New Precision Matthews Lathe

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psient

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Hi All:

I am new to the forum. I was hoping to get some advice. I have ordered a new Precision Matthews 12X36 Lathe. It is scheduled to ship to the states on December 18th. I had understood Matt to say much sooner than this when I ordered . . . . only to find out that our shared understanding was not my understanding. As a result I am thinking of buying one of the larger machines he has in stock a 13X40. This will be my first lathe and it will NOT be principally for gun work although that is the occasional task. Mostly it will be used to turn and fabricate parts that either improve or repair implements on my ranch . My shop consists of a 6X10.5 bandsaw, a Mig welder, a combination welder, an OA cutting rig, a 5hp rotary phase converter, and a bidgeport 1 series 2hp knee mill.

The lathe is the only thing missing and I rue waiting another month.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Jon
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Jon,
I don't know the headstock size, but the extra capacity would be nice. Most of us and most shops like yours probably need the length rather than more chuck capacity. Probably the best piece of equip. in my shop is my Roll-In saw. If you ever use one you will kick dirt on your other saws. I do have a nice Grob variable speed bandsaw, but it is a storage cabinet for the most part.
Butch
 
I wanted the same thing as you but out of stock also.
I got the 13 X 40 with DRO and it is a great lathe.
Talk him down as you can get the bigger one for about the same price.
 
Jon,

Since your machine is going to be multi use, I would err on the big side. You can work on and make small parts on a big machine. It may be tough or impossible to work on, or make big parts on a small machine.

Just my two cents,
Justin

PS Where in SoCal are you at?
 
Zebra13 said:
Jon,

Since your machine is going to be multi use, I would err on the big side. You can work on and make small parts on a big machine. It may be tough or impossible to work on, or make big parts on a small machine.

Just my two cents,
Justin

PS Where in SoCal are you at?
Click to expand...

Hi Zebra:


I'm in Riverside near the 91 and van buren
 
Mrgunslinger said:
I wanted the same thing as you but out of stock also.
I got the 13 X 40 with DRO and it is a great lathe.
Talk him down as you can get the bigger one for about the same price.
Click to expand...

He threw in the DRO on the new deal. Not the same price as the 12X36 about +.5K more.

No problem it still is an outstanding bargain.

Thanks for the tip though,

Jon
 
I ordered from Matt, a Precision Matthews PM1236 12x36 lathe with DRO this year on March 9.
I was told 4 weeks before I ordered and 8 weeks after I ordered

It took more than 15 weeks to arrive.
The hold up was in China. As soon as they got it in PA, Matt's crew got the DRO installed and shipping it to Seattle in a couple days.

I have cut threads and chambers on at least 4 rifles with it already.

It never seemed like any bigger lathe would be any better.

I would have bought a bigger lathe if I though it would arrive sooner.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=216408&page=6
 
Jon,
What non detergent oil did you get, and where did you get it?

I am working on a 6mmBR barrel today, but I don't think I have crossed the 100 hour mark yet.
I know I have not evenly distributed the beak in time with different gears. I seem to use the 1200 r.p.m and 65 r.p.m in the upper gear case, and 12, 16, and 20 TPI in the lower gear case.
 
Pm 1340T

Buy that model if you can afford it i bought it from Matt at the beginning of the year and i have nothing but good things to say about it, smooth powerful and awesome range of speeds also 1 9/16 spindle bore have made alot of money on this lathe allready. Best of luck Justin Bowerman
07 FFl out of Central California
 
Clark said:
Jon,
What non detergent oil did you get, and where did you get it?

I am working on a 6mmBR barrel today, but I don't think I have crossed the 100 hour mark yet.
I know I have not evenly distributed the beak in time with different gears. I seem to use the 1200 r.p.m and 65 r.p.m in the upper gear case, and 12, 16, and 20 TPI in the lower gear case.
Click to expand...


I used tractor hydraulic fluid as per Matt's recommendation. It is a circulating oil with a low viscosity. The break in was running all speeds forward and reverse for 20 minutes per speed and per direction.

I drained the oil and refilled.

Jon
 
Size CAN matter

Bigger is better. Not only for the work envelope, but also a more substantial frame. The bigger lathe will probably also have a larger spindle bore. This will allow you to work with larger diameter workpieces. Also, don't forget about a steady rest and a follow rest.
 
I think all of the PM lathes come with a steady, follow, 3 jaw, 4 jaw, coolant setup, and some other goodies.
 
Yea my lathe was complete including QC toolpost and taper attachment. I added a DRO for very little money. I have been looking for a 5C collet closer. It's the only thing I am missing.

I now have the mobile heavy medium and will use this @ 100 hours.

Jon
 
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