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I recently received a press release that Powermatic brought a new version of their popular 3520 lathe to market. The new version, “C”, is the 4th generation of the 3520 lathe family. The new features really grabbed my eye, so I gave the product manager for this new lathe, Michael D’Onofri, a call to hear first hand about them.
The movable control box allows the user to place the most important controls wherever they find themselves on the bed of the lathe. The magnetic back allows you to place the unit on or near the tailstock while working longer pieces – an upgrade that makes you wonder why it hasn’t been done before. The digital indexing is displayed on the control unit as well.
We also talked about the adjustable riser blocks. If you spend much time at the lathe, you know how frustrating it can be when you’re just not the right height. Some folks build platforms to compensate for this – now everyone should be able to place their lathe at just the right height.
Speaking of the base – another feature is the increased mass. The 3520C now clocks in at over 700lbs stock and with the bed extension, over 800lbs. Again, this meets the needs of the serious turner and bypasses the need for users to add weight to their machine after their purchase.
Marc Spagnuolo and Ashley Harwood recently put the 3520C through its paces over at the Wood Whisper’s shop. Check out the Powermatic Instagram feed for a few more photos.
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
