# Precision Matthews / Quality Machine Tool:  A Visit.



## Ray C (Jan 30, 2014)

Hi Folks,

I'm up in Pittsburgh at the moment just to visit Matt, Nicole and company at Precision Matthews / Quality Machine Tool.

The ride up here was wonderful once I got past the 695 Baltimore Beltway which seems to be chronically congested.  I absolutely love driving through the Allegheny Mountains; the footings of which sneak-up on you so quickly.   Suddenly, you're high up looking down at our wonderful countryside.  I know these pictures don't do the actual scenery justice but, I'll post them hoping someone else has been here and this triggers in your mind that wonderful sensation of freedom this part of ride always engenders.  This is a section of road that must have been very difficult to create back in it's day -and it makes you think how instrumental roads through mountain passes helped this Country become great...  It's beautiful at approximately 4000 ft elevation...







4 hours of driving later, we're back on earth looking at cool stuff...  But first, some snaps of the gang...

Myself in the gray sweatshirt and Matt and Nicole





And the most important guys in the place:  -The two big guys who heave these things around, check all the basics, install VFDs and install DROs before sending them out.




I'd like for you to meet my new CNC mill...
	

		
			
		

		
	





And a few new addition to the Precision Matthews / Quality Machine Tool family.  This is a lower cost version of the Taiwanese made 935 knee mills.  These are made in China, cost a little less and seem to be very good machines on-par with the standard version of the 1440 PM lathe.   This is a new model that hasn't been announced until now.







Here's one that I've been dying to lay eyes on for the longest time and in all likelihood will become part of my shop once I expand the outer wall (hopefully in the spring).  This is the 1440 HD lathe and I like everything about it. -Take that back, I'm head over heel in-love with it.  I may very well put a deposit on this one before I leave tomorrow.  3 Phase, 3 HP.  Just plug it into a VFD and go...  It's a little heavy though as the bed has twice the girth of a normal 1440.   I gave this thing the close eye -and I like it.







... And yes, every darn machine is checked in several ways before going out the door.  Runout is checked in several ways, bed concentricity is checked to make sure nothing drastic happened while in-transit.  BTW:  It is always assumed the owner will properly align the machine using normal techniques but, when something like this is shipped, things can happen and it takes the appropriate steps to get the basic alignment back in order.  At lest with the checks done in the warehouse, you will at least know the machine did not have serious "birth defects".  This by the way is a PM1640 being checked and there's a stack more left to do...  this one needs a VFD and motor.










Anyhow, there are some additional photos here of some huge machines...  There are several of them here getting ready to go out the door.  That spindle next to my hand is a D-11.  I take a double or triple XL glove size -and that spindle and leadscrew makes my hand look tiny.  I'm not even sure what size lathe that is but, it's 12,000 lbs.

Tomorrow I'll see how the DROs are installed...  We'll have more pictures then.  It's been a great visit and I know a lot more about the machines now and can answer more questions if you have them...


Ray


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## wrmiller (Jan 30, 2014)

Thanks for putting faces to the names Ray. Now I know what you and Matt look like.  

That 1440 or the 1440 PM-RML are a couple of lathes I dream about. Doubt I'd use them to capacity, and I sure as heck don't have room for one, but it's nice to dream...

Bill


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## valleyboy101 (Jan 30, 2014)

Thanks for the pictures - barring a snow storm who doesn't love driving through mountains?  It is good to see the pictures of the PM set up and the people behind it.  Nice to see that they check out their (our) machines upon receipt and make sure that they are deserving of our hard saved dollars.  They are building a well deserved good name.
Michael


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## burtonbr (Jan 30, 2014)

Thanks for the cool pics, looks like your having a nice visit. I envy you, being able to check out all the equipment he offers.  I've been drooling over the lathes he offers for more than a month typing to decide which one I need.... Er.. Want.


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## dave2176 (Jan 30, 2014)

Ray,
Thanks for taking time to document the trip. I must admit I'm jealous.  In picture 9 it looks like you are showing the table from the X crank handle. What are the two handles side by side? The details are a bit hidden by the protective paper and shadows. 
Thanks, 
Dave


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## ricsmall (Jan 30, 2014)

Thanks for the pics ray. Very nice looking machines, I'm green with envy! Looking forward to more pics.


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## Morgan RedHawk (Jan 31, 2014)

Ray,
Great post!  Thanks for the pics!  
It is nice to have faces to go with the names.  It looks like Matt has a first class operation there, and deserves his hard worked for, good reputation.  Hopefully my 1236 is in there!


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## Ray C (Jan 31, 2014)

I'm about to head-out for breakfast then visit the warehouse...  I'll check on how many 1236's are here...  I know they are rapidly getting things under control and they only have something like 10 machines to get out the door which takes a couple days.


Ray[

QUOTE=Morgan RedHawk;175860]Ray,
Great post!  Thanks for the pics!  
It is nice to have faces to go with the names.  It looks like Matt has a first class operation there, and deserves his hard worked for, good reputation.  Hopefully my 1236 is in there![/QUOTE]


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## fastback (Jan 31, 2014)

Ray, the pictures are great.  Looks like your getting a great tour.  Looking forward to more pictures.  I wouldn't mind having one of those 1440 here, just not in the budget.

