# New PM 1236 on its way!



## rdfoster (Apr 18, 2013)

The PM 1236 I ordered the end of Feb is on its way. Supposed to be 3 business days away. Should be here Tuesday. Any help or advise will be appreciated. 

Bob


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## Ray C (Apr 18, 2013)

Hi... 

I know you're aware of this but, for the benefit of others, a good starting point is post #13 of this thread:  http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php/14005-PM-1236-FAQ-(Frequently-Asked-Questions)

There's a reasonable starting-point of a user manual there.  As you set up your new machine, keep us informed if there's more information that should be added.


Ray





rdfoster said:


> The PM 1236 I ordered the end of Feb is on its way. Supposed to be 3 business days away. Should be here Tuesday. Any help or advise will be appreciated.
> 
> Bob


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## MikeWi (Apr 18, 2013)

I've got mine scheduled to arrive the first week of May.  could have been sooner, but we realized that unless I waited til then, I'd be the only one to try and move it across a yard, up a porch and down to the basement.  Yeah I guess I should wait for reinforcements... lol

Ironically, the things that I'd most like to work on are more tools!  If I had  a mill I'd really be going to town making things so that I can make things.  My wife doesn't understand really...:nuts:


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## rdfoster (Apr 18, 2013)

MikeWi said:


> I've got mine scheduled to arrive the first week of May.  could have been sooner, but we realized that unless I waited til then, I'd be the only one to try and move it across a yard, up a porch and down to the basement.  Yeah I guess I should wait for reinforcements... lol
> 
> Ironically, the things that I'd most like to work on are more tools!  If I had  a mill I'd really be going to town making things so that I can make things.  My wife doesn't understand really...:nuts:



Does any wife really understand? I hope I have better luck with the delivery than when Saia brought my 1000 lb planer. They left it at the end of the drive in the rain for my wife and I to drag it 75 ft to the shop. we're both in our 70s but we got it done. Saia also tore up my drive which after many complaints they paid me $200.00 to fix it.
I also like to make more tools.

Bob


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## Ray C (Apr 18, 2013)

I've said this before and will say it again... A TV show the equivalent of QVC or HSN but for shop equipment and tools is looong overdue...  It's probably the only way to relate our tool-desires to the ladies.


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## GaryK (Apr 19, 2013)

rdfoster said:


> The PM 1236 I ordered the end of Feb is on its way. Supposed to be 3 business days away. Should be here Tuesday. Any help or advise will be appreciated.
> 
> Bob



Very cool! I've had mind for about 4 months now and having a great time with it.

You can check out my thread about it HERE.

There are a lot of things I did to it to make it "mine". Things I like.

I don't know it yours has a DRO but mine does. There are pictures there of how I lifted it if you are interested.

The way I like to lift it is to make it tail heavy and then use a ratcheting strap from the main lifting point to the tail end. This allows you to adjust the level real easy.

Post some pics when you get it.

Gary


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## MikeWi (Apr 19, 2013)

rdfoster said:


> Does any wife really understand? I hope I have better luck with the delivery than when Saia brought my 1000 lb planer. They left it at the end of the drive in the rain for my wife and I to drag it 75 ft to the shop. we're both in our 70s but we got it done. Saia also tore up my drive which after many complaints they paid me $200.00 to fix it.
> I also like to make more tools.
> 
> Bob


 Oh thanks, that's all I needed to hear.  My driveway is 120' long, gravel, and over-due to be replaced ie. lots of pot holes.  It's going to be interesting no matter how you look at it though.  We're planning on adding a garage/kennel/workshop but that will be a ways off dang it. Hey!  that means I'll get to move the lathe again!  Cool! :banghead:


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## rdfoster (Apr 19, 2013)

Gary, yes mine is coming with DRO installed. I don't know how to use a lathe with DRO but I'm sure there are many on this forum who do. I hope they will teach me the advantages of using one.

Bob


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## rdfoster (Apr 22, 2013)

rdfoster said:


> The PM 1236 I ordered the end of Feb is on its way. Supposed to be 3 business days away. Should be here Tuesday. Any help or advise will be appreciated.
> 
> Bob


Not on Tuesday. Terminal called this morning and they only have one truck with liftgate and it won't be available till Thursday. Darn!! I was so looking forward to it coming tomorrow. 
Bob:nono:


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## GaryK (Apr 22, 2013)

That sucks, huh?

As far as the DRO goes, you can basically ignore the dials and just look at the DRO. The only time I find if faster to use the dial
is when threading. I always set my dial to "zero" in the crossfeed to return to zero after making a pass. It's a lot faster
using the dial for this.

Gary



rdfoster said:


> Not on Tuesday. Terminal called this morning and they only have one truck with liftgate and it won't be available till Thursday. Darn!! I was so looking forward to it coming tomorrow.
> Bob:nono:


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## genec (Apr 22, 2013)

When I moved my lathe, I took my extension ladder and separated it, laid one section on the basement steps set a piece of plywood on it to act as a skid set the lathe on the plywood, tied the come along (winch) to the lathe, and the other end to a 4x4 that spanned the door outside. Taking my time I was able to take a 12 inch lathe out of the basement by myself. Of course why this was going on my wife wore out a set of rosary beads.
:thumbsup:
 P. S. The ladder to spread out the weight and keep the steps from collapsing


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## rdfoster (Apr 25, 2013)

rdfoster said:


> The PM 1236 I ordered the end of Feb is on its way. Supposed to be 3 business days away. Should be here Tuesday. Any help or advise will be appreciated.
> 
> Bob


Not yet. They called about 4:30 & the truck broke down. Said tommorow or monday. I told them tommorow or iwill pick it up.
Bob


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## GaryK (Apr 25, 2013)

rdfoster said:


> Not yet. They called about 4:30 & the truck broke down. Said tommorow or monday. I told them tommorow or iwill pick it up.
> Bob



Sounds like Larry, Curly and Moe are on the job!

