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- Dec 24, 2020
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I don't own a PM lathe, but I've been looking at them for quite some time with an eye towards buying a 1660TL as my retirement present. I'm something of a lathe nerd with four of them in my shop right now as I go through an upgrade where two will be sold. All are in the size ranges you're looking at...13-14" machines.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with the 1340GT, but there are a couple of things that would matter to me (I'm also a fairly new gunsmith after being a competitive shooter for the last 40 years). The first thing that jumps out at me is the 1440GT has twelve speeds with a range of 50-2000rpm. The 1340GT is 90-1600rpm in twelve steps. For me the top end wouldn't matter much, but having the low end be almost half the speed might come in handy. The other big thing is simply weight. The 1440GT weighs 400lbs more, so about 30% more. While you might think you won't need the extra rigidity, you will certainly appreciate it and it will make your learning process easier. It's simply easier to get good results with a heavier, more rigid machine. I'll give you an example...
One of my lathes is 13" and weighs around 1,200lbs while another is 14" and weighs 1,625lbs. The difference is dramatic when you run them back to back and really shows up for more demanding operations like parting. As an example, parting 1.25" steel with a .375" hole in the center I can run the 14" lathe four times as fast as the 13" lathe without it complaining, and that's using the exact same cutoff tool holder style and insert width. Rigidity is your friend and nobody ever said "this lathe is too rigid!". The larger spindle bore would be a bonus on top of the additional weight and broader RPM range.
As far as accessories go, if I buy from PM I probably won't be buying chucks, a QCTP, or centers from them. They don't make any of those things and similar quality is available for less from other sources. I suspect I know the importer of a few of their items and honestly, the price is nearly double buying directly from the importers, who also sell direct.
I've got chucks from Buck, Bison, Cushman, Skinner, and have had chucks from Pratt Burnered and Kalamazoo Chuck as well. They're all solid choices, although Cushman and Skinner are no longer around....Gator is another pretty solid choice, but I haven't handled one. I also bought an imported SanOu chuck from CME-Tools.com which is a huge importer of machine tools here in Michigan. I was in a pinch and needed a chuck the same day, so I called up, made sure they had it and it was waiting for me when I got there. The chuck meets the runout specs for non-adjustable 3-jaw chucks made by the big companies and is literally 1/5th the cost. I've seen their boxes in pictures of new lathes displaying the accessories so at least some companies are using them as their OEM chuck. I wouldn't hesitate to order one of their 3-jaw adjustable structure style chucks for a new lathe, and I say that having two Buck 3-jaw Adjust True chucks on two of my lathes. I would honestly order a new SanOu (sometimes their eBay price is better than their website price) before I would risk a used brand name chuck unless I was able to inspect the used chuck in person.
The above was talking about 3-jaw chucks, and I think the adjust-true style actually makes the far less expensive imports more attractive...you're going to be able to dial them in to essentially zero runout. About all you're losing is maybe having jaws or a scroll that isn't made out of quite as good material so they wear out in 25 years instead of 50 years. At $400 versus $1,500 you can wear out the import chuck three times and be money ahead.
When you start looking at 4-jaw chucks I think spending big bucks makes even less sense. Independent chucks are just that...independent so the chuck has very little to do with the quality of the work as you're always going to dial it in every time.
As far as QCTP goes, I see zero difference in function comparing the inexpensive imports to Aloris. I have Aloris QCTPs on two of my lathes and they're definitely nice. I'd say they're nicer than the imported stuff, but zero difference in function or repeatability. The fit and finish is a bit better and there is a slight edge in feel to the handle as you open/close it. The tool holders are a bit nicer as well. They tend to use slightly higher quality set screws and maybe they're made out of better steel, but I honestly don't see it making any difference.
I've put Bostar brand QCTPs on four machines so far and they work just fine. In the beginning I checked time and again to confirm the tool was on center after a swap and they always repeat. Set the height carefully, lock the set screw and forget it. For approximately 1/4 the price of Aloris, I think they make all the sense in the world for hobby use. If I was running a production shop I'd hedge and get the Aloris or Dorian just in case. I got lucky and picked up my Aloris tool posts used in really good condition for about what new imports cost, so it was sort of win-win. I've got some Dorian holders that are nicely made as well and mirror the Aloris stuff. If you can find a clean, used Aloris or Dorian grab it as there isn't much that can possibly go wrong with them, but if that's not an option I'd seriously consider any of the imports...you can buy two or three times as many tool holders and still have money left over going that route.
I looked at PM's ultra-precision keyless drill chucks a while back, but on one of my trips to CME I bought one of their keyless drill chucks with an integral 3MT shank and wow...silky smooth and runout that compares with my Albrecht keyless chuck. I was so shocked at how nice it was I eventually bought another one so I don't have to switch them between lathes.
Just some food for thought!