Paul


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## Stonebriar (Jan 31, 2014)

I called again this morning and was told my equipment needed the DROs installed and should ship next week.


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## Senna (Jan 31, 2014)

Great thread Ray!

I really like how deep the bed is on that 1440HD.

More pics!


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## Smudgemo (Jan 31, 2014)

Hey Ray, any shots of my 935?  I've got my new 220v line ready to go.

-Ryan


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## Rbeckett (Jan 31, 2014)

burtonbr said:


> Thanks for the cool pics, looks like your having a nice visit. I envy you, being able to check out all the equipment he offers.  I've been drooling over the lathes he offers for more than a month typing to decide which one I need.... Er.. Want.


You were right originally, you "NEED" that larger lathe.  That way when you tell the ministry of finance you spent that money on a capital improvement she will understand you really needed it rather than just wanted it.  My wife understands the whole principle of need because she needed those shoes so they would match her bag and outfit, and she needed that new car because her other one was getting a lot of miles and if you submit to Momma's needs, she will likely submit to yours even though the cost is usually drastically more then her regular needs too.  I'm a strong believer too in the adage them with the most tools when they die.... Wins!!!!  Hope you guys get lucky with the IRS this year and you can drool on them at your homes soon.

Bob


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## Ray C (Jan 31, 2014)

Hi Folks...

Arrived home safe and sound.  The roads were not bad at all and if anything, the only hazard was the massive amount of salt residue that at times, caused my eyes, nose and throat to swell and itch.  There's literally a layer of salt residue on the insides of the vehicle windows and windshields...

I will indeed do a "Part II" write up later this evening.  At the moment, I've got a million emails etc to respond to.

As for the 935s...  There are a few there but, were buried behind other machines.

As for my "Finance Minister" allowing me to get another lathe...  I guess this is a public announcement that I'm now officially "semi-retired" and "semi-self-employed".  I'm now on my own in the area of finances as my normal "finance minister" wants nothing to do with learning how do the books for a LLC business entity...

Stay tuned for more scenic images and trip details...


Ray


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## SENC (Jan 31, 2014)

Thanks, Ray!  Great pics.


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## Ray C (Jan 31, 2014)

Today's visit was short but much was accomplished.  Matt's crew tears into a machine pretty quickly.  This is another 1440 that needs a DRO and VFD.  They have the routine all worked out and each guy starts working on a section.  In a few hours, it's all done.  They have a cart setup with a cold saw, drilling/tapping tools and lot's of aluminum stock.  Some of the pieces are pre-cut of course...







Here's one that came from the factory with a few markings on it.  No doubt, they were checking a few things.  Matt normally wipes all these markings off before shipping it because customers get concerned that something was wrong... -no, not the case at all...  Just means someone was doing their job.



I got a closer look at the "Mongo Lathe"...  Gee, this thing is enormous.  My fist easily fits down the D1-11 spindle.




Ok, returning home now and approaching the beautiful scenery.  Again, the pics don't do it justice.  It's a sight that you feel -not see.  On approach, the view is welcoming and each turn renders more.  








All of those trees in the distance are very tall -easily over 100 feet.... and if you look from the bottom to the top, there are probably 5 vertical layers of trees...



And all the sudden, you are up close and personal with the enormous bases of a ravine -and they say to you "Yes Ray, you may pass and go home".


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## burtonbr (Jan 31, 2014)

very nice, thanks for sharing, I really enjoy getting a glimpse inside machinetoolsonline makes me appreciate them even more. 
Now when we going to get to see that new CNC in action ? :happyhappy::happyhappy::happyhappy:


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## darkzero (Feb 1, 2014)

Very cool pics!

Man I'm really curious what that XXL lathe is! Did you ever find out?


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## Ray C (Feb 1, 2014)

darkzero said:


> Very cool pics!
> 
> Man I'm really curious what that XXL lathe is! Did you ever find out?



Well, it's really, really big -heavy too:  About 12,000 lbs. 

Anyhow, Matt had 2 of them because he's an authorized distributor, both sold.  They come from a Taiwanese factory, I believe (but may be mistaken) the same place that makes his RML line of lathes.  The machines are labeled as "Modern" brand -not to be confused with "Standard Modern".

Here's a distributor that stocks most of the common units.  Matt sells the same machine for about 20% less.  http://www.moderntool.com/products/modern-ssm-ahl-2180-high-precision-colchester-type-manual-lathe/


Ray


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## Dan_S (Feb 1, 2014)

Glad to see Like my Birth state Ray. I was born in Lewisburg, and spent time living in Easton & Johnstown before moving to the land of corn in my late teens.

I love the photos, specially the new 836.

Did you happen to see or hear anything about the Taiwanese benchtop Matt was working on?


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## Ray C (Feb 1, 2014)

Oh yes, PA is a wonderful place and I drive up through those mountains 1-2 times a year -and I always love it.  I would just love to pull over some day and find a nice spot to just sit, rest and do a mind-meld with the Earth for an hour or two...  At this point in my life, I don't feel tied to any place but, if I had to make a decision, PA would be among the runners-up.

