# Another Pm1340gt Build



## bss1

I started on this project back in September.

After reading a thread by Dan (Sanddan) on another forum outlining his stand build for a 1340gt, I developed an interest in this particular machine and warmed up to the idea of building a custom stand. I really liked Dan's design and he was very helpful providing specifications, measurements, and direction.

Subsequent to some offline discussion with Dan and later with Mark (MKSJ) I ordered the machine in early October.

With Dan's direction on the stand and Mark's extensive knowledge on the machine and the electronics, I proceeded with confidence to build the stand and acquire the 1340gt. I actually started on the stand before ordering the lathe. Initially I hoped to have the stand complete before the machine arrived, but the timing didn't quite work out that way.

I began with +\- 45' of 2" square tube with 1/4" wall thickness. I cut most o the main frame of the stand based upon the dimensions provided by Dan.

View attachment 140352


Then I began welding the legs.











Then the main frame. 
	

		
			
		

		
	












After the main frame was put together, then I started on the shelves.











The 1/2" top mounting plates:





Receivers:














Side panels:





That's it for now. I will post more in a little while to get up to the current level of progress.


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## bss1

The machine arrived stacked on top of an extra pallet just like everyone else here reported. I made sure to put some blocks under the edge of the crate so I could get the extra pallet out and my engine hoist legs underneath.




I pulled out the chip pan to check to see if it would fit. 
	

		
			
		

		
	





	

		
			
		

		
	
what so you know, all of the dimensions Dan gave me were on the money!

At this point the stand was so heavy, I had to use the engine hoist to get it off the table and onto the ground and ready for paint. 
	

		
			
		

		
	









This was the first time for it to sit on the ground. It seems to sit pretty square. Now to turn my shop area into a temporary paint room for the rattle can finish. 
	

		
			
		

		
	






Primer:





Then top coat:
	

		
			
		

		
	









Lathe set on stand:
	

		
			
		

		
	






Then the box is slid in for the first time:






It fits too!
	

		
			
		

		
	









Thanks Dan!


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## bss1

Rear trim added:
	

		
			
		

		
	






Top drawer fitting:
	

		
			
		

		
	






Collet racks for drawers:
	

		
			
		

		
	










Hours of fun with hole saw produced this:
	

		
			
		

		
	





Finished drawers:
	

		
			
		

		
	






72 holes mostly filled with a full set of 64th's collets:


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## bss1

Now for the accessories for the receivers. 

First is a simple work surface for the headstock end of the machine. 
	

		
			
		

		
	












Here is the end of progress to date:
	

		
			
		

		
	









So far it has been a really fun and satisfying project. I still have a little left to go on the stand then on the the MKSJ portion of the project .... VFD and rewire. Electronics are not my strongpoint but I feel confident I can pull it off with the great instruction and encouragement provided by Mark.


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## Hozzie

I think your images may not be shared correctly.  I see nothing but X's.


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## wrmiller

bss1: your pics didn't come through. Nothing but red 'X' marks instead of pics. Would love to see them, as I have been thinking about making my own stand for mine as well.


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## bss1

Sorry, I see the X's now that I am on a PC.  The pics are on my phone and when I log in from there they show up.  I will have to work on that this evening.


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## sanddan

I've had luck transferring the phone pics to my laptop using the charge cord (USB) and then editing the size before posting.
Actually, it's the only way I know how to do it.


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## bss1

Sorry guys I can't get this to work tonight. I will have to try again tomorrow


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## pstemari

Sweet setup!! The ERL-1340 footbrake prevents putting anything under it. I really wish I had drawers like those.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


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## bss1

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:

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## bss1

I was able to get a few images in there. I will keep trying later but at least this will give you an idea.


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## wrmiller

Nice!


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## wolfsburged

Looks great!


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## AirWolf

VERY NICE!!   I'm drooling!!  Going to have to build one of these ASAP! Sent a note to Dan asking for the plans... this is project #1


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## sanddan

Great job, I love the added drawers.

Here are the drawings (such as they are) for the stand as I built mine. I modified the HF tool box on mine by removing the lid and trimming the top flange. Only done to minimize the gap around the box when it's installed in the stand frame. Adjust the dimensions for the box you use.

Order on assembly:

1. Assemble the 2 end sections.
2. Using the 4 long tubes connect the 2 end sections. Keep every thing tacked at this point.
3. Fill in the rest of the tubes and install the feet.
4. Install the shelf pieces.
5. Weld the frame assembly. Move around when welding to minimize distortion.
6. Install the sheet metal filler pieces.
7. Once the frame is fully welded time to setup the mount plates. The goal is to get the 2 plates aligned in the horizontal plane. I used 2 heavy wall square tubes with the 2 plates clamped to them. I then tacked the plates to the frame. I did a test fit by mounting the lathe on the stand before final welding of the mounts. I then did a few 1" stitch welds.
7.1 Instead of 2 mount plates you can use a one piece plate. It's important to get the flattest plate you can.

