Powermatic 1352001 Model 3520B 20x35-Inch Wood Lathe with RPM Digital Readout | 
 enlarge | Brand: Powermatic
Category: Home Improvement
List Price: $4,214.00
Buy New: $3,399.99
You Save: $814.01 (19%)
New (4) from $3,399.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 42433
Media: Tools & Hardware
Shipping Weight (lbs): 680
Dimensions (in): 54.5 x 30 x 26
MPN: 1352001
Model: 1352001
UPC: 662755526138
EAN: 0662755526138
ASIN: B000BX1JPQ
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 2 to 3 days
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| Features:
| • | Wood turning lathe with digital RPM readout, 20-inch swing, and 34-1/2 inches between center | | • | Powered by a 2-horsepower, 220-volt, variable speed motor | | • | Made of heavy-duty cast iron, Assembly required | | • | Accessories include guard, tool rest, face plate, wrench, knockout rod and spindle lock | | • | 50x24x44 inches; Backed by 1-year warranty |
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Product Description
From the Manufacturer3520B Powermatic electronic variable speed wood lathe has a swing of 20" and a distance between centers of 34 1/2". Power is from a 2HP 220V motor and can be run on either 2ph or 1ph. This unit has an all cast iron headstock, bed and legs that will provide the weight needed in a lathe of this size. The digital readout allows the turner to see the RPM of the spindle to be more accurate in the turning operation. There is a tool caddy that mounts to the lathe which allows the user to store all the necessary tools under the headstock. Other standard features are spindle lock, brass knockout, ball bearing spindle, drive center, 3" face plate and a 14" toolrest. The spindle is a 1 1/4" X 8 TPI and has spindle hole of 5/8", tailstock hole is 3/8". This redesigned 3520B is a turners delight loaded with great features.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 GREAT design, EXC bowl lathe, poor web site based service October 20, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I just received my Powermatic 3520b lathe a few days ago, and haven't used it yet, so this review is preliminary, though I've added some updates at the end. This lathe is a replacement for another WMH product I own, a Jet 1442VS, so at least I have some basis for comparison.
This lathe is a GREAT design for a bowl turner. Not only is it VERY heavy, at about 700 lbs. (shipping weight was 754 lbs. on a pallet in a cardboard box), making it heavier than any similar size Vicmarc or Oneway (I think), but it is also VERY versatile. I was a bit concerned about its swing. My skills are getting into the advanced category (I think), so I wondered if I should go for one with 24" of swing or more. But not to worry! With the 18" bed extension and banjo extensions (about $400 additional), and the headstock moved to the end of the bed, this lathe swings 32"! And with the added weight of the extension, this lathe must weigh about 750 lbs., making it truly capable of just about anything a bowl turner could want.
Set-up was easy, even by one man. I moved the heavy parts around with a 2-wheeled truck. I bolted the legs, which are liftable, to the upside-down bed, and laid it on its side. I braced the legs against 25" 2X4s, themselves braced against the garage door (itself wedged to fix it in place) so they would not slip when I hoisted it up-right. I installed a 3/8" X 4 1/2" screw eye in the plate above garage door, and with a cable hoist, pulled it upright. I was then able to install the head and tail-stocks, and the banjo. The headstock is heavy enough (maybe 100 lbs.) that it was near my limit, as a 56 yo 180 lb. male, so you may want to hoist that, too, or get help. It took just a couple of hours to get it together, without any real risk to my precious, aging bod.
But, WMH does have a few quality problems, though probably not enough to scotch the deal. Although my lathe was delivered without any significant damage, the black tape stripes were scraped off in a spot or two. Thinking I'd prefer it without the stripes, which look a little fussy against the gold bed paint, I decided to pull them off. A Mistake? When I pulled them off, a few bits of paint (quarter size!) came off with it. And not only that, but some of what looked like white filler, under the paint, and about 1/16" or more thick, came off with it. I don't think that they should use filler to mask flaws in the casting, and if they do, it shouldn't come off with the tape!
