# The Pm-1440gt Has Landed



## jbolt

Well 6-1/2 months later it has finally arrived. It was supposed to have been delivered yesterday but UPS messed about and didn't deliver until today. They gave me a 4 hour window today and showed up 45 minutes late.

PM put the factory crate on another pallet so it sits really high. I had to cut away the middle section of the pallet and crate to get my engine lift under it. Between an engine lift, a floor jack and a toe jack it took me, my wife and daughter about 2 hours to get it undone and in place in the garage. I got the leveling feet on after chasing the 1/2-12 whitworth with a 1/2-13 tap.

Here is a quick picture. The back guard is still off from the move. I will put that back on after I get it cleaned up and the DRO on. 

More to come.....


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## MonkMan

Congratulations Jbolt, looks very sweet. 
chips are in sight!


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## pugslyyy

Congrats, you did great if it took you only 2 hours to get it in place.  I think it took me the better part of a day to get mine tucked into its slot.  The multi-level crating certainly added to the fun and games.


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## mksj

Agonizing wait, but expected given it is a new machine. The wait was well worth it. Great it is finally home and we can get a first hand review. Looks like a wonderful machine for those that need a bit bigger work envelope.


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## jbolt

I got the lathe mostly cleaned up this morning, enough to get going on the DRO install. I got the lathe wired and running so while working on the DRO it has been doing spindle break-in. When I first ordered the lathe way back at the end of February I had originally asked for a single phase machine. At that time the first shipment was not supposed to include single phase machines, only 3 phase. I agreed to the 3 phase and went about collecting all the bits and pieces to do a mksj VFD conversion. I guess so much time passed the single phase machines were available and that is what Matt had built for me. He offered to find a motor but I had him send what he had not wanting to further delay the machine. I have a huge backlog of customer work that needs to get done. The bright side is I can get to that now and worry about the VFD conversion after. FYI - The single phase machines are 2HP, not 3HP as shown in the specs. The 3-phase machines are 3HP. The only other anomaly so far is the shipping weight was shown as 1430 lbs. The machine specs are 1750 lbs. Not sure if this was a typo or not. No way I could verify. 

The stand is plenty stout and just sitting on the adjustable feet the lathe is rock solid. All the levers work real smooth from the get go. The ways look awesome. Some real nice castings on the bed. The belts are throwing copious amounts of dust so those will get changed soon. To my pleasure there are no lockouts on the gear cover nor is there a shield. The spindle bore is 2.060" which is perfect. I had fears it would be 50mm and not be able to get a 2' round stock in. The D1-5 spindle nose is a beast compared to the D1-4 I had on my old lathe. 

For anyone getting one of these lathes and installing a DRO PRO magnetic system the read head bracket for the X axis will not work. it is too narrow for the two flat spots on the side of the saddle. I just finished making a wider one. Hooray for home shop CNC! Not sure about the Z yet.

I will post more as I get to it. Sorry for the blurry picture.


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## wrmiller

Nice lathe dude!


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## jbolt

Got the X-axis scale installed. I had to make a drill extension to drill the holes for the read head mount. Of course that meant cleaning,  mounting and adjusting the 3-jaw chuck ( set-tru type), and cleaning and mounting the tail stock. I swear there was more comoline on the inside of the tail stock barrel than on the outside, not fun. So the lathe has officially made one part by drilling a hole.


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## wrmiller

Had to do the same for my 1340. Hurried job, but it worked.


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## Mr Magoo

Looks great I hope to have mine soon


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## jbolt

Day 3....

The DRO is installed and working. The Z has 37.1" of travel and the X has 6.5". I ran the Z back and forth through the full travel several times to a TDI and it returns to dead nuts zero each time. Same with the X. The kit supplied universal drop leg for the Z read head mount was not usable so I made a replacement out of some 0.5" x 2" aluminum bar stock. Instead of drilling new holes on the back of the saddle I placed it under the coolant riser mounting block with longer screws. Works great. The DRO display is temporarily mounted to a piece of bar stock attached to the side of the back splash. This may change after the VFD conversion...or not.









Cover installed.                                                                                                                               DRO display and LED light (Thanks for the light Matt)










Whoever installed the back splash needs a refresher in measuring. The side attached to the head stock is 1-3/4" too far back compared to the tail-stock end. This left a gap that would allow debris to fall on the floor behind the machine. I re-drilled the holes an inch further in and installed a 3/4" spacer on the tail-stock side. This keeps the back as far out as possible and still able to contain debris. There is still an open gap between the ways and the motor so if that becomes a chip magnet I will add a secondary guard to cover. The back splash is made from 1/16" steel and is very stout.











The T-nut slot for the stock tool post turned out to not have been machined parallel to the top of the compound. The T-nut I machined for the Aloris QCTP is was higher on one side than the other. My T-nut was machined within 0.001". The Slot is about 0.008" out of parallel over 2". The stock T-nut was installed and ground with the compound. If you turn the stock t-nut around it wont sit flush. I used some stainless steel shims to bring everything true and parallel when cinched tight.











Here are a few shots of the stand. It is made from 3/16" steel with reinforcement in strategic places. It is very sturdy and rock solid without being bolted down. Matt did a good job on the specs for this one.














Electrical for the single phase version. Nice and tidy with easy access. FYI when the machine is plunged in the transformer is powered regardless of the e-stop position so beware.








And finally the coolant pump and reservoir. I'm not thrilled about the access from the inside. PITA the deal with. there really should be an access panel on the outside. The get the pump and reservoir out the drip funnel must be removed. The drip funnel is kind of funky and I suspect will not contain any splashing. I will see if the tray can be replaced with a hose and still allow the chip pan to pull forward.








Almost ready to be put in service. Next up will be final leveling and some test cuts!


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## jbolt

I've done the first fine leveling with a machinist level. This is the first test cut. over 8" it is 0.0021" narrower at the far end. I will let the machine sit overnight, take another cut and adjust from there. Finish looks good for the single phase motor.


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## mksj

Hi Jay,
Machine looks great, and very clean DRO install, nice. A few things to consider checking the cutting alignment, you may need a precision level to check for any bed twist along the ways.  I have some precision ground test bars and I look at the +/- TIR from 0 at different points along the bar. If the swing in the +/- value is skewed in one direction  as you get further from the chuck, then you may need to align the headstock. Most of us have had to do this, it takes the slightest change in the alignment bolts. I would also do a test cut with the 4J chuck to see how it compares. 

Overall, it appears to be a very fine machine, and that is close to a mirror finish cut on the test cut. Hopefully you have more room for a larger motor in the back if you go the VFD route in the future, Impressive, if I didn't already have a lathe, this is the one I would get today.


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## koba49

when I got my 1228 leveled I took a cut on a 1-3/16 chunk of steel with a HS tool bit over 5 in I got .0045 taper same direction you have small on the end big by the chuck this is with out a center in the part. by just lowering the front feet on the tail stock end I took out .002 taper I had to unbolt the machine and put a .006 shim on the back side of the foot at tail stock end, bolt it back down and I was .0001 high on tail stock end over 5.500 distance the machine is not dead level any more but it is aligned your machine is heaver than mine but try dropping the leveling feet or foot on the front tail stock end  you may get it out by just doing that, it may not be level but I do not think dead level is needed to get a precise alignment


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## jbolt

mksj said:


> Hi Jay,
> Machine looks great, and very clean DRO install, nice. A few things to consider checking the cutting alignment, you may need a precision level to check for any bed twist along the ways.  I have some precision ground test bars and I look at the +/- TIR from 0 at different points along the bar. If the swing in the +/- value is skewed in one direction  as you get further from the chuck, then you may need to align the headstock. Most of us have had to do this, it takes the slightest change in the alignment bolts. I would also do a test cut with the 4J chuck to see how it compares.
> 
> Overall, it appears to be a very fine machine, and that is close to a mirror finish cut on the test cut. Hopefully you have more room for a larger motor in the back if you go the VFD route in the future, Impressive, if I didn't already have a lathe, this is the one I would get today.



Hi Mark,

The only problem with the DRO is it covers the lock screw for the X axis. I need to re-think that one as it is necessary for doing precision work.

I chucked up a 1" precision test bar and over 4" I get 0.0009" toward the operator at the far end. Unfortunately two of the head-stock jacking screws are blocked by the motor capacitors. For the moment the work I need to get to is 12" or less so I'll see if I can get it acceptable  adjusting the bed twist. I'm finding the lathe too be too low for my height so I think I will wait on adjusting the head until I do the VFD and raise the lathe.

