Powermatic 1352001 Model 3520B 20x35-Inch Wood Lathe with RPM Digital Readout

by Powermatic

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Powermatic 3520B Woodworking Lathe retains all the features of classic Powermatic lathes--including a sliding headstock, electronic variable-speed control, and a spindle lock--plus some great innovations. To name just a few, a digital RPM readout makes it a snap to keep track of your speed, a redesigned tailstock offers internal storage, and a laser etched quill conveniently self ejects. With the 3520B, you'll get classic reliability and advanced technology--the best of both worlds to help you handle your most important jobs.

The 3520B Woodworking Lathe At a Glance: Powerful motor with inverter for 3-phase or single-phase input Built-in spindle indexing for drilling hole patterns and routing flutes Sliding headstock with electronic variable speed and digital RPM readout Tailstock offers internal storage Optional dust assembly can travel with the toolrest

Controls and belt access are conveniently located on the front of the headstock.

The standard comparator mounts make turning sets of duplicate projects easy.

Versatile to Suit a Range of Projects
With wide-ranging capabilities, the Powermatic 3520B is ideal for both novice users and seasoned veterans. Incredibly adaptable, the Powermatic 3520B features a 20-inch swing and 34-1/2 inches between the centers to accommodate a huge range of project sizes.

For additional versatility, the included pin can be screwed into the spindle housing to provide up to 24 indexing positions for drilling hole patterns or routing flutes and other equally spaced decorative finishes.

Powerful Motor for High Torque
Driven by a two-horsepower, 220-volt, 6.2-amp, TEFC (totally enclosed fan-cooled) motor, the Powermatic 3520B offers plenty of muscle to get the job done. And because it's equipped with an inverter, the motor can operate with either a single-phase or three-phase input. The motor itself is three phase and receives a single-phase current from the inverter for high torque at low-end, maintenance-free operation.

And to help all that torque efficiently make its way to your workpiece, the motor delivers power through a pair of two-range, multi-groove pulleys that are connected by a durable poly V-belt to prevent surging.

Durable and Resistant to Vibration
Built with precisely machined, thick-walled iron castings, this 682-pound lathe is rigid and stable. It is exceptionally solid and effectively resists vibrations caused by out-of-balance workpieces--so you won't have to worry about bulky sandbags or weights.

Cleverly Designed Headstock for Easy Adjustments
A sliding headstock with electronic variable speed and digital RPM readout provides accurate speed adjustment. What's more, a spindle locking mechanism in the form of a spring-loaded button on the front of the headstock engages one of two locking detents (180-degrees apart) for installing and removing accessories that screw onto the 1-1/4-inch by 8 spindle threads.

Tailstock Includes Built-In Storage
To support large workpieces, the tailstock is made from heavy iron casting. For convenience, a compartment--complete with hinged access door--is built into the tailstock casting to store small often-used tools and equipment. For additional storage options, there's even an attached tool caddy for quick access to centers, wrenches, and more. To top it off, ergonomic chrome-tipped handwheels ensure a comfortable feel, and an optional dust assembly can travel with the toolrest to help maintain proper visibility of your workpiece.

The Powermatic 3520B is backed by a five-year warranty.

What's in the Box
One lathe bed with headstock, tailstock, and tool support base; two leg assemblies; one guard; one 14-inch tool support; one 13-inch face plate; one live center; a one-inch spur center; one index pin; one live center pin; one knockout rod; one face plate wrench; one tool caddy; four levelers; 12 socket hd.cap screws; 12 lock washers; 10 flat washers; two comparator centers; one comparator rear bracket with lock handle; owner's manual; and warranty card.

Based on precisely machined, thick-walled iron castings, the Powermatic 3520B Lathe is both rigid and stable.

