Lathe And Mill

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ddickey

H-M Supporter - Gold Member
H-M Supporter Gold Member
Joined
Apr 21, 2016
Messages
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I'm ready to make a purchase. I was planning on buying both at the same time. Originally I was thinking the PM1236 and PM932M. Now I'm reconsidering based on space, I have a smallish two car garage. I really like having a garage for my car in the winter so using both spaces is not an option. I have ~ 8.5' x 15' to work with as my workbench takes up the rest of the space.
I have no plans on what I want to fabricate at this time but I would think the 11 x 27 or 12 x 28 should handle anything I want to do. For the mill I would like to know how much more capable would the PM 932M be compared to the next in line PM727M.
 
I have managed to fit both of those machines plus a 60 gal compressor and some other stuff in that space. I have to work on large projects in the open door, but for most of what I do, it is adequate space. As I'm sure others will say, get the largest machines that you can afford/have space for. The 1236 and 932 are very capable, but sometimes I wish I had larger ones. If you are creative with how you arrange and store things, you could fit those machines into your space and not be cramped.
My Shop.jpg
 
ddickey said:
I'm ready to make a purchase. I was planning on buying both at the same time. Originally I was thinking the PM1236 and PM932M. Now I'm reconsidering based on space, I have a smallish two car garage. I really like having a garage for my car in the winter so using both spaces is not an option. I have ~ 8.5' x 15' to work with as my workbench takes up the rest of the space.
I have no plans on what I want to fabricate at this time but I would think the 11 x 27 or 12 x 28 should handle anything I want to do. For the mill I would like to know how much more capable would the PM 932M be compared to the next in line PM727M.
Click to expand...

For any given work, the heavier/more rigid the machine the better. For tool life, finish, and machine life. I have worked difficult metals on very small machines, and while possible, it's not exactly fun. I have a 1340GT and a 935 mill which is not much bigger than what you are targeting and I have no desire or need to get anything larger.

The 727 is a capable machine in it's own right. But the 932 will produce as good or better results for a longer period given the same workloads. Just my $0.02 :)
 
Hi
Make a plan of the workshop, it will give you a good idea of the size & space.
I have a small garage 12'x 16', & i made about 15 + plans for it.
Still a work in progress.

Garage plan 5-7.jpg

Jeff
 
Really depends on what you want to do and your budget. Remember to budget for tooling and accessories like a DRO as well.
 
jeff_g1137 said:
Hi
Make a plan of the workshop, it will give you a good idea of the size & space.
I have a small garage 12'x 16', & i made about 15 + plans for it.
Still a work in progress.

View attachment 130893

Jeff
Click to expand...
One simple approach for this is to use graph paper. For some projects I use one square as one foot, and others I use one square and 3" (4 squares per foot). Then cut up a sheet or two into pieces representing your machines, benches, etc. according to scale, and move them around on another piece with the layout of the shop marked as in this drawing. I find it faster than doing it in software. In fact, any time we are going to my in-law's for something I have a 6" rule, a mechanical pencil, and graph paper. The kids play and my wife chats and eventually I spend some time drawing something up this way. Works great and you can do it just about anywhere.
 
ddickey said:
Now I'm reconsidering based on space, I have a smallish two car garage. I really like having a garage for my car in the winter so using both spaces is not an option.
Click to expand...
We moved from a place with a 2-car garage, which I shared with my wife's car, to an older place with a bigger yard and closer to my wife's family, but with a 1950s excuse for a 1-car garage (and a longer commute for me). My wife liked the home and the location, and I made it very clear that it meant she would be parking outside all summer and all winter. Even in the ugliest parts of winter it really hasn't been that bad. I thought about encouraging you that way, then noticed that you're in Minnesota. Yeah, you should probably keep that side open. :)
 
Yep, Minnesotans are among the few people that New Englanders don't sneer at when it comes to winter.

I'll second what Jon said about graph paper. My workshop is a one car garage - unfortunately the car it was built for was a Model T (seriously). I have a whopping 171 feet square feet of space (19' x 9'). So I laid out the features (doorways, stairs) on some graph paper along with my bench that runs 12 feet along one wall. Then I scanned it and printed a bunch of copies. Those are what I used to plan my layout.
 
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Yeah that is a good idea. Going to pick some up tonight. My garage measures 15' 8" x 15' 4".
 
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