I haven't looked too hard for motors yet. The max motor body length is 11-1/2" with an overall length of 14-1/2". Max diameter could be up to 9". From what I can tell most 3HP #PH motors have a 1.125" shaft which will require a new pulley.


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## mksj

Hi Jay,
I have found the cross slide lock to be very important to maintain accuracy and often you want just a slight tension/resistance on the cross slide. I have seen two approaches, one is to standoff the DRO scale on blocks, and machine a threaded post with a lever arm or a hex nut head bolt which applies pressure on the gib lock, or you can put a friction lock on the other side. I did the latter and it works very well, I uses some naval bronze for the friction lock,very easy to set both a slight drag or a full lock. Since it is softer then the metal cross slide there is no wear. I subsequently added a rubber gasket between the mounting plate and cross slide  so it does not get fowled with swarf. Also on the tool post slide, I made a small lever arm that is spring loaded, so it holds it position when loosened.  There is a small ball bearing that is between the gib and the lock, do not loose it.

Example of lock with standoffs for scale: http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/installing-dro-on-pm-1340-gt.48653/#post-413797

On the 3 phase motor, a tight fit and probably only a TENV type motor will fit. The Marathon E470 motor or the Y541/Y527 inverter motors would be top of the line, but looks like it would be a tight. You would need to cut off the rear jack shaft, the main shaft would be 1.125". Pulley should not be a problem, but you want to go much smaller than stock, as I recommend running these up to 120Hz.


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## jbolt

I likey the friction lock. I don't like to have standoffs on the scale cross slide. Good thinking on using the follower rest mounting holes. 

I'll take a look at the motors. How much smaller would you go on the pulley?


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## jbolt

I did not take much adjustment to get the machine cutting straight. I think I moved the front left foot about 1/4 turn. It took 4 test cuts to dial in. After this  test cut I ran a TDI along the front and it had a 0.0003" difference over 8". I see no reason to mess with the head stock. 








Even though the cuts are nice and shiny it does not tell the whole story. I ran some 400 grit lightly over the cut to highlight the finish produced. 700 rpm at 0.0026" feed, CCTG 32.51 insert. You can see the slight undulations.  Nothing to complain about but not like my old lathe that was a 3 phase belt drive. It will be interesting to see if there will be a difference with a 3 phase motor.


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## jbolt

I don't have a manual yet so I'm not sure is this information is in there but I thought I would post it anyway. 

Wires 1 & 2 are 24vac.
Wires S1 & R1 are 110vac.
Wires S & R are the 220vac in.

I have the light hooked up the the 24vac and the DRO to the 110vac.


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## wrmiller

Just my opinion, but I'm just a hobbyist and not looking for mil-spec finishes, so that would more that work for me. I'd be more than happy to take that thing off your hands for ya once I land somewhere.


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## mksj

You are not going to get any better than that unless you buy a 10EE, spec is something like better than 30 millionth of an inch. I still would check your machine with another chuck, and also check that the headstock is for the most part running true. I mark all my chucks so I always put them on in the same position.

On the pulley size it all depends on the motor and the maximum RPM, most 1750 RPM motors will do 2X their base speed, but the performance can drop off erratically  after about 90Hz. The inverter motors maintain full Hp to at least 2X their base speed, the Baldor I use is rated to 6K RPM at full Hp. Still I think on an inverter motor 2X the base speed is a reasonable top end for the motor. Since the 1440GT already will top out at 2000 RPM, I would reduce the pulley size to around 50-60% diameter of the current one with an inverter motor, 75-80% with a standard motor taking it to 90Hz. The faster you run the motor, you have  more poles per spindle RPM, so it should be smoother. Hp delivered to the spindle is 2X and torque 1X at 120 hz, vs. the a 60Hz motor at the same spindle speed using a higher gear. I would say the sweet spot is running in a higher gear and using either 30-90Hz or 30-120Hz depending on the type of motor. Braking with a VFD is also quicker when using a higher speed gear for the same spindle RPM, there is less rotational momentum.  A VFD on the 1440GT, you will probably just use one of your speed levers to select a general speed range and leave the other in high.

A lot of factors affect surface finish, another gent that I helped convert his lathe to 3 phase on a G4003G, the surface finish improved about 70% by just going to 3 phase. Some of that may be pulsation, the cutter and cutting speed plays a significant role. Change the belts and play a bit with the tension/check the belt alignment. I use very sharp uncoated carbide inserts for Al, and can get close to a mirror finish with a skim cut. 1018 steel, forget it.

The 110VAC is usually off the transformer and fused, on my mill it uses a 3A fuse. Ok for a coolant pump and a DRO, but not much more.

Like Bill, I will be happy to stand in line behind him.
Mark


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## GA Gyro

May well be some 'pre-owned' 1340GT's available in the future... [grin]...


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## jbolt

wrmiller said:


> Just my opinion, but I'm just a hobbyist and not looking for mil-spec finishes, so that would more that work for me. I'd be more than happy to take that thing off your hands for ya once I land somewhere.



Can't have it. 

I do customer work to support my hobbies. One of the main reasons for upgrading was to expand my work envelope and be able to produce parts quicker. This lathe is definitely a huge step forward.


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## jbolt

waaahhhaaHA! I finally ran some customer parts today. What a huge difference. I parted off a bunch of 2" 6061 stock. Something I could not even think about on my old lathe. An ISCAR parting tool with a  drizzle of kerosene went through it like butter. Will be even better with the VFD conversion and variable speed.

Here are some parts I have permission to post pictures of. I make a couple a dozen a year for a local shop. Their smallest manual lathe has a 24" chuck on it so they farm out this kind of stuff. Made from 3/8" 7075. The long skinny part is 0.187" dia with a tolerance of +0.0 -0.0005". The short fat end is a 0.25"bearing fit with the same tolerance. The long skinny part is about 2" long and has to be cut in a single pass. I used to scrap about 30% on my old lathe. I did these in about a third the time it used to take on my old lathe with no scrapped parts. Awesome!








I also made up a chuck cradle. I had always meant to make one for my old lathe but never did. A must with the heavier 8" chucks. Made from 3/8" poly and 1" aluminum tube with press in star threaded inserts.


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## MonkMan

Clever, much better then 2x4's


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## wrmiller

Love the chuck cradle. I'll have to keep that in mind for when I can no longer muscle my chucks around by hand.


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## jbolt

wrmiller said:


> Love the chuck cradle. I'll have to keep that in mind for when I can no longer muscle my chucks around by hand.



I change between chucks a lot and it gets interesting supporting the 8" chucks with one arm while engaging a cam lock with the other.   This is much easier. As a bonus the upper cross tubes make excellent carrying handles.


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## Rich V

jbolt said:


> Made from 3/8" 7075. The long skinny part is 0.187" dia with a tolerance of +0.0 -0.0005". The short fat end is a 0.25"bearing fit with the same tolerance. The long skinny part is about 2" long and has to be cut in a single pass.



You finish cut that long & skinny part to that tolerance? How do you avoid flexing?

Very nice lathe, I have it's kid brother the 1340.


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## GA Gyro

Yeah, the kid brother is a good one also...


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## jbolt

Rich V said:


> You finish cut that long & skinny part to that tolerance? How do you avoid flexing?



That is why it has to be done in a single pass. I use these CCGT 32.51 carbide inserts and kerosene for cutting fluid. The 80 deg inserts with the small tip radius at that DOC will cut without pushing or pulling the material. The 7075 also helps. When I first started making these a few years ago it took a while to get the process down, especially on my previous lathe which was less precise, less rigid and not the same quality of bearings. On my old lathe I would have to run the spindle for a hour or more to get it thermally stable and then run all the parts. My 1440GT has a spindle run out of less than 0.0001" when cold which I think is quite impressive.


