# PM1340 - the Best & Jacobs Full Custom Edition



## davidpbest

It’s been several months since I took delivery of, and posted about my PM1340 lathe.   It's time for an update since I’m nearing completion of what started as a straight forward VFD conversion project, and then took on a life of it’s own and led to a substantial customization of the stock PM1340 lathe.   

I’m forever grateful to Mark Jacobs in particular for his thoughtful advice, council and helpful suggestions, and especially for the new electronics control package he developed to my specifications.   Without Mark’s fine contribution, this project would never have taken off.   I’m also grateful to this Hobby-Machinist group  – I’ve received - even stolen or copied - some very interesting and useful upgrades described by other users here.   Great inspiration.


In a nutshell, I started out wanting to do a VFD conversion and needed help with that aspect.   I also did not like the stand offered by QMT for the 1340 because it did not offer drawer storage below the lathe.   I also wanted a lathe with a chip/coolant pan that could be easily removed for cleaning.   I decided to design and build my own stand, and the project evolved from there – first learning to weld, acquiring welding equipment, making a welding table, and on and on.   Turns out, the stand building part of this project was one of the least time consuming aspects.


As the project evolved, I harkened back to the mid-1960’s when I did a customization of a 1957 Chevy, and the more I got into this, the deeper I dug the customization hole.


For those who are inclined, the full saga of the customization, including photos and selected videos of the machine under power is documented at this link:   *http://tinyurl.com/m2zavnl*

Here’s a summary of some of the elements that went into the Best & Jacobs Full Custom Edition:

Designed and fabricated a welded steel stand for the lathe that provided drawer storage below, and a removable chip/coolant pan under the lathe.
Upgrade of the motor to a vector-rated Baldor unit capable of high torque and HP throughout a wide speed range.
Working with Mark Jacobs who designed and fabricated a new control system, all the electronics in the factory-supplied lathe were replaced.
I like this lathe a lot, and appreciate the refinement of a Taiwanese made machine to that of mainland China.   That said, one thing they haven’t mastered in Asia (to my satisfaction) is how to paint the machines with a durable finish.   So I said to myself “as long as you’re replacing the electronics, might as well repaint the thing.”   Wow – what a path-setting decision that was.
And then “as long as you’re taking it apart to paint . . .” came the decision to replace every fastener on the machine with hardened stainless steel equivalents (thank you McMaster).
I decided to upgrade other basic elements of the machine including incorporation of real glass and metal oil level sights, a quick and easy oil drain system for the headstock, all new front panels, new stainless steel knobs and levers, a single-point oil pumping system for the quick change gearbox, new carriage stop with micro-adjust and proximity sensor mounting, and many other minor improvements and embellishments.
Installed DRO-Pro’s magnetic scale system with customized mounting and drag chain to organize the cables, and a Mitutoyo scale on the tailstock.  Also built a MachTach kit for the machine, came up with custom case and panel for it as well as incorporating the mounting into the structure to support the DRO display.
After the stand was built and the lathe installed on it, I decided to build a tool racking system and for the BXA tooling collection I was accumulating, and that evolved into a second support bracket system for the light (which I converted to LED), and a jumbo dial indicator setup for indicating-in 4 jaw fixturing, swivel tool trays for the stand, etc.
Added an MQL coolant delivery system from FogBuster.
 
Here are a few photographs that chronicle the evolution and where things stand today.  Enjoy, and thanks for the inspiration and for viewing, with special thanks to Mark Jacobs for his consistent and thoughtful support throughout the project, and to Matt at QMT for his helpful and timely support throughout.

The custom lathe stand - "what do you mean, I have to learn to weld too?"






The removable chip tray:






VFD enclosure:






Tear-down and preparation for stripping and painting:






Painting:






Replacing all the fasteners with hardened Stainless Steel:






New controls and front panel:






Electronic control package from Mark Jacobs:






New Baldor motor, pulley and belt system:






New oil level sights:






Dorian BXA tool post:






Single Bijur oil pump for quick change gearbox:






New quick change gearbox oil distribution platform:






MachTach:






Spider and tachometer sensor mount:






ER40 collet chuck with D1-4 mounting:






All new stainless steel levers and knobs:






Spindle-aligned chuck saddles:






Tailstock DRO:






Quick, no mess oil change system for headstock:






Cross slide DRO:






Carriage position DRO with drag chain for cable and coolant/compressed air plumbing: 






FogBuster coolant system:






Flexbar LatheGuard safety shield:






Custom mounting for DRO and MachTach display:






Quick change gearbox oil drip pan:






New, tool-less re-positioning and removable carriage stop with proximity sensor mounting: 






Spider run-out adjustment indicator system:






Extensive tool rack:







As she sits tonight:







And there's much more here for those who are interested, including several videos in addition to four pages of photos:    *http://tinyurl.com/m2zavnl*

Thanks for viewing, sorry for the long post, and much appreciation to you all for inspiration.


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## DrAsus

Wow... Awesome!!!

Did the upgrades cost as much as the lathe?? Lol

DS

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk


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## davidpbest

With tooling, much more.


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## darkzero

I second the Wow & Awesome!

One of the nicest setups I have ever seen! If that were mine I'd be afraid to use it & get it dirty!


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## mikey

Beautiful job, David! Well thought out and well executed. Kudos to Mark for his generosity on this project - what a cool collaboration!!!

Great job, David, great job!!!


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## bss1

Great job David! Your attention to detail is incredible. Some real innovative ideas there. 

Mark has helped many of us here and we are lucky to have him as a great asset to the forum. I can't say that I have looked at enough machines to declare that PM machines are best in class, however I can say with confidence this PM forum, ideas, and support here are absolutely priceless.


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## [X]Outlaw

Amazing job! Beautiful machine!


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## springer

Great job, that is really impressive. My 1340gt showed up yesterday, I'm really excited to get a stand made and start working. 

Did you get the taper attachment for yours? If so, have you used it at all or have any pictures/videos of using it?


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## ch2co

WOW! Way to go.


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## TomS

Almost too nice to use!

Tom S.


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## BGHansen

Really like the Bijur oiling system.  Got me thinking about my Grizzly G0709.  I have to pull a cover to manually oil a few spots.  It'd be much easier in the long run to drill/tap some fittings and run some lines to them.  Thanks for sharing!

Bruce


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## MonkMan

David, Fantastic Job....as always. You _really_ sweat the details.
Thanks for the update


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## markba633csi

I like your chuck saddles- nice touch- saddle up!
Mark S.


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## J Bennett

WOW, As you say full custom. Great work.
I to would also like to thank Mark for his help.
James


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## jbolt

Impressive! Great work David.


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## Fitter Bill

As close to perfect as you can get....I'm impressed
Bill


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## tweinke

Very very nice! You have a good eye for the mods you have done to make an already nice machine great. Can you use the lathe or will it be enclosed in a glass case for viewing? just kidding!


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## fradish

Excellent craftsmanship and many really well thought out design ideas!  
I look forward to shamelessly copying you on a few...


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## webphut

So how much do you charge for everything? I want exactly the same everything, but in my garage. I will let you know when my PM 1340 arrives. I will buy you a round trip ticket and provide room and board. Just make it like the ones in photos... PLEASE!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## webphut

Ok, all kidding aside, the centered chuck holders! Really! Over the top .. way awesomeness! 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


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## grantj

...wow.


...Can you buy a mill and do the same to it, so I can steal your ideas.


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## peder.wennberg

David,

Absolutely over the top, best I've ever seen.  congratulations!

Maybe I missed it, but where did you get the tool boxes for the stand?


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## Billh51

David,
 Wow you really did it up real nice over the original lathe. Some very good improvements which should make this lathe a pleasure to use. Congratulations on the build and hope you enjoy using it as well.


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## davidpbest

Thanks everyone.   This project was indeed a labor of love.   Here are some additional details and answers to questions:



peder.wennberg said:


> where did you get the tool boxes for the stand?



If you look at the photo of the stand at this link, you will see a description of the tool boxes:   https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/28702542893/in/album-72157683014913836/



grantj said:


> Can you buy a mill and do the same to it, so I can steal your ideas.



I am considering upgrading from my existing Rong Fu-45 (the original, not a clone) to a PM935.  If I do that, I will get the non-variable speed model (never liked mechanical variable speed, plus do not have headroom in my basement for the extra height), and I will work with Mark Jacobs on a control package including VFD (assuming Mark is willing).



webphut said:


> So how much do you charge for everything? I



I am attaching drawings for a lot of the enhancements, including the stand, the carriage stop, the gearbox oil drip plate, DRO/Tach mount, the T-slot dimensions for the QCTP, and drawings of the basic lathe for planning purposes.   They can also be downloaded here:   https://www.dropbox.com/s/dm21o1fzv...rawings - Best Jacobs Custom Edition.pdf?dl=0



springer said:


> Did you get the taper attachment for yours?