The Taiwanese benchtop mill....  Yes, he's still working on it but, the price-point is not where anyone could afford it and, the current offering of mills (especially the 932 and 45-CNC) are hard to beat.  

Ray





Dan_S said:


> Glad to see Like my Birth state Ray. I was born in Lewisburg, and spent time living in Easton & Johnstown before moving to the land of corn in my late teens.
> 
> I love the photos, specially the new 836.
> 
> Did you happen to see or hear anything about the Taiwanese benchtop Matt was working on?


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## wrmiller (Feb 1, 2014)

Ray C said:


> Oh yes, PA is a wonderful place and I drive up through those mountains 1-2 times a year -and I always love it.  I would just love to pull over some day and find a nice spot to just sit, rest and do a mind-meld with the Earth for an hour or two...  At this point in my life, I don't feel tied to any place but, if I had to make a decision, PA would be among the runners-up.
> 
> The Taiwanese benchtop mill....  Yes, he's still working on it but, the price-point is not where anyone could afford it and, the current offering of mills (especially the 932 and 45-CNC) are hard to beat.
> 
> Ray



Weight aside, my biggest complaint about those two mills is the geared head and being limited to a small number of spindle speeds. In this day and age I should be able to get variable speed on everything.  )

And who says I couldn't afford it? :LOL:

Bill


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## Dan_S (Feb 1, 2014)

Ray C said:


> Oh yes, PA is a wonderful place and I drive up through those mountains 1-2 times a year -and I always love it.  I would just love to pull over some day and find a nice spot to just sit, rest and do a mind-meld with the Earth for an hour or two...  At this point in my life, I don't feel tied to any place but, if I had to make a decision, PA would be among the runners-up.



depending on what way you go you might want to hit up this state park. It's a small state park only really known to the locals around the area i was born, It's right off 80.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=goog...pn=0.001731,0.002411&t=h&z=19&vpsrc=6&iwloc=A

https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo/10988029



Ray C said:


> The Taiwanese benchtop mill....  Yes, he's still working on it but, the price-point is not where anyone could afford it and, the current offering of mills (especially the 932 and 45-CNC) are hard to beat.



I'd gladly play like 4k if it had the quality and features of a 932 or 45, and was a little bit bigger. at one point I had considered an IH mill, because they have more Y, but everyone says the build quality is bad, and the customer service is horrible. I wan to eventually have 2 mills, a cnc'd benchtop mill, and a manual Bridgeport sized machine.


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## Ray C (Feb 1, 2014)

Matt has a customer who purchased one CNC-45  (4 axis) and after a couple months, purchased 9 more in one shot.  It is a firearms company (not at liberty to mention their name) who has them setup to crank-out the same parts day & night.  They looked at higher end machines in the "lower-order" of the Haas an Mazak line and after their test trial, decided the PM CNC-45 was hands-down more reliable and cost efficient for their given needs.  This may not be the case for all parts and all users but, it is very telling indeed.  Matt has sold quite a few of those PM-45 CNC machines to colleges and technical training schools -and nobody, repeat, nobody is complaining...

...  I would love to move and it's on my daydream list.  But right now, I'm slugging it out with reality and am forced to stay put for a variety of reasons.  I'm working change that but, I must pay my dues...


Ray





Dan_S said:


> depending on what way you go you might want to hit up this state park. It's a small state park only really known to the locals around the area i was born, It's right off 80.
> 
> https://maps.google.com/maps?q=goog...pn=0.001731,0.002411&t=h&z=19&vpsrc=6&iwloc=A
> 
> ...


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## Sparkymacker (Feb 2, 2014)

Interesting to see where my lathe and milling machine came from. I see Matt and Nicole are Penguins fans too! I am glad I bought my machines when I did from Matt, seemed like a lot of money at the time (just ask my wife) but it would be a lot more now as our dollar is tanking against the US dollar (I guess our deficit is not high enough and we don't owe the Chinese enough money?). Thanks for letting us put a face to the names.


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## Plas62 (Feb 2, 2014)

Ray - Thanks for the post of your visit. It was nice to see behind the scenes. Do you know if Matt is going to be offering a small surface grinder?


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## DAN_IN_MN (Feb 2, 2014)

Nice thread!

Very similar to what a local company does.  Milltronics.  Imports, inspects, improves, ships out.


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## Ray C (Feb 2, 2014)

He already offers a 6x12 that the same unit as the lower-priced one that Enco sells but, his is quite a bit less money.  He's been eyeing a Taiwanese machine for a while but, the price-point isn't there...  He knows from experience it won't sell especially when you can get them on eBay for dirt cheap.  Of course, the issues with those on eBay are shipping cost and unknown wear & tear...  Just like a lathe, when the major surfaces start to wear, it's basically game-over unless you give-up your first born to get it repaired.


Ray





Plas62 said:


> Ray - Thanks for the post of your visit. It was nice to see behind the scenes. Do you know if Matt is going to be offering a small surface grinder?


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