# Anotrher new PM32PDF mill



## johnnyc14 (Sep 1, 2013)

*Another new PM32PDF mill*

I've been looking around at used mills for a while and couldn't find anything I wanted. I did a lot of research and came to the conclusion that the PM32 was what I wanted. Matt had the machine in stock and he also took care of the shipping and border crossing duty fees for a very reasonable amount. Once shipped it was to my door in 4 days. I picked up the machine at a local freight depot and found that there were 2 crates stacked one on top of the other. I had to visit my buddy Darcy (Mitsue) and we used his gantry crane to lift the top crate containing the stand onto my trailer. Then I went home and used my engine crane to lift the stand off the trailer and the machine off the back of my pickup after I removed the crate material from around them. I built a simple base for the stand to widen the footprint and allow easy leveling and movement. I made sure to keep it narrow enough so it would still fit between the legs of my engine stand. I've spent the last 2 days getting all this done and doing some re-arranging in my garage to make the room for it. Here's some pics.


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## Ray C (Sep 1, 2013)

Excellent.  Great choice and a great job of detailing the setup.

Enjoy and let us know how it goes.


Thanks!


Ray


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## johnnyc14 (Sep 1, 2013)

I now have the machine all cleaned up and wired and I have been running it at all the different speeds to break it in before using it. I'm glad I took the way protectors off and cleaned under them as there was lots of spooge there. 





I had a look at the grease on the worm gear for the Z axis movement to make sure there is lots of grease there, it was good.





I been reading the owners manual which is not easy due to the Chinglish and I have figured out how everything works except 1 feature. Maybe someone here can help me figure this out. In the picture from the owners manual, #10 is called the "manual feed handle" and I assume it is supposed to be a fine manual downfeed. I have not been able to figure out how this is engaged. The power downfeed works fine and the manual suggests that as long as the power downfeed it turned off you should be able to use #10 to feed the quill down slowly rather than using handle 7 to feed it down rapidly. I would call Matt and ask him but it's Sunday. Can any one offer me a solution?


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## Ray C (Sep 1, 2013)

Yep.  Press inward on the the big levers while trying to turn the fine feed.  It will engage then.  Don't forget to loosen the quill lock first.
Ask any questions you want.  I use that machine daily and have for the last 5 years.  (Oh, I have a PM45 -not a 32 but, they're very similar).
Ray

EDIT:  My bad.  You push away on the handles while turning the fine feed.   -Sorry.  

One more thing... The power downfeed takes a little getting used to and is best with drills over 1/4" diameter where you have a lot of chip clearance.  Small drills pack-up quickly.  Most of the drilling I do is purely manual but when you have a bunch of holes, the PDF is great.  It also excellent when using a boring head.  You will get perfect holes with same diameter at the top and bottom -and no variance in-between.






shawn said:


> Nice looking mill. I believe you need to move the course feed handles #7 in towards the mill to engage the fine feed.
> 
> Shawn


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## johnnyc14 (Sep 1, 2013)

Thanks Shawn, the manual says to turn the feed swith knob (1) and the feed capacity knob (4) to zero. then tighten the limit handle (6) fully. The adjust the dial on the manual feed hand wheel (8) to zero.. Then turn the hand wheel (10) to the requested depth. I did all of that. When you tighten screw 6 it forces the handle 7 to the left or toward the machine as you suggested. The manual feed handle just freewheels with no engagement. It does turn when the power down feed is engaged though just as is show in the video on Matt's website.:thinking: It's got me stumped, but that doesn't take much.:LOL:

- - - Updated - - -

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks Ray, we must have typing at the same time. I just ran out to the garage and tried your suggestion. You are correct!!! ) Obviously the manual is wrong when it says to fully tighten 6.

Thanks again, what a great resource this forum is!!

John


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## Ray C (Sep 1, 2013)

The manuals on Matt's machine are what comes with them from the factory.  I have a write-up here about the power downfeed on the PM45 but otherwise, the unit is so simple to use, there's not much to write.  Anyhow, it cost a fortune to re-write the manuals and keep them updated -that's one of the ways to keep costs in line since most people really bother with manuals.  If you ever get a PM lathe, I wrote a manual for the 1236 model that largely applies to most of the machines...


Ray


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## mskobier (Sep 2, 2013)

Johnnyc14
    The pictures you posted looks exactly like my PM-45. If it operated the same, then you will need to loosen the lock knob (6), then pull the course feed handles (7) away from the head to engage the fine feed. You may have to rotate the course feed handle a little bit forward to get it to engage. once it is engaged, when you rotate the fine feed knob (10), the quill will move. if you push the handles(7) back in towards the head, the fine feed disengages and allows the quill to return to the fully retracted position. The powered down feed works the same, except you set the control knob (1) to on and the feed rate knob (4) to the desired rate of feed. The fine feed knob will rotate when the powered down feed is engaged. Hopefully this helps explain the operation of the manual/powered fine/down feed.