I used .120" wall tubing, a good improvement would be .250".

I wanted the "one piece cast look" so all welds were ground smooth and filler was used before paint. The sheet metal filler plates were designed with this in mind. Less work would be to stitch weld them on the inside and leave the outside as is. Laser cut parts have a finished looking edge so I think this would be a good look.

The drawers are another great addition.


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## AirWolf

Thanks Sanddan !


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## bss1

I seem to have made a mess of the thread with the pics. I can't tell which of the pics you guys can see. If I'm looking on my iPad or iPhone I can see all of the pics in my initial posts but not the ones I posted later from a PC. I wish I could tell what everyone else is seeing so I could try to fix it. 

Dans plans were a huge help. With those plans I was able to completely fabricate the stand without ever having seen the lathe or test fitting anything. 

My stand is not as refined as Dans is. He put a lot of effort into a custom paint and finish job that makes his look like a factory produced item.  I made a few small changes from Dan's base design, but for the most part it is a direct copy with a lesser paint and finish job. Instead of cutting the top lip off of the HF box like Dan, I made my stand 1 inch taller than the plans and added a 1" piece of angle that the front top lip of the box indexes into. It was just a different way of producing a clean finished look without the effort of trimming the box top. I also added two pieces of 2" angle to the rear of the cabinet to cover the exposed area of the box top that protrudes from the rear of the cabinet. That was just to keep the dust bunnies from accumulating in the open area on top of the box. The drawers turned out better than I expected. I might suggest that someone try to add a deep bottom drawer with a custom rack for the chucks instead of the open shelf that I have. I would add it to mine but I'm out of steam for now. I also added some receivers for some removable accessories. So far I have only made the small work tray. It has been handy for working on the lathe for a place to set small parts and tools besides the chip tray or headstock. The only other change I can think of was that I added two strips of 1/2" square bar between the two top plates to make it look like one big 1/2" top plate. That should be visible in the pics without the lathe on top. I will try to post another pic of this from my PC. 


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## bss1

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


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## sanddan

I like your ideas.

Maybe a better layout for the shelf's would be one smaller drawer at the top and one large drawer on the bottom. The shelf's on mine aren't a great height (a little too short to fit a gal jug of coolant/oil). It's one thing I would do different if I was building it again.  Currently I still haven't filled the tool box yet so lack of storage isn't an issue.  

Another upgrade I'd thought of but didn't do is to fill the legs with sand or lead shot to add mass and dampening. Not sure it's needed but it might be a great upgrade.


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## zmotorsports

Great looking stand.  Nice job.  I too had gotten Dan's plans a few months back but will be waiting to build the stand until I am in my new shop next year. 

Great work.

Mike.


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## bss1

Thanks guys. Now that the stand is pretty much done I'm working on the VFD, then the DRO install. 

Stand by Dan, soon to be powered by MKSJ!


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## bss1

Progress has been slow.  I have completed the VFD enclosure and installation of the new MKSJ electrical system.  The DRO was installed this weekend.  All that is left is some minor clean up on the DRO  and the installation of the Tach.  I have not yet connected the lathe with the power as the VFD and enclosure are mounted on the wall in the final resting place for the machine.  I currently have the machine in an open area that allows me more room to maneuver until all of the installation of accessories are complete.

The DRO is a DRO Pros EL 400 with mag scales.  I mounted my cross slide scale different than most.  Mark gave my the idea for the installation, but I am not sure I executed his idea exactly as he had in mind, but it's done now!   Dan also has a similar but slightly different installation on his machine with glass scales. 

The scale was mounted face down with the reader pointing up.  The bracket the mount is attached to is a piece of 3/16" by 1.5" aluminum angle.  the 1.5" width allowed enough room for a 5/16" opening to access the cross slide lock.  The reader is mounted to a piece of 1/2" aluminum plate that I milled down to about 3/8" thick for the appropriate placement of the read head.

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Part of this design was born from a comment that Dan made about wanting some protection from a potential bump from the Tailstock.  The edge of the aluminum angle is about 1/8" proud of the scale, so it should be protected from an eventual bump from the tailstock.  Initially, I was not going to install a cover, but I ended up finding a beat up piece of stainless sheet metal I had in the scrap bin that I used to fabricate a cover.  It has a few deep scratches that wouldn't buff out but it will be functional nonetheless.  It is secured to the top of the aluminum angle with some thumb screws I had left over from another project.  The cover slides over revealing the slot for the cross slide access. 

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I am not sure what to do with the routing of the cables to the reader yet.  Should they just be taken under the splash guard and up to the display head?  If so do they just drag back and forth across the back of the cabinet?