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## oldhank60

jbolt said:


> Well 6-1/2 months later it has finally arrived. It was supposed to have been delivered yesterday but UPS messed about and didn't deliver until today. They gave me a 4 hour window today and showed up 45 minutes late.
> 
> PM put the factory crate on another pallet so it sits really high. I had to cut away the middle section of the pallet and crate to get my engine lift under it. Between an engine lift, a floor jack and a toe jack it took me, my wife and daughter about 2 hours to get it undone and in place in the garage. I got the leveling feet on after chasing the 1/2-12 whitworth with a 1/2-13 tap.
> 
> Here is a quick picture. The back guard is still off from the move. I will put that back on after I get it cleaned up and the DRO on.
> 
> More to come.....
> 
> View attachment 135507


Looks Nice  Hopefully you will have it up and running in short order


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## oldhank60

jbolt said:


> I change between chucks a lot and it gets interesting supporting the 8" chucks with one arm while engaging a cam lock with the other.   This is much easier. As a bonus the upper cross tubes make excellent carrying handles.


get  a couple of 2x6 boards and make chuck holder to slide chuck up to spindle nose, it will save arms from having to manhandle chuck, and it can save rails from dropped chucks


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## jbolt

I have about 20 hours on the lathe now and find it is too low for my height at 6"1". Yesterday I made up some risers out of some 1/2" X 2" bar stock and  2' X 1/4" angle iron. I wasn't sure how flat the bottom of each stand base is so I did not weld the cross piece in to allow for any twist. The cross pieces are clamped in place with a full length piece of 1/2-13 all thread. The risers bolt to the bases through the existing threaded holes for the feet. I added two more feet to the tail-stock end. Probably did not need to but what the heck. The risers are 6" tall which is perfect for me. Next will be figuring out how to lower the foot brake. As it is now it's a little high but still usable. The dark grey Rustoleum is a pretty close match.


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## MonkMan

Nice Work on the risers. Dropping that foot brake looks tricky.


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## jbolt

Thanks MonkMan. Having the machine at a comfortable height makes a huge difference.

I don't think it will be too much trouble to lower the foot brake. The foot pedal is welded to a tube which fits over a stub shaft that actuates the brake. I should be able to support the pedal assembly with bearing blocks at each end and weld a blade to the back of the tube. Make a arm to fit on the actuator shaft and connect to the pedal with a tie rod.


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## MonkMan

Looks like you have it pretty much figured out, great! Please post pictures when you get it installed. Thanks


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## tmarks11

very nice work!


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## jbolt

I got the foot brake lowered today. Two steel stub shafts bolted to 1/4" x 3" strap bolted to the stand support the pedal assembly and act as bearings. I turned a steel sleeve to fit over the actuator shaft which uses the same bolt that held the pedal. A blade is welded to the sleeve and to the back of the pedal and connected with a tie rod. The tie rod is made from 1/2" steel hex. Most of the hex was turned off except for a 1/2" wide section for use with a wrench. The ends were drilled and tapped with 5/16-24 right and left thread for rod ends for adjustment. I set the pedal about an 1-1/2" lower than from the factory to make it more comfortable to use.


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## GA Gyro

Curious question about brake pedals on lathes....

Can one use the brake pedal softly to modulate a slowing down of the spindle...
Or is it either no brake or quick full stop?

THX


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## MonkMan

Thanks for the pictures.  Nice job, looks factory built.....something PM should offer.


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## JimDawson

GA Gyro said:


> Curious question about brake pedals on lathes....
> 
> Can one use the brake pedal softly to modulate a slowing down of the spindle...
> Or is it either no brake or quick full stop?
> 
> THX



On most of the smaller lathes, the brake pedal is connected to a mechanical band brake.  So yes, you can control the braking force.


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## Firestopper

Very nice job on the riser and brake bar relocation. Great design!

On the question on braking,  some also use drum brakes with controlled braking as well.


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## jbolt

This lathe has a drum brake. When the foot pedal is depressed it also triggers a switch to kill the motor. It brakes really fast with an 8" chuck from full speed so I'm not sure how much fine control there is. 



MonkMan said:


> Thanks for the pictures.  Nice job, looks factory built.....something PM should offer.



Thanks MonkMan.

Machine height is a personal preference so in the end I think it is up to the user to make any height adjustments. Probably not much of a market for risers and foot brake lowering kits.

I will say the specs say the spindle center line from floor is approximately 47". Mine with the leveling feet on is only 43". Had it actually been 47" I probably would have not made the risers. Now it is at 49" which is perfect with a mat in front of the lathe.


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## jbolt

Now that the foot brake is done I started on the VFD conversion. Finding a 3HP motor that would fit was a PITA. The factory 2HP single phase and 3HP 3 phase share the same size housing. Not sure how that works but whatever. The only 3HP motor I could find with the same factory frame size was a 3600 rpm motor. The 1800 rpm motor of the same series was much longer and would not fit. I managed to find a 3HP 1800 rpm inverter duty TENV Marathon motor that is short enough but it has a larger circumference. The new motor has a 1.125" shaft vs. the 24mm factory motor so I had to get a new sheave from Gates.










The factory motor mount would not work with the size and configuration of the new motor plus it is a pain to adjust so I fabricated a mount out of 1/2 steel plate. I basically made a large hinge. The pivot part of the hinge is made from 5/8" rod drilled out for a 5/16" hinge pin. The motor is supported/adjusted with two tie rods similar to what I did for the foot brake. Takes just a few minutes to change the belt now, seconds to adjust.









Because of the larger diameter motor it now interferes with the belt cover so that will need to be modified. I was planning on modifying it anyway to add a spider the the rear of the spindle.


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## dr.diesel

I am a few clicks from ordering one of these as well, thanks for all the info and picts!  

Can you comment on the quality, being manufactured in Taiwan, is it noticeably better?  Fit and finish, gear wine, manufacturing debris in any of the gear boxes, etc?


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## jbolt

dr.diesel said:


> I am a few clicks from ordering one of these as well, thanks for all the info and picts!
> 
> Can you comment on the quality, being manufactured in Taiwan, is it noticeably better?  Fit and finish, gear wine, manufacturing debris in any of the gear boxes, etc?



It is a gear head lathe so it does make some noise but not something that drives me crazy. I can carry on a conversation with someone while it is running and not have to speak loudly. 

The spindle run out is less than on the specs. Mine is under a tenth of a thou when cold. When warmed up I can measure the error tolerance in the spindle bearings. The Castings on the bed appear to be very high quality. I love the D1-5 spindle and the 2" bore. All the handles and levers work smooth from the get-go. I pulled the top of the head off and found no grit. I have not checked the other gear boxes. The only "fit" issues I had were the splash guard was installed incorrectly and the belt cover does not line up well at the top of the head-stock. Something is out of square, head-stock or cover. The stand is rock solid. 

I have about 50 hours on the lathe now and it has meet all my expectations on performance. The only thing it does not do quite as well as my old lathe that was a belt drive is I don't get the mirror finish in aluminum. It is close but I suspect it is the gear head or single phase motor. I will know more once I complete the 3 phase conversion. I didn't like doing a lot of steel on my old lathe but it is a joy to do on this one.


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## dr.diesel

Thanks Jay, just placed my order for one!  Appreciate the info once again.


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## jbolt

dr.diesel said:


> Thanks Jay, just placed my order for one!  Appreciate the info once again.



Excellent! Hopefully they will be in stock soon.


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## jbolt

Okay the VFD conversion is mostly done!

First a huge thanks to Mark (mksj) for the design and for answering all my questions. You are the man!

I did a few things differently than others. My original intent was to use the existing electrical space for the electrical components and mount the VFD inside the base but everything was too tight for my liking. I also like to use breakers instead of fuses so I can turn things on-off for service or troubleshooting. Most everything is mounted in a 24" x 16" x 8" Nema 1 cabinet mounted to the side of the machine. The cabinet is mounted to the machine base with hinges so it can swing open to access under the base to service the brake components and limit switch. The enclosure has a 110v pancake fan that draws air across the VFD. It is mounted adjacent to the VFD and above the braking resistor. The fan always operates when the machine is turned on.












Some of the factory wiring was too short to pull into the new cabinet so I used the existing terminal block to extend the wires. I also kept the original transformer to power the machine lights and DRO.









Most machines have the transformer powered all the time but I prefer to have the machine completely powered off when not in use so I added a 35A contactor and switch to turn the machine power on. I also put the coolant pump on a 110v contactor and switch.
I still need to make the labels for the switches but on the top row from left to right is the "Speed Pot", "2-Stage Braking Switch", "FWD/REV Toggle", and "Proximity Sensor Bi-Pass Switch". There is only enough room for four switches on the head so I mounted the other switches in the base. From left to right is the "Main Power Switch", "Coolant Switch", "Light Switch", and "E-Stop". I still need to make the mount for the proximity sensor (hanging off the lever). I mounted the tachometer to the bottom of the DRO and made a bracket for the hall effect sensor. The magnet is temporarily mounted with electricians tape. The will get permanently mounted to the rear spider.












Next is to modify the belt cover for the outboard spider and to clear the new motor.


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## dieselshadow

Holy cow! What a nice install. Very clean and professional. Extremely well done sir!


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## mksj

Hi Jay,
Very nice and professional install, glad you like the control system design. You can see you put a lot of thought and planning into modifying this lathe to fit your needs. Well done!
Mark


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## qualitymachinetools

Wow, looks great!


