# How best to lift & mount the 1340gt?



## Fallon (Mar 7, 2018)

Well, I finally got the stands re-sprayed after their rough ride. Not a great job, but good enough to cover up the wear suffered in shipping. I read the options in the manual & had initially planned on making a clamp out of some all-thread & some 2x6es. But I apparently need to grab some nuts as the all-thread I have is bigger than what I have laying around. So I tried lifting it with a sling around the  support in the center as shown for option 2 in the manual. It worked, but was way to unstable for me to do anything but pull it off the pallet. So I called it a night & figured I'd do some searching. The first photo I saw (same busted pallet & rough shipping as mine apparently) was somebody putting it on with the engine hoist straddling the stand lengthwise. I had been planning on trying to put it on broadside as it will be near a wall & there is stuff on either side restricting access to the ends.

Has anybody used an engine hoist to put the lathe on the stand broadside? was there enough clearance to get it on there before the legs on the hoist hit the back of the stand? Or do I need to move the stand or lots of other junk in the shop to go lengthwise?

I definitely don't want to avoid damaging the leadscrews & ways. Any suggestions on better rigging options?

I put the slightly shorter zinc coated bolts under the stand & was going to use the black oxide bolts that were a hair longer to mount the lathe to the stand. No mention of which ones to use where in the manual & I saw a few photos of shiny bolts for the feet & black ones for the lathe. Any chance I got those backwards?


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## Fallon (Mar 7, 2018)

Ok, interesting. The manual at http://www.precisionmatthews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/PM-1340GT-PM-1236T-11-10-17-V5.pdf is a fair bit different than the paper one I got. better lifting instructions & mentions the length of the bolts to mount the lathe to the stand.

Would have been so much easier if my shop roof wasnt so low, could have just used the pallet forks on the tractor to rig from with nothing underneath.


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## navav2002 (Mar 7, 2018)

Awesome!!


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## NavyShooter (Mar 8, 2018)

I used an engine hoist for my 1030 last week.

I was able to get in deep enough - but, I had to use a sling that gave me some length so that I could push the lathe towards the tailstock end as it was lowered since with the legs of the hoist through the stand, it offset the lathe by about 8 inches left from the bolt holes.

Does that make sense?

NS


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## [X]Outlaw (Mar 8, 2018)

Fallon,

I mounted my lathe with a 2 Ton engine hoist from the broad side. I wasn't working alone though, I had help from my Dad and a friend.
I placed my slings around the center webbing in the bed just as you did but I removed the backsplash and adjusted the carraige and tailstock position to get it balanced. I used straps rated for 2 tons and doubled up on the just to be safe.

If I remember correctly, we had just enough clearance for the crane legs. Once the lathe was hoisted we had one person roll the crane while one person on either end kept it from swinging. It went into position fairly easily and while the crane was still supporting its weight I did up the bolts to the pedestals.

I am sure there is an easier/better way to do this with less people but this is what worked for me.

Hope this helps.

Chevy


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## wrmiller (Mar 8, 2018)

Once I have the lathe as close to the final spot as I can get, I approached the lathe from the headstock end with a 2T engine hoist. Ran the carriage and tailstock to the far end, and then hooked my long strap onto the hoist. From there I went down through the bed webbing closest to the headstock, down and around the base twice, back up through the same webbing hole, up through the hoist hook, down through the frame as close to the carriage as I could get, and then back up to the hook.

A small strap was attached around the backsplash and up to the hook just for balance as the back of the lathe (where the motor is) wants to twist. Lift and install the stands, and then walk the lathe to it's final position using a cheater bar.

It may not be the best way, but I've done this four times now, by myself and am still here with all my parts.


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## Fallon (Mar 8, 2018)

Thanks for the info. Will try some additional rigging to see if I can get it to balance better. I've got a pile of heavy ratchet straps rated for several thousand lbs. Will keep preparing for a broadside lift & have a friend/neighbor who owes me several favors I was already planning on recruiting once I got it to lift & balance somewhat well to start with.

I could probably manhandle it with my current lift point & ballance. But it was just to squirly for me to risk it. Not to mention I couldn't manhandle the lathe & run the lift at the s assme time.

