# Pm1340gt - Against A Wall And Access To The Back?



## Alan H. (Nov 14, 2016)

I am studying the PM1340GT lathe with the hope to acquire one for my shop to replace an older machine I have now.  I would locate it in my shop such that its back would be against a wall.  Of course I will need to access the back of the lathe from time to time. 

Like most, I do have a 2 ton engine hoist but I am looking for other ideas.   The engine hoist will be somewhat problematic to easily straddle the lathe once in place.  

Are there any ideas or solutions out there for ease of moving it out for access to the back?   Thanks in advance for your ideas and help.


----------



## mksj (Nov 14, 2016)

Other than vacuuming chips and debris from behind it, not much need to get behind it after everything is installed. Just put some casters on L brackets on the stock  cabinet sides of the lathe, roll it in and pop down the feet. When mounting casters make sure to give enough room for them to swing around.  You could also mount a box beam to the outside of the cabinet faces at either end  and mount the casters to those for a wider stance. I also recommend drilling and tapping  4 leveling feet in the corners on the headstock cabinet if you go with the stock cabinet. http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/1340gt-lathe-stand.51072/#post-434900


----------



## wrmiller (Nov 14, 2016)

I put my 1340 close to the wall (less than a foot away?) and never moved it away from the wall until I needed to pack it up for moving. I used my 2T hoist to put the lathe on it's stands as close as I could to it's final resting place, then used one of those big long pry bars a friend loaned me to 'walk' it back into it's final position. Did the opposite when I needed to get it ready for moving.


----------



## BGHansen (Nov 14, 2016)

I used to have an Atlas 12 x 36 and Rockwell 10 x 36 up against a wall.  As mentioned above, I can't recall ever needing to get to the back side of either lathe until moving day.  My current lathes have space behind them which was convenient on one during a DRO install.  It was also convenient when a rack for QCTP holders was added, but other than that, no need to access.

Bruce


----------



## ddickey (Nov 14, 2016)

I bought some of these for my lathe. https://www.amazon.com/FOOTMASTER-GD-60S-1-Leveling-Mounting-Diameter/dp/B00I2JGH1W
Great for leveling too.


----------



## Bob Korves (Nov 14, 2016)

Don't know about the PM1340GT, but my Asian 13x40 has the electrical box on the back side and opening to the rear.  I have not had to get in there so far, but would hate to have to move the lathe to do so.  Also, the motor is difficult to get to without some rear access.

Most lathes are quite difficult to pick up with an engine hoist.  I know for a fact that my Kent KLS-1340A which has a foot brake and sheet metal between the end support boxes cannot be picked up with a cherry picker type engine hoist of the usual type.


----------



## stupoty (Nov 14, 2016)

I use a car jack to lift each end of my lathe onto rolers if i need to move it, not that i do that much. 

Luckily it has a big space in the middle i can crawl through when parts decide to fly that way when parted off (well bounce out of the chip tray) 

Stuart


----------



## Muskt (Nov 14, 2016)

I have the PM12x36.  I just went out to the shop & measured.  The electrical box is 12 inches away from the wall.  I was able to do the motor swap and all the re-wiring for the VFD install without moving it.

Jerry in Delaware


----------



## tmarks11 (Nov 14, 2016)

I parked my lathe 12" away from the wall.

Same reasoning: clean chips, access to install taper attachment, DRO, replace motor and add VFD, etc.  Makes those jobs a bit more painful if you have to move it every time.


----------



## rherrell (Nov 15, 2016)

I have a 1340gt and it's against a wall. The electrical box is the only thing you can't get to without moving it, you can change belts from the side. Put some wheels on your stand and jack it up once it's in place as Mark mentioned in his post.


----------



## Alan H. (Nov 16, 2016)

Thanks to all for the replies.  I am guessing I will get it all tuned up and then move it into positon.  I will not butt it against the wall but leave some space for cleaning.  My old machine was about 12" from the wall and I will likely replicate that.  

I will also continue to look into ideas for some caster additions.  Any photos of that would be appreciated.


----------



## mksj (Nov 16, 2016)

The lathe is pretty light (relatively) so I do not think one needs to go overboard if you are just going to use them to role it into place. Example of what I had on my mill which was a similar weight.  Worked just fine for moving it around in the garage, but would want bigger wheels if they need to go over anything. These machines can be top heavy, so try to get a wide stance in the front to back direction.


----------



## mikey (Nov 16, 2016)

I'm with the "move the damned thing" school of hobby guys. If you have to install a DRO or brake on the lathe or repair the motor then you will very likely have to move it and trying to lift it with a hoist or pallet jack can be a pain when the lathe is up against a wall. You can jack it up and slip moving pallets under each end and roll it out or you can install casters like Ddickey suggested but there has to be some provision to move it if you have to.

Personally, I prefer leveling casters, too. I like the Carrymaster line that is similar to Footmaster in design. It allows you to move the lathe quickly and easily, do what you have to do and then roll it back into place. Leveling is simply done with the leveling feet on the caster and you're back in business. This is not as solid a mount as it would be when set on solid concrete but it is a very practical compromise if the casters are sized correctly. The PM1340GT is 1650# so I would use four Carrymaster AC-1000 casters on it. This allows you to move a heavy machine by yourself with ease, without using bulky lifts to do it.


----------



## tmarks11 (Nov 16, 2016)

mikey said:


> I'm with the "move the damned thing" school of hobby guys. I


Then spend a couple of hours re-leveling the lathe, recutting a bar to get rid of taper, etc.

That is why my machine stays where it is.


----------



## mikey (Nov 16, 2016)

tmarks11 said:


> Then spend a couple of hours re-leveling the lathe, recutting a bar to get rid of taper, etc.
> 
> That is why my machine stays where it is.



Re-leveling takes a few minutes to a few hours, depending on whether or not God smiles on me or not. Doesn't matter - if I have to move it, I move it and it takes all of a few minutes to do so.


----------



## tmarks11 (Nov 16, 2016)

mksj said:


> Example of what I had on my mill which was a similar weight.  Worked just fine for moving it around in the garage, but would want bigger wheels if they need to go over anything. These machines can be top heavy, so try to get a wide stance in the front to back direction.


Building a base you can get a pallet jack under would be ideal.  Makes it much easier to move equipment if you can get a pallet jack underneath... of course, that is kind of  impractical for a lathe...


----------

