New Pm1340gt And Pm935tv

Hi guys,

I've been registered here for a while but just not getting around to posting. I received my mill and lathe a couple of weeks ago. They are not moved into position yet, but I'm hoping I can have that done soon. I've tried to do some searching through the forums here to answer the questions I have but right now I'm wanting to know what leveling mounts you guys recommend. I've heard TeCo a lot, but I'm not sure which specific ones to purchase. I don't have a lot of accessory tools right now, such as thread pitch gages, so I don't know what thread pattern the holes in the base are. I assume they are metric, something like 12mm a 2.0mm thread pitch?

I also briefly spoke with Mark about his control kits and proximity sensors. Is there anything else you guys would recommend besides the lathe v-belt and what I've already mentioned? I'm sure I'll be back to ask for advice on moving the mill off of the pallet and into the house. I'm a bachelor so I can put this stuff inside, which is going to be wonderful, or at least I hope so.

I found a link to some leveling feet in an old post here. I assume that these go through the larger unthreaded holes in the base and that the smaller metric threaded holes are for bolting it to the floor? Is this what I need?

https://www.grainger.com/product/TE-CO-Leveling-Pad-2YHD1?functionCode=P2IDP2PCP

Not sure if those are the TeCos I'm using or not. I found a link in zmotorsports 1340GT thread which is what I ordered.

Why don't you just shim the feet? Very simple, very cheap, works great - and commonly used. Steel on concrete is about as stiff as anything you'll ever find. Once you get the machine worked out, you shouldn't need to adjust it very often.

All my machines are on shims (I have a sound and mature concrete slab) and have not had any issues.

Curious, how many people are using leveling feet, vs shims?

Perhaps some folks who are using leveling feet could share the benefits of this approach?

I purchased similar ones 1/2-13, anything in the 2-3.25" long range will work with the 4 cabinet holes (search eBay leveling pad or leveling feet). I purchased a set of 4 for $20, I would go with a 2-2.5" if you do not need a lot of adjustment or just cut down a longer one:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Heavy-Duty-...read-2-long-1-7-8-Dia-Pad-80-20-/272257434048
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Heavy-Duty-...read-2-long-1-7-8-Dia-Pad-80-20-/252409401063

More recent experience by others recommend 4 feet in the corners of the headstock cabinet, so one would need 6 feet and need to drill and tap the cabinet corners (see Rio's thread). I find it easier using the feet when leveling the lathe, very small adjustments are needed to get the bed leveled and the pressure symmetrical on the front/rear feet. Some people bolt down their machines to the floor, which is what I did in California due to earthquakes.

Also consider the height you want the machine to be when installed. Many lathes are just too low as shipped, at least for average men, causing back pain from bending over and poor placing of the controls. You want to be able to look at the work on the lathe without bending over much, and also want the handles at the natural height for your stature. Go away from your lathe, to a wall or door or something, with a tape measure. Stand near your proxy "lathe", with your hands at your sides and eyes closed. Imagine you are standing in front of your lathe. Reach out to grab the hand wheel and the feed lever, still eyes closed, at a comfortable height and reach when they touch the surface. Try it several times, convince yourself that you are reaching for the actual controls. Move forward and back from the surface that is the lathe until the reach feels close, but not crowded. With your hands resting on the surface, open your eyes and then measure the height from the floor to where your hands were and write down the results. Also consider the cross slide handle, eyes closed, remembering you need to see a bunch of tiny lines and numbers. Where does your hand reach for that? Measure it. Write it down. Go away for an hour or so, and go back and do it again. If you do not have close agreement, repeat at intervals until you do. NOW, go to the lathe, with it sitting flat on the floor and see where those numbers you arrived at show up when measuring the real controls. Subtract the differences and write them down. Next, after some time passes, walk into the space where the lathe is, not looking at it, but facing away. Turn around, eyes closed, and reach for the controls, and see where your hands first contact them. The handles will likely seem too low, or maybe not. Repeat after walking away, resting, then coming back. You should now have a very good idea of what height will be best for your needs. Imagine work on the chuck that you need to inspect closely. Pay attention to your body mechanics while doing so. Repeat after a rest. NOW, you know how high you want your lathe to be, and can choose appropriate feet and stud or bolt lengths to make it so. Let your body tell you what it needs...

Edit: Too bad many machine designers apparently fail to do this...

Second edit: Lathes that will be working on very large and/or heavy parts may need to compromise some of the positions in the interest of lifting heavy parts on and off the machine, and consideration must be made for inspecting large parts as well.

I used the 1/2"-13 TECO adjustable feet like Mark. I also did it to get that extra 2" of height that I needed to get it exactly where I wanted the centerline of the chuck for mine and my son's height so it is comfortable running the lathe. I should have done that to my old one to be honest but never fit it to me.

Congrats on your PM1340GT and PM935TV. They are both great machines, but I may be a bit biased.

Mike.

Check the base hole thread size on the PM1340 with a 1/2 13 threaded bolt. On my unit it was actually a metric thread that is very close to 1/2 13. A 1/2 13 tap run thru the existing hole gave a good fit for the leveling legs.

Enjoy your new machines!

Ouija, check out my youtube video at the end of this thread:
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/how-are-you-mounting-your-pm1340gt-lathe.42112/page-3

I wouldn't consider this the "standard" or "approved" total methodology for setting/leveling the lathe, but I'll tell you what, it's rock solid

At any rate, I think this will spark your ideas about how you want to do it. One conclusion is Matt Nadeja new what he was talking about when he kept telling me "anchor it down....that's the way they're really supposed to be set". That makes it rock solid, if you are able to do it.
Good luck.

RIO