PM932 PDF, and PM1236 help request

[axa88]

I have a new PM 1236PEP and PM 932PDF.
After setting up and using a bit I realize I have 2 problems.

First on the mill. My power down feed easily slips out of gear. Meaning when I pull the lever 'out' and engage the pdf unless I hold it it will slip back 'in' which is bad as you can imagine.
I thought I read another post mentioning this problem but couldn't find it searching.
Is a cause/fix known for this?

Second on the lathe.
My carriage leaks. I can't quite realize where it's coming from but I wake up to a small puddle everyday. It isn't overfilled. I emailed tech support providing a few pics but was told they couldn't help.
Anything known about this or how to fix?

I thank anyone reading and taking the time to help me.

 

[Aukai]

I think it was for a Bridgeport type mill, there is an adjustment setting for the down feed. I searched for that on Youtube.

 

[axa88]

I think it was for a Bridgeport type mill, there is an adjustment setting for the down feed. I searched for that on Youtube.

Could be. Though I thought I read it here in the PM thread. Hope I can fix it, almost got my hand stuck between the lever and the work holding it in place.

 

[mksj]

I would look at these old posts, as well as others. There is a lot of grit and caked grease in the mechanism that could be causing the problem, it most likely needs to be dissembled and cleaned. There is some specific guidance to dissembly in the second posting. As far as the lathe carriage, it is a common issue, and often it may be the shaft seals or poor gasket/castings. You need to clean everything thoroughly with alcohol and inspect/feel carefully the next day.

PM-932M-PDF experience

It was a long time coming, but finally I made a choice to purchase PM-932M-PDF Gear head milling machine end of last year. Time was mostly spent on acquiring tools and accessories to be able to do some work. Being a perfectionist installing Easson ES 12 DRO was quite a undertaking. Also found a...

www.hobby-machinist.com

PM-932M-PDF Power Downfeed Remove-Clean-Replace

After reading Ratz' post about all of the junk he found in his PDF gearbox, I decided to bite the bullet and take mine off to see how it looked. Unlike Ratz, I am not an experienced machinist so I was somewhat reluctant to take apart something that was working but Ray encouraged me to give it a...

www.hobby-machinist.com

 

[axa88]

I would look at these old posts, as well as others. There is a lot of grit and caked grease in the mechanism that could be causing the problem, it most likely needs to be dissembled and cleaned. There is some specific guidance to dissembly in the second posting. As far as the lathe carriage, it is a common issue, and often it may be the shaft seals or poor gasket/castings. You need to clean everything thoroughly with alcohol and inspect/feel carefully the next day.

PM-932M-PDF experience

It was a long time coming, but finally I made a choice to purchase PM-932M-PDF Gear head milling machine end of last year. Time was mostly spent on acquiring tools and accessories to be able to do some work. Being a perfectionist installing Easson ES 12 DRO was quite a undertaking. Also found a...

www.hobby-machinist.com

PM-932M-PDF Power Downfeed Remove-Clean-Replace

After reading Ratz' post about all of the junk he found in his PDF gearbox, I decided to bite the bullet and take mine off to see how it looked. Unlike Ratz, I am not an experienced machinist so I was somewhat reluctant to take apart something that was working but Ray encouraged me to give it a...

www.hobby-machinist.com

Oh yes I saw those threads thanks. Maybe there was something that I missed but I was really not looking to do a tear down right now. But I suppose I'll need to get in there to fix it regardless.

So a leaky carriage is somewhat common? Well I guess i didn't beat the odds then. Wiping down and looking for the leak is worth a try. But I just learned about engine oil dye, would I be able to add it to the carriage if need be without hurting anything?

 

[mksj]

Some type of engine oil dye would also work, would just change the oil afterwards. If you find the link, most likely would need to pull it apart anyway to fix it. On a different lathe I had a problem with a shaft seal leaking that was at the oil line, I was able to put a cover over it with some silicone sealant.

 

[axa88]

Some type of engine oil dye would also work, would just change the oil afterwards. If you find the link, most likely would need to pull it apart anyway to fix it. On a different lathe I had a problem with a shaft seal leaking that was at the oil line, I was able to put a cover over it with some silicone sealant.

Ah great. Well good thing I got the mill with the lathe if I have to true up the mating surfaces

 

[markba633csi]

These are new machines? Surprising if you just took delivery- the leak especially

 

[axa88]

These are new machines? Surprising if you just took delivery- the leak especially

Yes new machines. I really like them but feeling disappointed about it as the fixes could be quite invasive.

And as these are 'Chinese' machines I often am confused to what I should be expected to just 'accept'. And when I contacted technical support the response was basically 'not sure, it could be anything'

 

[erikmannie]

Yes new machines. I really like them but feeling disappointed about it as the fixes could be quite invasive.

And as these are 'Chinese' machines I often am confused to what I should be expected to just 'accept'. And when I contacted technical support the response was basically 'not sure, it could be anything'

In the last 3 years, I have purchased 2 mills & 2 lathes from Precision Matthews. 2 were from Taiwan, & 2 were from mainland China. My most recent machine purchase is still in the deposit stage, as the machine is still enroute to PM.

I had minimal issues with the machines (I have had 2 issues so far), & when I emailed or called I received excellent customer support. In one of the cases, I was quite frustrated, & I probably came across like a jerk.

I would advise you to *call* or email them again, & hope (or even press or plead) for a more supportive customer service experience. I know that PM is fully capable of providing that to all of their customers.

A recent Blondihacks YouTube video shows her completely removing & partially dissembling the carriage on a 10” swing PM lathe.

I would also counsel you to start a separate thread on each of these issues. I am interested in how you will resolve these 2 issues.

Often, the new things from mainland China require the customer to make one or two adjustments or repairs. I only buy mainland Chinese products as a last resort.

I noticed a big difference between my mainland Chinese 10” PM lathe & my Taiwanese 16” PM lathe. There was nothing wrong with the lathe from PRC (it is a keeper!), but the lathe from Taiwan was a step up, particularly with the fitment & quality of the components.