12", 13", or 14" swing lathe w/o a gap???

C

cg 2005

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I am looking for a new lathe with a 12", 13", or 14" swing over the ways and NO gap bed. I think the Crafted CT089 is one possibility. Are there others that I have not been able to locate? The length of the bed does not matter, it be can be under 24" but not over 50".
 
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Precision Matthews 1440 HD (Heavy Duty). http://www.machinetoolonline.com/images/PM-1440HD-Headstock.jpg There are others but need to look them up. I've been eyeing this machine for a while. It and 4 others are on my short list. And whatever machine I select, the ones on the short list didn't lose because they were bad machines but rather, they're not as appropriate for the majority of work I do. All are top notch pro-line stuff.


Ray

cg 2005 said:
I am looking for a new lathe with a 12", 13", or 14" swing over the ways and NO gap. I think the Crafted CT089 is one possibility. Are there others that I have not been able to locate? The length of the bed does not matter, it be can be under 24" but not over 50".
Click to expand...
 
RayC,

I looks like a gap bed to me. I am looking for one without a gap bed. However, thanks for responding. The 1440HD is certainly nice machinery porn to look at.
 
Re: 12", 13", or 14" swing lathe w/o a gap???

Just curious, what do you have against a gap bed? I find that they only extend your capacity, and increase the versatility of your machine.

Not that its a problem that you don't want one, just curious.

-Cody

- - - Updated - - -

Also, the normal PM 1440 does not have a removable gap.

http://www.machinetoolonline.com/PM1440.html

-Cody
 
Nope, all of the 1440's they list on the website are gap bed.

Why no gap desired?

  1. I don't need it on this lathe.
  2. I have a specific dedicated use for this lathe.
  3. Typically, the same size without the gap bed should be less expensive.
  4. Removing the gap may void the warranty. This is implied in the manual for Grizzly's G0709 14x40 gunsmith lathe by their statement that removal of the gap, even if replaced, is considered a permanent alteration to the lathe.
 
I can't speak for the Grizzly machines but, removing the gap on a PM machine does not void the warranty. -That would be insane.

I removed the gap on mine once just to see what it was all about. Removing the gap and putting it back is not an issue. It just unbolts with two large cap screws and it has a couple adjustment screws. I cut over that area all the time (with the gap installed) when working with collets but with most chucks, the width of the chuck alone puts the carriage out of reach of the gap. Whenever I'm using collets, I'm not playing games and am shooting for sub-thou precision -a screw-up will cost me a couple hundred bucks... -No problems.

Anyhow, the vast majority of the foundries cast them with the gap and virtually all lathes now will have it. Theoretically, a car w/o power windows should be cheaper but, I haven't seen a car (in the USA anyhow) in the past 20 years where it didn't come standard. Similarly, there are quite a few cars these days where it cost more to have a manual transmission... -Same kind of deal going on here...

That said, I have no intention now of taking the gap out unless I have a need to. As far as I'm concerned, if all lathes were non-gap bed type, it wouldn't bother me a bit -but the minute I get a lathe without it, I'm sure I'll need to turn a big plate the next day. -Murphy's law...


Ray



cg 2005 said:
Nope, all of the 1440's they list on the website are gap bed.

Why no gap desired?

  1. I don't need it on this lathe.
  2. I have a specific dedicated use for this lathe.
  3. Typically, the same size without the gap bed should be less expensive.
  4. Removing the gap may void the warranty. This is implied in the manual for Grizzly's G0709 14x40 gunsmith lathe by their statement that removal of the gap, even if replaced, is considered a permanent alteration to the lathe.
Click to expand...
 
I don't know other's agenda,but I would never plan that a lathe only had a certain job. Things change and needs change too much for me to not need the flexibility. I was able to do a very lucrative job in my 16" lathe a while back when I had to swing 24". Just barely got the job into the gap.

I will say that not every gap will always go back in perfectly. We had the same model of my home lathe at work. ONE serial number apart. I removed the gap once. Careful as I am,and as clean as I got all the surfaces before reassembly,the gap in the lathe at work would NOT quite go back in perfectly flush. I removed mine with trepidation,did the job,and fortunately,it went back absolutely flush,thank heavens!! It is the only large lathe I have,or can afford right now. Most of the time I use my HLV-H,but there is nothing like a larger size lathe when you need it. My lathe at home also faces dead flat as well as turns perfectly true cylinders. The one at work faced a little hollow,but within Gov't. specs. I prefer a lathe that faces flat. I don't do pipe flange work(which is why lathes usually face a little hollow). I had no way to test either lathe when they were in crates. I just got lucky.
 
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