But I'll overlook that if they'll send me some touch-up paint. And in every other way, so far, this seems to be a great bowl turner's lathe.
Do look out, however, for the face plate they have screwed onto the spindle. I didn't realize this at the time, since I've never used face plates with set screws before, but when I tried to remove the little 3" face plate they supply, I discovered the hard way that this one had set screws! I scored the spindle shaft. Bummer! But the damage is not serious. MOST wood turners, I'd wager, have never encountered face plates with set screws, and I admit I did this before reading the manual, but still, they did not need to install it (with set-screws tight), and should warn us a bit more upfront, like with a sticker on the faceplate.
So, I might have given this lathe a 4.5 if that option were available, for the quality problems mentioned, but I think that once I start using it, and continue using it for a long time (I hope), I'll feel that the 5 star rating was well deserved. I'll give an update after I've used it for a month or two. I think it is the cheapest and best lathe available which should meet virtually every bowl turner's needs.
Early Update: Buyers should know that the WMH Tool Group (the parent company), with which you will have to deal, has a TERRIBLE web site. Oh, it's pretty enough, but it works VERY poorly, for me at least. I just spent over an hour on line, and on the phone, speaking to 3 different CS reps, just to BEGIN the process of getting my $50 rebate (part of the offer I bought under). I have had such problems in the past (I also own a Jet lathe), and WMH does not seem capable of correcting their web site problems.
Later update: I've now started using this lathe, and I'm not disappointed. It is MUCH more solid than my Jet 1442, which is not so bad itself. It does, after all, weigh considerably more than the Jet, The Powermatic weighs 682 lbs. net, while the Jet is reported to have a net weight of 420 lbs., which makes the Powermatic 262 lbs, or more than 60% heavier than my Jet. With the 18" bed extension attached, the PM weighs 742 lbs., and is more than 70% heavier than the Jet. I thought this would be a mid-size lathe, but in use it seems quite large. I'm able to rough a fairly unbalanced 12" bowl blank without any vibration at all. Bolting it down, which I am planning to do, may turn out to be unnecessary.
Of course the continuously variable speed is INVALUABLE - the 450 rpm minimum with the Jet was just too fast in many cases for less well balanced bowl blanks. It's REALLY nice to be able to throttle down to, well, ~130 rpm in the high range, 50 rpm in low. Though the specs say that it runs 0-1200 and 0-3200 rpms, that is not exactly true. At less than 130 rpm (50 in the low range), it just stops. But even the 130 rpm minimum speed it really works at is slow enough. It seems quite slow, being just a bit over 2 rpm/second. I think I can turn just about anything except maybe the very biggest, MOST out-of-balance blanks that fit on this lathe, and with the thick 1 1/4" spindle, in the low range, and with the lathe bolted down, even those could probably be turned easily enough.
BTW, regarding the paint/filler peeling with tape problem noted above, WMH sent me a spray can of Powermatic gold paint, gratis - problem (mostly) solved. I'm satisfied.
I haven't actually tried using the 18" bed extension assembly to turn a blank up to 32" in diameter (don't have that kind of wood at the moment!), but can see no reason it would not work perfectly.
This is an outstanding bowl turner's lathe for the money. If you want to turn bowls, and would rather not spend the $5-8K other lathes this size cost, this could be the one for you. There are none more versatile. BTW, before you buy, check out Osolnik Machinery in Berea KY., which helped design this machine. You might get an even better deal.
Powermatic 3520b lathe May 18, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I received my new 3520b Powermatic lathe about 6 weeks ago and have used it several hours at this point. The lathe is substantial and heavy. It is very smooth, quiet and well-made. The electronic speed control works well and makes multiple speed changes while turning a breeze. Also, the moveable headstock is handy if you want to turn very large bowls although the normal swing is 20 inches which accomodates the Oneway Stronghold chuck and mega jumbo jaw set up.