Product Description

Includes 3520B 20-in x 34-1/2-in Lathe - 1352001, Safety Shield, 3-in Face Plate, Face Plate Wrench, 14-in Tool Rest, Multiple Ball-Bearing Live Center, Brass Tipped Knockout Rod, Drive Center, Spindle Lock

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Product Details

Product Manual [279kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 55 x 27 x 31 inches ; 682 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 680 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item can only be shipped to the 48 contiguous states. We regret it cannot be shipped to APO/FPO, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000BX1JPQ
• Item model number: 1352001
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #114,980 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #34 in Home Improvement > Power & Hand Tools > Power Tools > Lathes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The last one you'll ever buy, May 24, 2009

By 

David A. Schwarzkopf (living wherever the Navy tells him to.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Powermatic 1352001 Model 3520B 20x35-Inch Wood Lathe with RPM Digital Readout (Tools & Home Improvement)

First off, let me say that if you're waiting for this lathe to be dropped off, invite a buddy or two over for beer, (after they've had a few, then break it to them that you 'may' need a hand lifting up some parts of this beast).

Actually the only stage I needed some serious help with was after both legs were screwed into the bed. Turning 4-500 lbs of cast iron upright by oneself is ill-advised. I used stacks of wood and some 2x stock as a lever, but I wouldn't recommend this approach...After that, re-installing the headstock, banjo, and tailstock was easy.

Next let me talk about customer service. I'd had a few parts broken on arrival, (the banjo and the 3" face plate). All it took was a phone call to customer service and they had these to my door in 3 days; awesome. Then it was on to technical support to ask about the proper way to hook this beast up to 220. They were helpful, knowledgeable and patient and walked me through the process. Thankfully I had a 30amp, (you only need 20 for the lathe), 3 prong dryer hookup nearby. I ended up making my own extension cord out of a 3 wire 10 gauge extension cord, clipped the ends, screwed a dryer plug onto one end and the other replaced the rat-tail that came with the lathe. It went together much easier than I thought it would, (especially considering that my electrician skills are less than stellar).

Back to the actual lathe review. This thing is 1. the most expensive piece of kit in my garage; 2. the heaviest...by far; and 3. the quietest power tool, it's quieter than a little hand sander, (until actually chunking away, that is)

All of the features that were added to this lathe work as advertised. It was obvious that a turner actually had a hand in putting this together. The wire guard is very easy to use, (which means it actually will get used, great safety feature). The tailstock is just cool; the storage bin underneath is a nifty space saver, and let's face it, the chrome hand wheel is just plain cool. I also like the auto release collet on the tailstock as well; whatever you have loaded i.e. live center/drive center, just back-up the tail stock and it self ejects.

On the headstock side, the brass tipped knock-out rod is well executed, works as advertised. Belt changing, (probably not something you'll do often anyway), is simple, straightforward, and takes 30 seconds to 1 minute. Not something you'll have to do everyday, as I don't know too many folks going from pen turning to 4' 80 lb burl turning in the course of a day. If this happens to be you, my hat is off to you, sir.

From what little I've turned so far, this lathe is just smooth. Maybe the beefy motor has something to do with it...maybe it's just the 700 lbs of cast iron, either way, I don't believe I'll ever outgrow this thing. This leads to why I purchased this fella in the first place. The 3520 is my first lathe. I firmly believe that if you do the research and then buy the best that you can afford, you'll only cry once, (OK maybe several times as the Visa statement gets mailed....) But as I've learned the hard way, the cheapest is rarely the best, and you'll most likely end up cursing like a sailor every time you use that 'bargain' piece of gear. I actually look at this purchase as saving money....instead of starting with a midi lathe, quickly outgrowing that and then working up to mid-range, and then maybe trading up a few years after that, I skipped those steps and saved that $, (yes this is what I tell my wife as well....she remains steadfastly unconvinced). Remember, you can turn small stuff on a big lathe, but not big stuff on a small lathe.

36 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powermatic 3520B Lathe, May 20, 2006

By 

D.D.J. (Spring, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Powermatic 1352001 Model 3520B 20x35-Inch Wood Lathe with RPM Digital Readout (Tools & Home Improvement)

Delivery of the lathe was a treat (completely off loaded by the driver into my garage and he would not accept a tip - all within the "free delivery" promo by Amazon). The Lathe's product manual is thoughtful, well written, and quite logically done. The crating and packaging of the lathe was simply great. Foil covered the wood pallet base; addition of wood blocks prevented shifting; boxes within boxes and a large thick mil plastic wrap protected the contents (despite a hole/tear in the outside of the box during shipping there was no damage or even scratches to the lathe). The extremely high quality of this Powermatic Lathe will speak for itself. I have been an amateur woodworker for over 30 years. At age 50 I now want to concentrate on platters, bowls, and also turn piano stool seats. This is indeed my dream lathe!