Gary


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## rdfoster (Apr 25, 2013)

GaryK said:


> Sounds like Larry, Curly and Moe are on the job!
> 
> Gary



I'm just madder than Hell. It seems very few people do what they say and get paid for.

Bob:nono:


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## slingshot (Apr 26, 2013)

Bob it seems that you are having the same issues that I had it took me three extra days of calling to finally get it delivered and then it showed up in a pick up truck.I'm just thankful that I had the equipment to unload it let me tell you it is heavy. all in all it was well worth the trouble. So far I am very pleased with the machine.

I put a dial on the spindle and to my surprise it was with in a half thousand that is awesome. 




J.B


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## rdfoster (Apr 26, 2013)

rdfoster said:


> The PM 1236 I ordered the end of Feb is on its way. Supposed to be 3 business days away. Should be here Tuesday. Any help or advise will be appreciated.
> 
> Bob



Finally got here. Not without problems. More details later. I've got to rest.

Bob


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## Ray C (Apr 26, 2013)

When I got mine, it had no flaws of any sort really and it's seen daily use for the last year and is still in perfect shape.  Just folk know, the backplates need to be fitted and are likely undersized a little.  They're not fitted at the factory as the cost for that is quite high and it's one way of keeping the price in line.  If memory serves, the 8" chuck and it's plate come in 2 pieces.  When a backplate is undersized, it won't mount repeatably and is pretty hard to get on/off.  Other than that, that unit is good to go once it's cleaned and lubed.

And remember to do a break in and change the oils after about a few weeks of use. In the PM forum here, there's a 1236 FAQ and I put together a manual that should be helpful.  Feel free to post or PM if you need help.

Ray




slingshot said:


> Bob it seems that you are having the same issues that I had it took me three extra days of calling to finally get it delivered and then it showed up in a pick up truck.I'm just thankful that I had the equipment to unload it let me tell you it is heavy. all in all it was well worth the trouble. So far I am very pleased with the machine.
> 
> I put a dial on the spindle and to my surprise it was with in a half thousand that is awesome.
> 
> ...


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## Tyler (Apr 27, 2013)

I just took delivery of a PM1236 myself.  I finally got it last Saturday, after a serious of events that sound similar to experiences on this thread.  

It was supposed to be delivered last Thursday, so I called in the morning to get an ETA so I could schedule my lunch break accordingly.  I was told it didn't make it on the only lift gate truck that morning.  Dang!  So we arranged for the next day.  I called in the afternoon the next day (Friday) and the guy told me they didn't HAVE a lift gate.  What?!  He said it had been in the shop for over a week, and he didn't know when it would be out, they were waiting for a part.  That was irritating to hear because the day before the guy apparently lied to me. Now it was too late on Friday to switch to another carrier and get it before the weekend.  

So I went into scramble and adapt mode, and I drove home because my wife told me they were clearing a lot across the street with a bulldozer.  I waived those guys down, and asked if they had forks for their machine.  They did at home, and had to work tomorrow morning (Saturday).  I called the trucking company and the guy who was taking all my calls very graciously agreed to deliver it on Saturday even though they were closed.  (These issues were not his fault, and he was great.)

Saturday morning comes, and my lathe shows up on the guy's personal pick up truck.  The dozen operator picks it out clean as a whistle.  I give him the $45 lift gate fee since he was the lift gate, and then go look at my lathe.

Uh oh, fork holes in almost every side of the crate, right next to the signs that say, "Don't push crate with forks!"  Sheesh.  The damage isn't too bad.  Chip pan is bent badly, and a few spindle speed knobs are bent.  The rest looks fine.  

Unfortunately it's still on the floor of my garage while I wait for the new chip pan.

Can't wait to get her running!

In other news, Matt and Nichole have been great at getting me squared away with the damaged pieces.

Tyler


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## rdfoster (Apr 27, 2013)

Tyler:
Looks like they all lie. I was told that the truck was broke down in a town about 40 miles from me but when I checked the trucking co's website it said it was returned. It did come yesterday about 4:30 and the driver told me the truck didn't breakdown. He got stuck in my yard and couldn't back up to my shop door so we tried to take the lathe off with an engine crane. Got it in the shop where I wanted to put it and lifted it onto the bases this morning, hooked it up to electric and it runs. Now I have to put the rest of the base together and the DRO on it. I've been doing some cleaning but still have to do more this afternoon.

Hope you get yours together soon:)

Bob


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## tripletap3 (Apr 27, 2013)

In my previous life I had the misfortune of dealing with trucking companies on a daily basis. Long story short it took me longer on the phone to fix the trucking company's mistakes than it took to sell the item. I was however very surprised and happy with the company that delivered my 1236. They were right on time, the driver was very helpful, patient and looked professional.  I did call Matt and let him know how pleased I was with the trucking company as that is feed back that will help him choose a trucking company in the future.


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## Ray C (Apr 27, 2013)

Tripletap,

Just so you know, Matt (or anyone else in his shoes) has very little control over the last leg of the journey for local home delivery.  He pays a trucking company to pick up the machines at his place and send them to the local freight carrier in the home town of the customer.  Often times, the product could be picked-up by other carriers along the way as there are transportation brokers involved.  His transporter quotes him a price for local delivery, pays it and has little control over who actually carries it.  In most cases, the local freight carrier farms local delivery out to someone else.  Of course, folks have the option of arranging their own transportation.  Back when I was rebuilding diesel generators, I arranged my own liftgate delivery -and I was paying upward of 550 bucks per ton and that was 10 years ago.

