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Setting-up the PM 1236-T Lathe
- Thread starter Titanium Knurler
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In the reply window where you typed your thing that you want to delete, hit Ctrl+A to highlight everything and hit Delete. Then go up to the floppy disc icon at the top of the window, just to the left of the settings wheel, and click. It will give you the option to either save or delete your draft. Select Delete draft and close the reply window and that will do it.
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- Dec 20, 2012
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@dfwilbanks, I wanted to say that choosing a lathe in this price category is not easy but, in general, a Taiwanese machine is usually going to be a better bet vs a Chinese one. Taiwanese build quality and castings are usually better, as is attention to detail. This holds for both lathes and mills and most other shop machines. When comparing machines with similar features the Taiwanese machine will almost always cost a bit more but typically will function better over time so if you can afford it, pick the Taiwanese machine.
If I was in the market for a lathe in this category, I would choose the PM1236T or possibly the PM 1340GT. There are better lathes out there but not at this price point. Plus, PM's support is said to be very good. I know they cost a fair amount but you won't be upgrading due to lack of features or build quality anytime soon. If you know lathes then you know that these lathes have all the features a good lathe needs. Both use a D1-4 camlock spindle so quality chucks are more readily available vs the less common D1-5 spindle and this is a bigger deal than you might think. Both machines have precision Nachi bearings, which should give good accuracy.
The larger 1340GT has hardened and ground spindles and gears so it will tend to be more accurate over time and run quieter. My personal lathe, an Emco Super 11, also has ground shafts and gears and it runs between 65-70dB so I know this makes a difference in sound level. It also translates into better finishes.
To be honest, I find it amazing that PM is able to sell lathes of this quality and feature set at this price level. I could buy two PM1236 lathes for what my Emco lathe cost when fully tooled up. Personally, I think I could own either lathe and be happy with them.
If I was in the market for a lathe in this category, I would choose the PM1236T or possibly the PM 1340GT. There are better lathes out there but not at this price point. Plus, PM's support is said to be very good. I know they cost a fair amount but you won't be upgrading due to lack of features or build quality anytime soon. If you know lathes then you know that these lathes have all the features a good lathe needs. Both use a D1-4 camlock spindle so quality chucks are more readily available vs the less common D1-5 spindle and this is a bigger deal than you might think. Both machines have precision Nachi bearings, which should give good accuracy.
The larger 1340GT has hardened and ground spindles and gears so it will tend to be more accurate over time and run quieter. My personal lathe, an Emco Super 11, also has ground shafts and gears and it runs between 65-70dB so I know this makes a difference in sound level. It also translates into better finishes.
To be honest, I find it amazing that PM is able to sell lathes of this quality and feature set at this price level. I could buy two PM1236 lathes for what my Emco lathe cost when fully tooled up. Personally, I think I could own either lathe and be happy with them.
@mikey, in all my reading (on some gun websites including) I see the D1-5 is said to be more robust than the D1-4 spindle hence part of the upgraded G4003G. It is true however that D1-4 chucks etc are slightly cheaper than the D1-5 but I see plenty of both available online including the backing plates (Shars and even Amazon)
@Titanium Knurler said he'll do some testing and report back on the accuracy of the 1236T. I'd love for one of our G4003G owners like @epanzella to repeat the same testing and see how far off the two machines are from eachother. That would really help out the 12x36 community and prospect owners. I have no doubt that the 1236T will be better but the question is how much better and do I need that level of accuracy. I'm just a home gamer hack making garden variety dodads.
@Titanium Knurler said he'll do some testing and report back on the accuracy of the 1236T. I'd love for one of our G4003G owners like @epanzella to repeat the same testing and see how far off the two machines are from eachother. That would really help out the 12x36 community and prospect owners. I have no doubt that the 1236T will be better but the question is how much better and do I need that level of accuracy. I'm just a home gamer hack making garden variety dodads.
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- Dec 20, 2012
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The thing to remember about camlock spindles is that the accuracy is determined by the accuracy of the spindle register; the pins don't do more than hold the chuck on that register. The number of pins might matter if you're doing a lot of heavy work pieces but most hobby guys don't. In addition, the cost for a D1-5 chuck is typically higher and the availability is comparatively lower and that also impacts on cost. My personal lathe's spindle can handle a 99# work piece by itself and up to 176# with live center support and it has a D1-4 camlock on it. That is more than enough for me.
The 12X and 13X lathes is a really popular size category because they are suitable for most of what a hobby guy will work on. My personal take on it is that if you're going to buy one of these lathes then be very clear on the features you want and then find the highest quality lathe you can afford with those features. Just based on the many, many comments on Chinese vs Taiwanese lathes and my personal experience with Taiwanese products, I would tend to favor the better quality of materials and machine work of a Taiwanese machine. Of course, this is just a personal opinion.
