# Almost a PM 12 x 36 lathe



## Ozwelder (Jun 8, 2014)

Wow Guys,
I am stoked.  ) I believe  I have found 12 x 36 heaven.

I own a 12 x26 Asian import lathe while not a PM branded lathe is essentially the dead spit of your PM 12 x 36's save for the obvious model variations that they come in.

My lathe in common with a lot of other  Aussie Asian imports, has the carriage  traverse wheel at the right hand end of the carriage and the cross feed and feed lever at the left hand end.
Free extras were a QCTP and a tungsten lamp. Standard issue was 3 & 4 jaw chucks, face plate,tools and various dead centers and MT sleeves. 

You blokes have your  carriage apron controls  laid out in the opposite hand to ours, so that is  the major difference. Why this is, I do not know.
I bought mine in 2007 .

In just a day or so of searching / reading in this sub forum I have  picked up more information specific to my 12 x 36 lathe, than I have found in the last several years. 

For instead the manual which arrived with my lathe was an oil soaked photocopy of an old photocopy and displayed the factory inspector tolerance check specs entered by hand and the spare parts list and that's it. It was as handy as hip pocket in a tee shirt. This manual did not even cover assembly as the lathe comes partially disassembled .Also there was nothing about the lathe operation other the to identify position the operating controls.

I have purchased more BXA tool holders and have about a dozen using mostly HSS as I find it is versatile and  cost effective for my purposes.I also have a set of ER 40 collets and chuck mounted on a back plate 

The next best manual I have found was from Grizzly, which was sort of  was ok- its very good quality and  helps with the basics but?- What is your saying ,close but no cigar.

Kudos to the guys that have taken much  time and effort to put his manual together. A big thank to you, from me. Well done gents. I have now saved both docs and will I will print them and place then in a plastic page folder to keep by my lathe.

At the moment I wish to make a outboard spider to suit the internal female thread of the outboard spindle.I calculate  the male thread will need to be  39 mm but am not sure of the thread pitch. 
The as factory finish has the crown taken off the the o/ b spindle internal thread so it is difficult to measure with a pitch gauge with any certainty.It seems about 2mm, but I have found standard thread  pitches for 39mm are also 1.5 and 3mm.

I am hoping that some one here has made a similar  spider for their PM 12 x36  and can confirm, or advise on the correct internal  thread specs for the OB spindle.

In turn I look forward to to assisting where and when I can.

Thanks 

Oz


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## xalky (Jun 8, 2014)

I have a Taiwan 12x30 which is very similar to the PM machines, though much older. My outboard spindle has no threads on it. I made a spider for it that's held on to it with a set screw. Congrats

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk


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## Stonebriar (Jun 8, 2014)

I do believe DarkZero made a spider for his. I know the threading info has been discussed here somewhere.


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## darkzero (Jun 8, 2014)

Welcome Oz!




Stonebriar said:


> I do believe DarkZero made a spider for his. I know the threading info has been discussed here somewhere.



Yes, I used 1[SUB][SUP] 5[/SUP][/SUB]/[SUB]8[/SUB]"-16 UN thread for mine. Post #19


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## Shadowdog500 (Jun 8, 2014)

Do you have any photos of your lathe?

maybe they reverse the apron layout, because you guys drive on the left side of the road.:biker1:  Joking of course!


chris


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## darkzero (Jun 8, 2014)

Shadowdog500 said:


> maybe they reverse the apron layout, because you guys drive on the left side of the road.



I think so too!  

But seriously.... I have read numerous times where people have said lathes with the apron wheel on the right side are left hand lathes & because the half nuts are on the left side. I used to think this too until I read a thread where they argued that they are not actually LH lathes. I suppose a true LH would have the headstock/spindle on the right side to the user.

It seems that most lathes for markets outside America are setup this way, at least that I have seen but not always the case. One advantage of having the apron wheel on the right side is for large gap lathes where the pinion would run out of rack for the apron wheel when working closer to the spindle. 

I for one prefer the apron wheel on the left side & the half nuts on the right side. I'm right handed & I suppose it's just because that is what I learned & is used to. I imagine it to be akward if they were reversed but then again I've never used a lathe setup that way.


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## Splat (Jun 8, 2014)

Ozwelder said:


> You blokes have your  carriage apron controls  laid out in the opposite hand to ours, so that is  the major difference. Why this is, I do not know.



Well, you are on the other side of the equator.  

Good luck with it, Oz!


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## Ray C (Jun 8, 2014)

You might want to check a tool distributor named "Knuth" as they are probably the largest supplier of Asian machines outside of the USA.  They almost certainly carry the one or more versions of the 1236 clone...  In any event, they might have a manual for it.



Ray


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