Probably going to skip the sealant for now. No plans to use coolant & it will make it easier too scoot the lathe into place. I've roughly leveled the stands with my machines level, but likely have a ways to go once the lathe is on. Need to level the lathe not the stands anyway. Can lift a leg on the hoist to get it around lengthwise I think without the lathe attached. Do a 2nd lift vertical only to stick some sealant between the lathe & tray if needed.

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## marcusp323 (Mar 8, 2018)

If you choose to skip the sealant, you'll probably end up lubing the insides of the pedestal from oil leaking past, just sayin'.
Mark


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## Fallon (Mar 8, 2018)

Origional paper image, for reference. Not a lot on lifting or mounting the machine compared to what's in the PDF  I linked earlier. The sling method at the bottom definitely isn't to stable as the machine likes to shift in response to it swinging at all, which causes it to shift more in all directions.


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## mksj (Mar 8, 2018)

If you look in the instruction they recommend an eye or using a D-Ring, for future reference you may want to look at this previous posting. When using the cross beam as shown it would need to be locked in place, and even with that I would be hesitant. Using a jack strap through the spindle and through the lathe casting allows you to adjust horizontal balance. Make sure the tailstock is also locked at the far end of the lathe.
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/thr...-and-old-base-cabinet-mods.56020/#post-509248

Not using sealant around the mounting bolt holes will be a problem for you down the line, it is not about using coolant but all the oil that collects in the pan in particular around the open gearbox. Even with sealant I had some oil leak into the headstock cabinet, the silicone sealant did not hold up well to oil. When I remounted my lathe at a later point I went used polyurethane sealant, also put some under the bolt washer on the the lathe base. I have not had an issue since.


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## ChrisAttebery (Mar 8, 2018)

I just moved a 13x40 lathe a few weeks ago. I wrapped an 8' long x 3" wide strap (4000lb rated) around the bed casting twice right at the headstock and then hooked that to the engine hoist. I put a small 2x4 block between the leadscrew and feed rod to keep them from getting bent. I approached the lathe from the headstock end. When I got it in place I unhooked the strap and then removed the hoist legs to get it away from the wall.


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## ptrotter (Mar 8, 2018)

When I mounted my PM-1340GT a few weeks ago, I used the D-ring method that MKSJ refers to above and it worked great although I used a forklift rather than an engine hoist to lift it.  I was amazed at how easy it was to balance it.


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## Fallon (Mar 9, 2018)

Time for some cleanup, re-leveling, wiring & other setup.







As you can see I ended up pulling the panel between the 2 stands. The engine hoist legs ended up running into it. Does that panel add any rigidity to the setup? I made sure the gap was correct so it will fit, if I get somebody to hold the nuts on the back. But I'm debating if it will add much to the setup if I actually put it in. Ended up using that ratchet strap through the spindle idea as well as some additional straps under the bed. Used appropriate blocking to prevent the lead screws & DRO parts from getting squished, only have 3/4" clearance between the pan & the bed & it had to be short enough to clear the rolled edges of the chip pan. Had a pile of ratchet straps on there to help control roll by the time I was done. Even so I was glad I conned my friend into helping. Got barely sitting on the edge of the stands, then re-positioned the hoist over the headstock & lifted just that 1 end. Got the bolts in there loose, pumped in some sealant around the holes, then tightened up the bolts & set it down. Then did the same for the light end. More or less ended up having the stands hanging from the lathe 1 end at a time as it was easier to get things lined up & decent gap in there to seal things up that way.

Black oxide bolts did fit right on the top of the stands rather than the leveling pads. The front 2 bolts under the headstock had to go in from the bottom with nuts on top. The ones in back & on the tailstock had clearance to go in from the top.

Side note, 2 leveling feet on the small stand don't provide much stability if the chip tray that is apparently holding it up gets moved... Need to fix some scratches on the right side of the stand again.

I'd recommend going lengthwise instead of broadside to anybody using an engine hoist, if you have the room. I suspect it will be easier, at least if you have a hoist with long legs on them that won't let the hoist get close enough. For future reference to anybody looking at this thread.


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## wrmiller (Mar 9, 2018)

Yea, when I lifted my lathe the first time, I considered trying to come at it broadside, but didn't like the fact that the lathe is not a well balanced chunk of iron. I have always come at mine lengthwise, and it seems to work for me.

