How to equip a PM 935

[Kamloopsendo]

I've planned since last spring (well tentatively at least!) to purchase a mill to go with the PM GT1340 lathe i just installed. I've really narrowed it down to the PM 935 and based on a few reads and comments am leaning to the 3phase TS version and adding a VFD to it.

I'm really wondering what I want on it - for sure I want DRO as I LOVE it on the lathe, I guess I'm wondering about first off power feeds, it seems everyone's first choice is the X axis so that seems a given, but what about the Y axis and then the Z axis ($630 & $750CDN with taxes in options respectively). Not sure how much use these two would get and in particular with the Z axis there is a quill feed feature built in with 3 different feed rates already on the Z axis so I'm not really sure why one would add a Z axis power feed at any rate.

Also thoughts on vises - I note Matt sells a range and I do NOT want to purchase something and two years down the line as I figure things out realize I should have spent more. A 6" Kurt is close to a grand yet Matt has what appears to be a very nice 6" for less than $400 US - any thoughts or experience here.

Also basic tooling - truthfully I have only a weak academic understanding (even after watching HOURS of YouTube videos) of how to run a mill so know I'll need collets, a chuck of some sort (or more than one?), some basic cutting tools ETC ETC ETC.

I mostly putter around fixing old japanese motorcycles (reliving my childhood - my wife is uncertain that I ever left it) so mostly with aluminum but some steel will be involved. Nothing terribly big either, maybe reface a cylinder head and not on big bikes nothing will ever be bigger than an inline Honda 4. At some point I expect I'll add stuff to fit pistons to cylinders but not yet.

I'm kind of looking for a list of what I need to get going so I can function without breaking the bank - the Canadian Peso is about 78 cents right now so it all hurts!!! I know it never ends but as this is my beginning I'd like to try and to it as best I can.

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated and thanks in advance for the help.

Alex

 

[davidpbest]

I too purchased a PM1340GT several months ago and did some serious upgrades to it - including VFD conversion and all new controls designed by Mark Jacobs: https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/pm1340-the-best-jacobs-full-custom-edition.58507/

I also plan to buy a new mill, and have settled on the PM935, and also decided to buy the TS version and do a similar VFD conversion. I once had to repair a Reeves drive system like on the TV version, and never again.

Even though I have yet to purchase the 935, I have been accumulating some of the parts and components for the upgrades I plan to do, including power feed on all three axis. Based on other user feedback, and my own prior experience with Chinese-made power feed systems that don't go slow enough of give fine enough speed control for my likes, I decided to purchase better quality units made in Taiwan. Here is what arrived last week:

I bought them through Eisen Machinery on eBay. Total landed cost for the three was just under $1200.

I'm a big fan of Kurt vices. I have two 6" on my RF45 (real Rong Fu) and they are terrific.

When it comes to cutting tools, that is an almost infinitely deep end of the pool. I have plenty of favorite tools, but the list is a spreadsheet that's 1000 items long at this point. I'm sure others can chime in on that topic who have wider experience than I do.

 

[7milesup]

I just purchased Matt's 833T and got his high precision 5" vise. It seems like a really nice vise for the money and I have read on this forum other guys mentioning that the Homge vise he sells is really nice. For what it sounds like you are going to do, one of the two vises I mentioned would fit the bill. I see a lot of Kurt vises on auctions down here where I live with a lot of them going in the $150-ish range.
Also, another one of you Canadian fellows made a comment on another thread (which I am sure I will never find again) that it was a lot cheaper to have the electronics (power feeds, DRO's, etc) shipped directly to you from Taiwan for example than for it to come along with the machine because of the import taxes or something. I have no idea if this is true or not.
One last thought... If you decide on getting a drill chuck for your machine, I would get an Albrecht. I have three of them and they are amazing. Silky smooth and just a pleasure to use. I have picked all of mine up on auctions.

Hope that helps a little bit. You will love your mill, that is for sure.

 

[Kamloopsendo]

I too purchased a PM1340GT several months ago and did some serious upgrades to it - including VFD conversion and all new controls designed by Mark Jacobs: https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/pm1340-the-best-jacobs-full-custom-edition.58507/

I also plan to buy a new mill, and have settled on the PM935, and also decided to buy the TS version and do a similar VFD conversion. I once had to repair a Reeves drive system like on the TV version, and never again.

Even though I have yet to purchase the 935, I have been accumulating some of the parts and components for the upgrades I plan to do, including power feed on all three axis. Based on other user feedback, and my own prior experience with Chinese-made power feed systems that don't go slow enough of give fine enough speed control for my likes, I decided to purchase better quality units made in Taiwan. Here is what arrived last week:

View attachment 257220

I bought them through Eisen Machinery on eBay. Total landed cost for the three was just under $1200.

I'm a big fan of Kurt vices. I have two 6" on my RF45 (real Rong Fu) and they are terrific.

When it comes to cutting tools, that is an almost infinitely deep end of the pool. I have plenty of favorite tools, but the list is a spreadsheet that's 1000 items long at this point. I'm sure others can chime in on that topic who have wider experience than I do.



