Anyone here with a PM1236

[verbotenwhisky]

I am looking for those on the forum who have a PM1236 (the chinese machine) and have had to tram the head stock, I am going to need to do this and I am looking for those that could provide a bit of information about the procedure.

 

[markba633csi]

Your headstock is mis-aligned to the bed?

 

[Digger42]

I have a 1236 however have not had problems with the headstock alignment. The manual has info on headstock alignment starting on page 28. Might help. Also have found PM’s tech service very helpful.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

Your headstock is mis-aligned to the bed?

Yes. It shows that it can be adjusted in the manual, but I would just like to converse with someone who has done this already, looking to see if they found anything Not covered in the manual or issues they had to workout that might save me some grief during the process.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

I have a 1236 however have not had problems with the headstock alignment. The manual has info on headstock alignment starting on page 28. Might help. Also have found PM’s tech service very helpful.

I too have found John and friends at PM to be very helpful and I am looking at the manual.

As I stated in a previous reply, I would just like to converse with someone who has done this already, looking to see if they found anything Not covered in the manual or issues they had to workout that might save me some grief during the process.

 

[MikeWi]

The first thing I always check is how do you know it's the headstock? How much of a taper is there?
If you had the headstock off, that's different of course...

 

[verbotenwhisky]

The first thing I always check is how do you know it's the headstock? How much of a taper is there?
If you had the headstock off, that's different of course...

I know the head stock is off because it is cutting a taper, in a 6" length, cutting toward the chuck, it move to the center line of the work piece .002 which gives me a .004 smaller diameter; therefore the head stock is rotated counter clockwise away from the center line of the ways.

 

[fursphere]

Haven't noticed any issues like this with my PM1236. I'll have to re-check the tram just incase though.

 

[verbotenwhisky]

Haven't noticed any issues like this with my PM1236. I'll have to re-check the tram just incase though.

I was trying to cut a press fit which will be an inch long with a flange on the back and an R8 taper connection. So I cut the material 7" long started diameter of 3" and made my first cut to clean it up and when I took my measurement at the chuck end then at the tail stock end the Chuck end was .004" smaller.

I received the lathe in January and up to this point I had not cut anything very big/long nor critical with it; but, I had noticed it wasn't quit right. This doesn't bother me at this point, it is fixable through an adjustment, I was simply hoping someone else out here might have some helpful insight.

I do like this machine and other than some issues with the DRO's which PM took care of I have no complaints.

 

[mksj]

There have been previous posts on the subject, it just takes a bit of time to dial it in and very small movement on the adjustment screws as is outlined in the manual. I do not fully loosen the headstock bolts, keep some tension on them so the head stays taught. Make sure the bed is level first with a high precision level. I prefer using "Rollie's Dad's Method" for aligning the headstock or a precision MT test bar, then tightening the headstock bolts, rechecking and doing a 2 ring test.

PM 1236 Headstock alignment

I determined that the headstock on my PM-1236 is badly out of alignment so I have been attempting to perform the alignment per the manual. I obtained a 1.5 inch precision ground 12 inch bar that was mounted in the 4 jaw chuck and centered. Moving the dial indicator from the chuck to the end of...

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