PM-1340GT/833T(V): Lots of questions

[parshal]

My 1340 is angled against a wall with the headstock having more space. I can squeeze behind it to open the electrical box. I added a DRO a year later and having it aligned like that allowed me to install the strip on the back. If I had to move the lathe to install it wouldn't have done. I also installed a tool holder rack on the backsplash which necessitated getting behind it. In other words, you're going to find reasons to get behind that lathe. Make life easier and give yourself enough room. Even leveling the feet requires a wrench and you'd be surprised how much room you need for that.

My lathe sits in front of my truck about 4-5 feet. More than once it's been covered in chips. LOL

 

[Rich V]

synfinatic
For a floor covering I considered the epoxy route but decided to go with this floor mat and it has served me well. Very tough and unaffected by oil/solvents. Also not as slippery when wet with water/oil as an epoxy covering. It has the added benefit of being just a bit elastic so when I drop a carbide cutter on the floor it doesn't chip the cutter (trust me this will happen). It also looks great and can be replaced by simply rolling it up if ever needed.

 

[mksj]

My garage floors came already epoxied, they use the flakes to give it more texture and thickness. Proper prep of the floor is important, issue is if there is already grease or moisture seepage from underneath. I probably would acid etch it and then use a concrete sealant, use to use sodium silicate also known as waterglass which would penetrate the concrete and increase the hardness and resistance to moisture. I have had no pealing from my epoxy floors, much easier to clean and no issues if oil gets on the floor to clean it up. Last house with raw concrete, once oil penetrated the concrete it was impossible to clean. I use anti-fatigue mats in front of all my machines plus the work areas, worth the spend factor when I am working all day in the shop.

 

[synfinatic]

@Rich V: Ohhhhhhh!!! I've never seen that. I've always seen the honeycomb type (which is what my friend ended up going with after his poor experience with the epoxy) but of course that has a million holes for your screws, nuts and everything else to hide in.

So I slept on it some more and played with my drawing and I think I can end up with a nice 14' workbench without resorting to a 90deg bend and place the lathe 6" in front of the wall. It would be tight because that wall is just under 8' long and it sounds like I need 18" behind the tailstock to be able to remove that? The area in front of the headstock wouldn't be a problem because that opens up to the larger garage area (my garage is basically an L shape).

The big challenge is that my concrete was poured in two sections: the original garage and the smaller area when we enclosed the breeze way. The result is that the concrete seam isn't perfectly flat- there's a half inch or maybe more drop. If the seam was in a different place maybe I could straddle it and just use the feet to compensate for the height difference, but then it would be sticking out a good 6" past the edge of the exposed corner and that's just not going to work.

However, from the photos on the PM website, it's pretty obvious that the stand isn't the full 70" wide at the base? I'd be curious to see if someone could measure their 1340GT base and tell me how long it is at the feet. Also, do I need the full 18" behind the tailstock in order to remove it? Even 3-4" less would make a huge difference.

 

[ArmyDoc]

This is a link to an article I read on the epoxy floorings... https://www.rubberflooringinc.com/epoxy.html
They have a lot of other options on their site too.

 

[Aukai]

On my 1228, if I unscrew the locking plate under the tail stock by unscrewing the locking lever, the tail stock can be lifted off without running it off the back.

 

[synfinatic]

I understand the tail stock doesn't really need any space off to the right? You will need space to remove the tail stock for cleaning also that end of the lathe is a great place to hang a tool rack for your tail stock accessories. At least 18 inches.

Hi Rich- so wondering does the tail stock slide off or lift off on the 1340GT? I keep on playing with the layout of my garage and I realize if I could reduce the space there to say 12" things get _much_ easier/better. Basically, I have a wall that is just shy of 8' that would be perfect but I don't think I can give it the full 18".

Knowing how wide the base is at the feet would help too. The main issue is the concrete isn't level and has a drop right where I think I need to put the feet under the headstock.

 

[mksj]

You need about 12" from the end of the bed to slide the tailstock off. The base is around 7-8" long, and you have the hand wheel which is about another 6". In a pinch you could release the locking plate on the bottom and lift it up off the lathe. You should not need 18".

 

[Rich V]

As mentioned by mkjs you may get by with 12 inches but it will be close. If you remove the turn wheel handle then 12 inches will be OK. The spacing of the feet are ~4' 6" center to center. You should allow for 3-4 inches for the feet pad width to ensure a stable setup. I have my lathe 6.5" off the back wall.You can cast some concrete for the leg supports to even out or even raise the lathe if needed.

 

[synfinatic]

Thanks @Rich V & @mksj. That helps a lot. I probably can swing a couple of inches more than 12, but everything is just gonna fit!