# One shot lubricator PM1340GT quick change gears (photo heavy)



## Alan H. (Aug 20, 2017)

I installed a “one-shot” lubricator for the quick change gears on my PM1340GT lathe.  Others have done this upgrade as well and mine is just another example of how it can be done.  A couple of my buddies that have plowed this ground before were extremely helpful in sharing their insights with me.

Here are a  couple of photos of the finished install:












Some of the details:

I used a ½” round brass manifold with 1/8” OD (1/16” ID) copper tubing distributors.  These small distributors were threaded and fit into the manifold.  The pump I used is a Trico PM2000 which is an 8cc pump.  I used 3/16” ID Tygon tubing from the pump to the manifold.

One challenge was to adapt the pump to the Tygon tubing.  I made the tubing adapter for the discharge of the pump.  It is an 8 mm -1  male to 3/16” hose barb.

The ½” OD manifold was through drilled to ¼” ID and the end was closed by solder sweating a brass plug into it and then machining it flush.   The manifold was drilled and tapped with #6 -32 holes for the distributor tubes.   The tubes/pipettes were threaded to secure them to the manifold and were different lengths to feed the oil ports on the distributor.  The manifold is held in place with a brass clip.

The Trico PM2000 pump and custom fitting:


The fitting I made along with the HSS tool I ground to make the barb end:



Tapping the manifold for the distributors:



Manifold parts ready for assembly:



Tubes threaded into the manifold:



My goal with the concept I used was to be able to see how this system works and make any adjustments as necessary.  I am satisfied with the outcome.  The purpose of the attached video is for you to see how the pumping action works:






My hope is this thread may help others who might want to do such an upgrade.  Therefore I am hoping other folks who have done an upgrade like this may share their work on this thread as well.


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## Silverbullet (Aug 20, 2017)

What do you with excess oil in it? Or do you have a drain to recycle the oil  Good to oil them well , looks like a good idea , think you could use tubing from the pipettes to some of the bearing ones for better lube to them instead of just gravity. More I think about it I'm gonna try it on my old logan and my enco mill which I had been going to do.


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## Alan H. (Aug 20, 2017)

I have a catch pan to catch the oil. I personally throw it away.  I'm switching oils soon to a more expensive one and I may begin to filter it and recycle as well.
I believe the ports on the PM1340  will adequately oil everything as long as you are getting oil to them.


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## davidpbest (Aug 21, 2017)

Hey Alan, that looks super.   Not at all what I expected given our prior correspondence.   It's always interesting to me to see the different approaches people take to solving problems.   Frankly, I had no idea you were as good a plumber as a machinist - live and learn.     Your approach is certainly a lot more straight forward that my implementation (which is documented here if anyone is interested).    Very nice job.   I like the see-through supply hose from the pump - on mine, I have to wait 15 minutes to see oil drip off the gears to know it's really done something.


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## [X]Outlaw (Aug 21, 2017)

Great write up and video Alan. This is something that I'm going to be implementing on my 1340GT as well. All the great details provided by yourself, David and Mark makes it pretty straight forward.


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## Alan H. (Aug 21, 2017)

davidpbest said:


> Hey Alan, that looks super.   Not at all what I expected given our prior correspondence.   It's always interesting to me to see the different approaches people take to solving problems.   Frankly, I had no idea you were as good a plumber as a machinist - live and learn.     Your approach is certainly a lot more straight forward that my implementation (which is documented here if anyone is interested).    Very nice job.   I like the see-through supply hose from the pump - on mine, I have to wait 15 minutes to see oil drip off the gears to know it's really done something.



David, I think your approach is far more sophisticated than mine and I actually bought the plate and some tooling to implement it.  At the 11th hour I decided to do it this way as a bit of a test so I could observe the behaviour of it and resize the orifices if necessary.  I decided on Tygon so I could see what is going on with air bubbles, etc.  My test turned okay so I plan on leaving it as is.   Your coaching and the details of your system were invaluable to me in terms of sizing the orifices and getting the details of a pump worked out.

Thanks for providing the link to your system on this thread for others.   The concept and detail of your work along with the documentation you have provided is your usual gold standard.



[X]Outlaw said:


> Great write up and video Alan. This is something that I'm going to be implementing on my 1340GT as well. All the great details provided by yourself, David and Mark makes it pretty straight forward.



Great, this is the purpose of this thread.  David and Mark (and others?) have plowed this ground before me and my hope is to get it in one thread as a resource.  Then folks can come up with the solution they like and that fits the machining capacity they have in their shop.