Mitch


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## johnnyc14 (Sep 2, 2013)

Thanks Mitch, that is the answer alright. My big mistake was reading the owners manual. Great machine but the manufacturer needs to hire a native English speaker to write the manuals. I've got all the basic functions figured out thanks to you guys.


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## johnnyc14 (Sep 6, 2013)

I've run into a problem with my new mill and of course it happened after Matt's shop has closed for the weekend. I've only used it for about an hour, I was milling an 8" X 8" X 3/4" mild steel plate flat taking light cuts with a 2" face mill cutter. I shut the machine off to re-position a clamp and when I went to re-start it the motor won't turn. It makes a loud buzzing noise with the switch in reverse and no noise at all in forward. I took the cover off the junction/capicitor box on the front of the motor and there are some melted connections and a burned wiring smell from inside the box. I took some pictures and a short video so you can hear the sound it makes. Sounds like the motor it pooched to me. What do you guys think?

















http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wtw0oV03UbM&feature=youtu.be


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## Dan_S (Sep 6, 2013)

Does the motor shaft spin freely? If so you probably have a simple electrical problem like a short, bad start capacitor, or bad [FONT=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]centrifugal switch. Perhaps somone else can recommend best how to check the electricals.[/FONT]




johnnyc14 said:


> I've run into a problem with my nerw mill and of course it happened after Matt's shop has closed for the weekend. I've only used it for about an hour, I was milling an 8" X 8" X 3/4" mild steel plate flat taking light cuts with a 2" face mill cutter. I shut the machine off to re-position a clamp and when I went to re-start it the motor won't turn. It makes a loud buzzing noise with the switch in reverse and no noise at all in forward. I took the cover off the junction/capicitor box on the front of the motor and there are some melted connections and a burned wiring smell from inside the box. I took some pictures and a short video so you can hear the sound it makes. Sounds like the motor it pooched to me. What do you guys think?


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## Ray C (Sep 6, 2013)

Ouch, this is the first issue like this I've ever seen.  With the unit unplugged, have you checked that all the screws are snug?  Also, check all the twistlock connections to make sure they're tight.

Matt runs all the machines before shipping them but only does the break-in sequence which takes about 10-15 minutes (he also checks all the table dimensions and inspects the tram). I'll send him an email and ask him to contact you.  Rest assured, this will get resolved.

I recall another member with a different brand mill who had a similar problem and I believe the issue was due to the centrifugal switch.  

Ray


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## johnnyc14 (Sep 6, 2013)

Thanks guys, I decided to go a little further after your suggestions and I removed the 2 screws holding the white plastic junction block to the motor housing and had a look at the back of it. There are a few melted wires back there. I checked the screw tightness as Ray suggested and they were all very loose. I think the loose screws caused enough resistance and resulting heat to melt the wires and the plastic junction assembly. I pulled all the melted wires away from each other and tightened all the screws and the machine now starts and runs as it should. The rest of you guys that just got new PM32's should check these connections. Tomorrow I'll see if I can remove the white plastic junction block and replace it with something else.


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## Ray C (Sep 6, 2013)

I'm very glad this had a quick solution but, do realize, Matt will have this fixed and send you the correct parts...  No doubt about it.


Ray


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## Ray C (Sep 7, 2013)

JohnnyC14...

Please contact Matt at his email and he'll get this taken care of and have parts/replacements sent Mondy...  He has no email or messages from you so please call.  He's not in the office today but reads emails and messages frequently...


Ray


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## johnnyc14 (Sep 7, 2013)

I sent Matt and email just now, thanks Ray. I made a temporary repair to the junction block and cut back the melted wire on the motor and spliced in a new section of wire. I'm up and running again until the new parts arrive..













John

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I was concerned that the drawbar is such a loose fit inside the drive shaft ( .060"clearance ) and ran off center if not tightened very carefully. I made up a bushing on my lathe to make sure it is always centered.


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## Ray C (Sep 7, 2013)

So glad you're up & running.  I spoke w/Matt and he's had one other mill do that some years ago and he's had a few rare folks have similar issues when they ran long extension cords.  That causes all the wiring in the chain to warm up but is not the fault of the machine.  In your case though, someone forgot to tighten the wires.  Things happen I guess.  In the last 3 new cars I purchased, all had a little glitch ranging from an O2 sensor wire that came loose, a power window motor go bad in the 1st week and brake lights blew a fuse because someone didn't install a brake light socket properly and it grounded out.  One Toyota and 2 Fords...  -All were fixed quickly and all three cars have between 30 thou and 100 thousand miles now w/o a glitch...  Feel badly though, this happened to your machine and I salute you for not kicking-up a big fuss.