I considered it, but in the end I decided against it.   For the amount of taper work I do, using the compound or offsetting the tailstock will be just fine.  My understanding is that the taper attachment requires re-positioning of the splash guard further to the rear, and that it attaches to some of the carriage points I used for the DRO encoder bracket on the Z-axis.   It also does not come with a telescoping cross slide screw system which would drive me nuts.   



tweinke said:


> Can you use the lathe or will it be enclosed in a glass case for viewing?



Several friends have asked the same thing - even one curator at a museum asked about this.   But no, I'm going to keep it here and use it.



DrAsus said:


> Did the upgrades cost as much as the lathe?



Here's how the numbers break down:

Lathe, and all the upgrades to the machine itself including DRO, VFD & motor upgrade, new controls, chuck, bracketry, anodizing, paint, SS fasteners, etc:   about $10K
Tooling including QCTP, holders, insert tooling and inserts:   about $6,500
Welding equipment and table to make the stand:  about $8K
The stand materials:    about $600
For kicks I'm also attaching a spreadsheet that lists most of the fasteners on the base machine that I replaced with stainless steel.   Lots of other SS fasteners were employed with the bracketry, DRO mountings, etc.  

Hope this is helpful, and thanks again for all you feedback and kudos.


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## PWF

Wow


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## [X]Outlaw

David thanks for sharing your drawings. I am defiantly going to incorporate some of your mods into my machine, especially the QCGB lubrication system.

Chevy


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## keenlyside

Sweeeet. Great job!


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## Tozguy

Hi David, what outstanding work, photos and write-up. About the oil level sight glass, are those homemade or are they available commercially?
Very clean and functional mods, looking forward to following your next project. 
Thanks for sharing.


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## davidpbest

Tozguy said:


> About the oil level sight glass, are those homemade or are they available commercially?



Most of the photos at the link I posted originally have descriptions of what you're looking at and a myriad of details about the specifics if viewed with a web browser - just click on the image to see the text associated with it below.   Here are the specifics about the oil level sights.

I decided to replace the oil level indicators for two reasons:  (1) the originals are plastic (uck), and (2) I pretty much trashed the originals as part of the disassembly and paint stripping process.   Getting to replacements was definitely a treasure hunt.

*Headstock*:   
The hole in the headstock casting is stepped and un-threaded, and designed for a press-in-place fluid level sight.  Photo of that hole:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/34335484345/in/album-72157683014913836/    I debated threading the hole for conventional oil level indicators, but the stepped nature of the hole and it's size made this infeasible.  

The version of oil level sight I settled on is metric and fits the larger (outer) step of the hole in the headstock (28mm).  I wanted stainless, but no metric press-in stainless level sights are available in the USA, so I settled for aluminum.   It's available from JM Winco, their part number RD2/B. http://www.jwwinco.com/products/section12/gn537/index.html

This level indicator has an aluminum body with an integral rubber gasket that expands as the two parts of the body are tightened together with a spanner wrench, and has a glass lens.  There is no practical way to hold the inner ring of the aluminum housing to expand the rubber gasket with the indicator in place in the hole, so I expanded it before inserting it in the hole and used a small amount of silicon caulk to make doubly sure it sealed properly and would not leak.  

*Apron*:   
The oil level sight that was installed in the apron at the factory was a plastic press-in thing 16mm in diameter.   Photo of that hole:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/30172174384/in/album-72157683014913836/ 

I could find no metal replacement level sight that size, so I decided to re-drill that opening and tap it for a conventional 1/2-inch NPT tapered pipe fitting (extra deep) and use a replacement  stainless steel and glass level sight similarly threaded from McMaster ( https://www.mcmaster.com/#1079k12/=17el6nj  ).   Anyone attempting to thread stainless steel NPT (like this level indicator) into a tapered NPT threaded hole in cast iron should apply a copper-based anti-seize compound to the stainless steel part first, otherwise the stainless will gaul and seize to the cast iron as the tapered fit tightens.   Trust me on this - learned the hard way.   I used Loctite LB N-1000 anti-seize on most of the stainless to cast iron tightly threaded interfaces, sometimes in conjunction with a Permatex gel where oil was present behind the fastener (belt and suspenders).
​Hope this helps.


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## Tozguy

It helps a bunch. Thanks again, I will check the links you provided.


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## Alan H.

David, 
Thanks for sharing all this.   Your 1340 is a piece of art to say the least.  

It is very kind of you to put the drawings out there as well.  I plan on doing something similar to my machine for oiling the quick change gears.  So that drawing will be very helpful.

I am hoping you get that 935 soon so we can all see what you do to it!


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## davidpbest

Hi Alan,  thanks for your kind words.   It was my pleasure to share the drawings as I have scalped so many others here in the group for ideas.   BTW, there's an error in one of the drawings.   Can you find it?   LOL

David


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## sanddan

Great job David! 

Just found this, lots to see in those pictures.


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## jeff_g1137

Hi
Nice job 
jeff g


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## Old Squier

Wow!  What a beautiful job.  I'm hoping to accomplish just a fraction of the great mods you have done here before the end of the year.  I'm especially loving your stand.  Excellent, truly!

Squire 

Sent Using Tapatalk - Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma,  Tahlequah OK


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## peder.wennberg

David,

After all the work, is the lathe stand as stable as you expected?  Also, can you provide the dimensions of the stock chip tray that came with the lathe?  I'm going  to build a version of your stand but will use the stock tray and I can't find any dimensional info. on it.  Again, fantastic work!


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## davidpbest

peder.wennberg said:


> David,
> 
> After all the work, is the lathe stand as stable as you expected?  Also, can you provide the dimensions of the stock chip tray that came with the lathe?  I'm going  to build a version of your stand but will use the stock tray and I can't find any dimensional info. on it.  Again, fantastic work!




Thanks.   Yes, the stand is plenty stable and rigid - no issues there so long as you put in the gussets and bracing as shown on the plan and center position leveling feet.   The stock chip pan is approximately 69 x 18 inches, the drain for the coolant is just left of center, right under the bedway casting - absolutely in the wrong place if you want to mount the pan to a flat surface like the c-channel mounting I used.    It might work if you built a 1/4" thick rectangle tube ladder structure to bolt the lathe to that had recesses where the pan drain tube could stick down, or if you wanted holes through the lathe mounting platform to make the chip pan removable below the lathe mounting.   But the stock chip pan has a 12mm diameter tube sticking down about 2 inches, and a dimple in the sheet metal to collect coolant - wrongly placed to make the chip pan removable IMO.   I tried, frustratingly, to cut out that tube and dimple and then TIG weld in a flat patch in that area and gave up.   $125 to have a new super rigid aluminum one fabricated and welded up was a no brainer for me.


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## Tozguy

David, I hope that we are not overdoing the question period and keeping you from using that beauty but the outboard spider shown in the picture of the tach pickup has me intrigued. How is the spider fitted to the spindle and are those thumb screws for locking the screws (that are not shown)? Thanks, Mike


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## Firestopper

Wow David! 

Just checked your flicker album, very impressive. Glad to see you used the channel for your stand too.


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## davidpbest

Hi Mike, I'm happy to answer questions and clarify things.  Just glad someone is interested enough to ask.

This was my first turning on the lathe once I got it running.   I remember feeling like I was running by the seat of my pants, basically trying to copy what some others have done and posted about here.    Nothing was aligned and I had pretty crude cutting tools at that time, so the finish quality was pretty so so.  

The spider I turned from a 3-inch long piece of 1018 steel tubing, 2-1/2" in diameter with 1/2" wall thickness.  This is what I started with.






After facing off one end, I bored out the ID to give a close fit to the section of spindle sticking out the left side of the headstock.   I don't remember now the precise dimension, but I ended up about 0.001 to 0.002" oversized on the ID.   I bored just deep enough to create a flat shoulder to rest against the end of the spindle - giving it a registration seat against the spindle end.   Looks like this:






 It ended up with a nice slip fit.   I then turned down the OD just enough to provide clearance with the hole in the gear cover casting that mounts over the change gears and pulley/belt drive, then turned the part around, mounted it on the lathe in a 4-jaw chuck, centered it and faced off and cleaned up the ID and OD from the opposite end.

To secure the spider sleeve to the spindle, I drilled and tapped for M6 brass tipped set screws 120 degrees apart on the mill, then did another row also 120 degrees apart but clocked 60-degrees out of phase with the first set, and about 1/2" further out on the spider.    I wasn't sure if 3 set screws were enough, or if I'd need an outboard set to keep it aligned both radially and axially - as you can see, I'm paranoid and inclined to belt and suspenders wherever possible.   I also machined out pockets for the cylindrical magnets for the Hall Effect sensor on the MachTach at that end.   Here's a photo that shows that detail, but I never installed the second set of three set screws - didn't need them:






At the outboard end of the spider sleeve, I decided to employ 4 screws 90-degrees apart to dial in whatever part the spider was keeping aligned.   I figured four screws would be easier to adjust the part to centerline than three (and I was right).   I first milled a flat spot about 5/8" diameter then drilled and tapped for 1/4-28 alignment screws.   The screws shown are brass tipped steel (McMaster 91381A359) and I used Stainless Steel Knurled-Head Thumb Nuts (McMaster 91833A107)  to secure the adjustment screws.   This is how the adjustment screws look from the end.






