# Installing my New Precision Matthews 1340 Lathe



## psient (Dec 6, 2009)

Well my new lathe arrived last Thursday. I didn't have time to do anything until now. I've moved it into my shop and intend to uncrate it this week. I'll post pictures of the crated lathe as well as the niffty machine wheels I found for 5 bucks each. I used six of them to move the lathe.

I hope that as I move through the uncrating to executing the location, you guys can keep me from making any serious mistakes. I'll take my time.

Any advice about how to proceed would be appreciated:

What should I do about a pad/base? Should I shim or pour a leveling pad? I have excellent heavy duty leveling feet. 

How should I locate it in proximity to the wall. Should I worry about the coolant making a mess all over the place or will it be pretty much contained by the backsplash? 

What about proximity to other machines (for instance, my bridgeport series 1 2hp varispeed 9X 42 mill)? I have enough sense to maintain a clear travel path but are there any other concerns? 

Is general shop lighting sufficient or should I install special overhead lighting? What order should I proceed with in terms of setting up the stands, the lathe etc. 

Any help will be greatly appreciated.
:bow:
Happy Holidays!

Jon


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## bluwolf (Dec 6, 2009)

First of all, Congrats! :twothumbs Second, I'm jealous as hell. I'm still waiting for my PM1236 but it should be soon. I'll look forward to answers you get.

Mike


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## precisionworks (Dec 6, 2009)

> Is general shop lighting sufficient or should I install special overhead lighting?


A small light, directly over the lathe, helps when doing detailed work. My shop was built by the prior owner in 1976, and the old light over the lathe kept working until just a few weeks ago. Here's the new one.







The light is 4' long and uses a pair of T-8 bulbs with electronic ballast. Available at all the big box stores.






The steel bracket is 1" angle, 1/8" thick, lap welded at the corner joint.






2" aluminum angle, 1/8" thick, is pop riveted to the light & provides a way to swivel the light for the best coverage of the lathe.






The wooden shelf behind the lathe is used all the time. Not a lot of shelf space near the lathe, except this.


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## psient (Dec 6, 2009)

Thanks for the replies. I'll start by uploading some images of the crated lathe in the shop.

Well I cannot upload images/attachments so I have to figure out how to get permission to do this.

Thanks to DI5 and StrikerDown for the heads-up!
























Jon


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## StrikerDown (Dec 7, 2009)

Congrats dude, I know you are anxious to get it on line!

Here is the thread to my PM 1440 lathe and how I set it up.

https://www.candlepowerforums.com/threads/230731

I put my lathe backed up to the wall to save floor space, but realize the electrical panel is accessed from the rear, since I have it on wheels all I need to do is lower the leveling pads and roll it away. It is very time consuming to re-level but fortunately you don't need into the electrical often if ever.

I don't think you need permissions, I save the pics to a photo hosting site like www.photobucket.com then copy and paste the image code into the thread and the photos show up.


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## psient (Dec 7, 2009)

StrikerDown said:


> I don't think you need permissions, I save the pics to a photo hosting site like www.photobucket.com then copy and paste the image code into the thread and the photos show up.



Got it,

Thanks


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## wquiles (Dec 7, 2009)

Congratulations !!!



psient said:


> What should I do about a pad/base? Should I shim or pour a leveling pad? I have excellent heavy duty leveling feet.


Unless you know you have a thin concrete floor, I don't see the need to pour anything new. Leveling feet will be great to get the twist out of the bed.





psient said:


> How should I locate it in proximity to the wall. Should I worry about the coolant making a mess all over the place or will it be pretty much contained by the backsplash?


No, the backsplash will NOT cover everything - you will still get over-spray, and chips, and debris that will escape past the coverage provided by the backsplash.

I would leave enough room behind the lathe so that you can get behind the lathe to access the control/electrical panel, motor, wiring, remove the backsplash, etc.. Once your lathe is in position, you will NOT want to move it, so better make the space to access the back now.





psient said:


> What about proximity to other machines (for instance, my bridgeport series 1 2hp varispeed 9X 42 mill)? I have enough sense to maintain a clear travel path but are there any other concerns?


I would try to leave at least 2-3 distance on the two sides of the lathe, and at least 3-4 feet in front of the lathe.




psient said:


> Is general shop lighting sufficient or should I install special overhead lighting? What order should I proceed with in terms of setting up the stands, the lathe etc.


Not nearly enough. Like Barry showed, you really need something closer above the lathe. But that is not enough - you still need localised and adjustable lights as well. The lathe does come with one with moves with the carriage, but I like a fixed one looking done on the chuck/item being worked on as well.


Tip - then you install the lathe on top of the bottom splashguard - make sure you install a way to seal the mounting holes to prevent oil/coolant from coming down - I wish somebody would had told me this before I bolted mine down 

Good luck - please post pictures!

Will


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## psient (Dec 7, 2009)

wquiles said:


> Congratulations !!!
> Good luck - please post pictures!
> 
> Will



Thanks Will.

It's raining for the first time in about 3 months today so I won't do any pix. I am assuming the pictures were posted by the time you found the thread.