You could go with Fedex or UPS.  Last month I had $700 of metal delivered UPS liftgate (non express), it cost me 275 to get it here and we're only talking about 300 lbs of material.

Ray




tripletap3 said:


> In my previous life I had the misfortune of dealing with trucking companies on a daily basis. Long story short it took me longer on the phone to fix the trucking company's mistakes than it took to sell the item. I was however very surprised and happy with the company that delivered my 1236. They were right on time, the driver was very helpful, patient and looked professional.  I did call Matt and let him know how pleased I was with the trucking company as that is feed back that will help him choose a trucking company in the future.


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## jpfabricator (Apr 27, 2013)

I drive for an LTL company, and I can relate with all of yall. We drivers are the one who receive the grief when a dispatcher lies! I havent got to deliver a lathe yet but when I do you can belive that I will do the best job possible. Can you let us know what trucking companys do good and wich dont?


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## tripletap3 (Apr 27, 2013)

I agree Ray. That was what I was trying to get across in my post and I guess It didn't come across all the way. In my experience Matt does have the option of what companies to use and some have better reps than others. Of course not all companies service all areas and to further complicate things companies have partnerships with other companies to complete the transfer.  Matt or any other shipper never gets to see how the end product is delivered unless there is a problem. Letting Matt know that you had a good experience helps him know that a particular company is dependable. Sometimes all you hear is the bad stuff and not the good.


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## GaryK (Apr 27, 2013)

How about some pictures Bob and Tyler?

Gary




rdfoster said:


> Tyler:
> Looks like they all lie. I was told that the truck was broke down in a  town about 40 miles from me but when I checked the trucking co's website  it said it was returned. It did come yesterday about 4:30 and the  driver told me the truck didn't breakdown. He got stuck in my yard and  couldn't back up to my shop door so we tried to take the lathe off with  an engine crane. Got it in the shop where I wanted to put it and lifted  it onto the bases this morning, hooked it up to electric and it runs.  Now I have to put the rest of the base together and the DRO on it. I've  been doing some cleaning but still have to do more this afternoon.
> 
> Hope you get yours together soon:)
> ...


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## rdfoster (Apr 28, 2013)

I'll get some pix posted soon. I have it almost together and running. No major problems I can see this far. A few minor cosmetic ones. I am having trouble getting the clamp on the brake to hold on the peddle shaft and I am unclear how to hook up the wiring on the coolant pump.
I have done the break-in as suggested and it seems to be working well. I have it mounted on 4x6's for now as it's not tall enough for my liking. Haven't leveled it yet as I don't have a precision level. Just carpenter levels and the ones in my phone and tablet. I did lay my phone on the cross slide and run it the length of the was and it was consistent.

Any suggestions appreciated:

Bob


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## Ray C (Apr 28, 2013)

Glad you're finally making some headway.

Suggestion:  Read this thread http://www.hobby-machinist.com/show...he-and-2-collar-test?highlight=leveling+lathe
and another one called YALB Yet Another Lathe Bench  http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php/10957-YALB-(Yet-Another-Lathe-Bench)?highlight=YALB

Ray





rdfoster said:


> I'll get some pix posted soon. I have it almost together and running. No major problems I can see this far. A few minor cosmetic ones. I am having trouble getting the clamp on the brake to hold on the peddle shaft and I am unclear how to hook up the wiring on the coolant pump.
> I have done the break-in as suggested and it seems to be working well. I have it mounted on 4x6's for now as it's not tall enough for my liking. Haven't leveled it yet as I don't have a precision level. Just carpenter levels and the ones in my phone and tablet. I did lay my phone on the cross slide and run it the length of the was and it was consistent.
> 
> Any suggestions appreciated:
> ...


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## slingshot (Apr 28, 2013)

rdfoster said:


> I'll get some pix posted soon. I have it almost together and running. No major problems I can see this far. A few minor cosmetic ones. I am having trouble getting the clamp on the brake to hold on the peddle shaft and I am unclear how to hook up the wiring on the coolant pump.
> I have done the break-in as suggested and it seems to be working well. I have it mounted on 4x6's for now as it's not tall enough for my liking. Haven't leveled it yet as I don't have a precision level. Just carpenter levels and the ones in my phone and tablet. I did lay my phone on the cross slide and run it the length of the was and it was consistent.
> 
> Any suggestions appreciated:
> ...




Hey Bob, sounds like you are making some progress.What I did on my brake was to get the pedal level slide the trunnion (with the 4 screws) so that it is roughly center of the two shafts and tighten the screws good and tight and it should hold fine.

When wiring your pump on mine the green was ground the other two wires can be wired to either color.
I put conduit tapping fluid in mine (which I do not recommend) because it is to thick for my pump to pump.

Now I went through my whole lathe when cleaning, PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS UNLESS YOU ARE 100% SURE THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING.I just was very comfortable doing this because I have rebuilt several transmissions. I think that my lathe was built during the dust bowl and stored in a hole in the desert lol.I have never seen so much dirt inside of a precision machine.I am in know way knocking this machine it is a great machine and not just because I have one. But you do need to clean and change the oil to get this dirt and metal out.  


Now I'm just curious no offense but is RAY C actually Matt J ? :thinking: :roflmao:


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## tripletap3 (Apr 28, 2013)

Funny. I think Matt just has a huge fan base. After you get to talk to him you can see why.


