Bringing a PM-1054TV-3PH into my Garage

[erikmannie]

The 4 bolts on the front of the head must be loosened, and there is a hex head drive gear to rotate the head around. As you crank the drive gear you can help take the weight of the head to help push it around.

Thank you for that. After you said that, I remembered that that is how it is done. Instead of straining myself and pushing up using my body, I uses a cheater bar.

I also had to raise the knee and adjust the ram back a lot in order to make it look normal.

 

[Aukai]

Looks good

 

[Tipton1965]

You have a great lathe/Mill combo now!

 

[erikmannie]

You have a great lathe/Mill combo now!

I bought a small mill, and then a small lathe from PM. I grossly underestimated how much I would enjoy machining, thus the bigger machines.

My Mom came over today. She said, “Oh, great! Now you can sell these other ones”, pointing to the PM-25MV and PM-1030V.

YEAH, RIGHT! How could she not understand how much I am attached to those machines? The first time that I *ever* operated a mill and lathe were on those two machines.

I told her that I use the big machines to work on big parts, and the little machines to work on little parts.

 

[erikmannie]

Now I have worn myself out cleaning the work table. I am happy with the job I did, but I am out of gas.

I have been working way too many hours at work. I was talking to the boss today about this, and he said that I can work in the office the rest of the week; this is a swing shift, & it has no overtime! This will free up a lot of time to get the new machine going.

 

[Aaron_W]

I bought a small mill, and then a small lathe from PM. I grossly underestimated how much I would enjoy machining, thus the bigger machines.

My Mom came over today. She said, “Oh, great! Now you can sell these other ones”, pointing to the PM-25MV and PM-1030V.

YEAH, RIGHT! How could she not understand how much I am attached to those machines? The first time that I *ever* operated a mill and lathe were on those two machines.

I told her that I use the big machines to work on big parts, and the little machines to work on little parts.

I know a lot of people are fine making little parts on a big machine, but I really like having a couple machines sized to the work.


That is quite a mill, glad to see it all worked out.
I know it was a lot of money paid to riggers, and sure you probably could have managed with your dad, a couple friends and a rented forklift but any goofs and think of the possible damage. You don't have to look far to find stories of a lathe dumped on its face, a mill tipped over etc. Always a risk even with small machines. You can kind of manhandle 300-400lb machines, but over 1000lbs the margin of error gets a lot smaller. Money well spent in my mind.

 

[Janderso]

I know a lot of people are fine making little parts on a big machine, but I really like having a couple machines sized to the work.


That is quite a mill, glad to see it all worked out.
I know it was a lot of money paid to riggers, and sure you probably could have managed with your dad, a couple friends and a rented forklift but any goofs and think of the possible damage. You don't have to look far to find stories of a lathe dumped on its face, a mill tipped over etc. Always a risk even with small machines. You can kind of manhandle 300-400lb machines, but over 1000lbs the margin of error gets a lot smaller. Money well spent in my mind.

Making little parts on big machines can be challenging. The 5C collet chuck has been amazing.
Another idea may be to mount a small 4 jaw in the big 4 jaw. The big 4 jaw is not east to quickly change out!!

 

[erikmannie]

I *had to* bring the stuff in from the sideyard. There are 5 items on wheels (4 bikes + “the tote cart”) that I would almost always *roll out of the garage” to do any welding or machining.

Here is everything organized the best that I could. You will see that the 5 items listed above would be in the way of any work.

The photos are working clockwise around the garage starting at the knee mill.

The oily flat box on top of the bench mill stand contains 5C collets.

 

[erikmannie]

I am soliciting suggestions on how to optimize the crowded space.

Continuing to work around clockwise:

 

[erikmannie]

Still working around clockwise: