# PM-1030V Slow to Get Going



## erikmannie (Jan 3, 2020)

I received my new PM-1030V lathe two weeks ago. It takes awhile to get the chuck spinning, and I wonder if this is normal.

So how it works is that I press the power button and nothing will happen until I rotate the RPM potentiometer, regardless of the original position of that knob. Then the chuck will get spinning. This adds time because I start and stop a lot when working on the lathe. I had hoped that I could leave the pot set to my working RPM and just turn it off and on.

If anybody reading this has a 1022 or 1030, my simple question is do you need to turn the RPM knob in order to get the chuck spinning?

As far as I know, my lathe may be acting normally. When I took machining classes, we had large, old lathes that would get going as soon as you turned them on (or engaged the drive lever).


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## Tom1948 (Jan 3, 2020)

I have a PM1022. It should come up to pre set speed as soon as you hit the start button. Call PM I believe they will take care of the problem.


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## erikmannie (Jan 3, 2020)

Tom1948 said:


> I have a PM1022. It should come up to pre set speed as soon as you hit the start button. Call PM I believe they will take care of the problem.



That’s what I understood from reading the manual. It says that if you press the green button the chuck should start spinning. The way that it is acting now, it would make all jobs take a bit longer. 

Every time I start it, by the time it starts, I am worried that it is faulty in some way. Like the title of the thread says, it is slow to start.


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## T Bredehoft (Jan 3, 2020)

CAll PM, they'll make it right. My 1030 starts in a couple of seconds, regardless of what speed it was going when stopped.


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## shooter123456 (Jan 3, 2020)

Definetely not right.  Even with a heavy 6" chuck, mine gets up to a set speed quickly.  Up to 500 in less than 2 seconds or so.  I also don't need to drop the speed control to zero to get it to start.


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## erikmannie (Jan 3, 2020)

shooter123456 said:


> Definetely not right.  Even with a heavy 6" chuck, mine gets up to a set speed quickly.  Up to 500 in less than 2 seconds or so.  I also don't need to drop the speed control to zero to get it to start.



PM Tech Help says "When starting the lathe, you have to have the speed knob all the way down...Thats how its made, that is correct." 

I tested this. I have the low gear belt on, so my lowest RPM is 50. The lathe works just like Tech Help says: if the knob is all the way down (to 50 RPM), the machine starts right up; I can extend this up to 102 RPM. 

However, at speeds as low as 126 RPM, the chuck will not start rotating until the operator turns down the knob almost all the way.

This seems to me to be a safety feature. This is an entry level lathe, so it is more likely that a novice will start the lathe at a higher speed with something in the way of the chuck.


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## erikmannie (Jan 3, 2020)

I just spent a few hours on this lathe practicing parting, turning to a diameter and facing to a length (on mild steel). I love my lathe! 

I honestly think I might be at my happiest when I am working on a lathe.


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## AlanB (Jan 3, 2020)

You have a forward / stop / reverse switch, right? What happens if you go from forward to stop and then back to forward?


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## erikmannie (Jan 3, 2020)

AlanB said:


> You have a forward / stop / reverse switch, right? What happens if you go from forward to stop and then back to forward?



Going all the way from forward to reverse or vice versa kills the power. It clearly states that in the manual. 

Same result if you go from forward to off, and then try to go back to forward. The power shuts off. PM set me an email saying this is normal. 

Some other lathes brake intelligently, and will reverse the direction so you can continue working with no loss of power. I saw that in a Frank Hoose YouTube video, perhaps in his PM-1228 Series. It may have been a on a mini lathe, however.


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## AlanB (Jan 3, 2020)

The 728 mill power stays on through forward/stop/reverse. It better, how else would I do tapping? 

It seems to me like the setup on your lathe is odd, I understand when shutting power off (or when power is interrupted) and restarting that the speed knob needs to be reset to zero for safety, but when just going from forward to stop to whatever it should not be the same as a power cycle. In my opinion that seems like a bug.


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## erikmannie (Jan 3, 2020)

AlanB said:


> The 728 mill power stays on through forward/stop/reverse. It better, how else would I do tapping?
> 
> It seems to me like the setup on your lathe is odd, I understand when shutting power off (or when power is interrupted) and restarting that the speed knob needs to be reset to zero for safety, but when just going from forward to stop to whatever it should not be the same as a power cycle. In my opinion that seems like a bug.



That’s why I started this thread! 

I didn’t mention it earlier, but I did additionally ask PM about the forward/reverse situation in the same email, and they very clearly told me that the aforementioned behavior is normal, and thus my machine is behaving as it should.