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## MikeWi (Apr 28, 2013)

Mine should arrive tuesday, and when they emailed me the name and tracking number I googled to find their site.  One of the first hits was a yelp page just screaming bloody murder about how bad that particular company is! :scared:
but, that was also for the California business and Matt ships from PA.  I'm more worried about the possible yahoo that handles the residential part though.  Crossing fingers and toes.


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## Ray C (Apr 28, 2013)

No guys, Ray C is not actually Matt N.  I've known Matt for a few years now and it turns-out we have some common business associates.  Some of the marinas I do jobs for also have some of his equipment.  Truth be known, I've never met him personally but we BS a lot on the phone and email...  He's a very decent guy and puts his customers before himself or his interests.  -Pretty rare breed these days.

Ray


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## jmh8743 (Apr 29, 2013)

Bob,

i got the same story bout a "broke dwn truck". Had I known about this site before I bought the lathe, the entire process could have been so much easier. I found the actual location, then hired a lift specialist and sent him to the loading dock. I paid for " lift gate" but...... It finally got to my shop after 2 months of travel once I took positive action and accepted my losses.

So, there should be some venue that exposes these practices. 

Hope  everything  goes well and your unit performs well. There are many specialists here to help. I was just as mad, but that makes the process harder. I fully sympathize.


Mike
Remlap, al


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## qualitymachinetools (Apr 29, 2013)

Hey guys,
 No, I am Matt. Ray is just a great, very nice, and very helpful guy who uses some equipment from us. He lives a lot closer to where I would like to live, I sure wish I was in blue crab land!

 And everyone else, can you let me know the local delivery company that delivered who you had a problem with? That can be hard too, because sometimes in smaller towns the big guys hand it off, but usually the smaller carriers are better. Usually anyway.

 We ship hundreds of machines each year, and rarely have a problem, but in the last week or so, I have had these 2 mentioned here, and one more in Texas that had some sort of problem. And it makes me nuts, I have no control over the trucking companies. If I did, life would be a lot easier.

 I have a few that are on our list of who I will not use, but this one is tough. Everyone says in other areas how good they are, but I never know about a specific terminal. Which can also change as employees change. I know some days from the same carrier, I get different drivers, and some are great, and some always crabby.

   But whatever it is, we will take care of any problems that may come up. Just wish something that should be so simple always went well, but I guess nothing is ever perfect.


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## qualitymachinetools (Apr 29, 2013)

Hi Mike,
 I did not know anything about this, whats your last name (You can PM Me) So I can look up the order? What happened there with the trucking company and who was it? And when was this?


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## rdfoster (Apr 29, 2013)




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## GaryK (Apr 29, 2013)

rdfoster said:


> View attachment 52799



Is this one yours?

View attachment 52798


Is this your delivery on it's end??


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## rdfoster (Apr 29, 2013)

As you can tell I don't know how to post properly on this forum. I inadvertantly added an extra pix that isn't mine. Sorry about that. As you see my PM1236 decided it didn't want to laydown all the way to the shop. But all is well. Only minor damage that can be attributed to my not overseeing how my "helper" put the straps around the lathe. There was minor damage to the cable and coolant covers. All still works. I have been trying to learn how to run it.

Thanks to Matt for his help and concern about the delivery ETC.

Bob


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## qualitymachinetools (Apr 29, 2013)

Hi Bob,
 Thats scary just looking at the pics, hope the engine crane was OK too. Glad everything turned out well for you!


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## rdfoster (Apr 29, 2013)

qualitymachinetools said:


> Hi Bob,
> Thats scary just looking at the pics, hope the engine crane was OK too. Glad everything turned out well for you!



Yes Matt, The crane was fine. In fact I used it to mount the lathe on the base. As you can see I placed it on 4x6's because it's too short for me. I will try this for awhile before I decide on its final placing. 

Thanks again for your help.

Bob


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## darkzero (Apr 29, 2013)

rdfoster said:


>



Hey I know that lathe! 




rdfoster said:


> View attachment 52798
> View attachment 52799



Damn that does look scary! I would have had a heartattack! Glad you & whoever was helping you are ok & that the lathe did not sustain major damage!

Damn she looks purdy! Congrats on getting her standing!


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## rdfoster (Apr 29, 2013)

Will:
Yes Will I was very concerned. I was in the pickup, pulling it so the truck driver could get the liftgat_e up so I didn't see it go over. But since I am a pilot I learned not to get distracted about problems. I immediately got busy trying to get in upright and into the shop. It was a real job but once we got it in the shop on the concrete it was pretty easy to handle. I also have an 1100# winch that I used to pull it into the shop. Then I lifted it off its pallet and onto two 1000# movers dollies into the room I wanted to put it in. Then I assembled the base, lifted the lathe with the engine hoist and slid the base under it. I had already attached the base to the 4x6's for feet. I think it is too short for me anyway.
Trying to learn what all the dials and levers do and have checked tailstock alignment and ran the break-in procedure that Ray recommended. Right now I'm making a new nut with handle for the top of the QCTP. I don't like using a crescent wrench. I made one for my G0602 and like it very much.
I hope to learn lots more from you guys on this forum

Bob_


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## Ray C (Apr 29, 2013)

Bob,

I wrote a user manual and it's in the thread called PM 1236 FAQ.  There's a preliminary version and an updated version.  Make sure you get the second one.

