PM-1127VF-LB Lathe vs PM-1228VF-LB Precision Lathe?

I couldn't agree more that you need to, at the very least, document your findings. But after sending all the emails, I would recommend picking up the phone and having a conversation about those emails and what you would like them to do and/or what they are able to do.
 
I couldn't agree more that you need to, at the very least, document your findings. But after sending all the emails, I would recommend picking up the phone and having a conversation about those emails and what you would like them to do and/or what they are able to do.

If there was something that my keeping this lathe or not hinged upon, yeah, I would be more aggressive about this. But I am trying to be patient and allow them time to get to me in their apparent order of priority. Which, I guess doesn't put me very high on that list, but it is what it is. I am nobody special and don't expect anyone to bend over backwards just for me, but I sure don't have infinite patience neither. So I will be sending them reminders until I get their attention. :] Truth be known, though, I sure do hope that normal for replies from them to post-sales queries isn't a week or better.

Anyway, I tried removing the camlocks on the spindle nose this afternoon, and was unsuccessful. I was able to pull one of the retaining cap screw bolts out, and found a lock washer and spring in a recess underneath it. Figured I would only try one, since if that one wouldn't come out, no sense messing with the other two. There is definitely something serving as a detent in there, but I couldn't see anything else that I could remove. Regardless, I could not get the camlock to slide out no matter what I tried, so I am obviously missing something significant in this process.

I don't really want to try to get too aggressive with the rust in those holes and leave any sort of grit that would get into the camlocks and their recesses, but heck, I'm not seeing a better path to take. Seriously, I REALLY hate rust on anything.
 
If there was something that my keeping this lathe or not hinged upon, yeah, I would be more aggressive about this. But I am trying to be patient and allow them time to get to me in their apparent order of priority. Which, I guess doesn't put me very high on that list, but it is what it is. I am nobody special and don't expect anyone to bend over backwards just for me, but I sure don't have infinite patience neither. So I will be sending them reminders until I get their attention. :] Truth be known, though, I sure do hope that normal for replies from them to post-sales queries isn't a week or better.

Anyway, I tried removing the camlocks on the spindle nose this afternoon, and was unsuccessful. I was able to pull one of the retaining cap screw bolts out, and found a lock washer and spring in a recess underneath it. Figured I would only try one, since if that one wouldn't come out, no sense messing with the other two. There is definitely something serving as a detent in there, but I couldn't see anything else that I could remove. Regardless, I could not get the camlock to slide out no matter what I tried, so I am obviously missing something significant in this process.

I don't really want to try to get too aggressive with the rust in those holes and leave any sort of grit that would get into the camlocks and their recesses, but heck, I'm not seeing a better path to take. Seriously, I REALLY hate rust on anything.

I can understand wanting to be patient. My comment was based on that it seemed as though you were upset with them for not replying.

I for one, can be patient to a point. But when I spend good money on a brand new piece of equipment and find as many items as you have indicated with very little to no response from the seller, I tend to loose understanding. But that is just me. I expect a certain level of Customer Service and the more I spend the more I expect.
 
Hey there Tired&Retired. VERY happy to learn that your 1228 is enroute. I am jealous.
I ordered my PM-1127VF-LB -DRO yesterday. With the back order issues that currently exist it looks like I won't get deliver until Jan+ 2021.
 
What was the outcome with Matt on the hard shifting?
My 1340 should be in the shop at PM soon if not there already. The ship was in port on the 13th of Nov for 1 day 21 hrs.
 
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What was the outcome with Matt on the hard shifting?
My 1340 should be in the shop at PM soon if not there already. The ship was in port on the 13th of Nov for 1 day 21 hrs.

Maybe it is breaking in, or perhaps I am just getting stronger. :) I did squirt some lubricant behind the control knobs, so perhaps that is helping.

