Thursday, January 26, 2006
The 3340 BL is a compact, multi-purpose bench lathe for grinding, buffing, and polishing both metal and acrylic dental materials. Reported features of the 3340 BL include a 1/6-horsepower motor with a 5/16" shaft, permanently lubricated ball bearings, and a sealed dust-proof motor housing. The unit's motor is attached to a 6" x 5" cast iron base with four holes for mounting to the benchtop. The base is equipped with a lighted power on/off indicator and variable-speed dial, which controls the motor from 1800 to 7000 rpm. The bench lathe purportedly can be used with 1" to 4" diameter buffing wheels and accommodates grinding wheels up to 2" in diameter. The 3340 BL accessories include TM5 (left hand) & TM6 (right hand) tapered spindle mandrels, WM-5 (right hand) wheel mandrel, CHA-5 (right hand) collet holder with 1/4" and 3/32" collets, screwdriver, allen wrench and collet wrench. The bench lathe has a 6' power cord, weighs 7 1/2 pounds, and is available in 110 or 220 voltages.
Clearly, the 3340’s main advantages were its small size, lightness in weight, and variable speeds. It performed all grinding, buffing, and polishing tasks with the collet holder and mandrels provided. Evaluators found its 1/6-horsepower motor to provide sufficient power and the variable-speed feature to be very effective for polishing procedures. Motor brush replacements were easy to accomplish. The lathe comes with a comprehensive instruction manual and it meets all electrical safety standards.
The lathe performs best when secured to the bench, although suction cups on the base aid in stability when the lathe is not secured. The chuck does not have a quick release, which means a wrench must be used for all bur changes.
This review has been adapted from the DECS website. The DECS has no formal association with Dentalcompare or with vendors listed on dentalcompare.com. The DECS does not specifically endorse any particular product or vendor and is provided for informational purposes only.
Review Synopsis
Product
3340 BL Bench Lathe Kit
The Good
Functions reliably for most tasks. Portable. Variable speeds.
The Bad
No quick-release chuck.
The Bottom Line
A small, lightweight benchtop lathe that is best indicated for tasks requiring few bur changes.