The not so straightforward part are the fittings and hose for the one shot pumps.  David coached me through that and that's how I discovered that the connection is 8 mm -1.  The Trico specs are confusing in that regard and I am betting the specs on the other pumps out there are no better.  Good luck on deciding which approach you will take.


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## J Bennett (Aug 21, 2017)

Alan,
Great looking job. Thanks for posting.
James


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## Rich V (Aug 21, 2017)

Nice job.
Would addition of fabric/sponge pad help to distribute the oil and allow for slower & more prolonged oil drip?


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## Alan H. (Aug 21, 2017)

Rich, 
There is a piece of gauze in there from the factory.  I have assumed it is primarily there as a filter to keep debris out of the ports.  It will naturally impede flow and cause the oil to distribute a bit.  When I put the new manifold in I put a new piece of cotton gauze in there.   Here it is dry before it was fit a bit better and then oiled.




Perhaps a oil resistant sponge or thicker fabric would eliminate the need for the manifold altogether??  

My goal was to confirm that all the ports are getting adequate lubrication, particularly the ones for the bearings as mentioned in the video.


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## Rich V (Aug 22, 2017)

Alan,
I like the idea of using a manifold & 1shot for this I just think that adding a sponge/pad would help a bit more. What you have now looks like a winner.


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## szenieh (Dec 26, 2020)

Hello Alan,

I am right now in the process of making my own gearbox lubrication manifold. I am curious as to how you drilled 8 1/4" deep hole into the 1/2" brass bar. Any machining and setup hints to make this go smoothly? 

Also, I tried threading my copper tubing- it's 4mm OD but I managed to thread it #8-32. The thread is weak and could easily break. Any hints on your procedure for threading the copper tubing are welcome.

Thanks,

Salah


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## mksj (Dec 26, 2020)

Haven't seen Alan post anything for quite awhile. You can buy brass tubing or steel tubing, previously I drilled some square aluminum stock in the lathe and used an aircraft drill from both end and then made a plug for one end. Last one I made for someone else I used heavy wall steel tubing I purchased from ACE Hardware and tapped one end with an 1/8" NPT tap and made a plug on the other end. I cut the 4 mm tubing using a wire stripper cutters <> and the ream the end. Drill the holes, put a bar through it and then place the segments into the tube and I just use some metal epoxy to hold them in place. Then glue in the plug at the end.

Plder post. https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/pm1340gt-gearbox-pump-oiler-system.37284/#post-507751


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## szenieh (Dec 26, 2020)

Thanks for the info Mark- much appreciated.

Best,

Salah


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## Larry$ (Dec 26, 2020)

Interesting. I didn't realize that open gears were still used. PM1440HD has an enclosed gearbox with the gears running in oil. Good idea but it leaks some. Has a site glass.


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## davidpbest (Dec 26, 2020)

szenieh said:


> Thanks for the info Mark- much appreciated.
> 
> *This might be easier.* I'm more into machining things than being a plumber.


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## 7milesup (Dec 26, 2020)

I would think brake line(s) would be a possibility? Silver solder would be a go-to for me if I was going that route.


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## .LMS. (Dec 26, 2020)

Lots of people smarter and more skilled than me have designed and shown their solutions, but I still have to ask this...

Given most folks are going through the effort of making manifolds with multiple tubes, and bending and aligning tubes to optimize oil distribution _*in the tray*_, why not just make one tube off the manifold per tray hole, insert the tubes into the holes to guarantee distribution down into the gears and bearings below?


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## 7milesup (Dec 26, 2020)

.LMS. said:


> Lots of people smarter and more skilled than me have designed and shown their solutions, but I still have to ask this...
> 
> Given most folks are going through the effort of making manifolds with multiple tubes, and bending and aligning tubes to optimize oil distribution _*in the tray*_, why not just make one tube off the manifold per tray hole, insert the tubes into the holes to guarantee distribution down into the gears and bearings below?



I am thinking that the holes allow the oil to drip, thereby increasing the time frame between refill.  If the tubes were placed in the holes, the oil would just squirt down onto the gears and shortly thereafter you would have to do it again.
I am just thinking out loud here.  I don't own that particular lathe.