What do you think of the skates on the crate?

Jon


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## wquiles (Dec 7, 2009)

psient said:


> Thanks Will.
> 
> It's raining for the first time in about 3 months today so I won't do any pix. I am assuming the pictures were posted by the time you found the thread.
> 
> ...



I didn't see the pictures until now. Do you already have access to the engine lift to get everything put together?

Man, that is a very nice size milling machine you have in there already!

I definitely like the skates on the crate :thumbsup:


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## precisionworks (Dec 7, 2009)

> that is a very nice size milling machine you have in there already!


+1

Certainly looks like a Bpt :thumbsup:


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## psient (Dec 8, 2009)

Will and Barry:
:thanks:Yeah it's a BP 9X42 series 1 2hp varispeed. Found it last month in Pomona CA for less than 1.6k US. cleaned it up. It needs the fine adjustment knurled knob on the down feed (they almost always do). A new spindle set pin (for locating the collets). A new ram handle and knob.

It's wired 440 3phase but there's a diagram for wiring the motor 220. I have a RPC with start button and baldor motor 5HP.

The skates are intriguing. The cowling is some kind of plastic and this houses 4 casters. At first I was skeptical that they'd meet the duty requirements. However, the gentleman that was purveying them has the manufacturer's specs as well as a link to their website. Each skate is rated at 1000#. The biggest negative is there really needs to be a flat top for them, the biggest positive is they are only 6.50 US each. Check it out; the closest thing I was able to find was an all metal machine skate from Northern Tools for 50 bucks each. So my decision was to try them and if they didn't work out no biggee it was only a few bucks and I was sure to find a use for them in the shop. BTW make sure you demand that the skates are in usable condition, I picked mine up and noticed that on some the cowling was cracked, on others the caster wheels had extreme flat spots or were broken. The fellow is a good man but older and very busy . . . likely to accidentally include a less than satisfactory one so insist that your order be hand selected as the best of the lot!!! I just followed the link and the cost is Buy it Now Best Offer. Try making an offer of 5 bucks.
Links below.

http://www.gondolaskate.com/. 

http://cgi.ebay.com/4-Wheel-Skate-moving-
dollies_W0QQitemZ180436448556QQcmdZViewItemQQptZBI_Casters?hash=item2a02d9b52c


For those who look at this thread past the listing time for the ebay item, you can contact me and I'll give you what I've got in terms of the fellow that's selling them, he has over 200 of the things.

The project continues:

I need to locate the lathe's CG as the lift point, any ideas? I know that hoisting it is the way to go. Don't have a hoist but can rent one I guess. I'm in Riverside CA if you know any member w a hoist that's close PM me and I'll contact them.

What about the assembly order? I assume the bases and whatever leveling platform (or just the leveling feet) are the first order of business. I've seen frames with casters and outboard leveling that permit both permanent leveling and if needed, moving the lathe. I can fabricate these without too much hassle. I am still learning how to weld but have a very good MIG machine (millermatic 180 with autoset). 

I'm assuming since the lathe is single phase, wiring won't be an issue. I've 240 in the shop.

I'll post pix later on today.

Jon


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## Atlascycle (Dec 8, 2009)

I hope that that was a misprint and that you only spent $1600 on that mill.

Jason


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## psient (Dec 8, 2009)

Atlascycle said:


> I hope that that was a misprint and that you only spent $1600 on that mill.
> 
> Jason


  Yeah misprint. 1575.00 us


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## psient (Dec 8, 2009)

I've rolled out the lathe and set all of the stuff I need to assemble around it. I have not found any assembly manual but did call Matt. He's getting what he has on assembly to me.

In the mean time I'll do a take off on the materials I need to construct a rolling base with leveling feet. I'll post what I develop along with photos as I go through the fabrication process.


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## cmacclel (Dec 8, 2009)

My buddy got the same machine a couple months ago. The wiring diagram confused the hell out of me. I wound up looking at the pictures on matts website and figured out the wiring. Seems like a pretty nice machine for the price. His reverse relay is flakey as if he puts the lathe in reverse in the higher rpms the relay pops in and out until it comes up to speed. Also he was missing the hardware to put everything together.

Mac


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## psient (Dec 8, 2009)

cmacclel said:


> Also he was missing the hardware to put everything together.
> 
> Mac



Hmmmm.

Did he get in touch with Matt about these issues?

Jon


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## StrikerDown (Dec 8, 2009)

Nice!

It looks almost identical to My PM1440. Except the 1440 comes assembled, I missed out on the erector set part!:duh2:


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## alexmin (Dec 12, 2009)

Jon,

what would you say is the difference between PM1236 and your 1340 lathe other than weight and $700 difference in price?
Features, precision etc. ?


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## psient (Dec 12, 2009)

alexmin said:


> Jon,
> 
> what would you say is the difference between PM1236 and your 1340 lathe other than weight and $700 difference in price?
> Features, precision etc. ?



I can only tell you what I focused on in my decision:tinfoil:. Some of this is probably relevant some, maybe most irrelevant to the thrust of your asking.

