You did well. congrats, she's a beaut!
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BaitMaster’s (Work) Bench
- Thread starter BaitMaster
- Start date
@BaitMaster - some questions and some suggestions too.
What is this?
Looks interesting! Can you post a better picture?
No travelling steady? You will probably want to make one. @thestelster made a nice one and documented it on here. I can measure mine and take detailed measurements and photos for you too.
I'm really surprised he didn't have any spiders. Maybe I just don't see them. You will definitely want to make one for the front and perhaps for the back if the lathe doesn't have one there already. I made a few before I joined this forum, so they are not documented. But I'm happy to share details with you.
That 5C collet Chuck looks awesome! Similar to mine. I use my collet chuck more often than all my other chucks combined! But turning that key is gunna drive you crazy! As if you didn't spend enough already, go buy yourself a little Milwaukee 12V Driver and make or buy a driver bit to fit the chuck. One like that stays permanently beside my lathe for just that reason. Someday, I'll make a holster for it - gotta add that to my project list. If you are lucky, the driver bit will fit your other chucks too. If not, just make a few more driver bits. I ground mine out of one of these.....
If you can find one without the retention ball, it would be better. The ball isn't needed for this and gets in the way of grinding the square end to fit the chuck.
I can't believe you got square drive 5C collets too! You really do suck you know!
What is this?
Looks interesting! Can you post a better picture?
No travelling steady? You will probably want to make one. @thestelster made a nice one and documented it on here. I can measure mine and take detailed measurements and photos for you too.
I'm really surprised he didn't have any spiders. Maybe I just don't see them. You will definitely want to make one for the front and perhaps for the back if the lathe doesn't have one there already. I made a few before I joined this forum, so they are not documented. But I'm happy to share details with you.
That 5C collet Chuck looks awesome! Similar to mine. I use my collet chuck more often than all my other chucks combined! But turning that key is gunna drive you crazy! As if you didn't spend enough already, go buy yourself a little Milwaukee 12V Driver and make or buy a driver bit to fit the chuck. One like that stays permanently beside my lathe for just that reason. Someday, I'll make a holster for it - gotta add that to my project list. If you are lucky, the driver bit will fit your other chucks too. If not, just make a few more driver bits. I ground mine out of one of these.....
If you can find one without the retention ball, it would be better. The ball isn't needed for this and gets in the way of grinding the square end to fit the chuck.
I can't believe you got square drive 5C collets too! You really do suck you know!
It looks like a make shift lantern style tool post. Maybe to get attached to the rear section of the cross slide?
historicalarms
Ultra Member
If you get time, could we have a closer look at that Ryobi machine in there, it appears to be a jury rigged tool post grinder of some sort.
Dan Dubeau
Ultra Member
Congrats. Looks like quite a haul, and very well tooled. New machine day is always fun.
What's the backstory on this lathe? Looks like it was never used.
What's the backstory on this lathe? Looks like it was never used.
BaitMaster
Ultra Member
So, @Susquatch, @thestelster is correct. He made a lantern style toolpost that attaches directly to the cross slide and bypasses the compound. He said it was quite ridgid. It appears to be a piece of a trailer axle shaft that he made into a toolpost.
There is no outboard spiders. I will have to manufacture my own. For that task he made bushings that fit the exact tube and put them in the rear of the headstock, and then held the main end in the collet chuck, is what he said.
The plan is to make an order with precision Matthew’s and just buy a follow rest. This is the identical lathe to their pm-1236T, and the 1340GT is the big brother.
You guys are an observant bunch.
@historicalarms is correct in his assertion that the ryobi thing is a janky makeshift toolpost grinder.
The guy was good at the things he did, but some of the things he manufactured were outright janky.
The stand the lathe was on would have had all of you either in hysterics or up in arms for the man’s head.
We almost spilled the lathe when loading into my truck because of his janky stand…. I’m glad to say we didn’t.
As far as the story, it was imported by a fellow who lived in the foothills south of Calgary, who worked up north in the patch, and on the side when he was home worked on tubular objects between about 22 and 28” that get used quite frequently in the fall in that area. He imported directly from liang dei and owned it since new. The lathe was manufactured in April 2022, according to the nameplate, so he only owned the thing for about two years.
He’s getting up there in age and has some health issues, so he said he’s getting rid of everything heavy because he knows his wife couldn’t deal with it all without him. He still has a small Chinese lathe he is going to do some work off of that could be moved more easily. A good old guy.
