Pm 1228-vf-lb Lathe Preparations

[higgite]

I don't see how a thread chasing dial is feasible on the SIEG models as both the SC-10 and SC-8 have telescoping leadscrew covers. The PM-1228's leadscrew isn't covered (going by Franko's pics in post #54), so a dial is doable. I too was wondering if it will be on the left side, since the right side is pretty well taken up by the cross slide feed lever, but I don't see a dial in the photo.

Tom

Edit by higgite: I stand corrected about a thread chasing dial not being feasible with the telescoping leadscrew covers. See Will’s post #64 below. Tom

 

[ronboult]

Franko unless you are a fanatic like Will (Darkzer0) and clean your lathe twice before use and three time after using that ***** white colour is going to show some oil stains.

I think that as soon as you get it and before using, you should strip completely down and paint it in SIEG RED like all Sieg machines are meant to be!

 

[Franko]

I have no clue where the thread chasing dial is. I don't know that the 1228 is any beefier than the 1127. Matt said they were very similar. He seemed to imply that the motor on the 1228 was a better motor, not just bigger. I don't know much about motors, so I don't know for sure why. Maybe because it is brushless.

 

[darkzero]

I don't see how a thread chasing dial is feasible on the SIEG models as both the SC-10 and SC-8 have telescoping leadscrew covers. The PM-1228's leadscrew isn't covered (going by Franko's pics in post #54), so a dial is doable. I too was wondering if it will be on the left side, since the right side is pretty well taken up by the cross slide feed lever, but I don't see a dial in the photo.

Tom

I didn't see a thread dial in that one photo posted of the PM1228 but that does not mean anything.
It's still possible to have a thread dial with leadscrew covers. The current version of the PM1236 has a leadscrew cover & also has a thread dial. In the photos I've seen the leadscrew cover left of the carriage is mounted to the carriage. For the right leadscrew cover I can't tell if it's mounted off the thread dial housing. Kind of awkward if it is though.

I personally don't care for a leadscrew cover. My PM1236 did not come with one & if it had one I'd probably remove the damn things anyway.

Generally the thread dial would be mounted on the same side as the halfnut lever of the carriage so I'm assuming it would be on the right side on the PM1228. It would be annoying to have the thread dial mounted on the opposite side of the half nut.

 

[darkzero]

Franko that is a little unkind, mine is BIG and RED! I like to think that Red is the new mans colour.

Haha, no offence Ron but I'm with Frank. I'm not a fan of red, blue, or the Grizzly green for lathes & mills. Although green is not too bad & I could live with it. I had a HF8x14 that was red. I wanted to paint it but I ended up giving it to my brother. I wasn't to excited on the white & blue stand when I first got my PM lathe but I actually really like the white now. I just never have been a fan of red, like I don't care for red vehicles either. Why can't machines just be gray.

 

[Franko]

I've looked all over and I can't find any SC10s that have a thread dial mounted. And the one and only pic of the 1236 doesn't seem to have one. The half nut lever is mounted on the front of the 1227 and the thread dial is pretty big and obvious on the right side. The lead screw cover looks like it is a set of nested rings, like a telescope and appears to be attached to the half nuts.

I guess we'll see when we see.

... I personally don't care for a leadscrew cover. My PM1236 did not come with one & if it had one I'd probably remove the damn things anyway. ...

Will, what is it that you don't like about a lead screw cover?

 

[Franko]

I took back the white paint and traded it for some cans of satin dark taupe. Taupe is a shade of tan, a warm gray. My belt grinder is painted dark taupe and so are my shelves. I think it will look good with PM blue and white, and won't show greasy fingerprints as much. I got some sheets of 220 sandpaper that I'll use with my Porter Cable 1/4 sheet palm sander to sand the paint on the toolbox to make some grain to prep for repaint.

I need to get started welding the trolly. I got some extra pieces of steel and will dink up some test joints that match the welds I need to do with the same thicknesses and configurations.

I don't have any table big enough to lay the thing out on. I have a 2' x 3" table and the same size sheet of 1/4" plate, but it isn't particularly flat. I'll clamp it up much like I did my boat trailer. I put the long pieces on saw horses and clamped the parts I was welding square and shimmed them level. The same process on the trolly should work.

I don't weld very often, so when I have a project, I always try to mock up some spare pieces so I can warm up, practice some and get the settings figured out. I can make my mistakes on pieces that don't count.

 

[darkzero]

I've looked all over and I can't find any SC10s that have a thread dial mounted. And the one and only pic of the 1236 doesn't seem to have one.

I'm assuming you meant to type 1228 in the last sentence I quoted? Regardless, here's a photo of a tino_ale's latest version of the PM1236. Here youy can just get a glimpse showing that it is possible to have a thread dial & leadscrew covers.

Will, what is it that you don't like about a lead screw cover?

It's just a personal preference thing. IMO they just look a bit cheesy to me. None of the lathes I've ever used had a problem with the screw getting chips caught in it causing a problem with the halfnuts. I suppose chips could cause issues but I don't worry about it. I just brush the chips off when I feel I need to.

Another reason is the leadscrew covers reduce carriage travel. Probably no big deal as most people probably would never use the full extent of the bed length. Yes the leadscrew covers do telescope but looking at the pic above it looks like it will take up maybe a couple of inches travel. Below is a pic of my PM1236 cranked all the way to the right.

On my HF 8x14 I always ran into travel issues. It has a similar design as the PM1236. On my PM1236, the spindle power lever is what limits the travel to the right. On my HF 8x14 it was the thread dial that limited travel. I would often remove the thread dial to gain a bit of travel.

Again no big deal but ya asked.

 

[darkzero]

Some very cursory research on the SC8 (almost no info on the SC10) suggested a dial on the left side of the apron? What's up with that?

I too found a pic of a SC8 with the thread dial mounted on the left side. Seems pretty awkward to me but the carriage is not huge so I guess it wouldn't be too bad.

 

[Franko]

Thanks, Will. I don't learn near as much from yes or no as I do from why.

I meant to say SC10. There is only one picture of the 1228 (none on the web) and the cross slide on it is identical to the SC10, at least on the outside. As is shown on the pic of the SC8 you posted, it's just about identical, too. Good find.

BTW, I really like the PM1236. If I had room for a longer and heavier lathe, I would have seriously considered that one.