The sheetmetal piece that goes between the stands is more decorative than functional IMO, but I installed mine rather than throw it away.

I didn't seal the holes in the stand as I'm hoping one of these days to upgrade to Matt's cast stands for the 1340GT as I have the old four-bolt stands. I do get some oil in the stands, but that's the lubrication system for the pieces I keep in there. LOL...


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## fradish (Mar 9, 2018)

I would make or buy a cabinet with heavy duty drawer slides to fit in where the sheet metal piece goes.


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## Fallon (Mar 10, 2018)

Spent a good while yesterday & most of today cleaning off cosmiline & getting it all lubed up. Think I got all of it & just need to remember to lube the ends of the leadscrews. Lots of way oil on everything now as well & some open gear lube on the change gears under the cover. Got driven off due to the cold this evening.

Next up is mounting the electronics, speaking of which... I couldn't find any mounting holes or documentation for the DRO or light. The 4 holes in the splash guard match the LED light bracket, but there were only 4 bolts & there are 4 holes on each side of the bracket matching 4 holes in the splash guard & 4 in the base of the light arm. Am I missing 4 bolts I need to scrounge up, or did others just do 2 on each side of the bracket? Also, where did you mount the DRO & Power supply for the DRO? I didn't see any obvous mounting holes. I'd kind of assumed there would be some as I got it with the DRO scales at least pre-mounted. Drilling a couple of holes isn't hard at all, but I should figure out if there are any pre-done holes somewhere I'm missing or where others have mounted their DROs & if they are happy with that spot. I peaked in the wiring box in back of the lathe, but didn't remember to check to see if there were convenient spots for a DRO & the light, or if I wire them into the wall.

After that it should just be wire the whole deal to the wall then level it all out. Then the fun of finally making chips.


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## parshal (Feb 2, 2019)

Fallon said:


> The 4 holes in the splash guard match the LED light bracket, but there were only 4 bolts & there are 4 holes on each side of the bracket matching 4 holes in the splash guard & 4 in the base of the light arm. Am I missing 4 bolts I need to scrounge up, or did others just do 2 on each side of the bracket?



Sorry to resurrect an old thread but I have the same question.  Mine was just delivered yesterday and I can't find any close up pictures of how to best mount the light.

Fallon, did you figure it out?


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## Fallon (Feb 2, 2019)

All 8 screws there match, so I either scrounged 8 matching ones or found the ones that came with the machine. It's been a bit so I forget which.
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	







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## parshal (Feb 2, 2019)

Thanks!  That's about how I figured it would be.


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## middle.road (Feb 2, 2019)

Fallon said:


> All 8 screws there match, so I either scrounged 8 matching ones or found the ones that came with the machine. It's been a bit so I forget which.
> 
> Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk


I think you might be lacking some pegboard there behind the tool chest and drill press - just sayin'  
One can never have too much pegboard & hooks/hangers...


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## Fallon (Mar 3, 2019)

middle.road said:


> I think you might be lacking some pegboard there behind the tool chest and drill press - just sayin'
> One can never have too much pegboard & hooks/hangers...



I actually have a bit, just haven't gotten around to properly mounting it yet. We won't talk about how long it's been sitting there against the wall though.


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## Firstgear (Mar 10, 2019)

Fallon said:


> I actually have a bit, just haven't gotten around to properly mounting it yet. We won't talk about how long it's been sitting there against the wall though.


Hopefully you will mount that peg board before you load it up and it tips over towards the lathe bed....just saying...


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## Fallon (Mar 20, 2019)

Firstgear said:


> Hopefully you will mount that peg board before you load it up and it tips over towards the lathe bed....just saying...



All that pegboard on the back wall is properly secured on 2' centers vertically. The couple sheets still unmounted just being stored behind the chop saw, not so much.






Sadly that's snow there on the ground that I swept off the lathe, toolbox & other stuff. As near as I can tell the blizzard blew it through the decent cracks in the barn door 35' to the back of the shop. A bit of rust on the lathe now. :-(

Before & after photos of lifted F350, 5 ton military truck, & some barns I helped dig out after the March 2019 Colorado blizzard. https://photos.app.goo.gl/oPhzFNLRrAhgZjro8


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