Just ordered the PM-1236T Lathe - Need some help please...!

[Mr Mike]

So I decided to stop messing around and Just go for broke and ordered the PM-1236T Lathe, stand and BXA tooling...

Pre Covid I got a 12x36 Enco from an estate sale that came with tones of AXA tooling but I was told by Precision Matthews over the phone I should get BXA for this lathe, because to use the AXA tooling I would need to mod it and the tooling is 1/2" instead of 5/8" for the BXA.

Interestingly enough they don't sell a parting blade, just the tool holder for it... Another thing I thought was kind of weird is the PM-1340T has hardened gears but not the little brother PM-1236T cause its meant for hobbyist but is only $500.00 cheaper, I don't have floor space for the 1340T or would have gotten that one.

I'm am giving away my old Enco 12x36 to a person that needs it on another thread, should I include all the AXA tooling with the lathe since I cant use any of it with the new lathe....?

I'm not positive but was told the Bison D1-4 chuck I have should work on the new lathe.

Thanks for reading..

TLDR: Can I use my AXA Qctp & tools with my new PM-1236T ---> YES <--- The main thread question has been solved.

 

[Ischgl99]

You can actually use ALL of you AXA tooling with the 1236T. I have that lathe and used the AXA sized toolpost I had from my previous lathe, and it works just fine. Several of my tool holders are 3/8” and they work as well, so not sure why they are telling you you need 5/8” tooling, that is not the case at all. When I bought my lathe, I thought I would need to upgrade my tooling as well, but after using it for a couple years, I am buying more AXA sized tooling instead of “upgrading” to BXA. I’m actually considering getting a Dorian AXA sized toolpost to replace my import, but mine is working well enough, that I am spending my money on stuff I actually need and not just want. The BXA gives you some more options with tooling, but it is not necessary in my experience.

 

[Mr Mike]

You can actually use ALL of you AXA tooling with the 1236T. I have that lathe and used the AXA sized toolpost I had from my previous lathe, and it works just fine. Several of my tool holders are 3/8” and they work as well, so not sure why they are telling you you need 5/8” tooling, that is not the case at all. When I bought my lathe, I thought I would need to upgrade my tooling as well, but after using it for a couple years, I am buying more AXA sized tooling instead of “upgrading” to BXA. I’m actually considering getting a Dorian AXA sized toolpost to replace my import, but mine is working well enough, that I am spending my money on stuff I actually need and not just want. The BXA gives you some more options with tooling, but it is not necessary in my experience.

Hmm, Maybe he a good sales guy and know he's talking to a noobe, or maybe he meant the AXA QCTP would have to be modified to fit the lathe. But since I already bought the BXA QCTP, tool holders and tooling, should I keep all my old tooling and just give away all the generic AXA stuff or hold onto it too..?

Read a few posts on here that said bigger ( Talking about QCTP ) isn't always better cause it can get in the way sometimes.... I was just thinking the compound slide on the new lathe must sit lower so they show the taller BXA on the sale page that fits this particular lathe, one day when I have an ounce of knowledge ill make better buying decision.

Hopefully I made the right choice getting this lathe as opposed to the same size grizzly one I was looking at...

 

[Just for fun]

Hey Mr Mike, Congratulations on your new lathe! I have had my 1236T for just over a year and love it. I can't help on the BXA vs AXA question. I have the BXA QCTP on mine, it works fine. It seems like there was discussion about the Chinese 1236 needing the AXA tools. Anyway, you will enjoy it, it's a nice lathe.

 

[erikmannie]

If it were me, I would not give away the AXA tooling, & especially not the AXA tool bits, shanks, inserts, boring bars, etc.