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## szenieh (Dec 26, 2020)

Thanks for chiming in David. Yours is a work of art, but I am not sure I would call it "easier" 

My original question was related to deep hole drilling of 8.5", in my case, of a round 3/4" C360 brass. It is a challenging machining task. The best guideline I found on YouTube was this:






Joe Pieczynski is a talented machinist and he gives nice tips in this video. He's only drilling 4" (granted in stainless steel), but still, the measures he goes to in order to ensure straightness and concentricity of the drilled hole are noteworthy. You can skip to minute 17:00 if you wish to avoid the board explanation; it is a bit convoluted but informative none the less should you choose to watch that also.


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## mksj (Dec 26, 2020)

You would need a lot more tubes and metering valves, in addition one could not bend the tubes to go into the holes as there is a cover plate that goes on top and then the switch panel. A couple of other things to note, the standard oil port is on the right (chuck) side, you need to pump a large volume to flood the plate so all the holes would get oil. The lathe comes with heavy packing grease on the gears and also may cover the exit of some of the drip holes, so clean off the packing grease and also use an oil can to pump oil through each of the holes to make sure they are clear. A few of the oil holes lubricate the bearings, make sure they are getting the oil. There is is a cloth mesh over the holes, this helps in slowing the flow of oil through the holes and also distribution, do not remove it.

The design with a rear manifold and a bunch of segment tubes is easy and quick to make,  as opposed to making a large plate style replacement manifold. I have used 4mm bejur tubing because it was what I had, but an easier solution may be to use a brass tube or square manifold with small copper tubing feed tubes and just solder each feeder tube to the brass manifold. Tapping each feeder tube would be a real PTA. I had a metal drip pan under the gears to collect the oil that dripped down off the gears.

Manifold with feeder tubes gives very even oil distribution with about 8 cc of oil, I typically used two lever pumps.





Top cover plate limits size and height placement of the tubes, so it fits back in and separates the switch compartment.


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## szenieh (Dec 26, 2020)

7milesup said:


> I am thinking that the holes allow the oil to drip, thereby increasing the time frame between refill.  If the tubes were placed in the holes, the oil would just squirt down onto the gears and shortly thereafter you would have to do it again.
> I am just thinking out loud here.  I don't own that particular lathe.



I agree with you. When I was testing the oiling ports, the oil drips through them really fast requiring frequent refills. The piece of cloth on top of the gearbox helps slow this down- sort of a "metering" effect. 

Salah


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## szenieh (Dec 26, 2020)

.LMS. said:


> Lots of people smarter and more skilled than me have designed and shown their solutions, but I still have to ask this...
> 
> Given most folks are going through the effort of making manifolds with multiple tubes, and bending and aligning tubes to optimize oil distribution _*in the tray*_, why not just make one tube off the manifold per tray hole, insert the tubes into the holes to guarantee distribution down into the gears and bearings below?



Please see my reply to 7milesup on the rate of oil discharge through these holes. When I was testing my gearbox, I put it on the milling machine and drilled 5 more holes on that top side of the housing. If you watch closely, you'll find that some gears won't get oil in certain positions with the current holes' arrangement. I will post photos once I complete the "pluming" of the manifold.


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## szenieh (Dec 26, 2020)

mksj said:


> You would need a lot more tubes and metering valves, in addition one could not bend the tubes to go into the holes as there is a cover plate that goes on top and then the switch panel. A couple of other things to note, the standard oil port is on the right (chuck) side, you need to pump a large volume to flood the plate so all the holes would get oil. The lathe comes with heavy packing grease on the gears and also may cover the exit of some of the drip holes, so clean off the packing grease and also use an oil can to pump oil through each of the holes to make sure they are clear. A few of the oil holes lubricate the bearings, make sure they are getting the oil. There is is a cloth mesh over the holes, this helps in slowing the flow of oil through the holes and also distribution, do not remove it.
> 
> The design with a rear manifold and a bunch of segment tubes is easy and quick to make,  as opposed to making a large plate style replacement manifold. I have used 4mm bejur tubing because it was what I had, but an easier solution may be to use a brass tube or square manifold with small copper tubing feed tubes and just solder each feeder tube to the brass manifold. Tapping each feeder tube would be a real PTA. I had a metal drip pan under the gears to collect the oil that dripped down off the gears.
> 
> ...



Fully agree with Mark on all his points. It was a PITA to die-thread copper tubing. I have 4mm OD tubing that are too soft to cut a thread into. I was able to thread them #8-32 instead of M4. I did this by running a #10-32 die first and followed it up with #8-32. I did use a nail through the ID to act as a mandrel and clamped the tube in a vice with a V-shaped jaws. It is too much hassle and the threaded tube is too weak to withstand articulation as one manipulates the tubes into position even if you sweat them with solder. I abandoned this approach. Here's what I am trying--







This is a one-port mock-up just to test it. The holes are tapped #8-32. The polyurethane 4mm OD tube self-taps into threads quite easily. What I need to test next is how well I can position these tubes into the orientation I want. It avoids the mess with the epoxy and makes for a nicely sealed joint.