Here you go.... grab the manuals from Post #13 of this link.   http://www.hobby-machinist.com/show...Q-(Frequently-Asked-Questions)?highlight=1236



Ray




rdfoster said:


> Will:
> Yes Will I was very concerned. I was in the pickup, pulling it so the truck driver could get the liftgat_e up so I didn't see it go over. But since I am a pilot I learned not to get distracted about problems. I immediately got busy trying to get in upright and into the shop. It was a real job but once we got it in the shop on the concrete it was pretty easy to handle. I also have an 1100# winch that I used to pull it into the shop. Then I lifted it off its pallet and onto two 1000# movers dollies into the room I wanted to put it in. Then I assembled the base, lifted the lathe with the engine hoist and slid the base under it. I had already attached the base to the 4x6's for feet. I think it is too short for me anyway.
> Trying to learn what all the dials and levers do and have checked tailstock alignment and ran the break-in procedure that Ray recommended. Right now I'm making a new nut with handle for the top of the QCTP. I don't like using a crescent wrench. I made one for my G0602 and like it very much.
> I hope to learn lots more from you guys on this forum
> ...


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## rdfoster (Apr 29, 2013)

Ray C said:


> Bob,
> 
> I wrote a user manual and it's in the thread called PM 1236 FAQ.  There's a preliminary version and an updated version.  Make sure you get the second one.
> 
> ...


Yes Ray, I downloaded it several days ago and have read it several times. Very good. I do need more information on how to use the D1-4 chuck system. The marks are not very clear on mine. I'll think of more questions as I learn more.

Thanks for writing the manual. It certainly helps.

Bob


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## darkzero (Apr 29, 2013)

rdfoster said:


> Will:
> Yes Will I was very concerned. I was in the pickup, pulling it so the truck driver could get the liftgat_e up so I didn't see it go over. But since I am a pilot I learned not to get distracted about problems. I immediately got busy trying to get in upright and into the shop. It was a real job but once we got it in the shop on the concrete it was pretty easy to handle. I also have an 1100# winch that I used to pull it into the shop. Then I lifted it off its pallet and onto two 1000# movers dollies into the room I wanted to put it in. Then I assembled the base, lifted the lathe with the engine hoist and slid the base under it. I had already attached the base to the 4x6's for feet. I think it is too short for me anyway.
> Trying to learn what all the dials and levers do and have checked tailstock alignment and ran the break-in procedure that Ray recommended. Right now I'm making a new nut with handle for the top of the QCTP. I don't like using a crescent wrench. I made one for my G0602 and like it very much.
> I hope to learn lots more from you guys on this forum
> ...



Bob, great job & good to hear a happy ending!




rdfoster said:


> D1-4 chuck system. The marks are not very clear on mine.



I borrowed this pic from another machinist buddy of mine, different lathe but is a D1-cam lock spindle as well. I didn't have a need to do it to mine but the colored mark makes it real easy to see the position. 









If you meant that the arrow stamps that are on your spindle are not that visible, they aren't that important as long as you know where to set the cam. 12:00 for open, & between 3:00 - 5:00 locked is sufficent. Be sure to check the height of the cam lock studs & adjust as necessary before actually using the chucks & faceplate. The cam lock studs usually have a groove on them. Adjust the groove so it lines up flush with the surface of the backplate, then adjust as needed after checking for proper lock up.

You can also make a mark on you spindle to use as reference for #1 like I did below. But before doing so, look at the tip of the nose at the taper, one of the holes may be marked (red paint on mine) & that might be what the factory used for reference but I'm not for sure. It seemed that way on my lathe. 

And reposition in each hole to check for the lowest runout. I'm sure Ray probably covers all this in his spindle thread. I use a Thomson linear shaft to check for runout, pictured below. The diameter of the shaft is best to be close to the size of the chuck's through hole or you can use about the same size that you will be working with most commonly if that applies. As long as it's thick enough not to deflect easy. I use 1.5" for the lathe & 7/8" for the mill. I also use 1" sometimes as most of what I make is about 1"















rdfoster said:


> Right now I'm making a new nut with handle for the top of the QCTP. I don't like using a crescent wrench. I made one for my G0602 and like it very much.



That will be a great addition. I've seen plenty of people make those & it looks very convenient. I still prefer to just use a wrench that I bought specifically for my SQCTP that sits on the right side of the chip pan at all times. Here it is when everything was brand spanking new.


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## darkzero (Apr 29, 2013)

rdfoster said:


> _4x6's for feet. I think it is too short for me anyway.
> _



I forgot to mention. A good height for the lathe is to have the centerline of the spindle about up to your elbow. This really reduces fatigue so you won't be bending over so far all the time when standing in front of the lathe for hours. This was recommended to me & after I did that I can't believe how much of a difference it made. Then adding a good anti-fatigue mat also makes a world of a difference. I use Wearwell mats for both the lathe & mill. Your feet & back will thank you.


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## tripletap3 (Apr 29, 2013)

Congrats on the new lathe! Glad to have another PM1236 on H-M.


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## Tony Wells (Apr 29, 2013)

Elbow height is about right. Seems so to me anyway. I got stuck running a little Kia-Seiki turret lathe that must have been 8-10 inches low for me. I'm not all that tall, about 6'2", but that thing killed my back. I finally asked to either move off it, or come in and raise it up on blocks. I didn't run it too much after that. It was all metric, so no one liked it, but I did except for the height. It was very, very accurate. Once you translated the drawing to metric, that is. Kind of wish I had it now.


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## Ray C (Apr 30, 2013)

Oh good...  & thanks for the kind words.

Please note the deficient areas (as you did) and post them here so I can address that in the manual.  For now, I'm glad Will posted some good info about the camlocks.