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## Sendit

Would you mind posting or sending a wiring diagram?  I'm really curious how all the relays/contacts are wired.    Still trying to understand the difference between the two.


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## jbolt

dieselshadow said:


> Holy cow! What a nice install. Very clean and professional. Extremely well done sir!



Thanks dieselshadow!


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## jbolt

mksj said:


> Hi Jay,
> Very nice and professional install, glad you like the control system design. You can see you put a lot of thought and planning into modifying this lathe to fit your needs. Well done!
> Mark



Hi Mark, 

This is all you fault you know. If you hadn't come up with all the cool features I would have blissfully went on with my single phase motor. 

As for planning I had a lot of time to think about it during the long wait. I was able to get some dimensions off an Eisen lathe I thought would be close in size. It was a bit of a gamble. Working with the young engineers in the high school robotics team I have become a believer is building most things in CAD before ever cutting stock. This was no exception. 










Thanks again for all your help!

Jay


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## jbolt

Sendit said:


> Would you mind posting or sending a wiring diagram?  I'm really curious how all the relays/contacts are wired.    Still trying to understand the difference between the two.



Hi Sendit,

Attached is the schematic that mksj did for me.


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## Firestopper

Thats a nice control system and clean install. Excellent write up, thank you for sharing.


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## jbolt

qualitymachinetools said:


> Wow, looks great!



Thanks Matt!


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## co1859

Wow - Nice Lathe &  sharp looking cabinet,  Your Craftsmanship Is Outstanding..  - What brand name of controllers did you use in the new cabinet?


----------



## jbolt

co1859 said:


> Wow - Nice Lathe &  sharp looking cabinet,  Your Craftsmanship Is Outstanding..  - What brand name of controllers did you use in the new cabinet?



Thanks co1859! 

Most everything including the cabinet came from Automation Direct. The 24vdc power supply and braking resistor were from ebay.


----------



## jbolt

I made good progress on the belt cover modifications today.

The mods were to extend the side to cover the belts due to the larger motor and to enlarge the area at the spindle for an outboard spider. To keep the spindle length to the spider screws  as short as possible I deepend the recess around the spindle and enlarged it for clearance of the centering screws.  

I used my CNC router to cut the cover and the new recessed plate. The router is not really meant to cut steel but it will do it will lots of light cuts. I used a 1/8" carbide end mill at 9200 rpm and 4 fpm. To zero the X & Y on the original spindle hole I drew a centering target in CAD and printed it on paper and then taped it over the hole. This gets me (+-) 0.01" which is good enough. I use the tip of a carbide scribe in a collet in the spindle for centering on the target.
















The new sheet metal pieces are 12 ga. steel. Here are the belt cover extension pieces ready for welding.







Here is the cover with the new modes welded on. The recess around the spindle is 1/2" deeper than original. 









By doing the mods I was also able to correct the crooked installation of the cover. Now it sits flush with the top and front of the head. Next up is prep and paint.


----------



## jbolt

I got the machine switch labels done and installed. Labels are made from 1/16" matte silver engraving plastic.













Almost done!


----------



## tmarks11

nice!  You do great work.


----------



## MonkMan

Nice! *Better* than factory made.


----------



## Sendit

Very nice!  What engrave did you use?


----------



## jbolt

Sendit said:


> Very nice!  What engrave did you use?



I did these on my CNC router with 1/16" and 1/32" end mills.


----------



## catoctin

What brand CNC router?  I am looking for one for some planned work in the future.


----------



## jbolt

catoctin said:


> What brand CNC router?  I am looking for one for some planned work in the future.



I designed and built the CNC router. The build log is here.


----------



## Sendit

jbolt said:


> I designed and built the CNC router. The build log is here.



Awesome!  Have a  build thread for it?


----------



## jbolt

Sendit said:


> Awesome!  Have a  build thread for it?



The link was in the message but here is the URL. http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/router-build.35426/


----------



## Sendit

Sorry, it wasn't showing up on my phone.  Thank you.


----------



## jbolt

Sendit said:


> Sorry, it wasn't showing up on my phone.  Thank you.



Well that figures. No worries, I hope you find it useful or at least mildly amusing.


----------



## jbolt

Worked on the spider a little tonight. I started roughing it out from a bar of 3-1/4" A36 hot rolled steel. 

This is the largest steel stock I have done on this lathe so far and hot rolled is not my favorite but I had it on hand. All I have right now is some general purpose carbide inserts. I am a little blown away at how well it machined. This was at 600 sfm (750 rpm) / 0.01" feed rate and a 0.05" DOC. It could definitely take a deeper cut with ease. 









Third and final pass at 0.025 DOC. 800 sfm (1000 rpm) / o.o1" feed rate. Cut was +0.002" over my target of 3" without really trying to be too precise. The finish is close to a 220 grit. I can't wait to see what it will be like with the proper insert.







After cutting off the turned end with the band saw to a little over the overall length I faced the ends to size and started roughing out the bore. First drill was a 1/2" followed by a 1", the largest  have. RPM was 250.  The new motor is amazing with the RPMs holding rock steady no matter how hard I feed the drill bit. The factory single phase motor growled a lot with heavy drilling in aluminum.






Cutting steel on this machine is like cutting aluminum on my old one. Makes me smile.Very cool!!!


----------



## jbolt

I have a question for the PM-1340GT owners. What is the actual cross slide travel on your lathe? My 1440GT is speced at 7-1/2" but the actual travel is only 6.4".


----------



## mksj

Hi Jay, looking mighty nice, and beautiful finish for the feed rate. Going 3 phase with a good motor and a VFD, world of difference. The trigon and the 80 degree rhomboid inserts are go to cutters. Travel on the PM1340GT cross slide is 6.5".
Mark


----------



## jbolt

mksj said:


> Hi Jay, looking mighty nice, and beautiful finish for the feed rate. Going 3 phase with a good motor and a VFD, world of difference. The trigon and the 80 degree rhomboid inserts are go to cutters. Travel on the PM1340GT cross slide is 6.5".
> Mark



Thanks Mark. I'm a bit annoyed at the less than advertised cross slide travel. I confirmed with another 1440GT owner that his was the same as mine.


----------



## jbolt

Here is the completed spider. The fit to the spindle came out perfect. The spider is locked to the spindle with 3/8-24 flat bottom set screws so it wont mar the spindle. The clamping screws are also 3/8-24 but in stainless steel with 1/4" brass tips.

 The mods I did to the cover allowed the upper stud that holds the belt cover on to be reduced in length as well as the thumb nut. The clamping screws will now clear the thumb nut so the spider can be used with the cover on. 



Turning finished






Spider installed. Note the recessed magnet for the tach sensor.






Completed spider. Clamping range is 1/4" to 2"


----------



## Dan_S

jbolt said:


> Thanks Mark. I'm a bit annoyed at the less than advertised cross slide travel. I confirmed with another 1440GT owner that his was the same as mine.



Are you measuring total travel, or just on the one side of the center axis?


----------



## jbolt

Dan_S said:


> Are you measuring total travel, or just on the one side of the center axis?



 Total physical travel.


----------



## jbolt

Here is the start of the next two projects for the lathe, the proximity sensor mount and a rack for the QCTP tool holders.

This is the front plate that holds the P-sensor to the micrometer stop. The milling was done on my PM-932 CNC conversion. I was going to thread mill the p-sensor hole but decided to use the lathe. To cut the 1mm pitch thread I had to change the upper gear from the 30T to a 28T and move the lower 60T gear to the 120T center gear. 

The upper and lower gears are held in place with a 6mm socket head cap screw and the center idler gear is adjusted at two locations with a 17mm wrench. The gear changes are fairly quick taking only a few minutes. Having to remove the belt cover to swap the gears made me miss my old lathe that had a hinged cover. The gears and spacers are broached with a key-way. The broached area is rough from the factory and needs a little dressing up to remove the burrs so they will slide on and off easily. Before I de-burred the 60T gear I had to remove it with a gear puller.

Being able to use the forward and reverse jog makes metric threading, where you can't disengage the half nut, a breeze to do. 











Here are the QCTP tool holder holders. 

They will be mounted a piece of 1/2" x 1" 8020 t-slot extrusion attached to the back splash. The holder base is made from 3/8" x 3/4" aluminum bar. The back side is machined to create a boss that keys into the 8020 slot so they won't pivot. The tool holder captured by two 1/4" dowel pins are pressed into the top of the block.


----------



## jbolt

Tool holder rack finished.


----------



## jbolt

Made some new handles to replace the plastic ones.


