# My version of a stand for the PM1340GT lathe.



## sanddan (Jun 17, 2017)

Back when I first got my PM1340GT lathe I had some issues with the factory stand. The mounting plates were a little too flexible allowing some vibrations to magnify causing the lathe to shimmy. I also wished there was more usable storage than the factory stand provided. At that point I decided to build my own stand that would address both issues.








I designed the stand around a Harbor Freight 44" top box as it was a good height and width and I already have the bottom box and am impressed with the quality. I chose to remove the lid and trim the flange so the box would have a close fit and look "built in".












The main tubes are 2" square, I used .125" wall but thicker wall tubing would add more mass. Either works fine. I also used some 1" sq tubing and angle for mounts. The skin is 12 gage and I did mine flush so I could blend the welds and finish them for paint. I wanted a "one piece" look, it ended up adding a lot of labor but looks cool. The two mount plates that the lathe bolts to are .500" P&O that are laser cut to ensure best flatness. The first 2 I got were sheared, they looked like a potato chip, so I tried laser cut and they were very flat.












The idea with this design is to create as flat a mounting surface as possible considering it will be as welded and not machined. To reduce warp due to welding the main frame is fully tacked up before welding. The two mount plates aren't mounted until all of the other welding is completed. I used tubing to align the 2 mount plates and then did several 1" welds to secure them. I added 2x2 angle to support the tool box and added a shelf.

I setup the ends first, then added in the long sections making sure it was as square as I could make it.



























I metal finished and smoothed the joints with body filler to get the smooth, seamless look and then finished up with a single stage urethane paint job.











Here it is with the lathe mounted.







Member bss1 has some very nice additions that he did on his version, please check it out.

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/another-pm1340gt-build.52267/



I've attached prints for the major components and a cut list for the tubing.


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## .LMS. (Jun 17, 2017)

Allow me to be the first to say - that's really beautiful.


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## tweinke (Jun 17, 2017)

.LMS. said:


> Allow me to be the first to say - that's really beautiful.



And I will second that!


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## AirWolf (Jun 18, 2017)

Very Nice!  Excellent craftsmanship!


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## Silverbullet (Jun 18, 2017)

Very nice , really won't shimmy with that foundation. Good luck


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## sanddan (Jun 18, 2017)

Thanks everyone for the comments. I had several people asking for the drawings and/or dimensions for my stand so thought starting a thread would be the best way to share them. 

One question I got was, "Where did I get the mounting plates?".  I used BBC Steel located in Canby, they will laser cut anything you want based on drawings or cad files. The nice thing about laser cutting is they have to use P&O steel (pickled and oiled) which doesn't have the mill scale of hot rolled. Laser gives you a flat part with crisp, clean edges and holes. The holes could be drilled but they are basically free when the profile is laser cut so it is a time saver. Most larger cities in the US will have a major steel supplier, just call around your area.

An alternative look, which would also be a lot less labor,  would be to setup the filler plates flush with the tubing and only weld on the inside. Less weld would be needed and it would leave the laser cut edge as a nice detail to the design. Finish work would be much easier.


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## [X]Outlaw (Jun 18, 2017)

Very very nice! Sweet craftsmanship!


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## bss1 (Jun 18, 2017)

I can vouch for the accuracy of Dan's plans . Thanks for posting them here as they are a great asset to anyone wanting to build their own stand for the 1340 GT. 

My local steel supplier offered water jet services so I let them water jet cut my mounting plates. They turned out very true to the measurements.  The only downside was a bit of surface rust which was easily removed.  


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## RandyM (Jun 19, 2017)

Well done!


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## sanddan (Jun 20, 2017)

bss1 said:


> My local steel supplier offered water jet services so I let them water jet cut my mounting plates. They turned out very true to the measurements.  The only downside was a bit of surface rust which was easily removed.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk



Quality and accuracy of cut rating:
1. Water Jet
2. Laser
3. Plasma
4. Torch
5. Beaver

In my case, if I use a torch it looks like a beaver did it.


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## wrmiller (Jun 20, 2017)

If I had the money, I'd pay someone to make me a stand like that. Too cool!


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## qualitymachinetools (Jun 22, 2017)

Looks Great!


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## sanddan (Jun 27, 2017)

wrmiller said:


> If I had the money, I'd pay someone to make me a stand like that. Too cool!



If you were closer, I'd help you make it. 

The fab part was fun, the paint part was only work.


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