The 12X and 13X lathes is a really popular size category because they are suitable for most of what a hobby guy will work on. My personal take on it is that if you're going to buy one of these lathes then be very clear on the features you want and then find the highest quality lathe you can afford with those features. Just based on the many, many comments on Chinese vs Taiwanese lathes and my personal experience with Taiwanese products, I would tend to favor the better quality of materials and machine work of a Taiwanese machine. Of course, this is just a personal opinion.
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OK, Im thinking 2 plates, 2 to 4 casters each and 4 small air bags. Hit it with air, casters come down, roll it out, clean and play with whatever’s back there, push it back to the same spot, bleed the air and whammy, no leveling needed.
OR, And my first choice:
4 small hydraulic cylinders with casters mounted on the moving part, mount one at each corner of the lathe. Hit the switch for the hydraulic pump and roll away.
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The accuracy limits of most of these machine is mostly operator, not the lathe. Understanding the properties of the material you are cutting, what the cutter does based on the depth of cut and material dimensions, etc. Most of these machine (G4003, 1236T, 1340GT, etc.) will easily turn to better than 0.001" w/o much effort. With the 1340GT I easily hit 0.0005" tolerance, beyond that other factors come into play. The spindle runout on either machine is about the same, the likely hood of having some issues with the machine is more likely skewed against the G4003G. I have helped quite a few G4003 owners replace their motors and convert to 3 phase because of surface finish issues, and a number of motor failures. If they work well out of the box, then you should be good, if you have QC issues they may persist. It comes down to there is no free lunch, if a machine is cheaper, then they need to cut corners getting there. As I mentioned you can chase ones tail with the numbers and features, at the end of the day you want a good accurate machine that works. Either the G4003G, the PM-1236 or the 1236GT will fit the requirement, the Taiwanese machines are just put together nicer and work smoother in my opinion. They are all good machines.
A D1-5 spindle mount in a 1000lb machine is more marketing then function, a D1-4 will perform jut as well. As Mikey indicated, you might see a difference with a much heavier lathe and deeper cut, but it ain't going to happen with a 1000lb machine. The main reason for a larger spindle mount in these type of machines is to increase the spindle diameter, so you can see something like a 2.0" spindle diameter with a D1-5 and 2.5" on a D1-6. Get into heavier machines and it is a different story. If I recall the Monarch EE used a D1-3 mount, it was good enough for aerospace parts.
You will not want to be moving the lathe after it is setup and leveled, you are looking at using a precision level to get the ways without any twist, you are not going to want to move the machine to clean up behind it. The practical solution is to give your self 1-2 feet behind the lathe to clean up, you should not need to get to the control box once the lathe is up and running. Giving some clearance behind the lathe, you can always pop open the control door enough to get in.
People tend to overthink many things when the machine is not in front of them, get the machine and start using it and your perspectives will change (myself included when I bought my first lathe, a 1340GT). Loved the lathe, eventually moved up to a heavier machine because of an opportunity/move. The full time gunsmith that purchased it loves it, he doesn't use his other larger lathe much anymore. Buy once, cry once.
A D1-5 spindle mount in a 1000lb machine is more marketing then function, a D1-4 will perform jut as well. As Mikey indicated, you might see a difference with a much heavier lathe and deeper cut, but it ain't going to happen with a 1000lb machine. The main reason for a larger spindle mount in these type of machines is to increase the spindle diameter, so you can see something like a 2.0" spindle diameter with a D1-5 and 2.5" on a D1-6. Get into heavier machines and it is a different story. If I recall the Monarch EE used a D1-3 mount, it was good enough for aerospace parts.
You will not want to be moving the lathe after it is setup and leveled, you are looking at using a precision level to get the ways without any twist, you are not going to want to move the machine to clean up behind it. The practical solution is to give your self 1-2 feet behind the lathe to clean up, you should not need to get to the control box once the lathe is up and running. Giving some clearance behind the lathe, you can always pop open the control door enough to get in.
People tend to overthink many things when the machine is not in front of them, get the machine and start using it and your perspectives will change (myself included when I bought my first lathe, a 1340GT). Loved the lathe, eventually moved up to a heavier machine because of an opportunity/move. The full time gunsmith that purchased it loves it, he doesn't use his other larger lathe much anymore. Buy once, cry once.
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- Jun 23, 2019
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- 87
I’m here TK, but it’s now almost July. I get to binge read the entire thread.
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