Thanks


Ray



rdfoster said:


> Yes Ray, I downloaded it several days ago and have read it several times. Very good. I do need more information on how to use the D1-4 chuck system. The marks are not very clear on mine. I'll think of more questions as I learn more.
> 
> Thanks for writing the manual. It certainly helps.
> 
> Bob


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## GaryK (Apr 30, 2013)

Bob,

One thing I don't think was mentioned, and that is if you plan on using flood coolant you will want to use some silicone between or around your lathe and chip pan.
An ounce of prevention and all that.

Gary


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## jmh8743 (Apr 30, 2013)

Hey Bob,

see I told you. Great advice, great bunch of people. Man your machine looks great right side up. Hee hee. Your learning curve will be shorter. Take your time. Each one on this thread has helped me. These people are volunteers and very experienced.
mike

matt,
my machine came from Walter Meier. Not you. I wish I had known about you then. There is a very long thread herein describing that odessey. My machine is a good machine; however, ..... Thank you sincerely for your concern.
if you ever need assistance in North Alabama, you can contact me.

mike


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## rdfoster (May 3, 2013)

Another Question: Do our machines need to be grounded at the machine in addition to the ground on the third wire of the power cord?

M flood coolant pump says it runs on 3 phase 220 volts. How does it run on single phase?

Bob


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## qualitymachinetools (May 3, 2013)

Hi Bob,
 The ground on the power cord is all it needs, just be sure its not a Neutral, it has to be a GROUND. (I know they connect back in the electrical box, but I think for the electrical code it is different)

   And the coolant pump runs on 1 phase, I have been trying for years to get them to change that label, but they just add a little capacitor on the pump, and it runs on single phase. So you are good to go there, no problem at all. 

  And Mike, OK I was wondering, I had been looking and searching, and did not remember anything like that. But it happens to all of them sometimes, not much, it seems like I will go a year without a problem, then have them all at one time. 
   I don't know why it is so hard, but trucking companies can be tough sometimes. To me it seems easy enough, but who knows.


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## rdfoster (May 3, 2013)

I was cleaning and lubricating the follow rest and center rest this afternoon and was quite disappointed at the poor workmanship and QC. One of the shafts on the center rest wouldn't let the adjusting screw to go near all the way so I ran a tap through it. It was very tight in fact I thought I might break the tap (brand new) so I put some anti-seize on it to get it all the way through. I put it together to see how large a piece of steel it would handle. One if the shafts would not retract fully into the frame like the other two did, restricting the diameter of the work you could hold. I'm working on a solution now. any suggestions?

Bob


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## Ray C (May 3, 2013)

Can you show a picture of how limited the travel is?  Here's mine fully retracted and another with one leg fully extended.  The mechanism is pretty straightforward but, I'm not sure if you're talking about the locking pin (finger pointed to it) or the adjusting thumbscrew bolt.

If you tried to rethread the barrel well, blind holes are always a dicey proposition but, if yours is not opening up anywhere near mine then, you can see that in the fully extended case, the bolt is obviously quite long.  It extends to an unusable degree.  That being the case, you could just shorten the bolt a tiny bit and it will still have enough extension and retraction range.  I'd give Matt a call and I suspect he'll set it straight if the issue is beyond that simple fix.

Mine appears to be able to accommodate a 3" diameter shaft (approximately).  A 3" diameter shaft long enough to utilize the full length of the bed will not require a center rest (not only that it will weigh about 100 lbs as does the one in this picture) -much less a shorter shaft that diameter.  Same goes for tubing or pipe... It's rigid enough to work on w/o a rest.  There's a pic of a 3" dia shaft... you won't have any problems carving on it w/o a rest.  It will bend the tool or break the compound long before it bends.  A max cut at 50 thou DOC which is about as deep a cut as anyone would consider on a lathe like this won't make 3" bend at all.

BTW:  I need to use rests a good bit and when I do, I made this one for the task.  The roller bearings are much better.


Ray


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## darkzero (May 3, 2013)

Nice work Ray! I haven't used my steady rest yet but I have used the follow rest a number of times & it worked perfectly fine. I knew I wanted a roller setup after using the follow rest a couple of times. Thought about modifying mine but I decided that I'm just going to order the one for the G4003G. Hope Matt doesn't read this, please forgive me. :bitingnails:


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## Ray C (May 3, 2013)

I think you'll be forgiven...  BTW, I spoke to Matt today; he's finally got some breathing room.  He too wants to know you you keep your machines so beautifully clean.  Wish I had that kind of discipline.

Also, forgot to mention that center rests are usually only used to drill the center hole in a shaft.  I personally have only used it a couple times to hold a cat's head and the rest is for center drilling.  I guess there are cases though (really long lathe beds) where center rests are used while cutting.