The lathe arrived in excellent shape and the delivery driver was helpful in moving the box into the garage. Because of the weight it was necessary for me to remove the headstock and tool rest from the main body inorder to carry all of the parts into the basement. Even disassembled it was not easy to move the parts and my wife and I struggled to get the task accomplished. I literally rolled the headstock end over end to get it down the stairs. Once in the basement it was necessary to use a winch hung from a large stepladder to lift the main frame up to attach the legs. Also, the headstock had to be winched up in order to slide in on the rail. There were some anxious moments but the assembly was completed in about three hours. I recommend buying the correct hex wrench head for your socket set to make it easier to attach the legs. I did that after I read that comment in another evaluation of this tool and found it to be helpful. I bought the winch from Sears for $20. The help of another person during this process was essential. Also, this lathe requires 230V so it was necessary for me to install a dedicated line over to the tool location.
Other than the assembly, I am very pleased with the lathe and enjoy using it.
powermatic lathe review April 16, 2008
The Powermatic lathe, model 3520B, is reliable, strong, silent, heavy. A very good product for serious wood turners.
 Nice upgrades from the last version of this Lathe December 17, 2006
11 out of 16 found this review helpful
For the price this lathe is hard to beat in this cost category - under 4k. This lathe runs quite smooth - but then I am use to using a Shopsmith as my other lathe.
Like any lathe it is aways best to search out others who have used it and see if the options match your needs. Currently our wood turning group uses the older version of this lathe and it has provided yeoman service for the last few years for club demo's. I found that the hight of this lathe is easer to work on than my Shopsmith - which was my justification of upgrading my hardware.
This updated version - 3502b has some nice refinements - could have a few more tweaks to make more user friendly like the robust lathe - but that lathe cost at least 5k.
Updates between the 3520A / 3520b
1. tail stock has a closing "bin" - lets you store items in there without getting a bunch of wood chips all over it.
2. head stock has an index ( option on the 3520a, the version on the 3520b could have improved a bit)
3. Small chuck tool rest - no biggie - but the bolt holes can be used to mount an outrigger and turn monster bowls - or extend the bed. (Cost extra for the outrigger)
4. Speed display LED in RPM.
While there is a larger Powermatic lathe - and it does have more HP, the movable head stock on the 3520b allows more options when turning.
When checking / figuring the price of the lathe remember that most delivery companies will charge a lift gate fee. Currently Amazon uses ABF Freight system. Their minimum cost to offer this service is an additional charge of $2.95 per 100 pounds of actual weight will be assessed, but not less than $109.90.
I rate this lathe at 4 starts - would if I could at 4.5 - the tail stock is a bit heavy to move - but this is a massive lathe. Other companies have started to make a swing out tail stock to assist the turner.
One odd note, when reading the owners manual see link below, some of the
recommend tools to assemble the lathe are a bit unique. One of the recommended tools to assist putting it together is a forklift - I was not to sure if this lathe was just too big.
However; I was able to assemble the lathe by my self using a high end step ladder and the help of a manual winch under the ladder. A good lift table, or work bench can work out quite well if you don't have a fork lift ;)
You can download the manual for the lathe by getting an account on powermatic's website at no additional cost.
Remember that this lathe takes 220 and just shy of 16 amp at normal single phase power.
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Bradbn4
Good value for the money, but far from perfect November 22, 2006
9 out of 15 found this review helpful
I have had my 3520 for about a year and am reasonably pleased. The units come inadequately packed, and my first delivery had fallen over sometime since production and the cast iron was cracked, and numerous other parts were broken. Amazon promptly replaced the unit. The pallet is poorly designed and the unit is very top heavy. Powermatic should re-design the spindle lock, which is spring loaded and requires you to hold it down while using it. The lock needs a lock. This occupies one hand that might be better used on stubborn attachments. Powermatic also cleverly cast a notch in the corner of the motor housing to give better access for tools at the spindle area, but the goofs installed a switch and guard that interfere with the notch and make it useless. Great planning, poor execution. The claim of 35" between centers is a crock. Mine is 29 1/2" at best with live and dead centers installed. I bought a factory bed extension on another site for half of what Amazon wants for one. Money well spent if you do any spindle work.
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