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I mounted the arm for the display to the back splash where the light is supposed to go.  I will relocate the light to the middle similar to what Mark and others have done.   I hope this location is not too close to the chuck.
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I am wondering if the display should be plugged into the wall or if it could be wired into one leg of the incoming power inside of the electrical box on the back of the lathe?  That way it would power up with the machine.

Thanks to Dan and Mark for the continued patience and support.

Brad


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## JimFouch

bss1 said:


> I am wondering if the display should be plugged into the wall or if it could be wired into one leg of the incoming power inside of the electrical box on the back of the lathe?  That way it would power up with the machine.
> 
> Brad



If you have 240 single phase going into the lathe, you may want to check on the voltage input requirements for your DRO. Mine (A different model than yours) is 120/240. I decided to run mine in 110 of one side of the 240 coming into the lathe, but that was before I noticed the DRO would take 240. 

Many devices with step-down transformers these days detect the incoming voltage and will run on 110/240. usually, the companies just ship them with the cords for the countries they will be sold in.


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## JimFouch

bss1 said:


> Brad



Brad,

Does your quick handle for locking the saddle interfere with your compound when it's rotated? I put one like this on mine and it stuck up just a bit too far and caused me issues. Yours looks a bit lower. 

If you could share the source/part number.


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## sanddan

Great job Brad. I have to change my DRO display mount over to one like yours. It's on the list.

I wired my DRO into a 110 leg on the original transformer in the electrical box. Currently everything powers up on one switch which is convenient for me.

My cables lay in the chip tray in one loop long enough for the carriage travel. The excess cable attaches to the back splash.


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## mksj

Nicely done, the scale is mounted as I had envisioned, you went the extra mile in milling a full length bracket and a nice idea on the sliding cover. The EL400 is universal power, so would be fine pull AC 240 power from the lathe control box. DRO should be be ok where it is located.  I did add a splash shield to my lathe, had oil spraying all over before that. When mounting the light in the center of the splash shield, the back splash metal can flex quite a bit, so you should build a bracket that is bigger than the stock L to decrease the flex. I believe the newer lights are LED, if not I wide switch out the bulb.   Always takes longer than you think to install the DRO and workout the details, very slick.


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## bss1

Thanks for the complements guys. Jim, the handle for the saddle lock does get slightly tangled with the compound. I'm out of town and don't have access to the part number right now but I don't think it will matter since it seems to have the same problem as yours. This one is die cast zink so I may take a little off the end with the belt grinder. If someone has one that works better, I would be interested in the part number as well.


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## bss1

Mark,

On the light, I did move it to the middle and made a backer plate out of a scrap of 1/4"  aluminum plate. It is an LED version. The backer plate is about 7" wide by 4" tall. I used the large bulkhead washers on the front side facing the lathe. The light still has a little bounce to it so I may need to make a larger backing plate. 

Once I moved the light, I think I might like a shorter arm.  It seems a little awkward in this position and may conflict with a shelf when I move the lathe to a permanent location. Anyone try to shorten the arms?  Looking at it, It doesn't really seem feasible. 


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## tmarks11

bss1 said:


> I am wondering if the display should be plugged into the wall or if it could be wired into one leg of the incoming power inside of the electrical box on the back of the lathe?


I am not sure if the PM1340GT has a 220-110-24V transformer in it, but my lathe does.  It uses 110V for control power for all the front panel switches, and 24V for the light.  It would be easy to wire the transformer to provide power for the DRO if it could not accept 220V.

btw, if you are going to power a 110V pro by "wiring it into 1 leg of the incoming power", then you need to have a neutral power lead coming into your machine (which no lathe will be set up as by default; they are set up as two hot and ground).  While ground + hot = 110V, this is a severe violation of code, and a really, really bad idea, since it results in current flow in uninsulated ground leads.

Beautiful job on the DRO installation.  Does it save any z-axis room by installing the scale upside down instead of on its side?  That is the DRO I am going to install on my lathe once I get done with the 15 or so projects I have partly finished.

I have a slightly different handle on my lathe, and my compound clears it.  It takes about 2" of clearance above the compound.  I really like these handles (mcmaster sells them).  My compound looks like it is a bit wider than yours, which might help.


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## bss1

Tim, the space taken up in z axis travel appears to be about the same either way the scale is installed. I went with the upside down approach as it allowed for a more protected installation of both the scale and the reader. The 3/16" thick angle covers both of them. If mounted on their side, the only protection would be from the sheet metal cover.  I used aluminum angle, but you could have just as easily used steel. 

Your compound does look thicker/higher allowing more clearance over the new handle for the cross slide lock. On the pm 1340 even the compound and the cross slide handles collide when the compound is positioned perpendicular to the ways. 


