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PM1340 - the Best & Jacobs Full Custom Edition
- Thread starter davidpbest
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2017
- Messages
- 21
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?
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?
Last edited:
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2014
- Messages
- 172
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.
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.
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2015
- Messages
- 2,139
Thanks everyone. This project was indeed a labor of love. Here are some additional details and answers to questions:
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/
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).
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
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.
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.
Here's how the numbers break down:
Hope this is helpful, and thanks again for all you feedback and kudos.
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/
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).
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
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.
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.
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
Hope this is helpful, and thanks again for all you feedback and kudos.
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2016
- Messages
- 24
Sweeeet. Great job!
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.
Very clean and functional mods, looking forward to following your next project.
Thanks for sharing.
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2015
- Messages
- 2,139
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.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).