OK, another quick update on my Precision Mathews PM1340GT arrival and review.
Last night my McMaster Carr order showed up. I had to order a few items for a paying job I have coming in so I thought I would throw a couple of small items of my own on the order to save freight. One thing that I don't like is the socket head capscrew for the carriage lock. I would rather have a dedicated handle there so I don't have to reach for an allen wrench or "T" handle to tighten it.
I ordered one of these adjustable handles for the carriage lock. McMaster Carr part # 6848K51 which measures M8x1.25x50MM. It is 2.5" from center of bolt to end of the ball on the handle, plenty long enough to tighten the carriage and lock it solid, yet small enough to merely bump it loose and in less than half a turn completely free the carriage so there is absolutely no drag on the bed.
I also had to machine a small spacer to compensate for the depth of the recessed hole in the apron which allowed the head of the socket head capscrew to sit flush or slightly below the surface. I machined the spacer to a height of .250" so the handle would clear the apron surface yet still be low enough to allow the compound slide to swing over the handle with room to spare.
Machining the small spacer.
Here is the spacer machined and installed on the bolt prior to installation.
This is the original bolt for the carriage lock that I replaced.
Handle installed along with spacer. Works great.
After doing the little carriage lock mod, I decided it was time to change the lubrication in both the apron and the headstock gearbox. I have around 10 hours of actual run time on the lathe now so I wanted to get the break-in lube out and put fresh in.
This is the bolt that you remove to drain the lubrication from the apron.
I didn't take any pictures of the drain plug on the headstock gearbox but it easy to spot as it is located just behind the gears under the removable side cover/gear cover. Pull the plug and lay a funnel or piece of cardboard under the gearbox to avoid getting oil all over your wiring and down the side of the lathe and allow it to drain into a suitable container. Once drained, apply some teflon to the plug and reinstall.
Now remove the small plastic plug on the top of the gearbox and add your new lubrication. Matt recommends ISO68/AW68 or Mobil DTE hydraulic oils in both the headstock and apron gearboxes. I used AW68 medium/heavy hydraulic oil from my local NAPA store. The headstock took 5-pints and the apron took 20 ounces to put the level in the middle of the sightglasses.
Overall, I think the PM1340GT is a fantastic lathe and I am more than pleased so far. It is an extremely accurate machine and a joy to operate. I have found myself able to take a light cut, mic the diameter of the part, dial in the amount to remove on the dial and turn to size very accurately. I have only made a few parts/projects thus far but I have been able to turn to size within .0005" of my target very easily and more importantly, I have been able to repeat those dimensions.
As far as the overall lathe fit, finish and feel, it is just like it states on the QMT website. It is a very high quality lathe with special attention paid to the overall fit and finish. The gearbox is extremely quiet for a geared head lathe. The apron handles and screws are very smooth and fluid in their movements and the dials are spot on accurate. The gear change handles/controls on the headstock are loosening up slightly after some use although mine were never very hard to turn. The gears change very easily and the detents are crisp and positive when switching from one gear to another. The knobs to change between the feedrod and leadscrew as well as the direction of the feedrod/leadscrew are the same way, very crisp and positive when changing. On occasion you will have to move the chuck back and forth a small amount to get the gears to mesh and allow them to change but that is completely normal on a geared head lathe.
I looked for many months at old used machines before realizing that I could not find what I was looking for. I opted to look at new import machines as currently if you want a new lathe, an import is your only real option as none are currently being manufactured in the United States, sad but true. We have gone from a country of innovative creators to a county of consumers but that is another story. I caught a lot of negativity when I started looking at import machinery but based on the ones that I looked at and was able to put my hands on I feel that the PM1340GT is about as good as anything in this size lathe that is currently available, possibly even in a class of its' own.
I will say that Matt @ Quality Machine Tools has been great to deal with as far as answering any questions, both prior to purchasing the equipment and after putting down the deposit and even after full payment. He has been quick to respond to emails and if he didn't answer the telephone when I called, I left a message and he ALWAYS returned my calls.
All that said, I could not feel good about giving an honest review without mentioning the long wait time. If you are looking at purchasing this lathe from QMT, be prepared for an extended wait time as he only gets a few shipments of these Taiwanese machines per year and most are pre-sold at the time the shipment leaves Taiwan. He seldom has more than a couple that aren't spoken for when the shipment arrives to him in PA. He gets many more deliveries of the Chinese machines than the Taiwanese so be prepared. My 8-10 week lead time at time of ordering turned into 22 weeks before arrival.
I hope this review was helpful and provided useful information to anyone who owns one of these lathes or is looking at purchasing one.
I will also be conducting a similar review of my Precision Mathews PM935TV when it arrives. Again, it too has been a long wait. I hope it is every bit the machine that the PM1340Gt is.
Mike.