Precision Matthews Lathe arrived last week

[psient]

Hi All:

I posted a thread about 3 weeks ago discussing my purchase of a PM 1340 lathe. It arrived last Tuesday and I've just had the time to photograph the crates along with the moving skates I used to wrangle the beast into my shop.

I've included some pix of the crated lathe and some views of its temp orientation in the shop. I'll start uncrating it this week and begin assembling and locating the lathe.

Any comments or suggestions as I go along would be greatly appreciated as I've not set up a shop before.

I sort of have the traffic flow figured out, however I do have some preliminary questions.

For instance how do I locate the center point for lifting the lathe?

I have to set up the base prior to mounting the lathe. Should I fabricate a permanent trolley/casters attaching the leveling pads to that trolley? If I do this I can level the lathe with the pads. If I ever have to move it I can lift the pads and use the trolley aspect. What do you think?

What order should I use to assemble the various components?

There are almost no instructions on assembly. Can anyone help?

I do have an aptitude for figuring things out but if I can avoid mistakes, so much the better, yes?

Thanks to all in advance.

Jon


Anyway

 

[Crankbender]

I have a similar lathe. To lift it i put a strap around the bed, the fat part just under the head stock. The strap should not go around anything but the bed or you may bend lead screw. Then lift it up by the strap a bit and move the carriage and/or tail stock back and forth to get it to balance. Have your stand pre assembled with any adjusting feet you may want to build and set her on then level.

Once I opened the crate there were some instruction showing how to sling it. Check in your box.

 

[Ron of Va]

What Crankbender said: Don't put the strap over the lead screw, it might deform it.
Here is how I lifted mine.

 

[eww1350]

psient...)chill(..your lathe will come with a book describing/illustrating the proper lifting points...don't get ahead of yourself..."read all of the instructions before starting"...!!!!!!!

 

[David Sengelaub]

That looks like my Birmingham may be made by the same company. Anyway it will be very top heavy and all the weight is in the head stock. Just go slow and be careful.

 

[psient]

Once I opened the crate there were some instruction showing how to sling it. Check in your box.

Thanks. I'll look again. I didn't find any on the first pass. If I'm missing any docs I'll call Matt and see if he cant send them.

Looks pretty straight forward. The pix really help.

I'll shoot some of the lathe in it's uncratedness and post them.

 

[psient]

psient...)chill(..your lathe will come with a book describing/illustrating the proper lifting points...don't get ahead of yourself..."read all of the instructions before starting"...!!!!!!!

Yeah you're right. I have looked at the docs that I've found but haven't noticed any that refer to a lifting method. The operating/assembly instruction booklet that was sent with the lathe did not specify.

There are a lot of pieces to fit and I'll shoot pix this afternoon to post.

Jon

 

[psient]

That looks like my Birmingham may be made by the same company. Anyway it will be very top heavy and all the weight is in the head stock. Just go slow and be careful.

Thanks David. Like you say, I'm not in any rush.

I'm not an expert but I researched the various brands out there before ordering. From what I gleaned from the forums and other sources looked at, most advertised lathes are manufactured in maybe 3 locations. Each factory takes orders accommodating specific variations for private labeling. Your Birmingham could very well come for one of these manufacturing points. This would make it very similar to my PM.

I'll post pix of where I am in the process this afternoon.

Thanks again,

Jon

 

[adamsgt]

Ron I have a lathe similar to yours and have been considering getting a better cabinet to set it on. When I bought it used, the dealer used a forklift to move it while the lathe was attached to the cabinet. This bent the chip pan and I'm not comfortable with the stability. I have a shop crane like yours with straps and a load leveler. I had thought of using a setup as you show but was concerned that the lathe could "roll" as it was lifted. No sign of such a tendency when you lifted yours?

 

[psient]

In all it's uncratedness

OK so I rolled the lathe out of the shop and arrayed the various stuff to display what I need to assemble. I went through all this stuff once before and found no assembly or CG information. Photos below.