1236T does indeed accept D1-4:

PM-1236T 12″x36″ Ultra Precision Lathe – Precision Matthews Machinery Co.

www.precisionmatthews.com

One of the options is a D1-4 lathe chuck. Screenshot from the link above:

You will find many options for a BXA parting solution. I have HSS blades as well as carbide inserts. I usually use the carbide, but maybe one day you will run out of parting/grooving inserts (or have an issue with the BXA carbide insert parting tool holder), & it will be nice to have the HSS blade (and the tool holder for it) on hand.

You can always resharpen a HSS parting blade on a bench grinder. Expect a cheap HSS parting/grooving blade to be made of disappointingly soft HSS. Aloris HSS parting/grooving blades have quality HSS.

 

[mksj]

I would go with a BXA QCTP and holders, more rigidity and more options such as bigger boring bars, blades, etc. If you use carbide insert tooling they are more common with the 3/8" inscribed circle of the BXA, AXA is usually smaller. If you have some questions on the tooling options you may check out David Best's book on indexible tooling for the lathe, in the long run it will save you from making mistakes and maybe spending more (or throwing out the cheap stuff that didn't work, and you couldn't figure out why). I would not recommend buying one of the indexible holder kits, read David's book he gives good recommendations as to where to start and what to get.

I previously owned the PM-1340GT, the 1236T is pretty much the same lathe and just a tad smaller in dimensions. They gave up a few things in the process to make the 1236T a bit less. The hardened gears should not be a factor for a hobbyist lathe, we will wear out long before they do. You might look at the foot print of the 1236T vs. 1340GT, if I recall on the stand the floor foot print is pretty close. I personally recommend going with the 3 phase version and doing what I call a basic VFD install that is posted elsewhere. Mostly from a safety standpoint of view you get electronic acceleration and braking, speed control on the fly, and better surface finish.

The chuck mount on the 1236T and 1340GT is a D1-4, so the chuck you have should fit assuming it is 8" and under. The swing on the 1236T is slightly smaller so a 10" is probably a nit big. When I bought my 1340Gt I went through a lot of the rookie mistakes, and then learned buy the best you can afford, rather than buying 2-3X to get there. Just my opinion.

The 1236T/1340GT is a much better lathe then the same size Grizzly and better service.

 

[Ischgl99]

You didn’t make a bad decision, PM specifies the BXA size because it will fit on the 1236T, so most people go that route thinking bigger is better, but an AXA works just fine and fits that lathe better height wise. I went with an AXA because I had it, and was making that suggestion to you for the same reason, there will be more tooling you need, so it doesn’t hurt to save where you can. If I didn’t already have an AXA set, I probably would have bought a BXA because of the larger 5/8” tooling selection available, in particular the parting blades, but after 2 years of use, I haven’t found it difficult to find 1/2” tooling, or it limiting for my uses and no longer plan on getting a BXA size post. I would recommend keeping all of your tooling, you should be able to still use it on your new lathe. I have some 3/8” tooling from when I had a 9x20 lathe that I still use and have no plans on getting rid of it any time soon. Just because the BXA can fit 5/8” tooling doesn’t mean you have to use that. Use what you have and upgrade as needed.

The 1236T is a great lathe, it’s not perfect, but the right mix of price and performance, and I think you will be very happy with it. I almost went with a Grizzly and am glad I bought the 1236T. If you do some searching, you will find various upgrades people have made. Search on the 1340GT as well since it’s basically the same lathe. Mark (mksj) posted above me, he makes a proximity stop that helps with threading if you have a three phase machine with a VFD. David Best has made a number of improvements and well documented them. Removing the compound and replacing with a solid plinth works really well at increasing the rigidity for parting. If you make the new plinth the same height as your compound, you can move them back and forth as needed and not need to adjust your tool heights. I made my plinth a few months ago and haven’t had the compound back on yet. I do all my threading with the cross slide, so the only time I need a compound is when doing a taper.

Many of us have gone with P type parting blades over the standard tapered style, they work better by having clearance under the blade tip. If you look at them from the end, it looks like a T. The parting tool holders need a groove at the top of the opening for the blade to make sure the blade sits vertical, if your tool holder does not have that, you might want to cut the groove, otherwise if the blade is angled a bit, it will want to cut at an angle.