If you look closely at the above photo, you will see the tube slightly protruding past the internal wall. One can run a long aircraft drill to trim the tubes flush with the ID once all are installed.

I closed off the end of the manifold with 1/8" NPT plug. The feed end is using a 1/8" NPT to a 3/8" OD pneumatic tube. The same connector is used at the pump end. Here's the McMaster-CARR component I ordered for that connection-  7397N55.

Salah


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## szenieh (Dec 26, 2020)

.LMS. said:


> Lots of people smarter and more skilled than me have designed and shown their solutions, but I still have to ask this...
> 
> Given most folks are going through the effort of making manifolds with multiple tubes, and bending and aligning tubes to optimize oil distribution _*in the tray*_, why not just make one tube off the manifold per tray hole, insert the tubes into the holes to guarantee distribution down into the gears and bearings below?



As a follow up to your question, there are two holes that are connected to tubes running inside the gearbox to oil-feed two shaft bushings inside the gearbox. There is one in the far corner towards the chuck supplying the carriage feed shaft and another one in the front middle of the tray feeding another bushing. These are in tight corner and the internal tubing nearly reaches the top preventing the insertion of another tube into both holes (this may be not clear as it is wordy). But the main reason is "metering" as Mark mentioned. As I added 5 more holes on mine, the total number of holes is 21. That's just too many tubes


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## davidpbest (Dec 26, 2020)

szenieh said:


> Thanks for chiming in David. Yours is a work of art, but I am not sure I would call it "easier"
> 
> My original question was related to deep hole drilling of 8.5", in my case, of a round 3/4" C360 brass. It is a challenging machining task. The best guideline I found on YouTube was this:
> 
> ...


Joe is just copying the same technique I've used for years when deep drilling stainless.  He does make some informative videos if you can tolerate his pedantic and misogynistic nature.  I still think a new drip tray is a lot easier to make than some of the plumbing manifolds I've seen posted on here (sorry Mark).  To each their own.

Alan was originally thinking he would copy my design, so I sent him the attached.  Like others here, I guess he figured he was better at plumbing than machining.   LOL


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## szenieh (Dec 26, 2020)

davidpbest said:


> Joe is just copying the same technique I've used for years when deep drilling stainless.  He does make some informative videos if you can tolerate his pedantic and misogynistic nature.  I still think a new drip tray is a lot easier to make than some of the plumbing manifolds I've seen posted on here (sorry Mark).  To each their own.
> 
> Alan was originally thinking he would copy my design, so I sent him the attached.  Like others here, I guess he figured he was better at plumbing than machining.   LOL



Thanks for sharing the attachment. You got me thinking about your approach more seriously. I may reconsider. 

As for your comment on Joe's videos, I generally try to only focus on the techniques that he's sharing. I see what you mean about Joe's pedantic approach especially when he's on the white board.  None the less, it is a blessing that we have this positive aspect to the internet where this level of sharing is even possible.


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## Larry$ (Dec 26, 2020)

Given some of the dumb comments Joe gets, I can understand why he goes into very long explanations. He does seem to have a lot of ego, deservedly I think. He spends quite a lot of effort to pass along his knowledge. You can see that he has thought through his presentation ahead of time. There are other channels out there for people that dislike his approach. Steffan G. & Robin have excellent presentations.


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## davidpbest (Dec 26, 2020)

I get a lot more out of *Stefan Gotteswinter* and *Robin Renzetti* than I do from Joe.  Also *Keith Fenner* and  *Peter Stanton*.


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## mksj (Dec 26, 2020)

David we agree to disagree. Not sure why one would want to spend so much time and money making a complicated manifold out of a solid block of aluminum with all that machining, drilling and tapping, I see no reason to waste so much time when all you need is something functional and inexpensive. I have made several 1340GT oil distribution systems with tube manifolds, you can buy 0.5" 0.065" wall brass tubing for about $10, and some 1/8 brass or copper tubing for about $5. Tap one end of the manifold tube with an 1/8" NPT thread, cap the other, drill a few holes and solder the distribution pipes in and you are done. You do not need a distribution tube for each hole in the drip plate, you can easily see that a single distribution pipes provide oil to several drip holes.  Alan's video shows the oil distribution with the tube manifold with the distribution pipes and it worked very well. I believe in the KISS approach to things that need to be functional.