First a pre order requirement on the 1236
Second a delivery date on the 1236 ensuring the worst weather

on the 1340

didn't have to wait
top RPM is 2000
Matt vouching for the factory's adherence to ISO 9002
mid way between too small and too big OVERALL.

There are many forum discussions focusing on the 1236 and 1440, 1340 not so much. I saw an opportunity to get feed back from those who don't have the 1340 but whose lessons generalize. Helps me learn my lathe from those who are the experts :bow:

Probably more reasons but for now I guess you could say no rationale overall except the obvious ones.

I had an order in for the 1236 but mistakenly thought I'd get it by the 21st of November. The truth was I'd of had to wait until the 11th of December. I gave up my preorder and Matt was kind enough to let me out of the contract and move to the 1340. He had a list of takers for my spot on the 1236 preorder list is why. I felt the 1236 was the better deal in terms of $ and .00s but I didn't want to deal with delivery in the latter part of December. Don't you think the lathes are roughly equivalent? I think you have to move to the 1440 to see a real measure of difference (for instance the JFK collet closer).

I don't know, what do you think?

Jon


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## psient (Dec 28, 2009)

*Re: Installing my New PM 1340 Lathe welding cart done*

Hi All:

Finished with finals week. So . . . . Done with the welding cart and so am ready to move onto the base!

There are two machines here: A Millermatic 180 and a Longevity combo machine (Stick welder, Plasma Cutter, and TIG welder).
































I have to add some stuff like a cord minder, 120 v power strip, maybe a mount for a vise etc. Gas for these machines (argon and CO2) goes at the rear. 

I'll start designing the base now.

Jon


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## psient (Jan 30, 2010)

Hi All:

This posting is repeated on several other forums concerning machining (benchrest etc.). I have converted the images to 800x600.

I now have my new lathe mounted on the bases. This was an interesting exercise. I used the assembly manual that Matt and his crew created. The document was very useful but anticipated I'd done this before.

As a result it was more a general interpretation of what Matt would do than the specific information I'd need to assemble and install the lathe. For instance, there was no info about the specific Center of Gravity. Nor was there any indication that you could sling from the bed casting going over and away from the leadscrew and other rods. I used a 2x6 block. This was unnecessary and caused about 1hr of additional work.

Anyway, it got done with the help of my wife and the horseshoer. 

To start with I had to position the sling and hoist after raising the pallet high enough to get the hoist base under the pallet.

















Below is a detail of the block of wood with the sling positioned away from the lead screw.






Now I began to hoist, dropping and repositioning the sling as needed to locate the CG. When this was done I started hoisting . . . only to realize the hoist would not elevate the lathe high enough to clear the chip pan.






note the length of the chain and hook. This needed to be eliminated and the sling was bound directly to the hoist boom. This permitted the hoist to raise the lathe high enough to mount.






THe next problem was with the lathe slung in this way, the hoist could NOT be maneuvered directly over the bolt holes of the bases. It was about 6" away (in the horizontal length of the bed) from being directly over the bolt holes. Thus, with the lathe slung in the fashion dictated by the manual, I could not get the hoist base around the lathe base with the lathe positioned correctly!! I either had to move the sling towards the tailstock and find a way to balance it (as that would put me off-center) or make a tool that would allow the hoist to directly attach to the lathe.

In the end my wife and her horseshoer and I got the job done and the lathe was sealed and mounted to the bases. This process took me from 5am until 10am to accomplish. In the end everything went fine.

I have now completed the sheet metal below the chip-pan, the coolant pump installation and the beginning of the brake installation. I must have misplaced the actuator arm that links the brake shaft with the mechanical brake in the headstock. However I phoned Matt and he's sending me a replacement free of charge including shipping. No big deal just great customer service and progressive attitude about how important customers are!!!!






OK. That's where I am now. I have to learn how to use the taper attachment. Any one have experience with these? Below is a picture of mine that was included with the purchase of the 1340. 






In closing a word to the wise . . . look carefully at this procedure and compare it with the procedures outlined in other threads. I will eventually move this lathe out of the garage into a shop. When that day comes I will fabricate a tool that allows me to position the hoist correctly. I'll post pictures when that day comes!!

Please give me feedback on what you think and any advise about finishing the installation :bow:

Jon


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## wquiles (Jul 23, 2010)

Any updates?


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## psient (Aug 5, 2010)

wquiles said:


> Any updates?



Hi:

Sorry for not responding earlier. I was unfortunate in that I overlooked the notification in my email inbox.

I will shoot a bunch of pictures tomorrow and upload them.

I have the lathe installed and running. I have been making chips with aluminum and considering steel.

I need to thread an odd ball SHCS and will attempt this as soon as I can get some advice on how to install the necessary change gears.

I tried calling Matt this afternoon but didn't have any luck.

the threading will be BSW 1/2 12. Looks like I need to change to 54/56 I think (if I remember from this morning that is).

The lathe is a really sound piece of machinery and I have no regrets.

Thanks for the reminder,

Jon


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