I have a second set of longer screws for smaller diameter work with longer reach.   I made those from socket-head cap screws, drilled the ends to receive tiny brass rod inserts secured with Loctite.

And finally, I used a 10ths indicator to mount the spider and align it radially and axially so it has no wobble and doesn't create any shimmy or weird vibrations at high speed.

Hope this helps.


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## davidpbest

firestopper said:


> Wow David!
> 
> Just checked your flicker album, very impressive. Glad to see you used the channel for your stand too.



Thanks Paco.  I couldn't have done it without your suggestions and encouragement.   So thanks.   BTW, I just saw your thread on the Rockwell/Delta sander rebuild - super nice job.   I love seeing older machine restored to new glory.   I also just tripped over the wheeled stand you did for that 3800 pound mill.   Wow, I sure wish I could weld like you do.   Very impressive.   Is that Ironworker part of your shop setup?


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## Tozguy

David, yes that explains it very well. Great design. Just a couple of ideas: in keeping with the belt and suspenders approach why not add the extra set of three screws to secure the spider to the spindle. Will you be removing the spider very often?
Also, in my case for dialing in rifle barrels, it is very convenient to have the four spider screws lined up with the four jaws at the other end. That way both ends adjust in the same planes. Those knurled lock nuts are on my to do list.

Must say again that you and Mark are an ongoing inspiration, thank you!
Mike


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## Firestopper

davidpbest said:


> Thanks Paco.  I couldn't have done it without your suggestions and encouragement.   So thanks.   BTW, I just saw your thread on the Rockwell/Delta sander rebuild - super nice job.   I love seeing older machine restored to new glory.   I also just tripped over the wheeled stand you did for that 3800 pound mill.   Wow, I sure wish I could weld like you do.   Very impressive.   Is that Ironworker part of your shop setup?



Thanks David,
Yes the 51 Ton (small) iron worker is part of the shops inventory and is used a bunch. That mill stand is mksj's and was fun to design/ build.
Again, nice work!


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## Kiwi Canuck

I think I have read this entire post 3 times (or more) and reviewed the images on flickr as well.

I thought I would be able to say something witty or clever but I'm just lost for words, you sir have done an amazing job on that lathe, I'm impressed beyond words can describe.

Thank you for taking the time to post your work and share it here.

David


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## petertha

Wow, what a beautiful enhancement job. Thanks for taking the time to document with so many pics & vids! I have a 1998 14x40 Taiwan distant uncle to this lathe, so I extracted many useful ideas from your mods & ideas. Couple questions:

- you have a different top-side handle for the carriage lock. I didn't quite get if that was ratcheted or just swings from loose to lock?

- did you modify the stock carriage locking mechanism in any way? (I'm talking about the underside foot or clamp part)

- did you see anything worth upgrading or modifying in terms of the power feed assembly? (ie. the worm gear assembly, the slotted power bar & related  mechanism). I suspect my older gen lathe is different with a cast iron C bracket that the power bar loosely threads through. But there are no bushings or contact surfaces to accept thrust load while power feeding or anything to replace with wear. Maybe that's all fixed up with the PM, but I would love to see some pics of your lathe if you happen to have any handy from the rebuild. The PM parts manual PDF wasn't too clear on this & I'm looking for good ideas.

- how about the clutch & ball/spring assembly. Everything ok to your satisfaction or did you do some tweaks to that?


_I am considering upgrading from my existing Rong Fu-45 (the original, not a clone) to a PM935. If I do that, I will get the non-variable speed model (never liked mechanical variable speed, plus do not have headroom in my basement for the extra height), and I will work with Mark Jacobs on a control package including VFD (assuming Mark is willing)...._

PLEASE DO THIS! Selfish interest - I have an RF-45 as well


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## AirWolf

WOW.. Really ... WOW.

Thing of Beauty for sure... Wonderful craftsmanship!

This thread needs to be put on the top section - Sticky Threads  - for everyone to see


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## woodchucker

Wow, that's the most tricked out lathe I have seen. Nice job on the cabinets, and little detail things. Nice set of holders and rack..


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## davidpbest

Well thanks everyone.  Much appreciated.   This was a fun project and a labor of love.   I started off thinking I'd get a 24" bed length version of this 1340, Matt gave me a quote for it, and I was close to pulling the trigger, but everyone here said "longer is better."  Who am I to argue with THAT !!?!?!?!   

The lathe was not in stock when I ordered it, and came about three months later which was fine.   Then it sat in my garage for a few months while I learned to weld, converted a bench to a welding table (https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/albums/72157672375283855), built a welding cart (https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/albums/72157671235486470), then tackled the stand construction (https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/albums/72157672474119185), and then decided to prove I was a REAL MAN capable of moving the lathe into the basement working along (https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/albums/72157671928399283).   And I only lost a single finger in the process (http://www.hobby-machinist.com/thre...-bad-accident-end-mill-defeated-finger.56337/).   In all seriousness, the finger loss was not related to any of the lathe work - just a stupid, stupid accident on the milling machine.



petertha said:


> - you have a different top-side handle for the carriage lock. I didn't quite get if that was ratcheted or just swings from loose to lock?
> 
> - did you modify the stock carriage locking mechanism in any way? (I'm talking about the underside foot or clamp part)



The carriage lock on the stock machine is an M8 socket-head cap screw pulling up on a threaded steel plate that locks against the bottom of the front bed way.   Several others here have posted about converting this to some kind of lever locking mechanism, and I decided to do the same.   I'm a big fan of Kipp adjustable lever handles, so that's what I employed.   If you look at this photo (https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/32194862321/in/album-72157672547607804/) and the next few, you'll see what I did.   I didn't have to make any modification to the clamping plate under the carriage, I just bought a low profile Kipp lever with male 50mm long M8 threaded stud (http://estore.jwwinco.com/default.aspx?page=item detail&itemcode=8N50A32/D), turned a replacement stainless steel handle for it that matched the other handles I made (purely cosmetic), then turned a stainless cover for the body of the lever mechanism (ultra cosmetic).   



petertha said:


> - did you see anything worth upgrading or modifying in terms of the power feed assembly? (ie. the worm gear assembly, the slotted power bar & related mechanism). I suspect my older gen lathe is different with a cast iron C bracket that the power bar loosely threads through. But there are no bushings or contact surfaces to accept thrust load while power feeding or anything to replace with wear. Maybe that's all fixed up with the PM, but I would love to see some pics of your lathe if you happen to have any handy from the rebuild. The PM parts manual PDF wasn't too clear on this & I'm looking for good ideas.



Well, I definitely discovered some quirks.   Probably worth noting here, but Matt at QMT was quick to get things resolved.   Here are the quirks - all probably unique to my machine:

The power feed for the carriage is driven through the QC gearbox.   Photo:






Where that feed drive gear shaft exits the QC gearbox housing, it runs through a bronze bearing pressed into the housing that's lubed from the drip oil system above (just under the switch panel).  Photo once shaft and gear train was removed and the bushing cleaned and polished - you can see the oil drip hole in the bushing (fed by a tiny copper tube from above) and spiral grooves to distribute the oil:






From the other side:






On my machine, the bushing was bound up with what looked like black tar, and was probably paint or filler overspray that got into that mechanism at the factory, heated up and froze the drive shaft.   The result was that any kind of power feed would start for a few seconds, then stall as speed increased, and the change/treading gears would grind.   In the process of diagnosing the problem, I pretty much stripped/chipped all the the available change gears - the large combo, and the four smaller gears.   Once I figured out that the gear shaft coming through the bushing in the housing was the problem, it was about 3 hours work to pull that shaft, get the bushing cleaned out, reassemble the shaft and the gear train on it, get it lubed, and running again.   Matt had the factory direct-ship me replacement change (threading) gears which came in a few days and all was fine after that.   

If I have any criticism here, it's that the oil for that bronze bushing is fed from a drip point above that's easy to miss.   That's what drove me to put in a new single point oil pump and distribution system for the QC gear box.   That stock QC gearbox oil drip system is pretty lame IMO, especially when the power feed shaft really depends on lube from above to not over heat and freeze up.  Of course, if I were designing this lathe, that shaft would be on a precision permanently lubed titanium bearing.   But this is not NASA.

That power feed shaft coming out of the QC gearbox drives a hub clutch with two balls on springs on one side, and a drive plate with dimpled recesses on the other.   Drive plate photo:






Drive hub with balls and springs:












It took a while to get that dialed in so the carriage wouldn't start stuttering as the clutch slipped during heavy roughing operation on stainless steel.  The ball bearings are tensioned with set screws, so dialing in the clutch tension is not a big deal - just trial and error.