Ray





darkzero said:


> Nice work Ray! I haven't used my steady rest yet but I have used the follow rest a number of times & it worked perfectly fine. I knew I wanted a roller setup after using the follow rest a couple of times. Thought about modifying mine but I decided that I'm just going to order the one for the G4003G. Hope Matt doesn't read this, please forgive me. :bitingnails:


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## jmh8743 (May 4, 2013)

Hey guys, Mike here,
i know I'm in the wrong thread, but.. The steady shown is made identical to mine. Boring requires one to prevent chatter. The SR provided with my machine followers do not meet by a substantial amount, probably 300 thou. Someone could sell these things. The one I have, and it's replacement are boat anchors. It appears any repair would not be feasible. Raining here, all day. Tnx Matt for your comments meant what I said.
:roflmao:


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## tripletap3 (May 4, 2013)

rdfoster said:


> I was cleaning and lubricating the follow rest and center rest this afternoon and was quite disappointed at the poor workmanship and QC. One of the shafts on the center rest wouldn't let the adjusting screw to go near all the way so I ran a tap through it. It was very tight in fact I thought I might break the tap (brand new) so I put some anti-seize on it to get it all the way through. I put it together to see how large a piece of steel it would handle. One if the shafts would not retract fully into the frame like the other two did, restricting the diameter of the work you could hold. I'm working on a solution now. any suggestions?
> 
> Bob



I ended up with the same issue about a month ago when I went to use the steady rest for the first time. It was a late evening project boring a 2.5" x 6" round bar when I found one of the fingers wouldn't retract far enough in to allow the part through. All three fingers were the same length and unlike yours they were threading all the way through so that wasn't the problem. It looks like the steady rest was cast incorrectly and not in a circle making one finger closer to the center line. (Sorry, I am not sure if that makes sense.) I was able to correct it at that time by shortening one finger by about 1/2" . The only down side I see to my fix is that it now doesn't fully meet the others in the middle. Looks like it would only be a problem if I was going to turn anything in the steady rest that was under 1/4" dia. I don’t think there is much chance of that.


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## Ray C (May 4, 2013)

All,

Well, I decided the first prop shaft this AM would use the CR that came with the lathe.  I prefer mine with rollers and quite frankly don't know how people can stand using them with brass tips.  Anyhow, I took a closer look at the legs and you could easily convert it to rollers if you wanted to.  Just replace the brass tips with a stud that holds a bearing.

Finally, on mine, the reason some of them appear not to extract all the way  (about 1/8" difference in total travel over ~2 inches, is because the tip of the thumb bolt hits the back side of the brass tip.  That's the end of travel.   All of them are equal and uniform and look really well made.  The circular casting is not a precision cast and has unevenness and it gives a visual appearance of un-symmetry.  I guess a Hardinge doesn't have that problem -but they don't cost under 3 grand either.

BTW:  I was wrong... that's not a blind hole, it's a recessed cavity that's threaded about 1/2" inch on the ends.  Cleaning up with a tap should have been trivial.  Do realize, that's not a 3/8 x 24.  It's a 10mm x 1.0.  They are frequently mistaken for each other.

Ray


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## rdfoster (May 4, 2013)

I fixed it by turning 1/8" off the top finger and it works OK. Another thing that happened when I was lubricating the compound slide the two closest to the QCTP pushed in about 1/4" inch. Will this hurt anything or should I try to take the compound slide apart and push them back to the surface? How would I make them stay there?

Bob


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## Ray C (May 4, 2013)

Bob,

Yes, unfortunately, that's happened to one of mine too.  I have a love/hate relationship with those BB-valves.  Anyhow, I found a source for them that have a small shoulder like a 22 rimfire cartridge.  I'm knee deep in the shop right now and have a walk-in guy waiting on me.  I'll post the source for those or, possibly if I can find my box of 25 of them will just send you some.  Sit tight for a few hours...


Ray




rdfoster said:


> I fixed it by turning 1/8" off the top finger and it works OK. Another thing that happened when I was lubricating the compound slide the two closest to the QCTP pushed in about 1/4" inch. Will this hurt anything or should I try to take the compound slide apart and push them back to the surface? How would I make them stay there?
> 
> Bob


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## Ray C (May 4, 2013)

Here you go.  I got them from this place:  http://www.devcocorp.com/gits.htm
Download the PDF catalog and they're GB style a few pages down.  

I have 15 left and can spare you a couple.  I havent replaced all the ones in my lathe yet and need a couple for a Mill mod that I'd like to get to one of these days.   To get the old ones out, twist in a wood screw and tug on it.

 PM offline.

Until you get them replaced, keep swarf out of there by twisting in a piece of paper towel etc.  It won't hurt anything if they sink in.  The ball is most likely jammed in the middle of the spring. Only take things apart if you dont get the ball out when you remove it.

Ray


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## rdfoster (May 4, 2013)

Here is a prototype of the new fingers I'm making for my rests. Not complete yet but it works.
	

		
			
		

		
	





Bob


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## Ray C (May 4, 2013)

Very nice Bob...  What are you using for a bearing sleeve?  Make a shoulder bolt if you can.  The ID of those 25mm bearings is about 5/16 if memory servers and there's not much room for a bushing.


Ray


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## slingshot (May 4, 2013)

BOB 

I had the same thing happen to my compound bb oilier.I was curios to what kind of shape your back plates are in? I know I had to true mine up starting with the spindle,I got my 4 jaw back plate trued up today so now I can true up my 3 jaw back plate.Have you tried your face plate yet?I was wondering if your taper was undersized?




JB


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## rdfoster (May 4, 2013)

I trued up my faceplate a couple of days ago. It was only off a few thou. The 3 jaw seems to be OK so far. I haven't checked the 4 jaw.

- - - Updated - - -



Ray C said:


> Very nice Bob...  What are you using for a bearing sleeve?  Make a shoulder bolt if you can.  The ID of those 25mm bearings is about 5/16 if memory servers and there's not much room for a bushing.
> 
> 
> Ray



Ray: I just used some bearings I took out of an old laser printer. I don't know what you mean by a bearing sleeve. The bearing I used has a 1/4" shaft hole so for now I just used a 1/4" set screw for the bearing shaft.