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT design, EXC bowl lathe, poor web site based service, October 20, 2008

By 

yankee2 "woodworker" (Pasadena) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Powermatic 1352001 Model 3520B 20x35-Inch Wood Lathe with RPM Digital Readout (Tools & Home Improvement)

I received my Powermatic 3520b lathe about a month ago, and have just gotten it running a few days ago. This lathe is a replacement for another WMH product I own, a Jet 1442VS, so I will use that lathe as a basis for comparison with this one.

This lathe is a GREAT design for a bowl turner. For one thing, is it VERY heavy, at 681 lbs., plus another another 60 lbs. with the 18" bed extension assembly installed, bringing the total weight to up to 741 lbs, and making it heavier than similar size Vicmarc (actually a 24" lathe) or Oneway (20 or 24") lathes. That is about 261 lbs. heavier than my Jet, which weighs in at about 420 lbs. That is, the PM is over 60% heavier than my Jet, and 70% with the bed extension installed. If weight is a factor in wood lathe performance, and it certainly IS, this lathe has got it better than any other I know of near this size (except for the big 24" PM, which weighs in at 900 lbs.!)

Besides that, it is also VERY versatile. I was a bit concerned about its somewhat limited 20" swing. My skills are getting into the advanced category (I think), so I wondered if maybe I should go for one with 24" of swing or more. But not to worry! With the 18" bed and banjo extensions (about $400 additional) installed, and the headstock moved to the end of the bed, the PM 3520b swings 32"! This lathe is more capable than any other, in most respects it seems, if your goal is to turn bowls.

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 body.

The continuously variable speed is INVALUABLE - the 450 rpm minimum with my Jet was just too fast (and so too dangerous) 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 I read (several - but not all) 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 130/50 rpm minimum speeds it really works at are slow enough. It seems quite slow, at 130/50 rpm, being just a bit over 2, or under 1 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, running in the low range, with the tailstock in place, and with the lathe bolted down, even those could probably be turned easily enough.

I should add that this lathe's stance is 4" wider than that of my Jet, at 24", which combined with being also a few inches shorter, seems to make it VERY stable, even without being bolted down, my previous standard practice. I may bolt it down yet, when I get a really big, unbalanced piece of wood, but so far it has been solid as a rock.

WMH does have a few quality problems, though not enough to spoil a deal. Although my lathe was delivered without any significant damage, the black tape stripes were scraped off in a couple of spots. And, 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 the tape off, a few quarter-size bits of paint 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. Now, 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! However, in response to my email, WMH DID send me a spray can of Powermatic gold paint, which mostly solves the problem. I do believe the filler was mostly cosmetic, and I'm satisfied.

Do look out, however, for the face plate they have screwed onto the spindle as delivered. I didn't realize this at the time, since I've never used face plates with set screws before, but this one has them! When I tried to remove the little 3" face plate supplied, I discovered the hard way that this one not only has set screws, but that they are delivered tight! So I scored the spindle shaft. Bummer! The damage is not serious, but STILL. MOST wood turners, I'd wager, have never used face plates with set screws, and would not expect them. I have to 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 itself. Some of us know (or think we know) these machines pretty well, and tend to jump ahead a bit.

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 will not work perfectly.

This is an outstanding bowl-turner's lathe, for the money or even cost-independent. If you want to turn bowls, and would rather not spend the $5-8K which other lathes of similar size cost, this could be the one for you. There are none more versatile, and you will probably never need a bigger one. BTW, before you buy, check out Osolnik Machinery in Berea KY., which helped design this machine. Joe Osolnik (son, I think, of the famous bowl turner) is very helpful, and you might get an even better deal.