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## bss1

Progress continues.  I have been making slow progress on evenings and weekends, but I am taking my time and enjoying the process.  I finally got the machine backed into its permanent home which was the prior location of my old South Bend lathe.  It was a tight fit but it'll work for now.  Its the proverbial 10 pounds in an 8 pound sack scenario.  I connected the wires from the lathe to the VFD, programmed the VFD from the keypad and it fired up worked on the first try.  I have previously installed VFD's on a mill and a 2 X 72" belt grinder, both were very simple compared to removing and reinstalling the entire lathe electrical system.  However, Mark really makes this process simple.  His instructions are clear and he numbers the connections and the wires.  Its basically a simple connect the dot process.  He does all of the hard work.  The rewire was the easiest part of this entire process. 

I got the ebay tach mounted and wired.  It worked perfectly after Mark helped me straighten out a minor wiring glitch on my end. 

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Then I began working on a rack to hold the tool holders, chuck wrenches, and various other accessories.  I used a piece of 80/20 like others have done.  The hangers for the tool and chuck holders were made from 1.5" and 2" aluminum angle.  

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I still have a few adjustments to the location of the accessories on the rack, but it seems like it is going to work pretty well. 

A question for those with the proximity stop affixed to the micrometer stop.  Do you run the wire under the chip pan to keep it away from hot swarf or around the headstock under the gears?  I currently have it under the chip tray and tuck the assembly down below on the shelf when not in use. 

I have it rough leveled, but now need to dial it in and  check alignment of the headstock.  Then I need to eventually make a spider and modify the gear cover.


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## jbolt

That's a sweet setup! I love the accessory tray on the stand. Nice job!


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## zmotorsports

Great looking setup.  I love your stand, going to build one similar in the new shop.

Mike.


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## bss1

Thanks for the comments guys.  I have not had a chance to use the tray in the use of the lathe, but I can say it has been really useful for the set up.  I am always looking for a place to set something down.  During the set up process, the tray has been a very convenient place to set tools and parts.  It fits in a receiver so its removable and the drawers underneath are still functional with it in place.  So far it has not gotten in the way at all.  I had some other ideas for the other receiver, but have not had a chance to work on that yet. 
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## mksj

Looking really nice. The P sensor cable I normally recommend running under the pan, but you could also loop it around to the left just under the pan front lip. The cable is very tough and durable, but still do not like it sitting in oil. One thing to consider for the other right tray is to use it for your oil cans for lubrication, coolant, and things like a chip brush. Great place for everything to be handy. Firestopper (Paco) welded up a tray that I use for this, and did penetration welds so any leaking oil stays in the tray.


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## MaritimeFlies

Great job on your lathe- the stand looks fantastic!

I'm planning on getting this machine in the near future, and the 3-phase/VFD functionality is very attractive. The smooth operation, soft start and minor speed variation are the features that I'm most interested in (just the basics). The dynamic breaking/proximity stop seems really slick, but that's probably not something I'd be able to tackle right now. For my current needs (and electrical inexperience), a very basic VFD installation/conversion would be ideal.

With that in mind, I'd like to pick your brain a bit:

1. On your lathe, did you generally stick to the conversion process outlined in Mark's thread (Basic Conversion Using Stock Controls-- I am not currently allow to post links), or did you use a different strategy?
2. Could you provide any additional details about what components you built into your wall-mounted VFD enclosure? I've seen some builds where fuses were added to the single-phase 220v lines, but I haven't seen that in any of the schematics I've seen floating around these forums.

Thanks!
Cleve


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## bss1

Mark,  another tray on the right side is a good option.  My existing tray is definitely not liquid tight.  I just tack welded the 1/8" bottom plate to the angle iron frame.  I may consider a sheet metal tray with welded corners for the next one that would be leak proof/resistant. 

Cleve, the electrical conversion process on my machine was a full replacement of the control panel.  The entire board in the electronic control box on the back of the lathe was replace with new components.  I have done a few simple VFD installations before, but this level of installation was definitely over my current skill level.  Mark who posted above built the on-board system for me.  All I did was make the final connections and as I said before, it fired right up and worked on the first try.  Mark is a great resource on not only the electrical side of the machine, but in machining knowledge in general.

I did assemble the VFD enclosure and it's components.  My enclosure contains the VFD (obviously), a main power switch, 30A fuse, and the 500W 50OHM braking resistor.  I installed an intake fan and exhaust vent, but in retrospect, I think just two passive vents would be adequate.  I didn't pay enough attention to realize the Hitachi VFD has its own fan with thermal switching.  I don't have enclosures on my other two VFD's.  They were very basic installs and their enclosures had NEMA  ratings for dust exclusion, etc.  All of the connections  were made inside of the Actual VFD unit which had seal tite connections on the bottom, so a dedicated enclosure was not necessary.  The size of the enclosure for the lathe installation is driven by the depth of the Hitachi VFD (+/-7") and the length of the braking resistor (+/- 12") .  This put me into a 14" x 12" X 8" enclosure.  It takes up a lot of real estate, but those two components need a lot of length/width.  You may be able to get away with a 12" tall enclosure, if you can find one that is 8" deep.