The shaft that articulates the forward/reverse switches in the box below the power feed shaft, has a steel paddle secured to the shaft that triggers the two switches.   That whole mechanism inside that box is like working on a wristwatch - fussy tolerances, tiny screws (4-40 BTW, not metric), spacers, washers, opposing nuts, etc holding the switches in precise position, etc.   If you take it apart, take a bunch of photos first to know how to put it back together.

The cross slide on my lathe came with a really strange distance ring that wasn't just metric, it really belonged on some other kind of machine entirely.   The cross slide screw was imperial, worked like you'd expect, but the ring with the mm and inch markings had no correspondence to the distance moved when turning the handle.   Again, an email to Matt got this quickly resolved with a direct ship replacement of the threaded shaft, dials and bronze nut - complete assembly - in a couple of days.

Hope this helps.


----------



## sanddan

davidpbest said:


> Thanks Paco.  I couldn't have done it without your suggestions and encouragement.   So thanks.   BTW, I just saw your thread on the Rockwell/Delta sander rebuild - super nice job.   I love seeing older machine restored to new glory.   I also just tripped over the wheeled stand you did for that 3800 pound mill.   Wow, I sure wish I could weld like you do.   Very impressive.   Is that Ironworker part of your shop setup?



David,

If you would like to get together some time I can give you some pointers. I've been mig welding for a long time and have it down pretty good. I also have some skills with the tig, though I'm no expert by any means. It helps to get hands on help, seeing through the hood. It would also give me a chance to see that pimped out lathe in person.

Dan


----------



## Howardd

Hi David
Mind boggling 
Couple of questions
Where did your get the ER40 collet chuck with the D1-4
What size chuck guard did you get?

Howard


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## davidpbest

Howardd said:


> Mind boggling
> Couple of questions
> Where did your get the ER40 collet chuck with the D1-4
> What size chuck guard did you get?



What is "mind boggling" about it?   Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?

Every photo at the link I initially provided has a description of what's in the photo.   Just click on the photo and the text is in a box below the image.

ER40 collet chuck specifics:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/33457416614/in/album-72157683014913836/

Flexbar LatheGuard info:   https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/32852017594/in/album-72157683014913836/


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## petertha

Thanks for your detailed reply & clear pictures.
Sidebar question (sorry I was ogling your tool rack haha). Can you tell me about your knurling tool? Is it your own design or commercial unit? Looks like a standoff integrated to the shank... so you can approach a shoulder & keep the tool post back a bit, or?


----------



## davidpbest

petertha said:


> Thanks for your detailed reply & clear pictures.
> Sidebar question (sorry I was ogling your tool rack haha). Can you tell me about your knurling tool? Is it your own design or commercial unit? Looks like a standoff integrated to the shank... so you can approach a shoulder & keep the tool post back a bit, or?



Certainly.   I first bought an inexpensive import scissors knurling tool from Enco:   https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/78657012?rItem=78657012 

This is not a quality tool, and would have required a lot of tuning, and fixing to make it into one.   I didn't have the patience to do this:






So I decided to buy a higher quality knurling tool from Eagle Rock.   That's what you see in the photo.   Eagle Rock makes lots of different models, right, center, left offset, etc.   They're entry level version I'm sure is great, but it's not designed to easily replace the knurling wheels.   I bought this one
http://specialtytooling.eaglerockon...-scissor-type-knurling-tools/k1-44-21-0625r-e 

from Ajax tools for $300  http://www.ajaxtoolsupply.com/earoknscclkn2.html 

I based my decision largely on this review:






The Eagle Rock is made in the USA, and is a fine tool.   I wouldn't put it in the category of a Swiss watch or as refined as what Stephan did in his upgrade of an import, but it suits my needs and I can recommend it.   That specific tool comes with  20 TPI diamond wheels that are 3/4" diameter, 3/8" wide with a 1/4" bore for the axle.

I had not knurled before jumping immediately into the deep end of the pool, taking on a heavy deep knurling of 316 stainless steel with 12 TPI wheels.   These are the wheels:






This is what I was making - thumb screws






for the sliding cover over the compound DRO scale:






That was challenging.   And I'd put it at the limit of the 1340 lathe without moving to a solid tool post (eliminating the compound) which I intend to do soon.  Jbolt has a thread that discusses the solid tool post mount here on H-M. as well as YouTube videos by Stefan

( 



 )

and  Robin

( 



 ). 

The biggest problem I've found with knurling is that under heavy load, the tool post (Dorian in my case) will tend to drift clockwise - which really chowders-up the knurling.   Tighten everything down, lock the cross slide, and use cutting oil.

More conventional diamond cutting 20 TPI is much easier on the machine.   Here's a video of that operation - making the handles and knobs for the 1340 out of 316 Stainless:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/34162064130/in/album-72157672547607804/   The handles, took several passes at progressively deeper cuts, and it was important to get the OD on the part matched to the TPI of the knurling wheel to get good results.

I ended up making a spreadsheet for looking up the required OD for the TPI knurling wheels I have on hand (12, 20 and 21) and I'm attaching it here - look for the OD you are targeting, and to the right will be the precise OD that comes closest to the target that matches the TPI of the wheel.

Hope this helps.


----------



## Howardd

davidpbest said:


> What is "mind boggling" about it?   Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?
> 
> Every photo at the link I initially provided has a description of what's in the photo.   Just click on the photo and the text is in a box below the image.
> 
> ER40 collet chuck specifics:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/33457416614/in/album-72157683014913836/
> 
> Flexbar LatheGuard info:   https://www.flickr.com/photos/davidpbest/32852017594/in/album-72157683014913836/



In a good way.  I can't imagine doing as much as you did in the year or so that you had the lathe.  

I was considering the Pratt  Burnerd Multi-size collet system but a chuck and set of collets would run about have the cost of the lathe.

Thanks again for all your help


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## jbolt

+1 on the Eagle Rock K-144. I have the K-201 that uses press pins to hold the knurls and its a pain to change the wheels.


----------



## Kiwi Canuck

David, I just re-read your build thread again and I'm not sure if can express how much I appreciate the work you have done, both on the machine and the work to post it here for others to learn from and admire, thank you.

I noticed on your VFD enclosure I didn't see any fusing on the incoming power, how did you handle that?

David.


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## davidpbest

I didn't put fusing on the VFD end because I didn't see the need.   What would fusing there be protecting?   The power for the VFD is on a dedicated 3-phase branch circuit with a breaker at the load center that will protect the wiring from any overload generated at the VFD end.   Since the VFD is the only thing on that branch circuit, the possibility of some other element creating some kind of voltage condition that would damage the VFD is eliminated.   So I scratched my head and asked "if I put fuses here, what would they be protecting and from what condition" and I still do not see their purpose if I had included them.   I asked around and the best answer I got as to why to put fuses at the VFD end was "everybody does it that way" or "it's code" (which isn't true), or "to protect the VFD" to which I ask "from what?" and got no answer.   So you tell me - maybe I'm missing something.   What would fuses at the VFD end be protecting that isn't already protected by the breaker at the load center?


----------



## Kiwi Canuck

OK good answer, I'm certainly not qualified to comment on why not have fuses installed before the VFD.

I'm using them in my install because Mark (mskj) included them in his wiring diagrams he sent me and now that I've purchased them they will be installed.

Also Mike from Zmotorsports also included them on his install, so I just followed suit as I don't know enough to question the logic of are they needed or not.

Something to do with breakers protect the wiring, fast acting fuses protect the components, I read that on one of the VFD threads at one time.

Thanks for the quick response.

David.


----------



## davidpbest

Yes, I've heard the party line that fast acting fuses protect the components.   With only one load on the branch circuit, I still ask "protect the components from what?  What electrical anomaly is going to occur that requires a fuse to protect the VFD if the VFD is the only device on the circuit?"   No one has been able to answer that to my satisfaction.   Some people wave their hands and start talking extemporaneously about "surges" and "lightening strikes" etc. and fine, if that occurs, my $300 VFD gets fried.  BFD I say.   LOL


----------



## Eddyde

I agree, fuses would probably be an unnecessary redundancy. If the breaker trips it will probably be because the VFD burned out.
One thing to keep in mind, if you have the machine hardwired (without a plug) directly to that branch circuit, you need a means of disconnect within 5 feet. Typically a fusebox with a switch is used.
PS Awesome Job on the lathe!!!


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## davidpbest

In my case, the VFD connects to the branch circuit via a plug, so I did not include a conventional fused disconnect.


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## Alan H.

Yes, it 


davidpbest said:


> Yes, I've heard the party line that fast acting fuses protect the components.   With only one load on the branch circuit, I still ask "protect the components from what?  What electrical anomaly is going to occur that requires a fuse to protect the VFD if the VFD is the only device on the circuit?"   No one has been able to answer that to my satisfaction.   Some people wave their hands and start talking extemporaneously about "surges" and "lightening strikes" etc. and fine, if that occurs, my $300 VFD gets fried.  BFD I say.   LOL


Yes it would be a BFD. You'd have to spend the money to buy a new VFD and worse yet, deal with the funky Hitachi software to get the new one configured!  I have fuses, 'cause I like fuses and an expert friend of mine explained that fuses and breakers are like people.  They all behave differently.


