Feedback on this PM Lathe?

[Scott Harris]

I'm looking into purchasing a high-quality lathe for personal barrel work. I plan to chamber through the headstock and the short spindle length seems like an attractive feature along with the seemingly high quality of manufacture and components.
http://www.machinetoolonline.com/PM1340T.html

I want a lathe capable of doing the very best work, do you see any problems with this choice? It's only 1300 lbs, is that really a problem?

Thanks,
Scott

 

[Jay Christopherson]

Looks like a pretty nice machine. Nicer than my Jet anyhow.

I want a lathe capable of doing the very best work, do you see any problems with this choice? It's only 1300 lbs, is that really a problem?

I'm no expert on lathes, but I'd guess that if money is no object, then there might be better options... I know that Taiwan-sourced lathes are generally thought of as a higher quality product than the Chinese built lathes you generally see around now. The price seems pretty fair for a Taiwan built lathe as well.
The finish sure looks nicer than my Jet by about 1000X.

EDIT: What Jonathan says + I notice it has a slip clutch on the feed rod. I've seen that on older Clausings (I think) and it looks like a pretty handy option.

 

[Jonathan Zimmerman]

The only concern I see is the standard selection spindle speed (lowest was 90 rpm if I read that right). The optional selection had 50rpm as the low speed which would be much better than 90. Just something to think about for threading and chambering. This advice is worth what you paid for it. It looks really nice though, and I am sure it would turn out good work. Jonathan

 

[Scott Harris]

Thanks for the feedback gents. I'm getting it with a 3-phase motor and VFD.....this should allow me to get the RPMs slower than 90. Also, is a DRO a valuable option. I'm thinking about getting this also.

 

[paperpuncher]

Thanks for the feedback gents. I'm getting it with a 3-phase motor and VFD.....this should allow me to get the RPMs slower than 90. Also, is a DRO a valuable option. I'm thinking about getting this also.

I had a DRO on the shelf in my shop for years I never had the time to put it on the lathe. I finally took the time to install it over the summer and I wish I would have done it years ago. The DRO isnt a must have but if you can swing it it is a pretty nice option.

 

[WayneShaw]

Given the proper attention, it will likely do fine. The VFD is very nice, and I would strongly suggest it. I'm not in the DRO bandwagon. For gun work, a travel indicator can do all you need. Others swear by them, so guide yourself. The chucks may not be the greatest, same with the live center. You can replace them as you see fit. First thing I would do is get a QCTP. The stand may be flimsy, some are. Whether it will give good stability is to be seen. Nice spindle size, short headstock, make a spider and go at it!

 

[whiskey08]

nice lathe, only thing id ask is do you think you need a foot brake? I purchased the grizz g0709 over others because of the convienance of the foot brake, and it was single phase.

 

[butchlambert]

If it has a VFD and you wire in some cheap resistors you can program instant braking. Your hand is quicker on the off button than your foot on the brake.

 

[clowdis]

Butch,
Might have to disagree with you a bit here. I had an old Clausing years ago that caught me up in the workpiece in such a position that I couldn't reach the on/off button. The lathe stalled but kept drawing my shirt tighter every time I breathed. Almost died before I managed to reach my pocket knife and cut the sweat shirt off. The lathe I have now has a foot brake and a on/off lever that is accessable from anywhere in front of the lathe. The foot brake is an instant stop whereas the on/off lever is a "wind down" stop. Everybody has their own personal preferences of course and there is no problem with that, but I like the instant stop feature of a foot brake. Also a lot more respectful of machinery these days!

 

[butchlambert]

My variable speed Clausing that is 30+ years old has a hand clutch and brake.

 

[clowdis]

I think mine was a 12" and probably from the 50's. It was small enough that I could stall it.

 

[whiskey08]

guy in our gunsmithing class got his sleeve caught in a lathe, if he wasnt one of the biggest guys on the planet it would of probably pulled him into the lathe. As it was it ripped the entire sleeve right off his body, and launched the barrel out of the centers. One reason to have a foot brake i suppose, but i also like to use it when cutting threads.