 Let me know if you have any other questions.  I am happy to help if I can.


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## sanddan

bss1 said:


> Thanks for the comments guys.  I have not had a chance to use the tray in the use of the lathe, but I can say it has been really useful for the set up.  I am always looking for a place to set something down.  During the set up process, the tray has been a very convenient place to set tools and parts.  It fits in a receiver so its removable and the drawers underneath are still functional with it in place.  So far it has not gotten in the way at all.  I had some other ideas for the other receiver, but have not had a chance to work on that yet.
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Looking good!

I love that welding table. Could you also give some details on the organization thingie I see on the table? It looks like a very handy tool for keeping the loose items in one place.

I wish I was better at the details for keeping organized in the shop. All my best ideas I've gotten from others on the web [/URL]


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## bss1

Dan,  A friend on mine who is in the oilfield service industry gave that table to me.  It is cast Iron and used to be a base for some type of big drill press or other machine tool.  It weighs a ton.  I have no idea how old it is.  It's been a centerpiece of my shop for years.  On the organizer, its just a bunch of scraps tack welded to a 1/4" base plate.  The one you see in the pictures has a handle on it so I can move it out of the way when I need use of the full table. 

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It works great.  I even made one for my desk at work. 

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## bss1

sanddan said:


> All my best ideas I've gotten from others on the web



Hey I resemble that remark!


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## sanddan

I like it, a new project for the new year.

Right now my welding table is covered with tools I got in a CL buy and is DOA for any real work until I get that stuff sorted.


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## Firestopper

I really like your designs and functionality.  Nice work amigo!


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## bss1

Thanks for the nice comment firestopper. Dan if you do make one of the organizer/tool holder thingy's, please post a pic so we can see your design. It's always nice to see someone else's take on things. I will make another one for the shop soon. 

I finally got around to leveling and aligning the lathe. The only thing left is installation of the Igaging DRO for the tailstock. For those who have installed one, can the scales be cut without damaging the instrument?  It's a little long and looks like it will need a few inches trimmed off so it doesn't tangle with the hand wheel. 


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## mksj

bss1 said:


> I finally got around to leveling and aligning the lathe. The only thing left is installation of the Igaging DRO for the tailstock. For those who have installed one, can the scales be cut without damaging the instrument? It's a little long and looks like it will need a few inches trimmed off so it doesn't tangle with the hand wheel.



Yes it can be trimmed, but they are hardened stainless so use a die grinder or dremel cutoff disc. The hacksaw didn't work when I tried it. I think I took off a little over an inch for a 6" scale.


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## bss1

Mark,

I disassembled the unit and removed the scale. I used my bandsaw with a bimetal blade and fortunately, it cut right through. 

Thanks for the help and have a great new year!


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## bss1

Finished the tailstock DRO today. Another fun project

[URL=http://s215.photobucket.com/user/bswearer/media/PM1340GT/BBECD8A4-E343-40AA-B55C-1D7042D573F9.jpg.html]
	

		
			
		

		
	


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[URL=http://s215.photobucket.com/user/bswearer/media/PM1340GT/4FCB318A-8FB9-4B64-9265-C07748C3D1A0.jpg.html]
	

		
			
		

		
	


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[URL=http://s215.photobucket.com/user/bswearer/media/PM1340GT/95BB901E-2752-4729-B134-79603FF375F8.jpg.html]
	

		
			
		

		
	


[/URL]


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## sanddan

That Igaging unit is very nice, much nicer than the one I purchased for mine. I don't know about your lathe but on mine the numbering on the tail post quill is very hard to read. The engraving is shallow (light?) compared to my old lathe so a digital readout would be a nice mod.

You do great work, thanks for posting.


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## bss1

Thanks Dan. The markings are light on mine as well. I haven't used a tailstock DRO before today, but it was real nice.  Definitely a recommended upgrade if you don't have one. 


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## Old Squier

bss1 said:


> Thanks Dan. The markings are light on mine as well. I haven't used a tailstock DRO before today, but it was real nice.  Definitely a recommended upgrade if you don't have one.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Wow!  Man you have my head spinning around.  I simply have to fabricate the stand - cool beyond belief brother.  The tailstock DRO is another mod I want to do on my 1340GT.  It's such a great machine, it deserves the makeover.  Thank you for posting this.


tmarks11 said:


> I am not sure if the PM1340GT has a 220-110-24V transformer in it, but my lathe does.  It uses 110V for control power for all the front panel switches, and 24V for the light.  It would be easy to wire the transformer to provide power for the DRO if it could not accept 220V.
> 
> btw, if you are going to power a 110V pro by "wiring it into 1 leg of the incoming power", then you need to have a neutral power lead coming into your machine (which no lathe will be set up as by default; they are set up as two hot and ground).  While ground + hot = 110V, this is a severe violation of code, and a really, really bad idea, since it results in current flow in uninsulated ground leads.
> 
> Beautiful job on the DRO installation.  Does it save any z-axis room by installing the scale upside down instead of on its side?  That is the DRO I am going to install on my lathe once I get done with the 15 or so projects I have partly finished.
> 
> I have a slightly different handle on my lathe, and my compound clears it.  It takes about 2" of clearance above the compound.  I really like these handles (mcmaster sells them).  My compound looks like it is a bit wider than yours, which might help.




