up or down as you just move the bed enough for clearance. As far as doing the inside of a bowl, make sure you have a good long tool rest. It has a 1" tool post, so rests will be very easy to acquire.
If you go to the link I posted, one of the pictures shows a banjo with an adapter on it to raise the height. Hopefully it installs easily.
Tim probably has it correct in how he described things above.
As far as height, the lathe is 50 3/8 high. Subtract 10" off that and the spindle is going to be very close to 40" in height from the floor. .............. Jerry (in Tucson)
 

gman2431

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I'm very curious the price point...

Also, a nice set of linear guide bearings will have no worries. Granting that sliding bed has them but they almost have to to hold accuracy. Lots of commercial big production wood working equipment use them in the cabinet industry.
 

Wildthings

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The banjo moves down to the lower level, and I think the tail stock stays where it is

Barring any possible weakness with the lead screw for the sliding bed, this looks like a novel and solid contender to the likes of other full size lathes. I'm going to guess that they are using an acme thread for the sliding table, since they've opted to that on the tailstock as well. Acme threads are less likely to bind up from my recollection and can carry higher loads, and is what you'd find on feed screw applications for machine tools. I think you'd have to get in habit of regularly cleaning and oiling down the sliding members (WD40 or Teflon spray/wipe).
Rest of it looks solid to me, the sliding table will lockdown, the control box can be moved, the index feature looks good, 3HP is always good..., weight about same as PM3520. Don't see any height adjustability, would be nice to know what the height to the center is off the floor.

Tail stock won't need to move up or down as you just move the bed enough for clearance. As far as doing the inside of a bowl, make sure you have a good long tool rest. It has a 1" tool post, so rests will be very easy to acquire.
If you go to the link I posted, one of the pictures shows a banjo with an adapter on it to raise the height. Hopefully it installs easily.
Tim probably has it correct in how he described things above.
As far as height, the lathe is 50 3/8 high. Subtract 10" off that and the spindle is going to be very close to 40" in height from the floor. .............. Jerry (in Tucson)

OK y'all ain't getting what I'm asking. If I expand it to the right because I want to turn a 31" platter and move my tailstock all the way to the left on the upper bed (cuz I'm doing a platter) where does my banjo go. If you are going to tell me "on the lower bed" I got that! My question back to you would be how does it get to the lower bed. The only lathe I've work with is a PSI midi lathe and to get the banjo on and off you have to come in from the far right side after removing the tailstock. Do big lathe banjos install differently?
 

Gardnaaa

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OK y'all ain't getting what I'm asking. If I expand it to the right because I want to turn a 31" platter and move my tailstock all the way to the left on the upper bed (cuz I'm doing a platter) where does my banjo go. If you are going to tell me "on the lower bed" I got that! My question back to you would be how does it get to the lower bed. The only lathe I've work with is a PSI midi lathe and to get the banjo on and off you have to come in from the far right side after removing the tailstock. Do big lathe banjos install differently?

maybe it has some other sort of lever or something that allows it to come off to move to the lower level without having to take off the tail stock. There isn’t a lot of info out on it right now unfortunately. I want to know all about this lathe lol
 

Eric Rorabaugh

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Good lord Barry. My god man, get with the program! I can't believe you would ask such a question. I'll show you how simple it is to answer........


















Just kidding. I wonder the same thing!
 

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Instead of a round disk underneath it could be rectangle shaped to tighten underneath the bed ways.
 

trc65

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I don't know, but here's a guess. On one of the pictures, it appears that the ways of the lower bed don't extend all the way to the headstock. It doesn't look like there is enough space to slide the banjo on between the headstock and lower bed, but maybe there is?

If not, we'll just wait for Barry to buy one and then show us.:hi:
 
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