I called Matt and asked for the missing instructions. He's sending what he has in an email.

I'll keep unfolding the assembly one step at a time. I'm going to measure the Bases and fabricate a rolling base w/leveling feet. I'll do the take off and buy the steel. Photos of what I come up with will follow.

 

[Ron of Va]

Ron I have a lathe similar to yours and have been considering getting a better cabinet to set it on. When I bought it used, the dealer used a forklift to move it while the lathe was attached to the cabinet. This bent the chip pan and I'm not comfortable with the stability. I have a shop crane like yours with straps and a load leveler. I had thought of using a setup as you show but was concerned that the lathe could "roll" as it was lifted. No sign of such a tendency when you lifted yours?

I was mindful that it might want to roll, but it did not shift in the straps in any way.

Notice how the straps straddle the chuck, that adds some vertical support. You could tie the chuck to the straps for additional support if you were still doubtful. (I don’t think it would roll even if you tried.)

The strap was started under the chuck end (even length like a shoestring), then left to the outside, crossed, and then back under the headstock to the bed, and up past the chuck. The strap couldn’t slide.

 

[Kurt Westfall]

From your pic's You have coolent , stand, splash guards and chip tray also maybe a foot brake. here is a pic from there web sight that show one put together to look at that may help.
http://precisionmatthews.com/PM1330-1340Lathe.html

 

[psient]

From your pic's You have coolent , stand, splash guards and chip tray also maybe a foot brake. here is a pic from there web sight that show one put together to look at that may help.
http://precisionmatthews.com/PM1330-1340Lathe.html

Thanks Kurt:

I am familiar with this. However, I feel pretty confident if you guys can't help me at some point I can go to Matt.

For now, I have to plan and take off for the mobile leveling base. I remember seeing someone's plans that used 2X4 square tubing for the carriage. The base was made by using the tubing vertically rather than horizontally. Mounting points were drilled and tapped. Leveling legs were located beneath the mounting points.
The tubing extended on the length dimension outboard of the actual base then here were mounted the casters. The two base carriages were joined by a lateral cross member.

Therefore, you leveled the lathe with the leveling feet AFTER you carted the beast into position. By raising the machine you lifted it beyond the contact height for the casters. I suppose you could make the casters detachable.

If you ever needed to move the lathe you lowered the mobile frame to the point where the casters made contact and it would now roll.

I think I'll do something along this line as the materials are pretty standard, I have the mill and a drill press. I may just figure out a way to use those skates instead of the casters.

Anyway, I'll design this and start buying the materials, then weld it together, clean it up and paint it.

Jon

 

[Brodie]

Looking forward to a review once you get it up ad running, of all the import lathes this model interests me the most.

 

[old#7]

I bought the PM1440 but it came to my door fully assembled. The start circut in the motor was bad and required a helping hand to start it. (dangerous). I called Matt and he sent me a new motor right away.
I did break one of the bolts that hold the compound to the cross slide from over tightening it. I used a temporary hand ground bolt to hold it in place while I made new ones out of a grade 8 bolt. I also replaced the set screws in the tool holders as they stripped easily.
I have had it for about 6 months and have no major problems with it. After leveling it and adjusting the tailstock it cuts to the test specs.
I like the foot brake especially after seeing pics of a guy wrapped up in a lathe.

 

[Clark]

I wish I bought that lathe instead of a PM1236 this year.
The 1236 has to swap gears to get from small threads to large threads.
Unfortunately, the break is between 12TPI Mauser and 20 TPI Rem700.
That is 5 minutes of dirty hands.

My lathe came with no instructions, and it took hours to unpack and assemble. It was a 1200 pound puzzle.

After 100 hours, a guy is supposed to change the gear oil. That leaves some questions.

I got a hold of Matt on the phone yesterday about the PM1236 I bought from him this year.
I called the receptionist at 1:17 p.m Friday my time and he returned my call an hour later.