----------



## Mr Magoo

Very nice. I'll send you some stock for my set. Lol great job


----------



## wrmiller

Oooh...purty!


----------



## TomS

Those are nice!!!

Tom S.


----------



## Mr Magoo

Not quite as fancy as yours but I liked the idea


----------



## jbolt

Mr Magoo said:


> Not quite as fancy as yours but I liked the idea


Looking Good! The polish is a nice touch. What did you use to do that?


----------



## Mr Magoo

400
600
1200 paper
Then mothers aluminum polish on an arbor


----------



## Lonewolfgun

JBolt,

Looking at your pictures it looks like your only using leveling pads to level the lathe. Did you have any troubles with getting it level and now keeping it level using on the pads?


----------



## jbolt

No issues with leveling or keeping it level. The machine is very easy to level and true. The final tweaking is done with the lock nuts on the leveling pads. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk


----------



## dr.diesel

Hi Jay,

I can't tell from the picts, are you using BXA QCTPs?  

Thanks


----------



## jbolt

Yes, it is an Aloris BXA. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk


----------



## rwm

Ok...I'll ask. How did you do the spiral on the handles? Looks great!
R


----------



## jbolt

I did the spirals on my CNC mill using the 4th axis.


----------



## dr.diesel

Jay,  did you buy the DRO from PM or can you link me to the model you used?

I'll have to re-read the manual, didn't see the break-in procedure listed?  20 min run on low/high unloaded do the trick?

Thanks


----------



## jbolt

I have the EL400 magnetic scale kit from DRO Pros. 10" x 40" X=1um, Z=5um scales. http://www.dropros.com/Electronica_...#Electronica_Magnetic_Scale_2_Axis_Lathe_Kits:

The 8" x 40" will work since the cross slide only has 6-1/2" of travel. I was originally lead to believe it had 7-1/2". I recently did a job that required getting the center of the compound to the center of the spindle. I was able to do this by removing the stop at the end of the cross slide lead screw which gave me a little overt 7" of travel so I am glad I went with the 10" X scale.

There is no spindle break-in procedure in the manual. I'm not sure it is even necessary but for good measure I ran mine in L1, M1 & H1 for 10 min each to warm it up and distribute the gear oil. 

If I am doing high precision work I will warm up the machine on H3 for 10-15 min.


----------



## jbolt

I got frustrated with not having a place for the t-handle chuck wrenches & the QCTP wrenches so I dug into the scrap bin and threw this together. Not pretty but it does the job.


----------



## jbolt

Okay last modification.....for now. 

Tailstock DRO.


----------



## bss1

That's a nice looking piece you made that fits over the quill. Do you have a pic from the front? I need to do the same for my machine. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## jbolt

bss1 said:


> That's a nice looking piece you made that fits over the quill. Do you have a pic from the front? I need to do the same for my machine.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk



Thanks bss1. As requested.


----------



## rwm

Really nice modifications. I am thinking about the DRO Pros product for my SB 10K. The scales will barely fit and then they will cover the gib screws for the top slide. I can make it work with spacers. Are you happy with the product and was it reasonably easy to set up? I see I will need drill extension to drill holes in the cross slide and saddle?  Also hard to tap those. I am torn between that and just doing something with a digital caliper like you did with the tailstock.
Coincidentally, I installed the same tach as you. I love it.
Robert


----------



## jbolt

rwm said:


> Really nice modifications. I am thinking about the DRO Pros product for my SB 10K. The scales will barely fit and then they will cover the gib screws for the top slide. I can make it work with spacers. Are you happy with the product and was it reasonably easy to set up? I see I will need drill extension to drill holes in the cross slide and saddle?  Also hard to tap those. I am torn between that and just doing something with a digital caliper like you did with the tailstock.
> Coincidentally, I installed the same tach as you. I love it.
> Robert



I am very happy with the EL400 and magnetic scales. I found the scales and read heads easy to get aligned using a TDI.

It's been a few years since I have been around a SB10. I'm sure you will need to custom fabricate all the mounts.

If I recall the SB13 had the follower rest mount on the back of the saddle. I'm not sure about the SB10. If so you could use those holes for the read head mount. If not a drill extension is easy enough to make. I tapped those holes by hand as there was enough room on my lathe for the tap handle, just a little slow manipulating the t-handle back and forth.

I learned on machines before DRO's and now I have no interest in having one without. I think it would be worth the effort.


----------



## tmarks11

rwm said:


> The scales will barely fit and then they will cover the gib screws for the top slide. I can make it work with spacers.


another alternative is mount it on the spindle side of the cross slide.  You have to do a really good job of making a cover for it to protect it from chips.


----------



## bss1

Thanks for the picture Jay. I am in the process on mine and hope to finish this weekend. It will be a bit more blocky and utilitarian than yours. 

Thanks again. 

Brad


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## rwm

If I mount it spindle side, I will eventually machine it in half with the chuck jaws! I will put it on the back side with standoffs. I think the read head will fit with a shorter bracket. I think I can cut down the cover and keep the scale below the cross slide top.
There are a couple of inconsistencies in the video. My cross slide travel is 5.75. The worksheet says I will need a 10" scale. The video says I can use a 8" scale. Which is correct? Also in the video it says alignment of the gap between the scale and the read head must be .1mm or less. That seems pretty precise for the Z axis to maintain. Is that really true? Does he mean .1 inches ? That would make more sense.
Robert


----------



## jbolt

bss1 said:


> Thanks for the picture Jay. I am in the process on mine and hope to finish this weekend. It will be a bit more blocky and utilitarian than yours.
> 
> Thanks again.
> 
> Brad



Your welcome Brad. As long as it works its all good. Post some pictures when you are done.


----------



## jbolt

rwm said:


> If I mount it spindle side, I will eventually machine it in half with the chuck jaws! I will put it on the back side with standoffs. I think the read head will fit with a shorter bracket. I think I can cut down the cover and keep the scale below the cross slide top.
> There are a couple of inconsistencies in the video. My cross slide travel is 5.75. The worksheet says I will need a 10" scale. The video says I can use a 8" scale. Which is correct? Also in the video it says alignment of the gap between the scale and the read head must be .1mm or less. That seems pretty precise for the Z axis to maintain. Is that really true? Does he mean .1 inches ? That would make more sense.
> Robert



I remember the worksheet being contradictory to the video. I think the 8" scale will do up to 8" of travel. They add for the length of the read head. I got the 10" and trimmed it a little so the scale is now about 11-1/2" plus the end caps.

They must mean 1mm for the gap. They provide a shim to set the gap. Using a TDI I was able to get my Z scale within a few thou over the 36"+ of travel. After the scale is aligned setting the gap is pretty easy using the shim.


----------



## dr.diesel

Hi Jay,

Just received the 10x40 kit from DroPro!  Got one question.  Since the 10" X axis scale 15.5" long and the X axis body is only 13.75" long, how did you end up mounting the scale?  I can't really tell from the pict you posted, looks like it might be mounted flush on the front and just left to hang off the back with some homemade bracket?

Also, with the scale mounted on the back side of the X axis it's covering the X axis lock down bolt, did you move this to the front or find that it's really not necessary and will hold position?

Thanks


----------



## jbolt

dr.diesel said:


> Hi Jay,
> 
> Just received the 10x40 kit from DroPro!  Got one question.  Since the 10" X axis scale 15.5" long and the X axis body is only 13.75" long, how did you end up mounting the scale?  I can't really tell from the pict you posted, looks like it might be mounted flush on the front and just left to hang off the back with some homemade bracket?
> 
> Also, with the scale mounted on the back side of the X axis it's covering the X axis lock down bolt, did you move this to the front or find that it's really not necessary and will hold position?
> 
> Thanks



I will post some pictures when I get home. 

Yes it covers the lock. The lathe at the school has the scale mounted on standoffs for access to the lock screw. It's a huge magnet for crud and drives me nuts so I opted not to do that. I put a friction lock on the front side. Got that idea from MKSJ.


----------



## jbolt

Oh I keep forgetting to ask. What do you deisel?


----------



## dr.diesel

jbolt said:


> Oh I keep forgetting to ask. What do you deisel?



That pict in my profile is an 80 6.2 Diesel powered Cutlass!  Just an old school diesel hobbyist.


----------



## jbolt

Cool. My dad had a 80's diesel Cadillac that was a bit of a pig. 