Bob


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## Ray C (May 4, 2013)

Bob,

Those threads are up against the hard steel of the bearing (most likely a 400 series stainless steel) and have a candle's chance in a rainstorm of lasting very long.  Once they peen, the inner race of the bearing will want to climb around in circles and will cause you problems -especially if you use the CR with a cats head (when is when you need precision).  For centering a shaft, probably not a show stopper.  Here's a pic of a shoulder bolt.  You want the inner race a snug fit on the shoulder.  A bearing sleeve is what you'd put between the threads of a normal bolt and the inner race if for some reason, you could not employ a shoulder bolt.   The sleeve would be threaded to fit the screw.  It would "approximate" the shoulder bolt once constructed.  -It's still a compromise. -not ideal.










Both the 3J and 4J are pretty decent.  They're the same as the house  version of Shars brand and I just bought a 6" 4J from them.  When you  spin those chucks up to test them.  Close the jaws (for safety) and  spin-up from slow to fast.

Ray





rdfoster said:


> I trued up my faceplate a couple of days ago. It was only off a few thou. The 3 jaw seems to be OK so far. I haven't checked the 4 jaw.
> 
> - - - Updated - - -
> 
> ...


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## Tony Wells (May 4, 2013)

If I may make a suggestion. On the threaded side of the slot in your "finger", tap it for the shoulder bolt threads, but counterbore it about 0.050 or so to fit closely on the shoulder to gain support on that side of the bearing slot. On the other side, bore it through the same size as the counterbore. You could just ream it to full calculated depth before milling the bearing slot even. Probably a good way to ensure alignment  on both sides of the slot. Then counterbore it generously to clear the shoulder bolt head, but do a little math and make sure the shoulder bolt bottoms out on the shallow counterbore on the "far" side. That way, you can tighten it properly without collapsing the slot at all and risk pinching the bearing. Those shoulder bolt have a ground OD on the shoulder area and are normally nominal to -0.002 in size and can be had in metric as well if needed to fit the bearing. Also known as stripper bolts, as they are used in punch press work to hold the stripper plate in place.


BTW, Ray, most ball bearing races are made of E52100 I believe. I've ground a few of them as specials for customers. But also have machined larger thrust bearings that were carburized and hard-turned after HT. They were 8620.


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## Ray C (May 4, 2013)

Thanks Tony about the bearing material... I was under the impression that the "roller skate" bearings were just 400 series SS...  Anyhow...

Another thought about constructing a fork to hold a bearing, is to drill the holes first before you mill the slot.  If mill first, pressure from the drill bit might actually bend the "tongs" of the fork.  (ask me how I know this... :-  I got to make that part twice that day.  Practice makes perfect)).


Ray


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## rdfoster (May 6, 2013)

Never had so smooth a finish. I first thought this steel was a piece of junk. I tried to turn it and it chattered and looked like crap. I don't know what I did differently but I think the finish is very good.



Bob


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## itsme_Bernie (May 6, 2013)

rdfoster said:


> Never had so smooth a finish. I first thought this steel was a piece of junk. I tried to turn it and it chattered and looked like crap. I don't know what I did differently but I think the finish is very good.
> View attachment 53183
> 
> 
> Bob



Bob!

That's an incredible finish!  What DID you do?  


Bernie


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## pdentrem (May 6, 2013)

Nothing wrong in that cut. The part is supported at both ends. Tools is not sticking out too far and the feed must be just right.


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## Ray C (May 6, 2013)

On the very first cut that you weren't happy with, was it a virgin piece of steel possibly with some scale on it?  Even if it didn't have scale, steel that's been exposed for a long time will get a "skin" on it.  Metal is a lot more porous than you might think and chemical reactions take place at the outer layer immediately upon manufacture and continues for years.  Anyhow, once you nibble that layer off, you get to the nice juicy center...

Looks nice.  Good cut.


Ray


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## rdfoster (May 6, 2013)

I think you hit the nail on the head Ray. It had been galvanized. I saw it in my neighbors salvage yard while I was talking to him and asked if I could have it. He suggested another piece that wasn't galvanized but I wanted to try it so I took this one. By the way he says I can have anything I want just for keeping an eye on the place for him.
There sure is a lot of stuff to learn about this stuff.
By the way I was using a 1/2" HF carbide bit that I reground. Turning at 330 RPM .015th deep at .006 per RPM. Picture was taken while turning.

Thanks for your comments:

Bob  )


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## Ray C (May 6, 2013)

I get a lot mileage out of those HF carbide bits.  I saw it in your toolpost.  You can't mistake that color.

330 RPM is a bit slow for a shaft that diameter -but if you get finishes like that, who am I to say.

You want to watch-out when machining galvanized materials.  -Especially welding or anything that heats it up enough to smoke or cook off.  It's loaded with zinc which can get airborn and put you in the hospital with severe lung inflammation, dizzines and vomiting etc...  This is a commonly known issue -and now you know it too.  Even though zinc is a dietary element, it's problematic in high concentrations.  One good snort is way more than your body knows what to do with.

In general, be careful working on anything that's painted or has any kind of coating on it.


Ray


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## qualitymachinetools (May 10, 2013)

Good point there Ray, I was 14 and playing around with my grandfathers old welder that I found in his barn from the 40's or 50's with carbon arc torches. And I found some water pipe and decided to play around with it. I just remember I had a heck of a sore throat for about 2-3 days. Never had a problem machining it, but that could also happen I'm sure. 
 I used to work in a place where I deburred these aluminum parts that looked like egg trays with a very small hand held belt sander. And always had a runny nose and sore throat after doing it. And sandblasting without ear plugs or a respirator. And painting too.


 So just be sure to be careful, but looks great!


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