412 787 2876
sales@machinetoolonline.com

I asked two questions:
1) a) What oil, b) how much, c) where to put in?

a) He said DTE Mobil Heavy medium machine oil.
I said that I thought we agreed that my gallon of DTE 24 Light hydraulic oil was good.

He said that was a little light, unless my shop is cold.

I said that it never gets below 40 degrees in the shop, but the machine take 35 seconds to reach top r.p.m. when starting and I can smell the V belts straining with all that torque. It takes 5 seconds immediately there after. The oil must get be getting heated by the motor.

He said that the light machine oil may be better for me then.

I asked if there was something in between.

He said the Mobil DTE medium machine oil is almost impossible to find.

b) He said it goes in two places. There is an observation hole by the chuck for the top and an observation hole for the bottom on the front. He said to fill the bottom, you take out the Allen wrench plug under the cover. Then you put it back in and fill through the other Allenhole until the observation hole looks good.

c) He said it is 2.25 gallons for the top and ~ .5 gallons for the bottom, so 3 gallons will do the machine.

2) I asked about the bottom of my steady rest. He said he would replace it. I need to send him the old base. He offered to give me his UPS account number.

 

[Ron of Va]

c) He said it is 2.25 gallons for the top and ~ .5 gallons for the bottom, so 3 gallons will do the machine.

I think my Grizzly G4003G gunsmithing lathe is very similar to the PM1236.
I seem to remember that I added less than 1 gallon to my headstock, I am thinking 3.75 QUARTS. I could be wrong, but you can keep a check on the sight glass.

 

[psient]

My lathe came with no instructions, and it took hours to unpack and assemble. It was a 1200 pound puzzle.

I see. I guess the 1440 comes assembled yes? That doesn't bother me. Just have to learn the lathe and I did get the assembly instructions from the M man.

I got a hold of Matt on the phone yesterday about the PM1236 I bought from him this year.
I called the receptionist at 1:17 p.m Friday my time and he returned my call an hour later.

His company is very customer service oriented. If you google the lathe you find all sorts of interesting threads about this man. Pretty much all good and believable. No bull.

412 787 2876
sales@machinetoolonline.com

I asked two questions:
1) a) What oil, b) how much, c) where to put in?

There's some threads on other forums concerning this as well (like CPF). If you have to mess with draining and refilling the levels I learned from these forums is A) Don't overfill and B) Matt's advice seems to work well overall.

I can't provide testimony as so far I'm still fabricating the base for my Lath and before that I have to fabricate a Welding Cart . . . . you see . . . . I'm building a shop one day at a time.

2) I asked about the bottom of my steady rest. He said he would replace it. I need to send him the old base. He offered to give me his UPS account number.

Quality Machine Tools appears to stand behind these lathes as far as I can tell. Every time I've needed something from them they follow through. That is to say, as hard as it is to believe now days, if they tell you they will do something the follow through and actually do what they say.



Hope your lathe has 'turned' out well

Jon

 

[psient]

Precision Matthews Lathe: Finished the welding cart!

Hi All:

I haven't posted here cause I've been busy working up until this week.

However!!!

I just finished the welding cart and so am ready to move onto the base!.

I've posted some pix. There are some minor details I'll have to attend to; pull handle, cord minder, etc. I also have to put in some expanded metal on the two open ares.

I show my combo machine and my Millermatic 180. I also tried to illustrate the various attachment bands; one vertical and one horizontal. Gas goes at the rear. I think I'll attach a 120 power strip as well as a vise receiver made out of square tubing.

Anyway, I finally am done with this part!

 

[Clark]

It turns out I was full of S*** about my oil temp.
I had loose V belts.

My brother has had a Jet lathe for 10 years and he called Jet about what oil to use for the one gear oil change at 100 hours.
He was told that any 30 weight will do, but it has to be non detergent.

His 10 year old Jet lathe has 80% parts interchangeability with my PM1236.