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## bss1

Thanks squire. It's been a fun project. Most all I have done has been from things I have seen here or other places on the net. 

Make sure to post up your efforts so others can benefit as well.


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## Alan H.

Brad, a couple of questions on your VFD panel mounting.  

Did you install vents and/or forced cooling in the enclosure?  
What rotary disconnect switch did you use and since it appears to be on the hinged side of the enclosure, does the door mounted knob link up okay with the actuating rod?  
Lots of nice work you have done on your 1340!  Thanks for sharing it.


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## bss1

Alan,

Although I am not certain it is necessary, I installed a 24V fan mounted on the lower left side of the enclosure and an exhaust vent on the upper right hand side.  I think two vents is probably adequate. 

On the switch, the entire unit is mounted to the door so there is no issue with the linkage. I drilled a through hole (can't remember the size) where the actuator connects the rotating part of the switch on the front to the module that is mounted on the backside of the door.  It would be the same if you mounted the switch on a panel or the side of the enclosure.  I had to leave a little extra slack in the wire so that there is enough to swing open the door, although it's mounted on the hinge side so there is not much movement of the wire. A link to the switch is attached below. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-SIEMENS...396654?hash=item1a1d6659ee:g:QlkAAOSw8gVX-yeo

Let me know if the explanation was not adequate or you need more info or pictures. 

Brad


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## Old Squier

Hey bss1, for some reason, the link to the dimensions attachment defaults to a HM error page.  Any chance you can post it again?  Thanks mucho brother!

Squire 

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## bss1

Squire

Are you talking about the link to the plans that Sanddan posted or some of my pictures early in the thread I didn't post correctly?

Brad


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## Old Squier

BSS1,

In your first post you make reference to "dimensions" worked-up by Dan.  Just below this is a link that says, simply, "View Attachment".  That's what I'm interested in - the dimensions of the stand.  

Thanks in advance for your help!

Best regards,

Squier 

Sent Using Tapatalk - Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma


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## bss1

Ok I see. I mucked up the beginning of the thread by not posting pics correctly. If you go to post number 16 Dan (Sanddan) put a direct link to his plans. Those plans are what my stand is based upon with a few minor tweaks.   The dimensions reside therein. Hopefully that will answer your questions. If not let me know. 

Brad


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## Punch

Everything is very very well done! You Should be proud...


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## BFHammer

Brad - outstanding work all the way around!  Great plan and great execution.  

I just ordered a PM1236 and after seeing your thread it's already got me thinking about VFD upgrade and ditching the factory stand.  

Also love the tool caddy - I'll shamelessly admit I'm rummaging through my scrap bin this weekend and just might end up with one on my bench!


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## bss1

Thanks guys. The machine and stand are still a bit of a work in progress. 

Even though I have retained access to the original factory cross slide lock in my DRO install, I decided to add a lock on the chuck side utilizing the mounting holes for the follower rest as others have done. It is easily removable should I need the follower rest. The main reason I wanted to add it was it doesn't require any tools to lock it. The existing lock requires a wrench, which is really a minor inconvenience, but the new lock was easy to make and install.  It was a fun project as well. 














I am now working on a second side table for the tailstock end of the stand along with a swiveling tool holder attachment. After that I will still need to complete a spider for the outboard side of the spindle.


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## bss1

Finished the second side table and tailstock tooling caddie. It swivels around the end of the lathe and tucks out of the way when not in use.


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## pstemari

What's holding up the caddy? I really like the trick of using short tubing cutoffs to make tray pockets.

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## bss1

The caddie is held up by a piece of 1" cold rolled bar stock that was mitre cut and turned down to 5/8" that fits into the bronze socket shown in the first picture above. The bronze socket was pressed into the mounting arm for the side table. Here are a few more pics that should tell the whole story. 
	

		
			
		

		
	













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## Silverbullet

Now you can build jib crane to mount in the box channel to load heavy work or change chucks. Extremely nice job , be proud of it. Thanks for sharing it .


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## sanddan

I like your organizational skills! 

Very nice job.


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## zmotorsports

Very, very nicely done.