Actually, I had some people suggest that I ignore that the manual is saying that I should be able to shift gears at lower speeds, and just do it with the motor off and moving the chuck by hand to get the gears to fall into alignment. That does seem to work better for me. So I just have to adjust my perspective of how to operate the gear controls, I guess.

No joy on the touch-up paint for the flaked off paint on the base. Matt says he just hasn't had any luck with trying to supply that from either the factory or an alternate source, so I'm pretty much on my own about that. He says that perhaps I could find some automotive supplier that would match up the paint for me, but also warned me that this flaking problem will likely show up in other areas. I guess that if it gets bad enough I may eventually try to scrape off what I can of the original paint, and then tape off everything that shouldn't be painted and try repainting everything with POR-15. I think the lathe would look pretty darn sharp in glossy black anyway. And that POR-15 is almost like armor plating.

Perhaps they have your 1340 now, as correspondence has been real slow from them, and I am thinking they may be trying to get backorders out the door. I sure would like to get one of those extendable armed lamps that come with the bigger lathes and put it on my 1228, so I asked Matt about the possibility of buying one from him. Seems he must be busy with something, as I haven't heard back from him.

Anyway, I still haven't cut anything with the lathe. Been mostly just trying to get everything up to snuff, to my liking. I still want to hone out the spindle bore up to the machined areas on the chuck end to try to get rid of the light rust in there. The hones I bought are only 8 inches long, and I need a little bit more reach than that, so I am waiting for a drill extension to get it done. I also found a guy selling steady rest jaws with ball bearing mating surfaces that are a fairly close replacement fit for what came on this lathe. So I bought a set of them and will modify them on my mill to fit. I just never liked the journal bearing surfaces of the steady rest and follow rest.

I never did get the camlocks out of the spindle nose, and sort of lost interest trying as other things caught my attention. :(
 
I have the Quasar light, and it will glare you with reflection if not angled right.
 
Maybe it is breaking in, or perhaps I am just getting stronger. :) I did squirt some lubricant behind the control knobs, so perhaps that is helping.

Actually, I had some people suggest that I ignore that the manual is saying that I should be able to shift gears at lower speeds, and just do it with the motor off and moving the chuck by hand to get the gears to fall into alignment. That does seem to work better for me. So I just have to adjust my perspective of how to operate the gear controls, I guess.

No joy on the touch-up paint for the flaked off paint on the base. Matt says he just hasn't had any luck with trying to supply that from either the factory or an alternate source, so I'm pretty much on my own about that. He says that perhaps I could find some automotive supplier that would match up the paint for me, but also warned me that this flaking problem will likely show up in other areas. I guess that if it gets bad enough I may eventually try to scrape off what I can of the original paint, and then tape off everything that shouldn't be painted and try repainting everything with POR-15. I think the lathe would look pretty darn sharp in glossy black anyway. And that POR-15 is almost like armor plating.

Perhaps they have your 1340 now, as correspondence has been real slow from them, and I am thinking they may be trying to get backorders out the door. I sure would like to get one of those extendable armed lamps that come with the bigger lathes and put it on my 1228, so I asked Matt about the possibility of buying one from him. Seems he must be busy with something, as I haven't heard back from him.

Anyway, I still haven't cut anything with the lathe. Been mostly just trying to get everything up to snuff, to my liking. I still want to hone out the spindle bore up to the machined areas on the chuck end to try to get rid of the light rust in there. The hones I bought are only 8 inches long, and I need a little bit more reach than that, so I am waiting for a drill extension to get it done. I also found a guy selling steady rest jaws with ball bearing mating surfaces that are a fairly close replacement fit for what came on this lathe. So I bought a set of them and will modify them on my mill to fit. I just never liked the journal bearing surfaces of the steady rest and follow rest.

I never did get the camlocks out of the spindle nose, and sort of lost interest trying as other things caught my attention. :(

After what you went through with the eBay machine I would think you should just want to make chips and smiles....

If you want to make it the best it can be then here's your inspiration.


Otherwise it's time to start posting your projects :grin:


John
 
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