 

[JohnMill]

Scott
Wish you the best of luck. That company had my money for 1 week short of a year (on a 6 week promised delivery) before I got my lathe. They promised a 500dollar refund for the wait but that never came through either
I would go with a Griz. I worked on one of those. and it was just fine
John

 

[Scott Harris]

Update:

I received the lathe before Thanksgiving and it arrived in good shape. Matt did a great job installing the DRO and the VFD for me. I'm just a nooby and Matt has been very helpful. Man, tool costs add up! I'm in the middle of making an outboard spider....had to stop once I realized a larger boring bar was needed. Will post some picks when finished.

The VFD is awesome. Like Butch suggested, I purchased a sizable external braking resistor ($70). Without the external resistor, the built-in dynamic braking could stop if from 1800rpm to 0 in about 3.5 seconds. With the resistor, I can stop it in well under 0.5 seconds....but the drive belt skips when making such a dramatic brake......so not practical.....not that I plan to use that speed. I settled on 1.5 seconds which brings the spindle to a nice smooth non-jerky stop.

With Greg Tannel's help, I built a flushing system.....and decided to use a VFD for that also. This enables easy control of the pump speed and converts single-phase 220VAC to 3-phase. Greg is a great guy and went out of his way to provide advice. I love these Hitachi VFDs....amazing how many functions they have.

As a white collar worker, this has been quite an adventure. I've had to learn how to do electrical work, plumbing work, and lathe work! Haven't blown anything up yet and almost finished making a spider. I'll post some pics when the first barrel is complete! Thanks for the input.

 

[DickE]

2 Rules to live by using a lathe, 1. Never wear a long sleeve shirt. 2. Never use the lathe when someone is there to visit. Don't even think about it! There were pictures on this website at one time of a guy wearing a sweater that got caught in a pretty good size lathe, they were some of the most horrifying pictures I've ever seen of a dead human body. If its cold, I have sweatshirts with the sleeves cut off.

 

[therifler]

guys i have been in machine shops for all but 10years of my life . i have operated lathes , mills , boring mills ,and grinders of all sizes . i wear my sleeves short my shirt tails in and my mind on what i"m doing at all times when that machine is running . no serious injuries other then a few simple cuts which where closed in most cases with tight bandaids. there is more to running a lathe or mill then knowing how to machine apart . for you new guys out there i wish you a safe machining experience . T.R.

P.S. since my career is not over i hope i don't have to modify my personal injury report in the future .

 

[Scott Harris]

I've been using the lathe for a few months now and have a few comments:
1. Awesome lathe, very happy with the quality and pricing/performance.
2. I added an external braking resistor to the VFD and now it stops almost instantly when I cut the power.
3. A VFD will have a little bit of a whining noise versus true 3-phase 220V power. I was able to tune it somewhat, but still has a bit of high-pitched whining.
4. Built a flushing system and use Hangsterfers PC-45 coolant. This is a synthetic, has minimal odor, a high flash point and works great. I ended up using hydraulic hosing because the clear mesh hose started leaking at the couplings.

Regards,
Scott

 

[Tozguy]

Butch,
Might have to disagree with you a bit here. I had an old Clausing years ago that caught me up in the workpiece in such a position that I couldn't reach the on/off button. The lathe stalled but kept drawing my shirt tighter every time I breathed. Almost died before I managed to reach my pocket knife and cut the sweat shirt off. The lathe I have now has a foot brake and a on/off lever that is accessable from anywhere in front of the lathe. The foot brake is an instant stop whereas the on/off lever is a "wind down" stop. Everybody has their own personal preferences of course and there is no problem with that, but I like the instant stop feature of a foot brake. Also a lot more respectful of machinery these days!

Would it not be possible to install a hand operated 'panic' stop button on the front of the lathe by wiring it in parallel with the foot brake switch?

 

[jscandale]

Scott,

It looks like a good machine for wht you want to do. Just keep in mind that whether you have the lathe that you just purchaed or a $25,000 beast, it ultimately up to the operator to finesse the the work piece in order to achieve a good result. Measure often and learn as you go. Good luck with your new best friend.

JS