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## xr650rRider (Dec 27, 2020)

KISS, my PM-1340GT which has seen near daily use for > 1 year, still works fine with 2 or 3 squirts of way oil from oil can once per day into the original port.  I am going to put a 1 shot oiler on it (lipstick) with "plumbing" distribution manifold for perceived convenience.


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## .LMS. (Dec 27, 2020)

davidpbest said:


> ... if you can tolerate his pedantic and *misogynistic* nature.



Interesting - I watch his videos and I get a lot out of them (perhaps because I am a beginner), but I never saw this.


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## davidpbest (Dec 28, 2020)

mksj said:


> Not sure why one would want to spend so much time and money making a complicated manifold out of a solid block of aluminum with all that machining, drilling and tapping, I see no reason to waste so much time when all you need is something functional and inexpensive.



We each have our own orientation in pursuing a craft such as this. For me, this is a journey of continuous learning, problem-solving, and perfecting skills. Taking the KISS approach often does little to enhance those aspects.  

I am often equally baffled why someone pursuing a hobby or craft would consistently take the cheap and expedient path.  In so doing, they miss an opportunity to experiment, grow, learn, and be rewarded with the immense gratification of tackling and succeeding at something previously beyond their grasp.  In my avocational pursuits, faced with something easy and something challenging, I will consistently pick the latter. To do otherwise is a shortcut with hollow reward and bypasses the chance to do something exceptional.

Perhaps, as the acronym KISS suggests, that renders me “stupid” in the minds of others.  So be it.  I do as much as I can to live up to my surname and rarely succeed.  This path is not always easy or expedient, but despite the hardships, frustrations, and occasional disparaging remarks, I’m better for it.   Paraphrasing one individual with greater determination than my own, “We do it not because it is easy, but because it is hard.”  This, I believe, is the source of enhanced achievement. 

As I said in an earlier post, to each their own.


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## szenieh (Dec 28, 2020)

davidpbest said:


> We each have our own orientation in pursuing a craft such as this. For me, this is a journey of continuous learning, problem-solving, and perfecting skills. Taking the KISS approach often does little to enhance those aspects.
> 
> I am often equally baffled why someone pursuing a hobby or craft would consistently take the cheap and expedient path.  In so doing, they miss an opportunity to experiment, grow, learn, and be rewarded with the immense gratification of tackling and succeeding at something previously beyond their grasp.  In my avocational pursuits, faced with something easy and something challenging, I will consistently pick the latter. To do otherwise is a shortcut with hollow reward and bypasses the chance to do something exceptional.
> 
> ...



Very well said David. I salute your approach to the pursuit of skill-building and learning.  I would even dare to say, it is one of the secrets to success in vocational/professional as well as "avocational" practices. This reminds me of this stanza by Robert Frost-

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Here's a link to the full poem- it is titled "The Road Less Taken". https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/44272/the-road-not-taken. 

Your motivation and reasons are admirable and noteworthy- I understand.

Salah


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## Larry$ (Dec 28, 2020)

Which path? Depends, KISS to get to the pigs ear so I can admire more silk purses. 
A jig for a one-off, KISS. A home made machine, likely aesthetics considered. 
Work for a customer, better than what they expected. 
Depends!


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## xr650rRider (Dec 28, 2020)

I feel a lot of us receive our new lathes/mills and are reading about every perceived weakness.  So there is a project list before you really start using the lathe.  So KISS can simply mean, what needs to be done to make it functional and extend the life of the machine.  Users may or may not have a mill to do complicated modifications and a simpler method is usually chosen if offered and if it works, you may never change.  Cleaning the gears, making sure the paths to the bushings are open is a good pre-startup exercise, then the luxury of complex/simpler oiling can be added later.  It's great to see various options from those requiring a mill to those requiring a hand drill.  It's all admired and appreciated.


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## szenieh (Feb 6, 2021)

I have completed my oil manifold setup- you can see a posting of it here:









						PM1340GT Lubrication Manifold for Quick Change Gearbox
					

Greetings,  I have finished the lubrication manifold for my PM1340 Lathe. Below are some photos for those that might be interested.    I drilled and tapped 8-32 holes into the brass manifold. The polyurethane tubing (4mm-5/32") self-screws into these holes. I used a heat gun to shape the tubes...




					www.hobby-machinist.com
				




Salah


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