Wivamac DB801 vario et al

[Aden30mm]

Hi

I'm in the process of upgrading my small workshop. The old Tyme Avon 36" will go, and I need for a lathe with a larger capacity.

Do any of you wood turning chaps have any feedback on the Wivamac DB801 vario or Killinger 1400SE. I would also be grateful for any other suggestions on any other lathe that allows for the head stock to rotate for large bowl work face on to the bed.

Regards

 

[Grahamshed]

The Wivamac DB801 is the one I have my eye on. The Killinger is my close second. The thing with the Wivamac is that you can turn a 20 inch bowl over the bed without needing to turn the headstock ( though you can if you want ). Question I have to decide is how often would I need to do anything that big. The 801 is considerably dearer.

 

[paulm]

I have the larger Wivamac 1200 and enjoy it, well made and functional.

Of the two models mentioned above the Wivamac has substantially greater height above the bed as Graham mentions, meaning you can in theory turn signifcantly bigger pieces over the bed without having to turn the headstock at 90'.

I say "in theory", because both lathes only have a 1hp (750w) motor, so you may find they both struggle with bigger pieces, needing to take lighter cuts to avoid stalling. There looks to be a version of the Wivamac (802?) at the same price but which has a three speed pulley which should help get lower speeds with less loss of torque, which may help get the best practical usage from the motor output.

Not sure about other alternatives, not having been in the market for one recently.

Cheers, Paul

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Don't forget you can turn large platters and small table tops, half shelves for wall mounting, etc. - it's not weight that matters neccessarily, it's the capability to handle the width.

 

[paulm]

Don't forget you can turn large platters and small table tops, half shelves for wall mounting, etc. - it's not weight that matters neccessarily, it's the capability to handle the width.

Fair point Phil.

Cheers, Paul

 

[Richard Findley]

I don't own either lathe but have looked closely at both (or at least other models in the ranges) when I was looking to upgrade. An issue I spotted that other turners have mentioned also is that on the Wivamac there is a bolt that holds the headstock in place which requires a spanner in an awkward position to be undone before any movement is possible, where as on most lathes the headstock is held in place using a cam lock and sometimes a simple locking pin.

The other point is that, despite your imagining all of these amazining huge bowls, it is hard to get decent wood in those sorts of sizes, then you need space to house a huge bowl. They are a good technical excercise but in reality you will most likely only ever turn one or two bows of this size. That said, it certainly is nice to be able to do it, even if you don't very often/ever

Cheers

Richard

 

[Paul Hannaby]

Here's a review on the killinger lathes

I have to disagree with Richard. I bought a Wivamac (originally a DB100 and now a DB1200) because I wanted to make use of the larger over the bed capacity and I frequently make use of most of the available capacity and not just for bowls. One thing to bear in mind that with any lathe, thethickness of the banjo can reduce the available capacity over the bed by 3 or 4 inches. Careful positioning can minimise this but you get the idea!

It's worth bearing in mind that swing over the bed isn't the only thing that affects capacity. Distance between front and rear headstock spindle bearings influences the amount of overhang the bearings can support and the motor capacity also makes a difference. Strenght and stability of the bed and legs also make a difference.

Richard is right about the method for securing the headstock to the bed on the Wivamac lathes but to be honest, once it's set, I very rarely find it necessary to move it because the capacity over the bed means I don't need to.

 

[Grahamshed]

Although I fancy the larger swing over the bed of the Wivamac I remember reading somewhere that hollowing over the bed wreaks your back and being able to turn the headstock a few degrees solves the problem. Dont know how true it is.

 

[paulm]

While it would undoubtedly be nice to have a cam lock or similar on the wivamac headstocks, or a captive nut and bolt with lever attached or similar (wonder if I could make one up :-k ), it really isn't a problem worth worrying about in reality, taking all of 30 seconds with a couple of spanners to adjust....

Cheers, Paul

 

[Aden30mm]

I must agree with Paul with regard to retro fitting a locking facility on the head stock bolt. However, in the overall scheme of things taking 5 minutes to adjust and lock of a bolt seems a small price to pay for a hobby you enjoy. May be different if you earn your living from turning.

Any of you guys have any feedback on the Killinger 1400SE lathe?

Kind Regards

Aden30mm

 

[chipmunk]

I agree with Paul's reasons for a big over-bed capacity.

Another issue that makes a large capacity attractive, even when turning smaller bowls, comes when trying to swing a long bowl gouge handle. Invariably it can fowl the bed unless the swing is big enough.

Have you considered the Jet lathes - 4224, 3520 or 1642?

Probably higher HP motors and value for money than Killinger or Wivamax IMHO?

Jon

 

[Aden30mm]

On the issue of turning over bars and potential tool impact upon the bed, if you have the facility to rotate the head stock you remove this issue.

I looked at all the Jet machines, but without the rotating head stock they were eliminated from my list early days. Now if I had a larger workshop???

Talked to Phil Irons today and I go and have a play on the Killinger, and also give Wivamax a trial run.

Finally many thanks to all of you guys for your input, its appreciated.

Aden30mm

 

[duncanh]

I've tried to email Phil a couple of times for info on the 1500 but so far no reply. It looks great and with the facility to position the headstock anywhere along the bed and also rotate it the lathe should be perfect for my small shed. Just as long as it fits...

 

[Aden30mm]

Duncahn

Talked to Phil again today, best bet I would think is to phone him (well it worked for me).

I agree 1500 looks the doggies. I am interested to find out of the quality on these lathes agrees with what the online photographs show.

 

[myturn]

I have the Killinger 1400SE and am very happy with it.

Swing over the bed is not the most important factor in a lathe's ability to run large pieces. The mass (aned hence stability) of the lathe is a major factor in this and if you use the 1400SE you either need the cast-iron legstand or bolt it to a solid bench.

I rate the ability to rotate the head as one of the main features I would look for, it doesn't matter whether a bowl fits over the bed or not as I always turn the headstock outwards so I don't need to lean over the bed. The only time I leave the headstock in line with the tailstock is when turning between centres. This has meant I can turn with far less stress on my back and in a much more relaxed position. It also means you can position the gouges more freely as the bed is not in the way.

The Wivamac was one I seriously considered but wanting as small a footprint as possible I went for the Killinger. It's quality is exemplary and if you have room for the 1500 I would recommend you go for that with its larger capacity and greater power.