----------



## davidpbest

After all I’ve done on this lathe, replacing a cheap VFD would be a piece of cake.  Still looking for a cogent argument about what electrical anomaly a fuse would guard against.     ‘splain that to me please.


----------



## mksj

One thing that people forget is that a fuse can protect the equipment from line surges, the other component is that the fuse maps closely to the overload characteristics of the VFD, a breaker does not. I have had 240VAC wiring shorts and despite being on the breaker the wire did not do that well, a fuse would have been quicker and resulted in less damage. So a fuse offers a higher level of protection, which is more important the more costly the VFD/electrical systems. But agree, in the 2-3 Hp range the VFDs are most likely considered disposable if they fail. Have not seen one fail yet, excluding the HY VFD's. 

So on my PM1340GT I have a power disconnect at the machine and it is connected to a dedicated 20A breaker. My 3Hp mill is connected to a dedicated 30A breaker, it does have local fast acting fuses in the VFD cabinet. Both are connected to a sub panel with a commercial surge suppressor, and also at the service entrance. Out in Tucson we do get a lot of lightening strikes and the power can get a bit wonky when the power comes back on. I have had a few neighbors that had electrical equipment get fried due to the line surges, but this was connected equipment not disconnected. Given that fusing and holder can be had for around $50, it is a reasonable option, but a breaker can also be used.  Most lathes and mills come equipped with fuses as the standard equipment.


----------



## davidpbest

All good points Mark - thanks for posting.   I'm still happy with my decision not to fuse the VFD.   To each his own I guess.


----------



## wrmiller

davidpbest said:


> All good points Mark - thanks for posting.   I'm still happy with my decision not to fuse the VFD.   To each his own I guess.



I may be jinxing myself here, but I've never fused any of my machines. So far, so good.


----------



## GL

David,

First - As others have said, very nice and inspirational work - truly hit out of the park.  I find it interesting how many people who start in wood, find metal as a hobby and vice versa.  Woodworkers seem to have an artistic sense that comes out in their metalwork.  This project certainly reinforces that observation.  Thank you for sharing your artistry and your time.

So questions (mostly because you have had a chance to live with it awhile and there's always something else to think about - the shoulda/woulda/couldas): 

The base -  I too like the build vs buy equation.  As I look at your base design, that of bss1, and the purchased ones I see differences and similarities.  The 1340gt is a bench lathe.  In theory, if the "bench" it is mounted on is not flat, and is very rigid, it might be possible to overpower the bed and induce a twist that would be difficult to level out with the feet or would have to have shims installed between the mounting surfaces and the bench.   Bss1's base has 4 feet near the headstock and 2 at the tail, similar to a "conventional" base.  Purchased ones seem to follow a two rigid columns (headstock end with 4 feet) with a flexible section between - which might allow the base to flex instead of the bed.  Your design, with the center channel, appears to be more forgiving.  Do you think you lost anything with only having the 4 feet in the corners?  Maybe in a perfect world, the mounting surfaces get machined to be in plane with each other.   Did you notice this situation as you bolted it down, or am I just overthinking the problem (which is entirely possible)?

The VFD - There has been much praise and discussion about Mark's work.  Based on the pictures, he too is an artist.  There have been comments about just buying his system.  I probably missed a link along the way, but is there a good way to connect with him?   

Been looking for a new lathe for several years now.  Your build and my last chuck adapter project on too small of a machine has probably pushed me over the edge.  Time to get on with it.  Thanks again.


----------



## davidpbest

Thanks for the glowing remarks - much appreciated.   This was definitely a labor of love.   This machine was under glass cabinet on tour for a solid three months with Taylor Swift as the warm-up act prior to local unveiling and touchy-feely encounters.   Just kidding.   But I'm close to pulling the trigger on my next customization project involving a PM935 mill.   Hold your breath, this is going to be a Mardis Gras experiment in celebratory style.   LOL

I'm certainly no expert on stands and lathe mounting arrangements, but I understand your question.   Yes, you might well be guilty of overthinking this a bit, just like me.   Two things were paramount in the lathe stand for my PM1340GT:  1 - it had to have all drawer storage below (no deep cabinets with hinged doors or shelves), and 2 - a removable chip pan.   Bss1 and I were actually working on parallel paths at about the same time.   Obviously, we took different directions in some regards, and my guess is that we're equally happy with our decisions (not speaking for Bss1, but how could you NOT love what he came up with?).

One of the design differences between our two stand builds is that Bss1 took a more traditional 4-pillar approach to the section under the headstock.   The commercially available stands are out of the same school of thought, and I'm in no position to question or criticize that approach.   It's probably the more conservative route, but those who know me at all would quickly remark about my rebel nature.  The design philosophy with this approach is to support the headstock platform by mirroring the headstock base bolting arrangement.    I thought a lot about this when I did my design, but all the concepts I came up with that mirrored the headstock base attachments were in conflict with the two objectives mentioned above.  There is NO  drawer cabinet that I could find that was narrow enough to fit under the headstock platform, and deep enough to make use of the space.   I even explored a $4,500 solution from Lista and even that was unsatisfactory to me.

So as you can see, I elected to take a different approach entirely, supporting the entire lathe on a robust C-channel steel beam at both ends.   That gave me lots of freedom to include a removable chip pan, and to have tons of flexibility below the main beam to use drawer cabinets for storage.   I'm guilty of lathe leveling paranoia in a couple of areas (which I think is also your paranoia if I read your original post correctly) in that I elected to use fine thread leg levelers (coarse would have been fine) and I duplicated the lathe bed leveling arrangement by having one set of levelers at the floor interface level, and a second set of levelers at the support beam level.

Based on my experience with this lathe and the custom stand over the past year, I can offer the following observations:

I'm glad I stuck to my goal of having all drawer storage below.
I'm also glad I used drawer storage units that were full depth, and did not employ the flip-up-top variety found everywhere.   I've been a sailboat owner most of my life and really value every inch of available storage space.   Making my own cabinets below was worth the effort, but not something I'd advise for those devoid of OCD.
After every job I do, I pull out the chip pan and rinse it down over a garbage pail, so that was a good decision too.
As for leveling, I first made sure that the four corners of the stand were on solid concrete footing.   This required drilling out my plywood subfloor and putting in 3" diameter aluminum supports sized to the difference between the concrete floor and the plywood subfloor above it.  That gave the required "footing" for the lathe stand.   Thus far, I have only used the floor leveling feet to adjust the alignment of the lathe bedways.   The duplicate set of adjustments at each end of the C-channel were frills.   As I move into my 70's they may come to serve their intended purpose, eliminating the need to get down at floor level to dial in the bedways.
I bought and used an MT5 precision ground alignment shaft to dial in the headstock.  This is a wise investment IMO no matter your lathe stand configuration.   Saves a lot of time and makes it super easy to verify the headstock is precisely aligned to the ways.   I found the one I bought on eBay.   Here's an example:  https://www.ebay.com/itm/5MT-LATHE-...697186?hash=item3d36298aa2:g:yFsAAOSwCGVX2Zw6
Were I to do this over again, I would make a few changes.  The leveling feet I used were fine thread 1/2-20 when coarse 1/2-13 would have been fine.   The removable chip pan could use an additional 1/2" clearance under the C-channel - when it's full of chips, it's difficult to remove without the chips being displaced onto the top of the storage cabinets below.   I think next time I'd use a conventional Alkyd enamel paint on the stand instead of the 2-part (expensive) epoxy paint that is very difficult to apply and clean up.
But from a leveling and alignment perspective, based on my experience with this setup, a six-pillar stand is not necessary to provide the required rigidity, or to dial in alignment so long as you anchor the four corners to a very solid footprint, and the stand itself is rigid enough to not go into helicopter gyrations on it's own when the lathe is under stress.   The lathe bed of the PM1340GT responds just fine with four leveling points provided you also dial in the headstock after the ways are level.  

I know several people with this lathe that have had issues with vibration from various sources impacting surface finish.   Some of those problems have been the stand employed (which became the motivation for Matt to pursue a cast iron stand alternative), some have been badly balanced drive pulleys or crappy V-belts, and some have been harmonics from the motor with plenty of evidence that single-phase motors are worse in this regard.  Although my stand design is probably a poster child for setting up tons of harmonic vibrations, I have experienced ZERO problems in this regard.   I attribute my success in this pursuit to the fact that I swapped out the OEM motor for a Baldor 3-phase vector-rated motor, replaced the pulleys/sheves with new balanced cast iron versions, and also replaced the v-belt with Gates BX27 Tri-Power belt.   See details here:  




__
		https://flic.kr/p/N3Gobh
    If the machine is well balanced in it's drive system, I'm not convinced that a cast iron stand is required, but it certainly removes a lot of fear, uncertainty and doubt.