 

[Mr Mike]

Hey Mr Mike, Congratulations on your new lathe! I have had my 1236T for just over a year and love it. I can't help on the BXA vs AXA question. I have the BXA QCTP on mine, it works fine. It seems like there was discussion about the Chinese 1236 needing the AXA tools. Anyway, you will enjoy it, it's a nice lathe.

Thanks you sir...

If it were me, I would not give away the AXA tooling, & especially not the AXA tool bits, shanks, inserts, boring bars, etc.

1236T does indeed accept D1-4:

PM-1236T 12″x36″ Ultra Precision Lathe – Precision Matthews Machinery Co.

www.precisionmatthews.com

One of the options is a D1-4 lathe chuck. Screenshot from the link above:

View attachment 438491

You will find many options for a BXA parting solution. I have HSS blades as well as carbide inserts. I usually use the carbide, but maybe one day you will run out of parting/grooving inserts (or have an issue with the BXA carbide insert parting tool holder), & it will be nice to have the HSS blade (and the tool holder for it) on hand.

You can always resharpen a HSS parting blade on a bench grinder. Expect a cheap HSS parting/grooving blade to be made of disappointingly soft HSS. Aloris HSS parting/grooving blades have quality HSS.

Thats good news, Thanks for info on the better parting blades...

I would go with a BXA QCTP and holders, more rigidity and more options such as bigger boring bars, blades, etc. If you use carbide insert tooling they are more common with the 3/8" inscribed circle of the BXA, AXA is usually smaller. If you have some questions on the tooling options you may check out David Best's book on indexible tooling for the lathe, in the long run it will save you from making mistakes and maybe spending more (or throwing out the cheap stuff that didn't work, and you couldn't figure out why). I would not recommend buying one of the indexible holder kits, read David's book he gives good recommendations as to where to start and what to get.

I previously owned the PM-1340GT, the 1236T is pretty much the same lathe and just a tad smaller in dimensions. They gave up a few things in the process to make the 1236T a bit less. The hardened gears should not be a factor for a hobbyist lathe, we will wear out long before they do. You might look at the foot print of the 1236T vs. 1340GT, if I recall on the stand the floor foot print is pretty close. I personally recommend going with the 3 phase version and doing what I call a basic VFD install that is posted elsewhere. Mostly from a safety standpoint of view you get electronic acceleration and braking, speed control on the fly, and better surface finish.

The chuck mount on the 1236T and 1340GT is a D1-4, so the chuck you have should fit assuming it is 8" and under. The swing on the 1236T is slightly smaller so a 10" is probably a nit big. When I bought my 1340Gt I went through a lot of the rookie mistakes, and then learned buy the best you can afford, rather than buying 2-3X to get there. Just my opinion.

The 1236T/1340GT is a much better lathe then the same size Grizzly and better service.

I will be getting David Best's book on indexible tooling, Thank you.

You didn’t make a bad decision, PM specifies the BXA size because it will fit on the 1236T, so most people go that route thinking bigger is better, but an AXA works just fine and fits that lathe better height wise. I went with an AXA because I had it, and was making that suggestion to you for the same reason, there will be more tooling you need, so it doesn’t hurt to save where you can. If I didn’t already have an AXA set, I probably would have bought a BXA because of the larger 5/8” tooling selection available, in particular the parting blades, but after 2 years of use, I haven’t found it difficult to find 1/2” tooling, or it limiting for my uses and no longer plan on getting a BXA size post. I would recommend keeping all of your tooling, you should be able to still use it on your new lathe. I have some 3/8” tooling from when I had a 9x20 lathe that I still use and have no plans on getting rid of it any time soon. Just because the BXA can fit 5/8” tooling doesn’t mean you have to use that. Use what you have and upgrade as needed.

