Moving on

akjeff

H-M Supporter - Gold Member
H-M Supporter Gold Member
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Aug 21, 2020
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Well, I bid farewell to my trusty old Craftsman Commercial 12x36 today. Been a great lathe, and an excellent learning experience over the past 20+ years. Going to a good home, that of my buddy Steve, who also bought my Rockwell 21-100 mill a couple years ago. So, they'll be shop mates once again! Making room for a Summit 1440B that's on it's way. Hopefully, it will be here in about two weeks or so.

Really appreciate all I've learned on here, and will still check this thread, as I'll always have a soft spot for these lathes. If I had the space, I would have kept it, but that was simply not practical.

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It is great to know that a machine is passed on to someone that will treasure it like you have!
It makes it easier to part with.
I suppose that machine tools are even harder to come by in Alaska.

Your photos also remind me that I need to transfer the gas from the lawn mower to the snow blower soon.
.....that and the +4 deg. C. last night.......

-brino
 
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It is great to know that a machine is passed on to someone that will treasure it like you have!
It makes it easier to part with.
I suppose that machine tools are even harder to come by in Alaska.

Your photos also remind me that I need to transfer the ga from the lawn mower to the snow blower soon.
.....that and the +4 deg. C. last night.......

-brino
Yes, it going to a great home helps for sure. Machine tools are very hard to come by up here, and used prices are insanely high. Usually cheaper to buy machines from the Lower 48, and have them shipped up, which is what I'm doing. Sometimes you can get lucky on a fairly priced local machine, but it could take years, depending on what you're looking for. One thing I hadn't factored in was the trucking shortage situation. Shipping this lathe from the Midwest to Seattle, ended up being about 50% higher than when I shipped a mill of similar cubes and weight a couple years ago. The ocean freight from Seattle to Anchorage hasn't changed much, if at all. Won't sleep well, until it is safely in my shop. Having machines shipped up here, is rather stressful to me. It was crated extremely well, so barring any forklift disasters, should arrive in good shape, hopefully.

And yes, sadly it is snowblower season!
 
I have your future lathe's big brother, a Summit 16 x 80. Been a great machine, hope you enjoy yours.
Mine came uncrated, only bolted to a really heavy timber skid. They'd only release it from the warehouse on a flat bed truck, where it could be chained down and tarped

Greg
 
I have your future lathe's big brother, a Summit 16 x 80. Been a great machine, hope you enjoy yours.
Mine came uncrated, only bolted to a really heavy timber skid. They'd only release it from the warehouse on a flat bed truck, where it could be chained down and tarped

Greg
Good to hear your happy with yours! That 16x80 must be a beast! Hell this "little" 1440 is around 3500 pounds, yours must be 6000+ and 12' long! The one I bought is from 1999 and a one owner machine. Fingers crossed. They don't import these Bulgarian made 1440B's anymore. The present day 1440 is made in Taiwan( I think, somewhere in Asia ) and about 1000 pounds lighter.
 
Was about 2005 I bought mine. Made in Bulgaria. Very good fit and finish. Think it was 6400 pounds. 10 hp spindle motor, nothing slows it down. Huge range of metric and imperial threads, down to 1/4 tpi. Uses a clutch for forward and reverse with braking, very nice arrangement. 20 - 2000 rpm.

Greg
 
Was about 2005 I bought mine. Made in Bulgaria. Very good fit and finish. Think it was 6400 pounds. 10 hp spindle motor, nothing slows it down. Huge range of metric and imperial threads, down to 1/4 tpi. Uses a clutch for forward and reverse with braking, very nice arrangement. 20 - 2000 rpm.

Greg
Mine sounds like it has the same basic features as yours, just half the size and power!:) The seller said it cuts the largest assortment of threads of any lathe he's ever seen. Clutched forward and reverse, footbrake, and a rapid joystick for the carriage and cross. I'm installing a 10hp Phase Perfect to power it( and any future machines ). All three motors on it are 3P, so a VFD on each wasn't super practical, and I'm not a fan of RPC's.
 
Now thats a coincidence, I run mine with a Phase Perfect as well. Again nice units, most of the time silent, till you work it hard and the fan comes on. Keep meaning to add an indicator light, its been left on a few times.
Only nuisance with the lathe is having to shift a gear in the end cover to cut 11 1/2 tpi. The manual doesn't describe that operation very well. lol

Greg
 
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