After all that, I will add this final comment:  I got lucky as well.

As for the control system, Mark Jacobs is an absolute gem - a delightful person, sharp as a tack, with a knowledge of the control system subculture beyond imagination.   I am forever thankful to him for his assistance in my education and his contribution to this project.   Mark is present on this forum under the user name mksj - you can message him directly on this forum.

Hope this was useful - it was fun to pen.


----------



## Alan H.

David, You mentioned drive pulley imbalance that some folks have suffered with.    Did you replace both motor and machine pulleys?


----------



## davidpbest

Alan, I replaced the pulley on the motor and had the factory pulley on the lathe drive shaft balanced at a shop in town.  The motor pulley is a TB Woods BK2878 - 7/8-inch shaft to match the Baldor motor, 2.95-inch OD.   The belt is a Gates BX27 Tri-Power, 21/32-inch width, 13/32-inch height, 30-inch outside circumference.  Fits perfectly for this pulley setup.


----------



## Alan H.

Thanks David,
As usual, this is excellent information you have shared.

Can you tell me how you searched for and found someone to balance your lathe's drive shaft pulley?   Having an idea where you started and better understanding what you asked for would be very helpful.


----------



## davidpbest

I asked around at various places to find an outfit that did precision surface grinding.   Those guys have to balance their grinder tooling, and know the techniques and have the equipment.   Took a while to find a path to someone willing to do it.   I never got a straight answer on how far out it was and if it would have had any impact on surface finish, but they drilled a small hole that's about 1/8" diameter down about 2mm on one area of the center hub of the pulley to balance it - so it couldn't have been very far out.   

There was lots of discussion about all this a year ago here, and I visited another PM1340GT owner near me (sanddan) who was the first to bring up the vibration issues.   He ended up building a custom stand, and another member here (Rio) even went so far as to secure his stand to threaded rod he'd epoxied into the floor.   

Here's the first thread that caught my attention:   https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/how-are-you-mounting-your-pm1340gt-lathe.42112/
Here's another on the same topic:   https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/1340gt-surface-finish-problem.55358/


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## petertha

I'm really looking forward to your mill project David. The lathe job was just top notch.

Regarding motors & belts & hinge plates, my Taiwan 14x40 showed some new vibration when I changed to a new belt. It was smaller circumference compared to my (obviously stretched & worn) original so I had to adjust the motor position to compensate. It didn't feel right running, I kept thinking the new one was too stiff or maybe wrong cross section for sheaves. But turns out the motor mount hinge plate needed tweaking. It wants a certain amount of belt tension, but more importantly it cannot free float like self-tensioning under its the weight. It starts to get bouncy-bouncy harmonics, you can hear it & feel it. There is a locking bolt to fix the motor plate I misinterpreted its use. I can also see this needing adjustment every so often as the belt wears.

Regarding a degrading or otherwise poor finish turning on these type lathes, I can vouch with my own experience that the power feed driveline is certainly something to look into when motors, vibrations & other issues don't seem to cure things. We live & die by the ability of the carriage to traverse smoothly & accurately for a good finish. Anything amiss in the power feed rod runout, alignment to its bearing assembly or apron gear mechanism it drives, will rear its ugly head & transfer that onto your work. My rebuild/improvements episode link below. I'm happy to report it runs much better than it ever did, even when new. 
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/14x40-lathe-power-feed-improvement.64907/#post-540127


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## davidpbest

petertha said:


> I'm really looking forward to your mill project David. The lathe job was just top notch.


Thanks.   That's quite a repair you did on your lathe.   I remember watching Keith straighten you feed shaft last fall.   He's a super nice guy and I love his YouTube channel.


----------



## raptor2013

davidpbest said:


> View attachment 232384
> 
> 
> It’s been several months since I took delivery of, and posted about my PM1340 lathe.   It's time for an update since I’m nearing completion of what started as a straight forward VFD conversion project, and then took on a life of it’s own and led to a substantial customization of the stock PM1340 lathe.
> 
> I’m forever grateful to Mark Jacobs in particular for his thoughtful advice, council and helpful suggestions, and especially for the new electronics control package he developed to my specifications.   Without Mark’s fine contribution, this project would never have taken off.   I’m also grateful to this Hobby-Machinist group  – I’ve received - even stolen or copied - some very interesting and useful upgrades described by other users here.   Great inspiration.
> 
> 
> In a nutshell, I started out wanting to do a VFD conversion and needed help with that aspect.   I also did not like the stand offered by QMT for the 1340 because it did not offer drawer storage below the lathe.   I also wanted a lathe with a chip/coolant pan that could be easily removed for cleaning.   I decided to design and build my own stand, and the project evolved from there – first learning to weld, acquiring welding equipment, making a welding table, and on and on.   Turns out, the stand building part of this project was one of the least time consuming aspects.
> 
> 
> As the project evolved, I harkened back to the mid-1960’s when I did a customization of a 1957 Chevy, and the more I got into this, the deeper I dug the customization hole.
> 
> 
> For those who are inclined, the full saga of the customization, including photos and selected videos of the machine under power is documented at this link:   *http://tinyurl.com/m2zavnl*
> 
> Here’s a summary of some of the elements that went into the Best & Jacobs Full Custom Edition:
> 
> Designed and fabricated a welded steel stand for the lathe that provided drawer storage below, and a removable chip/coolant pan under the lathe.
> Upgrade of the motor to a vector-rated Baldor unit capable of high torque and HP throughout a wide speed range.
> Working with Mark Jacobs who designed and fabricated a new control system, all the electronics in the factory-supplied lathe were replaced.
> I like this lathe a lot, and appreciate the refinement of a Taiwanese made machine to that of mainland China.   That said, one thing they haven’t mastered in Asia (to my satisfaction) is how to paint the machines with a durable finish.   So I said to myself “as long as you’re replacing the electronics, might as well repaint the thing.”   Wow – what a path-setting decision that was.
> And then “as long as you’re taking it apart to paint . . .” came the decision to replace every fastener on the machine with hardened stainless steel equivalents (thank you McMaster).
> I decided to upgrade other basic elements of the machine including incorporation of real glass and metal oil level sights, a quick and easy oil drain system for the headstock, all new front panels, new stainless steel knobs and levers, a single-point oil pumping system for the quick change gearbox, new carriage stop with micro-adjust and proximity sensor mounting, and many other minor improvements and embellishments.
> Installed DRO-Pro’s magnetic scale system with customized mounting and drag chain to organize the cables, and a Mitutoyo scale on the tailstock.  Also built a MachTach kit for the machine, came up with custom case and panel for it as well as incorporating the mounting into the structure to support the DRO display.
> After the stand was built and the lathe installed on it, I decided to build a tool racking system and for the BXA tooling collection I was accumulating, and that evolved into a second support bracket system for the light (which I converted to LED), and a jumbo dial indicator setup for indicating-in 4 jaw fixturing, swivel tool trays for the stand, etc.
> Added an MQL coolant delivery system from FogBuster.
> 
> Here are a few photographs that chronicle the evolution and where things stand today.  Enjoy, and thanks for the inspiration and for viewing, with special thanks to Mark Jacobs for his consistent and thoughtful support throughout the project, and to Matt at QMT for his helpful and timely support throughout.
> 
> The custom lathe stand - "what do you mean, I have to learn to weld too?"
> 
> 
> View attachment 232353
> 
> 
> The removable chip tray:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232354
> 
> 
> VFD enclosure:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232355
> 
> 
> Tear-down and preparation for stripping and painting:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232356
> 
> 
> Painting:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232358
> 
> 
> Replacing all the fasteners with hardened Stainless Steel:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232359
> 
> 
> New controls and front panel:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232385
> 
> 
> Electronic control package from Mark Jacobs:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232361
> 
> 
> New Baldor motor, pulley and belt system:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232362
> 
> 
> New oil level sights:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232363
> 
> 
> Dorian BXA tool post:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232365
> 
> 
> Single Bijur oil pump for quick change gearbox:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232366
> 
> 
> New quick change gearbox oil distribution platform:
> 
> View attachment 232357
> 
> 
> MachTach:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232367
> 
> 
> Spider and tachometer sensor mount:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232368
> 
> 
> ER40 collet chuck with D1-4 mounting:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232386
> 
> 
> All new stainless steel levers and knobs:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232370
> 
> 
> Spindle-aligned chuck saddles:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232387
> 
> 
> Tailstock DRO:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232371
> 
> 
> Quick, no mess oil change system for headstock:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232372
> 
> 
> Cross slide DRO:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232373
> 
> 
> Carriage position DRO with drag chain for cable and coolant/compressed air plumbing:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232374
> 
> 
> FogBuster coolant system:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232375
> 
> 
> Flexbar LatheGuard safety shield:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232376
> 
> 
> Custom mounting for DRO and MachTach display:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232377
> 
> 
> Quick change gearbox oil drip pan:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232378
> 
> 
> New, tool-less re-positioning and removable carriage stop with proximity sensor mounting:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232379
> 
> 
> Spider run-out adjustment indicator system:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232380
> 
> 
> Extensive tool rack:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232381
> 
> 
> 
> As she sits tonight:
> 
> 
> View attachment 232384
> 
> 
> 
> And there's much more here for those who are interested, including several videos in addition to four pages of photos:    *http://tinyurl.com/m2zavnl*
> 
> Thanks for viewing, sorry for the long post, and much appreciation to you all for inspiration.


where did you get the rpm gage?