The 1236T is a great lathe, it’s not perfect, but the right mix of price and performance, and I think you will be very happy with it. I almost went with a Grizzly and am glad I bought the 1236T. If you do some searching, you will find various upgrades people have made. Search on the 1340GT as well since it’s basically the same lathe. Mark (mksj) posted above me, he makes a proximity stop that helps with threading if you have a three phase machine with a VFD. David Best has made a number of improvements and well documented them. Removing the compound and replacing with a solid plinth works really well at increasing the rigidity for parting. If you make the new plinth the same height as your compound, you can move them back and forth as needed and not need to adjust your tool heights. I made my plinth a few months ago and haven’t had the compound back on yet. I do all my threading with the cross slide, so the only time I need a compound is when doing a taper.

Many of us have gone with P type parting blades over the standard tapered style, they work better by having clearance under the blade tip. If you look at them from the end, it looks like a T. The parting tool holders need a groove at the top of the opening for the blade to make sure the blade sits vertical, if your tool holder does not have that, you might want to cut the groove, otherwise if the blade is angled a bit, it will want to cut at an angle.

Man am i kicking my self right now, I figured I could save money and buy the better lathe because I have tooling already... I should have asked this question before jumping the gun on the BXA stuff... I have tons of AXA tooling, Tool Holders, Boring bars, threading tips & bags of carbide cutting bits I got with the old lathe.

I'm not entirely positive how the whole conversation went, but I did tell the Precision Matthews sales person on the phone that I have lots of AXA tooling from my old lathe, and asked if I could use it on this new lathe.

I feel just a bit taken advantage of now, if they didn't charge a 20% restocking fee for things you have not received yet, Id cancel all the BXA stuff. Hmm... What is the chance My AXA QCTP will fit the new lathe without having to be modified...?

Thanks for the heads up...

 

[Ischgl99]

I can’t say if your existing tooling will work just as well as the new tooling since I don’t know what you have and the quality of it, but size wise, I have not seen any rigidity problems with 1/2” and smaller tools on that lathe. I am not a production shop, so I don’t push things to the limit like others might that would need to have the most rigid tools, so what works for me might not work for someone else. Boring bars are always better to be as large a diameter as possible, and the AXA is limited to 3/4”, so if you plan on doing a lot of deep bores where rigidity is very important, the BXA would be better. The BXA size opens up more tooling options, but that only matters if it is something you would want to use. If they are going to charge you a cancellation fee, then I would probably keep the BXA and then sell the AXA separate from the machine to recoup as much of that cost as possible.

I had to modify the T slot bracket for the compound on my AXA to fit the compound slot, but you might need to do that with the BXA as well. I’m not sure what gets supplied with that and if it fits without any modifications. If you don’t have the means to mill the bracket to fit the slot, then that could be the deciding factor.

 

[Just for fun]

Thanks you sir...


Thats good news, Thanks for info on the better parting blades...


I will be getting David Best's book on indexible tooling, Thank you.


Man am i kicking my self right now, I figured I could save money and buy the better lathe because I have tooling already... I should have asked this question before jumping the gun on the BXA stuff... I have tons of AXA tooling, Tool Holders, Boring bars, threading tips & bags of carbide cutting bits I got with the old lathe.

I'm not entirely positive how the whole conversation went, but I did tell the Precision Matthews sales person on the phone that I have lots of AXA tooling from my old lathe, and asked if I could use it on this new lathe.

I feel just a bit taken advantage of now, if they didn't charge a 20% restocking fee for things you have not received yet, Id cancel all the BXA stuff. Hmm... What is the chance My AXA QCTP will fit the new lathe without having to be modified...?

Thanks for the heads up...

You are telling us that your lathe and BXA stuff hasn't shipped yet and they want a 20% restocking fee? That doesn't sound right. I would call back and verify that is the case. I canceled a couple items and bought a couple different items before my stuff shipped, although at the time my lathe was still in Taiwan.