Another Pm1340gt Build

Really nice work, and love the brass lock nuts. Having a spider makes a world of difference when dealing with long stock, if you put an indicator on the spider end it will also make the stock holder true when using a 5C collet system. Great work!
Mark
 
Really excellent job, BSS1! One thing I didn't see mentioned anywhere- can you comment on the benchtop height off the floor, as well as the spindle height? I have a HF 44" box and was planning on putting a PM1236T on there, which is the slightly smaller brother to the 1340gt. I am a little concerned about the spindle height being too high for comfort. I like your solution of using the smaller top box from the HF set. It would be great to know your bench height to give me an idea of where it might line up for me.
 
Brad, What size thread are the screws you used for the spider? What is the OD of the brass that you used to make the knurled lock nuts?
 
Thanks for the nice comments guys.

Will, I will have to measure the height and get back to you. I followed the excellent and very detailed plans for this stand that were created by Sanddan which he published and shared with us here. However I did make mine slightly higher so I will need measure to get you exact figures.

Alan, the set screws for attaching the spider to the spindle were 5/16-24 that were 1/4" long. The brass tip screws were 3/8-24. If you make your own brass tip screws from socket head cap screws like I did, you need a 1 1/4" length plus a 1/4" brass tip. Both screw types were hard to find locally in those fine pitches so I ordered them from McMaster. I wanted flat point set screws but even McMaster didn't have them so I got the cup point and turned the cup off the end. That made them about 1 thread short of the perfect length. Still plenty of thread engagement and I wanted the head to be below the surface anyway. If you go this route and want them perfect, you may want to get 3/8" length and turn them down a little more.

The brass lock nuts were turned from 3/4" bar stock. I milled a flat on the spider that was the first size end mill I had on hand that was larger than 1/2" (can't remember the size). The step on the lock nuts were turned down from the previously mentioned 3/4" diameter down to 1/2" to engage the flat milled on the spider.

I was previously asked about the flatness of the stand and leveling of the lathe. I want to add to my response that I was extremely careful when fabricating the stand to try to keep things as flat and parallel as possible. I tig welded in short beads to reduce heat and related warpage of the material. I also gang cut the legs and longitudinal stringers in an effort to keep everything the same length. Additionally, I was also fortunate to have a very flat table with a ground surface to fixture to. I really took my time with the build and just completing the frame took at least a month of free time in the evenings and on weekends. Even with all this effort it wasn't perfect and required some shimming to be able to level the lathe but I was very pleased with how close it did come out.

Take care and let me know if you have any additional questions.
 
Nice work man, thats what it all about. Customizing your lathe will keep the clutter down as well.
 
Willdo, the stand height without the chip tray is 29". It sits on 3" leveling feet with about 2" of stick-out. Therefore the height as it sits is about 31". That puts the spindle height right around 48.5". I am 6' tall and it seems about right for me.

Alan, the end mill I used to mill the flat was 9/16.


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bss1 said:
Progress continues. I have been making slow progress on evenings and weekends, but I am taking my time and enjoying the process. I finally got the machine backed into its permanent home which was the prior location of my old South Bend lathe. It was a tight fit but it'll work for now.

Then I began working on a rack to hold the tool holders, chuck wrenches, and various other accessories. I used a piece of 80/20 like others have done. The hangers for the tool and chuck holders were made from 1.5" and 2" aluminum angle.

View attachment 186818


I have it rough leveled, but now need to dial it in and check alignment of the headstock. Then I need to eventually make a spider and modify the gear cover.
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I just found this post again and read it from start to finish twice.

Your build is fantastic but I can not help but admire your welding/fixturing table, that is a very nice looking piece and I would love to have one of those someday.

Not sure if it's been asked before but what's the history on it and how long have you had it?

Cheers,

David
 
David,thanks for the complements. I have had the table since around 2003 or 2004. A good friend of mine at the time that worked in a machine shop related to the oil industry gave I to me. He wasn’t sure of its origin. The top is made of cast iron and is several inches thick. It appears to have a ground surface and has holes tapped in it. Although I use it for a general shop table and for welding, I think it may have been the table for some type of heavy duty industrial drill press. MiG weld splatter comes off with a scraper. My friend thought it was probably 60’s vintage. It’s been the centerpiece of my shop since I got it.


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bss1 said:
Well during the rainstorm preceding the recent flood here in Houston I was able finish my spindle spider project I have been pecking at. It is based upon the design that MKSJ shared with me. He also posted a thread on his build with a drawing and photos that are very helpful.

I used my newly acquired super indexer to drill and tap the holes in the spider.

View attachment 241220
View attachment 241221View attachment 241222View attachment 241223

I had some 1" store bought brass tip set screws but they were not quite long enough so I made my own per Marks instructions. I made them with a step and a press fit to the shoulder. I don't think the tips are coming out.

View attachment 241225

I have two small boring heads but neither was big enough to have the reach for boring out the hole in the gear cover. I gave up on that and ended up utilizing a die grinder with a carbide burr to open it up, then finished with a 2" 80 grit flap wheel. I carefully worked to a scribed line and the hole really turned out well. You couldn't tell that it wasn't bored on the mill. The only issue was the burr I used seemed to clog up with the cast iron cover material which necessitated stopping to clean out the burr at multiple intervals, slowing the process considerably. It was a fun project and now my tach magnet is no longer taped to the spindle!
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Amazing work! Just out of curiosity, what 5C collet chuck are you using in the second picture? I'm looking for one for my PM1340GT, and any information or specs would be greatly appreciated.

-Mitch
 
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