I used to have a 93' D-250 w/5.9L Cummins. The last year of the mechanical rotary injection pumps. I put in custom injectors, high pressure injection pump and sequential turbos which then in turn required a performance transmission build and converting to disc brakes. It would hit 55lbs of boost but I had to keep it under 45 in fear of lifting the head without studding it. Not the most environmentally friendly vehicle especially living in the belly of the beast here in California. I have about a half a dozen formal complaints from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District for darkening intersections. They kept suggesting I have a mechanic check my vehicle.

When my kids were little when getting on the freeway I would put the tranny in towing mode which drops out the overdrive and stomp on it. That would throw them back in the seat, then at about 60 I would have them hit the OD. That would chirp the tires and throw them back again grinning ear to ear. Of course no one behind me could see a thing. I miss that truck.


----------



## tmarks11

rwm said:


> If I mount it spindle side, I will eventually machine it in half with the chuck jaws!


Good point. That would turn a crash into a complete disaster.  Nothing like having a $170 sacrificial scale in front of your cross slide to protect it.

I don't do a lot of work with my chuck jaws extended that far, so hadn't really thought of that scenario.


----------



## jbolt

jbolt said:


> I will post some pictures when I get home.
> 
> Yes it covers the lock. The lathe at the school has the scale mounted on standoffs for access to the lock screw. It's a huge magnet for crud and drives me nuts so I opted not to do that. I put a friction lock on the front side. Got that idea from MKSJ.



Here are some better photos of the cross slide scale mounting. The end caps are about 3/16" to 1/4" in from the ends of the cross slide.
















The photos above are in the full forward position. You can see at the back there is another inch of travel. Sometime over the summer I am going to look at adding a spacer to the front and getting a longer lead screw to extent the travel.

Here is the cross slide full rear to the stop. That is 6.4" on my lathe. The stop is a washer held by a cap screw.









With the washer removed I can get another inch of travel but that puts the lead screw nut at less than 50% engagement.






I leave the stop off so I can get the center of the pivot point for the compound centered with the spindle. I used that pivot point for a radius turning tool.









Here is the friction lock for the cross slide. The plate needs to be stiffer. Steel would be a better choice. I will eventually redo this one.


----------



## dr.diesel

Thanks Jay, are you sure you didn't buy the 8x40 and not the 10x40?


----------



## bss1

Another option to retain access to the cross slide lock is to mount the scale on stand-offs and install a sliding cover over the assembly to keep the chips out. I turned my scale with the reading side facing down. If I recall correctly, this orientation took up less real estate than having the scale on its side plus the width of the offset, plus the reader. The additional plus to this installation is that I was able to provide some protection for the scale and reader from tailstock bumps by the overhang of the scale bracket.  There are some pics of this install in my build thread if interested.


----------



## jbolt

dr.diesel said:


> Thanks Jay, are you sure you didn't buy the 8x40 and not the 10x40?



It was the 10x40. I trimmed about 1-5/8" off the scale. Your scale looks 1/2" to 5/8" longer than the one I received.


----------



## dr.diesel

jbolt said:


> It was the 10x40. I trimmed about 1-5/8" off the scale. Your scale looks 1/2" to 5/8" longer than the one I received.



Yup, just finished trimming mine as well!

You guys are gonna laugh.  The scale mounting holes just happen to line up with the X axis gib adjustments (so I can't drill and tap), so I used some 3M double sides sticky tape    , the 1MM thick super good stuff.  Right or wrong, we'll see how long it lasts, but I've hung networking equipment with it that has held for years.


----------



## jbolt

dr.diesel said:


> Yup, just finished trimming mine as well!
> 
> You guys are gonna laugh.  The scale mounting holes just happen to line up with the X axis gib adjustments (so I can't drill and tap), so I used some 3M double sides sticky tape    , the 1MM thick super good stuff.  Right or wrong, we'll see how long it lasts, but I've hung networking equipment with it that has held for years.



Hmmmm...I drilled and tapped mine. If I recall the casing was relatively thin in this area and there was clearance behind for the screws. 

One concern I would have with the double stick tape is keeping oil off of it. 

3M makes some amazing adhesive tapes. I've used some 3M 3 mil thick specialty tape for holding parts for machining. Cool stuff.


----------



## rwm

Gunrunner you need to order a set of these for the Z axis hand crank. Bill did you just spit coffee on your monitor? :rofl:

View attachment 253356


----------



## tmarks11

rwm said:


> What is this? How big it is?



My guess: hand wheel to replace the cheesy aluminum ones on his lathe (my lathe has the same ones, and it bugs me every time I lay my hands on them).

Beautiful work.  5" in diameter?  Maybe for the carriage travel?


----------



## rwm

Looks like a component of a very high voltage switch...
Like this from Princeton Plasma Physics Lab:







R


----------



## jbolt

Thanks tmarks11. It's a hand wheel for a collet closer I made for the schools PM-1127 lathe. It is 8" in diameter, 0.675" radius on the hand grip.






Hand wheel for the carriage, hmmm.......


----------



## rwm

Darn, wrong again....
Really beautiful piece. You did that with the radius turner? Thats a lot of material to remove!
Robert


----------



## jbolt

rwm said:


> Darn, wrong again....
> Really beautiful piece. You did that with the radius turner? Thats a lot of material to remove!
> Robert



Yikes! The high voltage stuff looks spooky to me.

The part was actually pretty easy to make. I did most of the roughing with a 1-1/4" boring bar. I love this lathe!

The turning tool worked wonderfully. A lot better that I had expected. I was expecting a lot of chatter because of the height and stick-out of the cutting tool but it cut real smooth.

The building of the radius tool and turning of the part are in this *thread*.


----------



## Weldingrod1

On the subject of DRO installation in crazy small places:
I installed a magnetic "Electronica" scale on my Hardinge TL cross slide, where I REALLY had to shrink things down.  I removed the scale from the Aluminum housing, and bonded it right to the slide with loctite black max, with screws on both ends (the stock blue thingies on the ends).  Just FYI, you really need to add a top cover when you do this; there is an exposed gap that collects crud and interferes with the magnetic reading.




At one point I decided my old lathe compound really needed a digital read out, so I made one.  I peeled the capacitive reference PCB off of the aluminum backing, faced the side of the compound, and bonded that sucker on.  I re-built the read head (with some trimming of the board) and screwed that onto the base.  Worked great, and it was a lot of fun to make!


----------



## lxcnc

This forum is a treasure trove of information, you all are great at sharing details I couldn’t find elsewhere. I was about to buy a PM-1340GT, but after spending time here I think I’m going with the PM-1440GT.


----------



## lxcnc

What model motor did you install, and where did you get the pulley? Sorry if I missed this somewhere in this thread.


----------



## jbolt

The motor is a Marathon E470. This is the only 3 HP motor I could find short enough to fit in the same space as the factory 2hp. The factory 3ph 3hp uses the same frame size as the 2hp. Not sure how they do that or if it is one of those Asian mystery specs. I had to modify the cover to fit the Marathon motor since the diameter is larger. It is a beast of a motor for this lathe. I will break things before it boggs. 

Motor https://www.mrosupply.com/motors/ac-motors/severe-duty-motors/2270029_e470_marathon-electric/
Sheave - Gates 2AK27, https://www.amazon.com/Gates-2AK27-...pID=41BeBJAL2zL&preST=_SX342_QL70_&dpSrc=srch
Belts - Gates AX29 Tri-Power Belt, https://www.amazon.com/Gates-Tri-Power-Section-Outside-Circumference/dp/B00CJJD232


----------



## lxcnc

jbolt said:


> The motor is a Marathon E470. This is the only 3 HP motor I could find short enough to fit in the same space as the factory 2hp. The factory 3ph 3hp uses the same frame size as the 2hp. Not sure how they do that or if it is one of those Asian mystery specs. I had to modify the cover to fit the Marathon motor since the diameter is larger. It is a beast of a motor for this lathe. I will break things before it boggs.



Thank you Jay! I’m ordering these items this week. I’ve used Delta VFDs before, but I’m going with the Hitachi that you used.


----------



## jbolt

lxcnc said:


> Thank you Jay! I’m ordering these items this week. I’ve used Delta VFDs before, but I’m going with the Hitachi that you used.



One of the great things about the Hitachi is the amount of support there is on this forum.

FYI when using the E470  motor you will also need to make a new motor mount along with modifying the gear cover.


----------



## lxcnc

[QUOTE="One of the great things about the Hitachi is the amount of support there is on this forum.
[/QUOTE]

Do you have the settings for the Hitachi VFD documented?


----------



## jbolt

MKSJ on this forum did the wiring schematic and VFD parameters for me. I changed the wiring some but used most of the VFD settings. See attached.