There is no outboard spiders. I will have to manufacture my own. For that task he made bushings that fit the exact tube and put them in the rear of the headstock, and then held the main end in the collet chuck, is what he said.
The plan is to make an order with precision Matthew’s and just buy a follow rest. This is the identical lathe to their pm-1236T, and the 1340GT is the big brother.
You guys are an observant bunch.
@historicalarms is correct in his assertion that the ryobi thing is a janky makeshift toolpost grinder.
The guy was good at the things he did, but some of the things he manufactured were outright janky.
The stand the lathe was on would have had all of you either in hysterics or up in arms for the man’s head.
We almost spilled the lathe when loading into my truck because of his janky stand…. I’m glad to say we didn’t.
As far as the story, it was imported by a fellow who lived in the foothills south of Calgary, who worked up north in the patch, and on the side when he was home worked on tubular objects between about 22 and 28” that get used quite frequently in the fall in that area. He imported directly from liang dei and owned it since new. The lathe was manufactured in April 2022, according to the nameplate, so he only owned the thing for about two years.
He’s getting up there in age and has some health issues, so he said he’s getting rid of everything heavy because he knows his wife couldn’t deal with it all without him. He still has a small Chinese lathe he is going to do some work off of that could be moved more easily. A good old guy.
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Liang Dei makes the Precision Matthews Taiwanese lathes, it looks just like my PM-1224T. I wonder if there are any differences. The head on your’s looks exactly like the head on my lathe.
BaitMaster
Ultra Member
Everything that I’ve read says that this lathe IS the PM-1236T.
Exact, identical, same lathe, same maker, same factory, different stickers.
Liang dei manufactures Precision Matthew’s Taiwanese lathe lineup.
The Liang dei model number for mine is “LD-1236GH”.
I don’t believe there are any differences.
Liang dei also makes the lathes for “Eisen Machinery” out of California.
I think @BaitMaster's version is the 36" bed. I'd bet that's about the only difference. Both are beautiful lathes.
I see. It would be nice to see some photos. Kinda hard for me to think that would be more rigid than a BXA Toolpost. But who knows.
If all else fails, I am planning a bigger plinth style toolpost, and we could do that together.
Ya, I'd call that janke too. You cannot get good alignment with bushings. Might be ok for standard chambering though. Wouldn't happen in my shop.
I'll gladly share a few of the spider chucks I've made. It isn't hard to make an awesome one. My favorite is made out of a D1-5 Thick Backplate. You would just need a thick one for whatever kind of spindle nose yours has. If you are lucky enough to have 4 cam screws, you don't even need a thick backplate. But a thick plate has enough meat for 4 brass tipped screws regardless. The idea behind using a backplate is to get everything as close to the spindle nose as possible. That allows increased rigidity and also allows you to work on shorter tubes. But there are other good ways to do it too.
Shoot us some photos of your spindle front and back so we can be thinking about what you might need.
Since you plan to go 3 pH, will you also be wanting an RPM display?
BaitMaster
Ultra Member
I’m not home but will send some pics.
I imagine on this lathe, because of the plan to keep it for the foreseeable future, I will do an rpm display.
The spider for the rear I had planned to do the same type of idea that I made for the utilathe that was earlier in this thread. I will be boring out the hole in the cover for the option to leave it permanently installed as well.
The front I have a piece of stock for but am open to ideas and pointers.
Attached is an image of the spider made for the utilathe….
BaitMaster
Ultra Member
The front I’m open to ideas. I have the piece of tubing stock in the pics…. It is some very stout alloy. It could be cut to a manageable length, welded to a plate, and then the plate bored, and the bolted to a Thin D1-4 backing plate and I’m thinking that would be an acceptable spider…. Certainly open to suggestions on that front. I also have two independent 4 jaws so a front spider isn’t as big of a panic as the back end spider….
BaitMaster
Ultra Member
All the numbers are in mm….
If the lathe is a good as this tolerance section, it’s a lathe that’s better then I will ever be…
I also drained out the headstock and wiped some surfaces down. The belt looks like it needs to be replaced so I will do that tomorrow as well as buy more oil…
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Beautiful!
That rear spider design is perfect. Incorporate some pockets at the end closest to the lathe and epoxy in some magnets. Four magnets at 90 degrees is a good number.