My PM-25MV will go from forward to reverse and vice versa without losing power, as well.

It will be interesting to see how power tapping goes in the PM-1030V, if it can be done. I might have to tap manually or cut threads.


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## AlanB (Jan 3, 2020)

Motor controllers often have jumpers that determine behaviors like this. It might be possible to change it, but fiddling with it might void the warranty.


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## shooter123456 (Jan 3, 2020)

erikmannie said:


> PM Tech Help says "When starting the lathe, you have to have the speed knob all the way down...Thats how its made, that is correct."
> 
> I tested this. I have the low gear belt on, so my lowest RPM is 50. The lathe works just like Tech Help says: if the knob is all the way down (to 50 RPM), the machine starts right up; I can extend this up to 102 RPM.
> 
> However, at speeds as low as 126 RPM, the chuck will not start rotating until the operator turns down the knob almost all the way.


That does not sound right... I have had mine since 2016, so it is possible that they may have changed it since then.  With my machine, you can set the speed, then stop it, do something (like change a tool, measure workpiece, etc), then hit start and it runs back up to the same speed it was set to.  



erikmannie said:


> This seems to me to be a safety feature. This is an entry level lathe, so it is more likely that a novice will start the lathe at a higher speed with something in the way of the chuck.


I suppose it could be a safety feature, I just don't see the added benefit outweighing the drawback.  My old lathe had the power switch and speed control combined (Ie turn it all the way down and then some and it clicks off) and one of the first things I noticed was how much nicer it was not needing to set the speed each time I stopped the spindle.  

Also, @qualitymachinetools, if it is true that the machines come like this now, you should add that to the manual or the spec sheet.  If I had purchased my machine today and it showed up like that, I would not be pleased, and if I had known about it ahead of time, I likely would have looked elsewhere.


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## erikmannie (Jan 3, 2020)

Well, I will have to get used to it because this is the lathe that I have.


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## mmcmdl (Jan 3, 2020)

erikmannie said:


> I honestly think I might be at my happiest when I am working on a lathe.



Come on over to Md. and I'll keep you ecstatic for the rest of your life !


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## AlanB (Jan 3, 2020)

It would be nice if there was a way for the user to change the preferred behavior.


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## Oboist (Jan 12, 2020)

I also received my PM10/30 a few weeks and it behaves in the same manor.  I have been thinking it a bit annoying and wondering if there is a malfunction.  I guess I will just have to get used to it unless some figures out a work around.


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## erikmannie (Jan 12, 2020)

Oboist said:


> I also received my PM10/30 a few weeks and it behaves in the same manor.  I have been thinking it a bit annoying and wondering if there is a malfunction.  I guess I will just have to get used to it unless some figures out a work around.



After having it confirmed that my machine is operating as normal, I moved forward and got used to it.

Before I turn off the machine, I turn down the RPM almost all the way. When I am ready to start work again, I turn on the power and then increase the knob to my desired RPM.

Probably not the world’s fastest lathe to get going, but I accept this delay because I have to.

If it is safe to do so, I will leave the chuck spinning at the very low RPM (about 50) and leave the power on while I change a cutting tool or perform some other task a safe distance from the chuck.


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## erikmannie (Jan 29, 2020)

I got used to this almost immediately. I work on this lathe all the time, and the work is seamless.

Is it just me, or is working on a lathe the most fun thing ever? The lathe is hands down my favorite tool in the shop. My second favorite is the stick welder, and my third favorite is the oxyacetylene setup for gas welding and brazing.


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## MikeWi (Jan 30, 2020)

Have you tried torch cutting? Now that is fun!


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## erikmannie (Jan 30, 2020)

MikeWi said:


> Have you tried torch cutting? Now that is fun!



I have tried it, and the results were horrible because I had a hard time adjusting the relative pressures of the 2 gases in the cutting torch. It was fun, though! I always like working with fire.

In 4 weeks, I am going to Hobart Institute of Welding in Troy, OH for 2 months. One of the classes that I am taking is a 2 week class on oxyacetylene welding & cutting.


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## erikmannie (Jan 30, 2020)

Here are 2 brass cups that I made on the PM-1030V. A lot of boring!


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## erikmannie (Jan 30, 2020)

And here is my lathe:


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## Shootymacshootface (Jan 30, 2020)

I agree, my old Clausing 3329 lathe is my favorite tool. Is it me? Or is a lathe kind of like a Tardis? That one machine can do so many amazing things.


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## middle.road (Jan 30, 2020)

erikmannie said:


> And here is my lathe:
> 
> View attachment 312043


Lordy -  I wanna see picts of the bike(s) those tires go on!!!


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