----------



## turbotoys

I just ordered a PM-1440GT 3Phase and will be adding a VFD - I really appreciate the documentation you have posted up on here - it will be a lot less work for me  . Just wondering where you picked up your electronics enclosure. I checked Wiegmann and the closest they make is 24x20x8 . yours looks like it fits the base perfectly. Do you know the manufacture?


----------



## jbolt

Congrats on the new lathe. I'm glad you fine the information useful.

The enclosure is a Hubbel-Weigman N412241608C. Automation Direct or Zoro has them. I got mine from Zoro using a 25% off coupon.


----------



## PWF

Jay,

I too have a new 1440GT, and I will post pics soon.

 I’m building a spider.  What size tipped bolts did you use?


----------



## jbolt

PWF said:


> Jay,
> 
> I too have a new 1440GT, and I will post pics soon.
> 
> I’m building a spider.  What size tipped bolts did you use?


Congrats on the new lathe. Spider screws are 7/16" with 1/4" brass tips. I plan on up-sizing to 1/2" with 3/8' brass tips.


----------



## dr.diesel

Jay, have you added a 6-jaw chuck to the 1440, any suggestions?


----------



## jbolt

dr.diesel said:


> Jay, have you added a 6-jaw chuck to the 1440, any suggestions?


Not yet. It's on my list to do at some point. I could have used one a couple of times recently. The cost has kept me at bay since it would only be used occasionally. My 8" 3-Jaw adjustable is my go to chuck and gets used 95% of the time. Since picking up an ER-40 collet block and set of collets I don't use my 5C chuck as much any more. Just pop it in the 3-jaw, adjust  and go.

A lot of people rave about the PBA Setrite chucks. Made in the UK, steel body. I could not find the minimum clamping dia.  An 8" adjustable w/back plate will run $1650 plus shipping. The negative for me is it is a one pinion design which is a deal breaker. I have a 6 inch 3-jaw adjustable I used on my old lathe that I converted to run on the PM-1440 since it has a specific use. It is a 1-pinion design and it drives me nuts chasing the pinion every time it stops. Personal problem, probably doesn't bother most.

The Toolmex Set-Tru looks real promising. Made in Poland, 3-pinion, forged steel, 0.315" min clamping dia. w/back plate $1,270 plus shipping

On the budget end the Shars Zero-Adjust looks decent, Made in China, cast iron, 3-pinion design, 0.197" min clamping dia (maybe). w/back plate $795 plus shipping. The only thing I would confirm is that the scroll is hardened. The pinions are so I would guess the scroll is but it does not say on the website or the catalog. If not then that's out.


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## wrmiller

jbolt said:


> Personal problem, probably doesn't bother most.



Nope, doesn't bother me at all, (sorry Jay, just couldn't resist...).  

FYI, the TMX 5c chuck I recently acquired required a bit of tuning to get it to where I was satisfied. The PBX truly was a drop on fit. And the accuracy is unreal. But...it only as one pinion.

Once trued up, my TMX runs fine. It is definitely a step up from the offerings from the other side of the world.


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## jbolt

wrmiller said:


> Nope, doesn't bother me at all, (sorry Jay, just couldn't resist...). .



I freely admit I'm defective.


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## Larry42

I've had my PM1440HD for about a year & a half. 3 phase, Polish made 3hp motor, cast iron machine base. Matt installed the DRO. The collet chuck I ordered with the machine is very good, has the "Run True" type of back plate. I've opened the gear cases and changed oil, pretty clean inside. The gears were a bit noisy at first but have quieted down considerably now. The electrical enclosure is really tight. I frequently have to change the gears for metric threading, a greasy mess. The gear box knobs were really stiff at first but have now worn in. That gear box leaked and I replaced the gasket with silicone gear case sealant. Seems fine now. All told a much better lathe than I am a machinist. 

I'm just in the process of making a new shaft for the knee so I can use the power lift on it. The one that came with it had the wrong threads for my Jet mill. The external threads I turned, 2mm pitch, have lots of tear even though I took great care in getting the tool correct. 4130 Steel! They fit well and I'm happy no one will see them once installed.


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## PWF

@jbolt,

I have studied the schematics and your pictures from your post on Oct 7, 2016 

And I have a few questions....

#1-I don't understand is how the Orange Power Switch is wired in.  I assume power comes in directly to the breaker in the lower left corner, but I don't see how the orange switch comes into play.  I assume you take some of the power and route it through that orange switch that will then actually energize a contactor that I assume will actually energize the VFD power / and Power Supply power sources.

#2 - Lower Left corner L1/L2/N are those just high amperage Connector blocks or RF filters?

#3- Do have any information you can share on the 2 contactors/relays on the TOP LEFT of the enclosure?

Any help would be appreciated.


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## jbolt

PWF said:


> @jbolt,
> 
> I have studied the schematics and your pictures from your post on Oct 7, 2016
> 
> And I have a few questions....
> 
> #1-I don't understand is how the Orange Power Switch is wired in.  I assume power comes in directly to the breaker in the lower left corner, but I don't see how the orange switch comes into play.  I assume you take some of the power and route it through that orange switch that will then actually energize a contactor that I assume will actually energize the VFD power / and Power Supply power sources.
> 
> #2 - Lower Left corner L1/L2/N are those just high amperage Connector blocks or RF filters?
> 
> #3- Do have any information you can share on the 2 contactors/relays on the TOP LEFT of the enclosure?
> 
> Any help would be appreciated.



PFW,

#1 If you are referring to the amber switch on the left side of the lathe base that is the main power switch which is connected to a contactor.  I did this so the power supplies would not be on all the time the way it comes from the factory.

#2 Those are distribution blocks, one line in and multiple lines out. https://www.automationdirect.com/ad...e,_ul_listed,_175a-760a_(epdb_series)/epdb104

#3 The large contactor is for the main power switch and the other contactor if for the coolant pump switch.

Attached is my wiring diagrams for the low and high volt wiring.  Let me know if that helps.

Jay


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## PWF

@jbolt,
Thank you very much it was indeed very helpful.

I would suggest one simple modification to the "High Voltage" diagram.

K1, the 32A main power contactor, "Pin A2" and the Power Switch "-", should be tied to Main Neutral, not to chassis ground.

Ground will actually work, but ground should be ground, Neutral is the return for the "Line" voltage

Again thank you for all this hard work..


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## jbolt

PWF said:


> @jbolt,
> Thank you very much it was indeed very helpful.
> 
> I would suggest one simple modification to the "High Voltage" diagram.
> 
> K1, the 32A main power contactor, "Pin A2" and the Power Switch "-", should be tied to Main Neutral, not to chassis ground.
> 
> Ground will actually work, but ground should be ground, Neutral is the return for the "Line" voltage
> 
> Again thank you for all this hard work..


Good point on the coil circuit. I guess it didn't occur to me to use it since most of the 220v machines I have or have used only use 3-wire with no neutral.


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## Larry42

jbolt said:


> Good point on the coil circuit. I guess it didn't occur to me to use it since most of the 220v machines I have or have used only use 3-wire with no neutral.


No neutral is used on 220V (USA) because the second hot lead is the return leg. Same goes for 3 phase.


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## PWF

Larry,
How would you wire that switch into the circuit?

Just use L2 instead of N.  And put both behind a small (1A) breaker??

And then use the switched L1 and Unswitched L2 to energize the main coil on the contractor?


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## jbolt

Larry is referring to 220v single phase 3-wire (L1, L2 & G) with no neutral. From my experience, which in the grand scheme of things is limited, most of the equipment manufacturers I have seen use contactors with low voltage coils and 220v step down transformers to supply the low voltage. I have seen a number of exceptions where a single leg of the 220v circuit is tapped for a contactor or accessory. From a safety standpoint this is not ideal.

In my case where I have a 220v 4-wire circuit with neutral, you are correct that the 110v coil circuit should be to neutral and not ground.
I used a contactor with a 110v coil because I don't want the power supplies to be energized all the time as is required with a low voltage coil. The better option than using a contactor in a 220v 3-wire circuit is to use a simple 2-pole mechanical switch with the appropriate rating for the circuit.

Looking at my wiring last night I do have the coil wired to neutral. I updated the drawing.


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## PWF

@jbolt,

One final question on the electrical.. (I hope)

On your low power wiring diagram you show a "Prox Safety Switch" which is NC.  
Which from mksj's diagram is a "NC mechanical safety stop SW Momentary".

What is the mechanical interlock here?
Is there a physical micro switch mounted physically close to the Proximity sensor, which opens when you get too close and Prox sensor doesn't t?

Is this a way to override the Prox Sensor is unplugged somehow?