Don't make a front spider out of scrap steel. Use one of these instead.
Easier if you can find a thick one.
I'll post a photo of mine later today.
Edit - here is a thick one.
That rear spider design is perfect. Incorporate some pockets at the end closest to the lathe and epoxy in some magnets. Four magnets at 90 degrees is a good number.
Don't make a front spider out of scrap steel. Use one of these instead.
Easier if you can find a thick one.
I'll post a photo of mine later today.
Edit - here is a thick one.
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historicalarms
Ultra Member
Hmmm one thing that surprises me from the photos is that the outboard end of the spindle isnt internally threaded. The spindle in my Taiwanese PM lookalike is threaded and I just matched the threads on a piece of pipe to make my spider, it was the first job I did with my lathe and 20 yrs later still use it.
another surprise is that you thought it necessary to change a belt already, 20 yrs after purchase im still using same belt.
And seeing as you already have the lid off... a tip on these Taiwanese lathe gear change forks. They dont dimple the shafts for set screws to better grip when changing gears and those forks will slip & slide to their point of least resistance during use...Carefully ascertain where they should exactly be to do their job remove the set screws and and create a dimple ( carefully drill or center punch is how I remedied mine).
I took a gunsmithing night course at Sait in 04 and the PM plated lathes at Sait were identical in every way, right down to the casting joint ribs of my Taiwanese machine at home.
another surprise is that you thought it necessary to change a belt already, 20 yrs after purchase im still using same belt.
And seeing as you already have the lid off... a tip on these Taiwanese lathe gear change forks. They dont dimple the shafts for set screws to better grip when changing gears and those forks will slip & slide to their point of least resistance during use...Carefully ascertain where they should exactly be to do their job remove the set screws and and create a dimple ( carefully drill or center punch is how I remedied mine).
I took a gunsmithing night course at Sait in 04 and the PM plated lathes at Sait were identical in every way, right down to the casting joint ribs of my Taiwanese machine at home.
I think the older ones were threaded but recent models are not.
Not an issue though. One like the one @BaitMaster made for his old lathe will work just fine and can also provide tach functionality. Life is good!
BaitMaster
Ultra Member
The spindle is sadly not threaded….
Excellent tip on the dimples for the gear forks……
The belt is pooched. I’m guessing it’s just not a super high quality unit, as a gates belt or the like does last for many years……
If you saw the belt, you would change it too.
It looks like the rubber cracked from the cold….
That type of work is what this lathe will see a lot of. A lot of people that do that type of work seem to use a similar lathe to these units, which was a heavy factor contributing to my decision to purchase it. The spindle bore size, bed length, Norton gearbox, and general precision seem well fitted to accomplish the tasks necessary.
The man I bought this lathe from did similar work….
BaitMaster
Ultra Member
A tale of two belts….
@BaitMaster
As promised, here are just two of the many different front spiders I have made.
The one on the right uses a regular backplate. It's easy to make on the lathe and mill. In fact, you don't really need a mill.
But I don't like it as much as the one on the left. Being one piece, it's more rigid and the deep recess for the spider screws virtually guarantees that they will never catch anything and act like a death winch. It just needs to be thick enough to clear the dog studs and keepers.
Also, buy some 2 inch Copper pipe and cut it into strips to make protector shims. The screws should be brass tipped, but I like the Copper strips between the screw tips and the work. I use them at the front and back. They also help spread the load to reduce deformation. Point load deformation is a bigger problem than most guys realize. Every little bit helps.
As promised, here are just two of the many different front spiders I have made.
The one on the right uses a regular backplate. It's easy to make on the lathe and mill. In fact, you don't really need a mill.
But I don't like it as much as the one on the left. Being one piece, it's more rigid and the deep recess for the spider screws virtually guarantees that they will never catch anything and act like a death winch. It just needs to be thick enough to clear the dog studs and keepers.
Also, buy some 2 inch Copper pipe and cut it into strips to make protector shims. The screws should be brass tipped, but I like the Copper strips between the screw tips and the work. I use them at the front and back. They also help spread the load to reduce deformation. Point load deformation is a bigger problem than most guys realize. Every little bit helps.
BaitMaster
Ultra Member
@Susquatch The one on the left is super compact and nice. I see what you mean now.
That is definately the way to go. It’s on the list, officially.
That is definately the way to go. It’s on the list, officially.