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## davidpbest

http://machtach.com/


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## StevSmar

Amazing what you’ve done with your lathe and stand!

Thank you for documenting your projects on Flickr, I’ve enjoyed going through them.

Thank you too for posting PDF’s of your modifications and stand, lots of great ideas there!


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## davidpbest

StevSmar said:


> Amazing what you’ve done with your lathe and stand!
> 
> Thank you for documenting your projects on Flickr, I’ve enjoyed going through them.
> 
> Thank you too for posting PDF’s of your modifications and stand, lots of great ideas there!


You're welcome.  I extend my thanks to Mark Jacobs for the controls.


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## StevSmar

@davidpbest , I really like the drawings you produce for all your projects. What program are you using for these?

I’ve spent a very enjoyable year or so using AutoDesks Fusion360, so I think I’ll be following in your footsteps when I make a lathe stand.


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## davidpbest

I use a 2D drawing package called Visio Professional from Microsoft.  I also use Fusion360 when I need a 3D modeling capability or parametric relationships during conceptual design, but the drawing output facilities of F360 are still pretty lame.  I have been consulting with the F360 team for three years about drawing output enhancements, and they are getting better, but are still insufficient for my work.


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## StevSmar

Thanks David. I’ve played around a little with Fusions drawings capabilities, but since I’ve primarily been solid modelling, turning the models into drawings isn’t something I’ve found limiting (yet...).


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## davidpbest

I like to use color to clarify different components, and I like to be able to change line widths, arrowhead styles, size of text on the dimensions and add various annotations.   To me, those finer details are what set good drawings apart, and just a few of the things missing in F360 drawing capabilities.   My main business is interior design and remodeling, so I also need my CAD package to create conventional architectural drawings.   The learning curve to profenciency on any good CAD package is steep enough that I want to limit the number of CAD tools I have to learn.   Two is quite enough.   And now that I have 20+ years of CAD drawing on my computer, I'm hostage to the CAD package used to create them.   LOL   Pick your CAD package wisely because you'll be in bed with it for years to come.


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## Firstgear

davidpbest said:


> Pick your CAD package wisely because you'll be in bed with it for years to come.


Well said!


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## StevSmar

davidpbest said:


> ... I'm hostage to the CAD package used to create them.   LOL   Pick your CAD package wisely because you'll be in bed with it for years to come.


I definitely agree with you. I used 2D AutoCAD for maybe 10 years and became quite proficient with it. Fusion360 was a huge change, going from 2D line drawings to 3D solid modelling. Now that I’m largely used to it I enjoy solid modelling immensely. I still get Fusions and AutoCAD’s delete key confused though...



davidpbest said:


> I like to use color to clarify different components, and I like to be able to change line widths, arrowhead styles, size of text


Fusion is very limited in this respect. I do love how easy it is to put in an isometric view in Fusion, they convey so much information.


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## Kiwi Canuck

David, I saw this wrench in your tool holder, is that for the Dorian Tool QCTP?







What size 25mm or 1" and where did you get it?

David.


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## davidpbest

Are you are referring to the box-end wrench, that came with my Dorian Starter Kit?   I do NOT recommend that starter kit, but I am delighted with the Dorian wedge-type tool post.   I have no idea if that wrench comes with the tool post when purchased separately, but it's not worth buying the starter kit to get it if it doesn't.   Dorian does a terrible job telling you "what's in the box." with all of their gear, so I recommend you call them to clarify.   The wrench is 1-1/16" and is made by Martin - who I know as a spanner wrench maker.  Below is a close-up photo.






Looks like you can buy that wrench separately _HERE._

I don't use it much anymore because I have my Dorian QCTP mounted on a solid tool base rather than the cross slide and it's locked into position from rotating under load.   All that solid tool post dialog is covered at this _LINK._

Complete build on the solid tool post is _HERE._

Hope this helps.


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## Kiwi Canuck

davidpbest said:


> Are you are referring to the box-end wrench, that came with my Dorian Starter Kit?   I do NOT recommend that starter kit, but I am delighted with the Dorian wedge-type tool post.   I have no idea if that wrench comes with the tool post when purchased separately, but it's not worth buying the starter kit to get it if it doesn't.   Dorian does a terrible job telling you "what's in the box." with all of their gear, so I recommend you call them to clarify.   The wrench is 1-1/16" and is made by Martin - who I know as a spanner wrench maker.  Below is a close-up photo.
> 
> View attachment 324132
> 
> 
> Looks like you can buy that wrench separately _HERE._
> 
> I don't use it much anymore because I have my Dorian QCTP mounted on a solid tool base rather than the cross slide and it's locked into position from rotating under load.   All that solid tool post dialog is covered at this _LINK._
> 
> Complete build on the solid tool post is _HERE._
> 
> Hope this helps.



David, thanks for the detailed and speedy response, didn't know about Martin Wrenches or that tool vendor, so I'll check them out.

I actually have the Aloris QCTP which I ordered with the lathe from QMT, so far very impressed with it, silky smooth and the Aloris BXA holders I got feel very solid and fit perfectly. (unlike some china 250-202's holders I bought locally here that don't even fit without additional machining.)

I've been using an import 1" combination wrench which feels too long and is a bit sloppy, so I was looking for something like you have there.

The 25mm might be a better fit but it seems these types of  wrenches (spanners) only come in Imperial sizes.

Thanks again for all your info, it's always very interesting and educational to read your posts.

David.


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## sanddan

David,
I haven't been here in quite a while but I'm glad I checked your thread for updates. I've been wishing I had a better solution for the Aloris quick change tool post wrench than the long one I've been using. I'll have to order one of the Martin ones like yours but in 1". Here's the link 









						Martin Tools 806B 1 Inch Box Wrench | ToolDiscounter
					

1 Inch Box Wrench. Shop Martin Tools 1 Inch Box Wrench at ToolDiscounter




					www.tooldiscounter.com
				




As to the vibration I saw when I first got my 1340GT I noticed yesterday that it seems to have gone away. I've played with different belts and pulleys so that might have been what did it or just had to "run in" for a while, who knows? I'm still happy with the stand I designed, it suits my needs. I also built a table with a 44" HF box built in that resides opposite the lathe. That work surface has been great when working on lathe projects, I just have to keep at it as to not allowing it to turn into a catch all surface. It's a never ending battle. LOL


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## daveog

You guys seriously need to stop posting about your upgrades. Just when I thought I was happy to have my 1340GT I see yours and feel like I have a toy again!! Nice machine!!


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## Janderso

daveog said:


> You guys seriously need to stop posting about your upgrades. Just when I thought I was happy to have my 1340GT I see yours and feel like I have a toy again!! Nice machine!!


It's hard to be a mortal. You can't keep up with these guys, just admire their work and dream.


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## Buffalo21

Way too clean and there is way too much exposed floor.....................................


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## Skowinski

Wow, just ran across this thread.  What a nice machine, that's a LOT of work put into the build!


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## davidpbest

daveog said:


> You guys seriously need to stop posting about your upgrades. Just when I thought I was happy to have my 1340GT I see yours and feel like I have a toy again!! Nice machine!!


You might enjoy *this link.*   LOL


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## daveog

You’re killing me. I wish I had the time/resources/skills to do all that!!! That’s a nice mill.

If I didn’t have to have my machines in the basement I would have gotten that one. But getting that much to my basement just isn’t feasible. I had to settle for the PM-30MV. Got the 1340gt down there though. Someday I’ll upgrade the mill but for now the 30 does everything I need it to.


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## Janderso

Yeah, that just makes me duel.
The professional looking upgrades is something we can only dream of. Imho
David, the art of mounting and adjusting the power drives is an art.
Mine are a mess and I have no idea how to fix them.


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## szenieh

davidpbest said:


> You might enjoy *this link.*   LOL


Hello David,

I have a question regarding the oil drain plug for the head on the PM1340. What type of thread is it? Did you have to drill and re-tap for a standard fitting when you made your oil drain system? I think this modification is very useful and I am about to do it on mine. I am also installing a one-shot oiler for the QC gearbox. I was also thinking of running an oil line to the 40T gear right at the input of the QC gearbox. This is the one that makes a "clanky" sound as it turns. I noticed a bit of oil makes it really quiet.

Also, my QC gearbox vibrates a bit at low gear ratios. Seems to go into a low frequency oscillation at it turns but only at low gear ratio. I am not sure if this is just a break-in issue or a bigger problem. I will take a look tomorrow, but was wondering if you have ever experienced anything like that on yours.