Thanks in advance.
- pat


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## jbolt

PWF said:


> @jbolt,
> 
> One final question on the electrical.. (I hope)
> 
> On your low power wiring diagram you show a "Prox Safety Switch" which is NC.
> Which from mksj's diagram is a "NC mechanical safety stop SW Momentary".
> 
> What is the mechanical interlock here?
> Is there a physical micro switch mounted physically close to the Proximity sensor, which opens when you get too close and Prox sensor doesn't t?
> 
> Is this a way to override the Prox Sensor is unplugged somehow?
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> - pat



Yes it is a mechanical safety switch in case the proximity sensor faults and does not trigger.


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## mksj

The proximity sensor has an override button which allows you to reverse the carriage once the sensor is triggered. The micro limit safety switch will engage at about 2 mm should you press the P bypass switch and the carriage goes in the wrong direction, i.e you make a mistake and it cannot be bypassed. You physically must disengage the feed and backup the carriage.

If the proximity sensor is unplugged the system will not work, a jumper wire is needed to make the connection of the proximity sensor. You can also make up a cable plug with the bypass from the brown wire connected to the white wire.

As Jbolt mentioned it is also there as a redundant safety stop should the P sensor fail, although they have a lifetime warranty and if they did fail the system it would shut down the system. The other issue has been high feed rates such as threading below 20 TPI at over 400 RPM, the P sensor will trigger but the carriage travel in 1 second exceeds the sensor trigger range of 8 mm. I am experimenting with a 12 mm sense range proximity sensor, it works well but the accuracy is a bit less because of the lower refresh rate of the sensor. Repeat accuracy has been within 0.004" as opposed to 0.0004" when threading at 450 RPM with a M16-2.0 which is around a 13 TPI. High feeds like this were not possible with a 8 mm sense range.

Safety micro limit switch is below the P sensor. When the micro limit switch is fully depressed the switch plunger must be flush with the stop face otherwise the switch will be damaged.


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## wildo

This is a really great threads with some awesome mods! I'm am left a little confused though: how do you actually turn the thing on? I mean- the jog toggle is momentary, right? So do you turn the lathe in fwd by pressing up or down on the jog toggle? Does momentarily pressing up or down keep the lathe on? If so, do you not have an actual jog function then? And finally, since the toggle returns to center- how are you stopping the lathe? Do you always use the e-stop button to stop the rotation?


[EDIT]-
ummmmm..... never mind. I forgot that the lathe has it's own run/off switch on the carriage! Hahaha! Clearly I am quite used to my rather modest SB lathe which has only one way to turn it off and on. 


Thanks!


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## jbolt

Adding Cad drawings for the Marathon E470 motor mount I made. Due to manufacturing variances always measure your machine and motor to verify dimensions and clearances.


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## jbolt

Adding Cad drawings for the belt cover modification for use with the Marathon E470 motor. Also include modifications for recessed spider. Due to manufacturing variances always measure your machine and motor to verify dimensions and clearances.


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## Larry42

I think all of my equipment (factory wired) uses 24V coils on contactors. That way they can run all the limit switches on the 24V circuit and not worry about safety if a wire gets damaged. I do the same when I make new control systems for old equipment. Control transformers are small & relatively cheap. I also put a fuse block on them in case there is a short some place. Automation Direct is my go to for controls and pneumatics.


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## Lucky Liverider

jbolt said:


> Day 3....
> 
> The DRO is installed and working. The Z has 37.1" of travel and the X has 6.5". I ran the Z back and forth through the full travel several times to a TDI and it returns to dead nuts zero each time. Same with the X. The kit supplied universal drop leg for the Z read head mount was not usable so I made a replacement out of some 0.5" x 2" aluminum bar stock. Instead of drilling new holes on the back of the saddle I placed it under the coolant riser mounting block with longer screws. Works great. The DRO display is temporarily mounted to a piece of bar stock attached to the side of the back splash. This may change after the VFD conversion...or not.
> 
> View attachment 135716
> View attachment 135717
> 
> 
> Cover installed.                                                                                                                               DRO display and LED light (Thanks for the light Matt)
> View attachment 135718
> View attachment 135719
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Whoever installed the back splash needs a refresher in measuring. The side attached to the head stock is 1-3/4" too far back compared to the tail-stock end. This left a gap that would allow debris to fall on the floor behind the machine. I re-drilled the holes an inch further in and installed a 3/4" spacer on the tail-stock side. This keeps the back as far out as possible and still able to contain debris. There is still an open gap between the ways and the motor so if that becomes a chip magnet I will add a secondary guard to cover. The back splash is made from 1/16" steel and is very stout.
> 
> View attachment 135722
> View attachment 135723
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The T-nut slot for the stock tool post turned out to not have been machined parallel to the top of the compound. The T-nut I machined for the Aloris QCTP is was higher on one side than the other. My T-nut was machined within 0.001". The Slot is about 0.008" out of parallel over 2". The stock T-nut was installed and ground with the compound. If you turn the stock t-nut around it wont sit flush. I used some stainless steel shims to bring everything true and parallel when cinched tight.
> 
> View attachment 135724
> View attachment 135725
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here are a few shots of the stand. It is made from 3/16" steel with reinforcement in strategic places. It is very sturdy and rock solid without being bolted down. Matt did a good job on the specs for this one.
> 
> View attachment 135726
> View attachment 135727
> View attachment 135728
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Electrical for the single phase version. Nice and tidy with easy access. FYI when the machine is plunged in the transformer is powered regardless of the e-stop position so beware.
> 
> View attachment 135729
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And finally the coolant pump and reservoir. I'm not thrilled about the access from the inside. PITA the deal with. there really should be an access panel on the outside. The get the pump and reservoir out the drip funnel must be removed. The drip funnel is kind of funky and I suspect will not contain any splashing. I will see if the tray can be replaced with a hose and still allow the chip pan to pull forward.
> 
> View attachment 135731
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Almost ready to be put in service. Next up will be final leveling and some test cuts!
> 
> View attachment 135732


jbolt, 

if your factory t-nut was machined correctly, would the Aloris BXA bolt right on? I don't see a bolt and thread spec in their catalog. Buying directly from Aloris gives you the option to have the supplied T-nut machined at no costs but it would be nice to have a spare


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## jbolt

The Aloris uses a different size stud than the factory one so you need to use the Aloris stud and t-nut.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## archie

jbolt said:


> Now that the foot brake is done I started on the VFD conversion. Finding a 3HP motor that would fit was a PITA. The factory 2HP single phase and 3HP 3 phase share the same size housing. Not sure how that works but whatever. The only 3HP motor I could find with the same factory frame size was a 3600 rpm motor. The 1800 rpm motor of the same series was much longer and would not fit. I managed to find a 3HP 1800 rpm inverter duty TENV Marathon motor that is short enough but it has a larger circumference. The new motor has a 1.125" shaft vs. the 24mm factory motor so I had to get a new sheave from Gates.
> 
> View attachment 136991
> View attachment 136992
> 
> 
> The factory motor mount would not work with the size and configuration of the new motor plus it is a pain to adjust so I fabricated a mount out of 1/2 steel plate. I basically made a large hinge. The pivot part of the hinge is made from 5/8" rod drilled out for a 5/16" hinge pin. The motor is supported/adjusted with two tie rods similar to what I did for the foot brake. Takes just a few minutes to change the belt now, seconds to adjust.
> 
> View attachment 136993
> View attachment 136994
> 
> 
> Because of the larger diameter motor it now interferes with the belt cover so that will need to be modified. I was planning on modifying it anyway to add a spider the the rear of the spindle.


i see that is a tenv motor. how is the temperature on motor as compared to the tefc?thanks


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## jbolt

archie said:


> i see that is a tenv motor. how is the temperature on motor as compared to the tefc?thanks


It barely gets warm no matter how hard I run it.


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## jbolt

By request I am adding drawings for the machine base risers. 

I made these from stock I had on hand. 1/2" x 2" steel bar, 2" x 2" x 1/4" steel angle and 1/2-13 all-thread. All parts are welded except the cross braces.

I chose to connect the base riser sides with a piece of 1/2" all-thread that clamps a length of angle iron as a cross brace because I could not confirm the base was flat enough to weld the cross braces. 

All dimensions are for reference only. Measure your machine to verify.


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## oregontripper

I hope nobody minds bringing this up top?   Can't imagine reading this thread and not wanting a PM1440GT!  Great stuff!


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## 7milesup

oregontripper said:


> I hope nobody minds bringing this up top?   Can't imagine reading this thread and not wanting a PM1440GT!  Great stuff!


I know right?!


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