As for the drawbar...  That amount of clearance is typical and normal.  Once the taper is seated, if the shaft is not perfectly straight, it has no impact on the tool.  -And that extra clearance will be welcomed with open arms if a hunk of swarf ever dropped in there...  I made a seating ring for mine too.  Don't forget to put a few drops of oil on the spline once in a while.  Also keep in mind that over time, the oil will drip down and you'll see it around the quill.  That oil is not due to leaking bearings, it's the drip down from the spline -it has to go somewhere.

Each time you use the power feed, toss a few drips of oil in the oil-cup on the side of the head.


Ray


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## johnnyc14 (Sep 7, 2013)

Thanks Ray, I have been working in the automotive dealership service department field for 40 years now. I know "stuff happens" and no amount of the consumer stamping his feet will ever change that. Over the years I have seen just about every kind of tantrum you can imagine when a problem occurs on a newly purchased vehicle. I always loose a little repsect for the person who takes out their frustration on members of the staff of the selling dealership whether it's the sales person or service advisor. In this case the problem is relatively minor and the good news is I was able to get the machine working without much trouble.
I have been treated right by Matt and Nicole during the purchase and delivery of the machine and I'm confident that won't change when a problem occurs. Thanks for taking the time to get involved, I'm sure your efforts make a positive impression on all of Matt's customers and more importantly his potential customers. When I was shopping for a machine, the relationship between Matt and you and other members of this forum were the deciding factor on where I bought my machine. I almost bought one from the Busy Bee dealer right here in my home town but I could hardly get the sales guy there to answer a question or show any amount of interest in the machine I was trying to buy. Good customer service will always win my business.
I am a little anal about my vehicles and toys as you can tell, the drawbar clearance would not bother most people. I always enjoy finding little ways to make those kind of thing better.

Cheers

John


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## Ray C (Sep 7, 2013)

Johnnyc14,

Oh, I can imagine the nonsense you've seen at the automotive dealerships.  I worked as a mechanic all through college and had people actually come really close to hit and shove me because their car wasn't ready on time or because of a glitch.  My philosophy is that if someone is dealing with me honestly and if issues arise during the transaction, things get resolved much faster by remaining level headed and keeping a sense of humor.  In your case, I suspect Matt with either offer to send a new motor or just the terminal block.

Anyhow, Matt and I have never met but we communicate a lot and became "internet friends".  I like folks with a sense of motivation and passion for what they do.  -And let me tell you, his heart is in his machinery.  I don't think he views it as a means of developing his business... He just loves machines and machine work!  Nicole seems to be a wizard at getting orders fulfilled properly and managing all the shipment arrangements.  -Not easy to do because almost every situation has special needs and requests.  They are both carrying on with practices and mindsets that is just evaporating in all other commercial/retail areas...


Ray


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## johnnyc14 (Sep 9, 2013)

Well my first project with the new mill was to fix something that I screwed up with another new toy. I have a mild steel plate that is 8" X 8" X 3/4" that I use for target practice for my rimfire rifles. I recently bought a new Savage model 12 in .223 and took it out on a recent trip to the mountains to sight it in. I set up the target at 200 yards and was hitting the target from the first shot. The boresighting of my scope worked very well. Anyway I've shot that target with .22LR, .22 WMR and .17HMR and never put more than a little tiny divot in it. You can see the hits from the .22 LR just knocked the paint off but made no impression in the steel. After 10 shots with the .223 I walked up to check out the target and found I had badly damaged my favorite target. The .223 at 3600 FPS does a lot more damage than a .22WMR at 2000FPS. So my first job was to mill the face of the target flat again. I did 5 passes of .030" each and still did not get all the dents out but left it at that. I recently bought a piece of AR500 hard steel to use with the .223 and I won't be shooting my old rimfire target with it anymore.





















John


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## Ray C (Sep 9, 2013)

Good.  You got the big craters out of it and won't have to worry about anything coming back at you.

So, how was it?  Was it what you expected?  Sometimes those surface cuts make weird noise and shaky/shimmy the machine.  If that happens, make sure the jib locks are tight on the head and pull the slack out of the table locks.


Ray


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## HangLoose (Sep 9, 2013)

Great thread, very informative!