Mike


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## lostapathy

Thanks for posting this thread - this and the build that inspired it are the reason I have a PM-1340GT somewhere in a truck with my name on it right now.

One question I have for people who have built these - how do you level the lathe to the stand in the event the top plates (or the bottom of the lathe, for that matter) are not perfectly flat to each other?  If you bolted the lathe down to a stand like this and it caused a twist in the bed, I don't see how you'd ever adjust it out.

The leveling feet will obviously level the stand to the floor, but I'm nervous my stand won't end up totally flat and will induce a twist in the lathe when I bolt it down.

Or maybe you guys are just better fabricators than me and can build the stand flat enough to not matter?


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## bss1

This is a very good question. Obviously you try to keep things as square as possible during fabrication but there is no way to make the stand 100% flat and square on all planes. For me once I set the lathe on the stand I went through the leveling process and found I had one corner that was low. I had some .015" brass shim stock that cut to fit under the front side of the foot on the tailstock end.  

After that I was able to quickly level the lathe. This is how may cabinet mounted lathes are leveled like older South Bends etc. 

Here is the most important tip, you do need to seal the feet and bolt holes to keep the oil out, just don't do so until you determine if and where you have to shim. 

I really have enjoyed the stand. It has allowed more storage and the receivers on the end have allowed a lot customization that I wouldn't have with a stock stand. Additionally I think it adds rigidity and have not noticed any vibration that others had noted at certain rpm's. 


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## bss1

Well during the rainstorm preceding the recent flood here in Houston I was able finish my spindle spider project I have been pecking at.  It is based upon the design that MKSJ shared with me. He also posted a thread on his build with a drawing and photos that are very helpful.  

I used my newly acquired super indexer to drill and tap the holes in the spider. 
















I had some 1" store bought brass tip set screws but they were not quite long enough so I made my own per Marks instructions. I made them with a step and a press fit to the shoulder. I don't think the tips are coming out. 






I have two small boring heads but neither was big enough to have the reach for boring out the hole in the gear cover. I gave up on that and ended up utilizing a die grinder with a carbide burr to open it up, then finished with a 2" 80 grit flap wheel. I carefully worked to a scribed line and the hole really turned out well.  You couldn't tell that it wasn't bored on the mill. The only issue was the burr I used seemed to clog up with the cast iron cover material which necessitated stopping to clean out the burr at multiple intervals, slowing the process considerably. It was a fun project and now my tach magnet is no longer taped to the spindle!


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## Alan H.

REAL nice, excellent, and real good!  Turned out top shelf - congrats. 

I like it.  Thanks for the idea on the knurled brass for lock nuts.


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## mksj

Really nice work, and love the brass lock nuts. Having a spider makes a world of difference when dealing with long stock, if you put an indicator on the spider end it will also make the stock holder true when using a 5C collet system. Great work!
Mark


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## wildo

Really excellent job, BSS1! One thing I didn't see mentioned anywhere- can you comment on the benchtop height off the floor, as well as the spindle height? I have a HF 44" box and was planning on putting a PM1236T on there, which is the slightly smaller brother to the 1340gt. I am a little concerned about the spindle height being too high for comfort. I like your solution of using the smaller top box from the HF set. It would be great to know your bench height to give me an idea of where it might line up for me.


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## Alan H.

Brad, What size thread are the screws you used for the spider?   What is the OD of the brass that you used to make the knurled lock nuts?


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## bss1

Thanks for the nice comments guys. 

Will, I will have to measure the height and get back to you. I followed the excellent and very detailed plans for this stand that were created by Sanddan which he published and shared with us here. However I did make mine slightly higher so I will need measure to get you exact figures. 

Alan, the set screws for attaching the spider to the spindle were 5/16-24 that were 1/4" long. The brass tip screws were 3/8-24.  If you make your own brass tip screws from socket head cap screws like I did, you need a 1 1/4" length plus a 1/4" brass tip. Both screw types were hard to find locally in those fine pitches so I ordered them from McMaster.  I wanted flat point set screws but even McMaster didn't have them so I got the cup point and turned the cup off the end. That made them about 1 thread short of the perfect length. Still plenty of thread engagement and I wanted the head to be below the surface anyway.  If you go this route and want them perfect, you may want to get 3/8" length and turn them down a little more. 

The brass lock nuts were turned from 3/4" bar stock. I milled a flat on the spider that was the first size end mill I had on hand that was larger than 1/2" (can't remember the size). The step on the lock nuts were turned down from the previously mentioned 3/4" diameter down to 1/2" to engage the flat milled on the spider. 

