# New Milling Machine!  Pm-935tv



## jgedde (Feb 21, 2016)

My other half has been listening to me curse my import mill/drill for some time. While it does the job, I'm always dissapointed at not being able to do what a knee mill can do.

I've wanted a knee mill for some time but didn't want to spend the money.

As I was milling part of a snowplow mount for my ATV, the missus was watching. I accidentally climb milled and the whole table moved to the other side of the backlash. From across the room she noticed, asking "Is it supposed to do that?" Of course I said no.  But what's to be expected from a mill designed to meet a price point not take deep cuts in steel.

A little later I showed what a knee mill looked like and that there was one particular one I had my eye on but saying I didn't want to spend the dough.

Long story short, I ordered a PM-935TV from Quality Machine Tools. If Bridgeport made a full featured knee mill I could fit in my shop, I'd buy USA made. This one is Taiwanese. We have a few Taiwanese BP clones at work mixed in with the real Bridgeports and they work just as well, so I said what the heck.

The new mill was in stock, and was ready to ship last Monday. Got the single phase option, the 3 axis graphical DRO, and worklight. Left the power feeds out of the mix for now to keep $$$ down.

So, I disassembled the mill/drill, got it out of the basement into the garage.  It's for sale on Long Island CL if anyone is interested.  It's a cream puff.

Well fellas, it's been an adventuresome four days getting the mill down into my shop... Right now I have a sore back and a sense of accomplishment.

I had the mill delivered to my job since we have a forklift and a loading dock. It arrived Thursday. We forklifted it onto my trailer and I brought it home.

My plan was to disassemble it and bring it down to the shop in pieces. The idea was to use my engine hoist to lift the heavy parts. This did not work out at all. The mill was much too tall for the hoist and the mill was facing the wrong way on the trailer to really have any useful access. In desperation, I went and rented the biggest excavator our local rental place had. I used a strap on its bucket to lift it off the trailer. I then discovered that if I took the table off the mill, I could use the excavator to drop the mill right at the bottom of the stairs into my shop!

My neighbor and I slowly lowered the mill down the stairwell and onto two dollies. I worked the excavator and he kept the mill from spinning.

Friday I had to work so not much got done apart from mounting the DRO. Today, I brought the table, head and motor downstairs and got them back onto the mill. Removing and installing the motor on a variable speed mill is an adventure until you figure out the trick... That is if you can get the bottom bearing off the motor spindle. It works very much like an ATV CVT transmission.

On and off yesterday, with plenty of breaks, I got the table back on, cleaned off all the cosmoline, reinstalled the head and the X-axis DRO scale. Last evening I trammed the head within 5 tenths at 8" radius: good enough for me! The mill runs well and is quiet and smooth. The belt makes a noise for about a minute after it sits for a while but I think this will quiet down after the belt breaks in.

This morning I made new vice keys.  This new machine brezzes through steel like it's butter.  No fuss, no strange noises, no nothing...

John


----------



## woodtickgreg (Feb 21, 2016)

That's pretty darn nice! Quite the accomplishment getting that In the basement. I know, all of my machines are in the basement. A powermatic/millrite is going down soon, but I'll do it in pieces and winch the main column or pedestal down heavy angle iron ramps. Then just reassemble it.


----------



## kd4gij (Feb 21, 2016)

You sly dog, I see what you did there.   Sounds like what I have done.  Nice mill you are going to have a lot of fun with it.


----------



## David VanNorman (Feb 21, 2016)

Good way to do it. Safest also. Good luck with your new machine.


----------



## Janderso (Apr 21, 2018)

I wonder how much a Bridgeport would be today?
It is incredible how reasonable these PM knee mills are. The quality seems to be there, the warranty is very good.
I know what you mean, I would rather buy USA made goods but...
Good for you on your purchase!


----------



## KBeitz (Apr 21, 2018)

How did you get it off the dollies?


----------



## jmarkwolf (Apr 21, 2018)

Janderso said:


> I wonder how much a Bridgeport would be today?



I was looking recently and the cheapest new Bridgeport I saw on-line was $15,000.


----------