Hey Johnny, if you don't mind me asking... How do the wheels on your base work? I'd love to build something similar for when my mill arrives (within the month) but I am clueless about how you went about that. Also if you don't mind sharing, do you have the plans for your base available? 
Thanks


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## johnnyc14 (Sep 9, 2013)

Ray C said:


> Good.  You got the big craters out of it and won't have to worry about anything coming back at you.
> 
> So, how was it?  Was it what you expected?  Sometimes those surface cuts make weird noise and shaky/shimmy the machine.  If that happens, make sure the jib locks are tight on the head and pull the slack out of the table locks.
> 
> ...


It was pretty smooth actually, except when the tool went over a crater and started an interrupted cut it made quite a knocking sound. I did tighten up the jib locks on the Y and Z before I started. I sure like the powered X feed. It would have been a lot of work cranking that thing back and forth by hand. The surface finish is pretty good too. I played with different speeds on the quill and the table feed to get the smoothest operation I could.

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HangLoose said:


> Great thread, very informative!
> 
> Hey Johnny, if you don't mind me asking... How do the wheels on your base work? I'd love to build something similar for when my mill arrives (within the month) but I am clueless about how you went about that. Also if you don't mind sharing, do you have the plans for your base available?
> Thanks


I,ll take some better pictures of the wheels and post them tomorrow. I actually made them for my lathe but used the same foot/wheel system on the mill. I made them after I got frustrated trying to find good wheels for a reasonable price. I have the dimensions for the base drawn up somewhere. I'll post them tomorrow too.


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## HangLoose (Sep 9, 2013)

Sweet! I look forward to seeing them, thanks


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## johnnyc14 (Sep 10, 2013)

Here are some pics of the wheel system I made. They are made from the coupling nuts you get for all-thread rod. I bought 8 of the cheapest bearings I could find ($2.50 each) and machined the ends of 7/16" round rod to fit the ID of the bearing and drilled a couple of holes for the cotter pins. I drilled a 7/16" hole through the bottom of each nut across 2 flats and welded the axles I made into the nuts. The leveling legs are just made up from the same size all-thread with a nut welded to the top to act like the head of a bolt. Each leg has a lock nut so that once level is achieved they won't turn. To move the machine I just adjust the legs up to provide enough space for the wheels. I slide a block of wood under one corner at a time and back the threaded rod up then thread it down into the nut. The nuts can be turned in any direction with a wrench as you manouver the machine where you want it. The reason the adjusters on the lathe are so long is to allow me to jack it up high enough to get the engine crane under it as the base is too wide to go between the legs of my crane.

















Here are a couple of crude drawings of the base I made from 2" square tube and the bottom of the cast iron stand that came with the machine. I welded a 2" square of 1/4" material over the 4 exposed tube ends to give it a finished look. I then welded the 5/8" coupling nuts to the flat surface that provided at the end of each tube. Because the bolt holes are in-set 1.25-1.5" from the outside edges of the stand I moved those supports in 1/2" on each side so the bolt holes could be in the middle of the tube. That why that dimension is 17" and not 18". I wouldn't build the stand until you actually get your machine because there may be slightly different dimensions for each machine. You can see by the drawings that not all the hole locations are symetrical in the cast iron base.









Cheers,

John


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## johnnyc14 (Sep 10, 2013)

I got word from Matt today that he has shipped out the parts to repair my machine. That's impressive, less that 2 days after he knew of the problem he has already shipped the replacement parts. He also suggested that I check for voltage drops between the cord the machine is plugged into, and the motor. I measured the open circuit voltage at the cord and then measured the voltage at the motor with the machine running on the highest speed. Less than 2 volts difference makes it OK I think. 













John


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## Ray C (Sep 10, 2013)

That's good voltage.  You're fine.  All machinery needs the proper gauge wire on the supply side as inadequate wiring heats things up considerably.  Matt apparently had this problem with a customer who was running long extension cords.


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## HangLoose (Sep 11, 2013)

Thanks again Johnny, this is very helpful. 
Cheers!


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## johnnyc14 (Sep 29, 2013)

Well I received the new junction block and tried to install it but the plastic was so flimsy it broke when I tried to tighten the first screw. I decided to just use regular terminal connectors instead to make sure of a good connection without any more meltdowns. I had to extend the wires to the motor then solder on all the terminal ends but it worked out well and I've been using the machine quite as bit and monitoring the connections and they are not getting hot. I removed the screw/pin from the quill taper to stop the interfernace issue I was having with my collets. Thanks to Chipsalloy and Ray C. for cluing me in to that fix.
I've been learning as I go and having lots of fun making some little parts. I made this socket to use on a special nut on my motorcycle the other day and it turned out well.









The square hole was a pain to make on the mill and didn't turn out perfect but not too bad.


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## Ray C (Sep 29, 2013)

Looks great!   I remember having only a lathe for a long time and when I got a mill, it felt sooo good to make strategically located flat spots instead of just round stuff all the time...


Ray


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