I was previously asked about the flatness of the stand and leveling of the lathe. I want to add to my response that I was extremely careful when fabricating the stand to try to keep things as flat and parallel as possible. I tig welded in short beads to reduce heat and related warpage of the material. I also gang cut the legs and longitudinal stringers in an effort to keep everything the same length. Additionally, I was also fortunate to have a very flat table with a ground surface to fixture to.  I really took my time with the build and just completing the frame took at least a month of free time in the evenings and on weekends.   Even with all this effort it wasn't perfect and required some shimming to be able to level the lathe but I was very pleased with how close it did come out. 

Take care and let me know if you have any additional questions.


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## Firestopper

Nice work man, thats what it all about. Customizing your lathe will keep the clutter down as well.


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## bss1

Willdo,  the stand height without the chip tray is 29". It sits on 3" leveling feet with about 2" of stick-out. Therefore the height as it sits is about 31". That puts the spindle height right around 48.5".   I am 6' tall and it seems about right for me. 

Alan, the end mill I used to mill the flat was 9/16. 


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## wildo

Thank you!


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## Kiwi Canuck

bss1 said:


> Progress continues.  I have been making slow progress on evenings and weekends, but I am taking my time and enjoying the process.  I finally got the machine backed into its permanent home which was the prior location of my old South Bend lathe.  It was a tight fit but it'll work for now.
> 
> Then I began working on a rack to hold the tool holders, chuck wrenches, and various other accessories.  I used a piece of 80/20 like others have done.  The hangers for the tool and chuck holders were made from 1.5" and 2" aluminum angle.
> 
> 
> View attachment 186818
> 
> 
> 
> I have it rough leveled, but now need to dial it in and  check alignment of the headstock.  Then I need to eventually make a spider and modify the gear cover.



I just found this post again and read it from start to finish twice.

Your build is fantastic but I can not help but admire your welding/fixturing table, that is a very nice looking piece and I would love to have one of those someday.

Not sure if it's been asked before but what's the history on it and how long have you had it?

Cheers,

David


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## bss1

David,thanks for the complements. I have had the table since around 2003 or 2004. A good friend of mine at the time that worked in a machine shop related to the oil industry gave I to me. He wasn’t sure of its origin. The top is made of cast iron and is several inches thick. It appears to have a ground surface and has holes tapped in it. Although I use it for a general shop table and for welding, I think it may have been the table for some type of heavy duty industrial drill press. MiG weld splatter comes off with a scraper. My friend thought it was probably 60’s vintage. It’s been the centerpiece of my shop since I got it. 


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## firemaker76

bss1 said:


> Well during the rainstorm preceding the recent flood here in Houston I was able finish my spindle spider project I have been pecking at.  It is based upon the design that MKSJ shared with me. He also posted a thread on his build with a drawing and photos that are very helpful.
> 
> I used my newly acquired super indexer to drill and tap the holes in the spider.
> 
> View attachment 241220
> 
> View attachment 241221
> View attachment 241222
> View attachment 241223
> 
> 
> I had some 1" store bought brass tip set screws but they were not quite long enough so I made my own per Marks instructions. I made them with a step and a press fit to the shoulder. I don't think the tips are coming out.
> 
> View attachment 241225
> 
> 
> I have two small boring heads but neither was big enough to have the reach for boring out the hole in the gear cover. I gave up on that and ended up utilizing a die grinder with a carbide burr to open it up, then finished with a 2" 80 grit flap wheel. I carefully worked to a scribed line and the hole really turned out well.  You couldn't tell that it wasn't bored on the mill. The only issue was the burr I used seemed to clog up with the cast iron cover material which necessitated stopping to clean out the burr at multiple intervals, slowing the process considerably. It was a fun project and now my tach magnet is no longer taped to the spindle!



Amazing work! Just out of curiosity, what 5C collet chuck are you using in the second picture?  I'm looking for one for my PM1340GT, and any information or specs would be greatly appreciated.

-Mitch


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## bss1

MItch, thanks for the complement.  The collet chuck is made by Bison.  I have really enjoyed it.  I have a speed wrench for it made by member MKSJ that is a huge upgrade in time utilization.  There is a thread on here somewhere detailing the construction of it.


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## firemaker76

Perfect!  I thought it might be a Bison after researching some pics online.  I'll check it out.  Thanks very much for the information.

-Mitch


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## sr71xjet

Very nice setup. Ordered my 1340gt last week.  cant wait.


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## mksj

The speed handle for the 5C chuck is a vise speed handle I repurposed for the 5C. Used O1 steel rod 1", did a hex that fits into the speed handle and is pinned with a set screw, and cut a square for the chuck on the other end. I have used it for years with out any appreciable wear, did not want to heat treat/use hardened steel to prevent wear on the pinion. Find that it makes changing collets quick and can get enough toque with two hands on the key to keep stock from turning. If you have collet blocks make it much easier to cut the hex and square ends and then put hex in a 3J and cut a bit of a transition taper to the square end.

This is the 2nd one I made and did a bit of a taper on the key.





This was the first one


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## Jason812

Every time I see this stand I drool.


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