Thanks,

Salah Zenieh


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## davidpbest

Salah,

I have not had problems with vibration.  I attribute this to the design of the stand I developed, and the fact that I replaced the factory motor with a Baldor 3-phase vector-rated alternative driven by a VFD.

The oil drain plug on the 1340 is 1/4" NPT.  Here are some photos of the quick-change plumbing I came up with to make it easy to change oil regularly.   
















Hope this helps.


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## davidpbest

szenieh said:


> Hello David,
> 
> I have a question regarding the oil drain plug for the head on the PM1340. What type of thread is it? Did you have to drill and re-tap for a standard fitting when you made your oil drain system? I think this modification is very useful and I am about to do it on mine. I am also installing a one-shot oiler for the QC gearbox. I was also thinking of running an oil line to the 40T gear right at the input of the QC gearbox. This is the one that makes a "clanky" sound as it turns. I noticed a bit of oil makes it really quiet.
> 
> Also, my QC gearbox vibrates a bit at low gear ratios. Seems to go into a low frequency oscillation at it turns but only at low gear ratio. I am not sure if this is just a break-in issue or a bigger problem. I will take a look tomorrow, but was wondering if you have ever experienced anything like that on yours.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Salah Zenieh


One thing additional that might help.   See the attached.   This is what inspired me to do the single-shot oiler.


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## szenieh

davidpbest said:


> Salah,
> 
> I have not had problems with vibration.  I attribute this to the design of the stand I developed, and the fact that I replaced the factory motor with a Baldor 3-phase vector-rated alternative driven by a VFD.
> 
> The oil drain plug on the 1340 is 1/4" NPT.  Here are some photos of the quick-change plumbing I came up with to make it easy to change oil regularly.
> 
> View attachment 343430
> 
> 
> View attachment 343431
> 
> View attachment 343432
> 
> 
> Hope this helps.


Thank you- helps a lot. I will take a note of your second message also as I look into the vibration problem.


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## Janderso

David, you sure do pretty work!


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## Janderso

I just read another thread about a quality problem on a PM lathe, (Pcmaker and his motor stopping while running)

David,
You replaced the motor and bearings when you first received your lathe as I recall.

Price point lathes take short cuts wherever possible.

Those of us who gambled and won buying old American iron, or In my case, Colchester made in England, have machine tools that have performed for decades with little or no issues.
That’s incredible. In my humble opinion.


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## davidpbest

Janderso said:


> I just read another thread about a quality problem on a PM lathe, (Pcmaker and his motor stopping while running)
> 
> David,
> You replaced the motor and bearings when you first received your lathe as I recall.



I replaced the motor because I installed a VFD and wanted a vector-rated motor that provided full torque across 20-200 Hz so I would never have to change belt positions.   Lots of 1340 owners have installed VFD's with the factory supplied motor and are happy.  I did not replace the spindle bearings since the machine came with very high quality bearing to begin with.   Full build is documented here.


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## Pcmaker

Janderso said:


> I just read another thread about a quality problem on a PM lathe, (Pcmaker and his motor stopping while running)
> 
> David,
> You replaced the motor and bearings when you first received your lathe as I recall.
> 
> Price point lathes take short cuts wherever possible.
> 
> Those of us who gambled and won buying old American iron, or In my case, Colchester made in England, have machine tools that have performed for decades with little or no issues.
> That’s incredible. In my humble opinion.



I couldn't stall the motor when turning after doing .200 DOC on 1045 cold rolled. I figured it had to be the parting tool setup that was the issue.

I replaced 3/32 parting blade with a new 1/8" and that took care of the parting issue. I tried parting on auto feed, and even on the 2nd fastest feed rate setting, it didn't stall the motor. It kept on feeding with no problems. Didn't even slow down the motor.

I'm not sure why it did on the 3/32 parting blade. There's no visible issues that I can see on the blade, but replacing it took care of the issue.


----------



## davidpbest

Janderso said:


> I just read another thread about a quality problem on a PM lathe, (Pcmaker and his motor stopping while running)
> 
> David,
> You replaced the motor and bearings when you first received your lathe as I recall.
> 
> Price point lathes take short cuts wherever possible.
> 
> Those of us who gambled and won buying old American iron, or In my case, Colchester made in England, have machine tools that have performed for decades with little or no issues.
> That’s incredible. In my humble opinion.


I looked back at Pcmaker's issue with the motor.  His final posting suggests his problem was cockpit error related to the parting tool he was trying to use.   My suspicion is that he was was getting overly aggressive with the parting tool or it was set to low and digging in, and perhaps didn't have the belt tightened as well has he might.  It also helps to replace the factory belt with a segment Gates belt for better grip.


----------



## Pcmaker

What are the drawbacks to the 1340GT? I have this and the 1236T narrowed down as my next lathe to purchase after I get my PM949. 

I've been happy with my 1127, but I absolutely hate changing gears just to switch between threading and feed rates.


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## davidpbest

I have a PM1340.   What specifically can I fill you in on?


----------



## Janderso

My apologies gentlemen.


----------



## Pcmaker

davidpbest said:


> I have a PM1340.   What specifically can I fill you in on?



I see you changed the motor. I was going to ask you how much DOC the machine can take before it struggles. 

Also, I think you need to do change gears only when switching to metric. 

-You don't need to go back and forth to do threading and feed rate? 
-How much of a hassle is it to change gears when needing to do metric threading? 
-How's the surface finish?
-The way my garage is set up, I have to put the lathe right up against the wall. Is this going to be an issue with the 1340GT? Do I need to occassionally have to access behind it?


----------



## AlanB

I've been shopping these lathes as well as the PM-1440GT, so I've been digging into the online manuals and reading what I can find elsewhere.

The PM-1236T and PM-1340GT share the same manual (and gearbox). It shows one gear setup for imperial threading and three gearing setups for the range of metric threads. They don't go into detail on feed rates in the metric gear configurations but with the wide ranging Norton style gearbox you may find adequate feed rates on all four gearing setups. It looks like the carriage feed rates are about 1/3 the threading rates.

You might also consider an Electronic Leadscrew on your existing lathe to avoid gear changes and get essentially unlimited threading and feeding rates. There are commercial products and DIY projects going on.


----------



## Pcmaker

I want to buy an electronic leadscrew specifically for my lathe. It's something I'd get and not need to buy another lathe.


----------



## davidpbest

Pcmaker said:


> I see you changed the motor. I was going to ask you how much DOC the machine can take before it struggles.
> 
> Also, I think you need to do change gears only when switching to metric.
> 
> -You don't need to go back and forth to do threading and feed rate?
> -How much of a hassle is it to change gears when needing to do metric threading?
> -How's the surface finish?
> -The way my garage is set up, I have to put the lathe right up against the wall. Is this going to be an issue with the 1340GT? Do I need to occassionally have to access behind it?



Complete threading charts for the 1340GT are attached.
Feed rates for carriage and cross-slide are listed on the front panel of the lathe - center column:






I routinely turn 316 stainless at 0.200" DOC using a Trigon insert tool.
I do a lot of metric threading.   The 1340 is imperial-centric.  If you want a lathe that's easy to go between metric and imperial, you should get the ERL-1340 that Mark described in another thread you have participated in, or tear off the Norton gearbox on the 1340GT and add an electronic lead screw.  Build your own from Clough42 kit on eBay or go high end with these:  https://www.rocketronics.de/en/els/
I am able to obtain any level of surface finish I have needed.  A lot depends on the tool selected -  lower lead angles help.
My 1340 is against a wall and I've never had to move it.  If you get the taper attachment, that's a different story.


----------



## AlanB

Really nice setup there.


----------



## davidpbest

AlanB said:


> Really nice setup there.


Thanks.  I was fun setting it up.  Even more fun to use.


----------



## MtnBiker

I'm really impressed David. Amazing work and attention to detail.


----------



## Janderso

davidpbest said:


> Complete threading charts for the 1340GT are attached.
> Feed rates for carriage and cross-slide are listed on the front panel of the lathe - center column:
> 
> View attachment 343799
> 
> I routinely turn 316 stainless at 0.200" DOC using a Trigon insert tool.
> I do a lot of metric threading.   The 1340 is imperial-centric.  If you want a lathe that's easy to go between metric and imperial, you should get the ERL-1340 that Mark described in another thread you have participated in, or tear off the Norton gearbox on the 1340GT and add an electronic lead screw.  Build your own from Clough42 kit on eBay or go high end with these:  https://www.rocketronics.de/en/els/
> I am able to obtain any level of surface finish I have needed.  A lot depends on the tool selected -  lower lead angles help.
> My 1340 is against a wall and I've never had to move it.  If you get the taper attachment, that's a different story.
> 
> View attachment 343798


That beautiful lathe is entirely too clean.
If it weren’t for the fact that I’ve seen your machinist skills, I would say the lathe is just for show.


----------