View attachment 257221

David: Thanks for the comments - especially about the power feeds, I'd not really thought about the more subtle advantages of a better quality feed mechanism and the cost you quote is only marginally more than what Matt sells his units for. Which I'm assuming from your comments are mainland chinese in origin. I'm not surprised you like the Kurt's, I've read nothing but good comments on them so may well go that way.

 

[Kamloopsendo]

I just purchased Matt's 833T and got his high precision 5" vise. It seems like a really nice vise for the money and I have read on this forum other guys mentioning that the Homge vise he sells is really nice. For what it sounds like you are going to do, one of the two vises I mentioned would fit the bill. I see a lot of Kurt vises on auctions down here where I live with a lot of them going in the $150-ish range.
Also, another one of you Canadian fellows made a comment on another thread (which I am sure I will never find again) that it was a lot cheaper to have the electronics (power feeds, DRO's, etc) shipped directly to you from Taiwan for example than for it to come along with the machine because of the import taxes or something. I have no idea if this is true or not.
One last thought... If you decide on getting a drill chuck for your machine, I would get an Albrecht. I have three of them and they are amazing. Silky smooth and just a pleasure to use. I have picked all of mine up on auctions.

Hope that helps a little bit. You will love your mill, that is for sure.

Thanks for sharing your experience with Matt's vise that's the kind of info that'll help make decisions for me. I live in a used Machinery DESERT unfortunately and while there are auctions it would take me a month of sundays at our auction scene to find anything appropriate for my shop. There are parts of Canada that do have a manufacturing base with a lot of stuff coming on to the market but where I live ain't one of 'em. With the drill chucks - why three - as I said I've not run a mill but why three what are the differences?
Alex

 

[wrmiller]

I bought the 935TS a couple years back, and the first thing I did was install a VFD and make a small control box to mount where the original fwd/off/rev switch went. Putting a VFD on a mill is much simpler than putting one on a lathe. I have had the belt in the head on the next-to-highest setting pretty much since getting the mill up and running. The only time I step down is when drilling large holes. The combination of the VFD and step pulley head is great. Simple, quiet, and cheaper to rebuild/repair should it ever need it. The only downside I have found so far is I can't figure out how to put a digital tach on this thing.

Then the first thing on the 'accessories' list was a good quality DRO. Why spend the extra money for a quality machine, only to throw a cheap DRO on it?

Need a good quality vise. I stumbled on a used Kurt 5", scarfed that up and put oversized 6" jaws on it. You will need parallels also, and 6" ones are easier to find.

I have both of PM's higher quality drill chucks and they work very, very well. Silky smooth and accurate.

Good quality collets are important IMO because you don't want any excessive TIR that may be found in the cheaper sets. Working on motorcycles and their engines, you will need a decent clamping kit as not everything will fit in your vise.

I bought a x-axis power feed from Matt at the same time I bought the mill. The vast majority of my long cuts are along the x-axis, so I figured that was the most important one to get. Later, I bought one for the z-axis because I switch back and forth between endmills and drilling a fair bit and I got tired of hand cranking that knee up and down that far. I've not felt the need to add one to the y-axis, but if I had the money laying around I would probably do it.

There are lots of other things you may want or need of course, but these are a good start. Have fun!

 

[7milesup]

With the drill chucks - why three - as I said I've not run a mill but why three what are the differences?
Alex

Well, three because I like them....LOL.
In all seriousness, I have one with an MT taper for the tailstock of my lathe and one with an R8 for my mill. Those two are the large series 160 Albrecht chuck. I also have a smaller one that goes from 0" to 3/8" (I think) which has a straight shank that I can put in my 1/2" R8 collet.

 

[Kamloopsendo]

Well, three because I like them....LOL.
In all seriousness, I have one with an MT taper for the tailstock of my lathe and one with an R8 for my mill. Those two are the large series 160 Albrecht chuck. I also have a smaller one that goes from 0" to 3/8" (I think) which has a straight shank that I can put in my 1/2" R8 collet.

Thanks for the response - now I understand why the three chucks and it does make sense, I looked up prices and holy cow those are NOT cheap chucks but they do look sweet. I have one of Matts chucks on my lathe which I am happy with so that's at least one chuck I don't have to purchase.
alex

 

[Kiwi Canuck]

Seems the PM935 machines are shipping with the Taiwan made Align Power feed.

This is what mine came with. AL500P

But I did get my machines drop shipped direct from Taiwan so I wonder if that made a difference, I just checked the QMT website to verify and the pictures showing are not this type.

I'm sure Matt could supply the Align units if you asked.

 

[Kamloopsendo]

Seems the PM935 machines are shipping with the Taiwan made Align Power feed.

This is what mine came with. AL500P

But I did get my machines drop shipped direct from Taiwan so I wonder if that made a difference, I just checked the QMT website to verify and the pictures showing are not this type.

I'm sure Matt could supply the Align units if you asked.

View attachment 257315

Interesting David, did you save $ by shipping directly here? faster delivery? I'm also looking at his band saw also Taiwanese made as well so might be some advantage there. I'll have to ask. Did you also power all axis as David Best is planning?