Pm1340gt - Against A Wall And Access To The Back?

[Alan H.]

Thanks to all for the replies. I am guessing I will get it all tuned up and then move it into positon. I will not butt it against the wall but leave some space for cleaning. My old machine was about 12" from the wall and I will likely replicate that.

I will also continue to look into ideas for some caster additions. Any photos of that would be appreciated.

 

[mksj]

The lathe is pretty light (relatively) so I do not think one needs to go overboard if you are just going to use them to role it into place. Example of what I had on my mill which was a similar weight. Worked just fine for moving it around in the garage, but would want bigger wheels if they need to go over anything. These machines can be top heavy, so try to get a wide stance in the front to back direction.

 

[mikey]

I'm with the "move the damned thing" school of hobby guys. If you have to install a DRO or brake on the lathe or repair the motor then you will very likely have to move it and trying to lift it with a hoist or pallet jack can be a pain when the lathe is up against a wall. You can jack it up and slip moving pallets under each end and roll it out or you can install casters like Ddickey suggested but there has to be some provision to move it if you have to.

Personally, I prefer leveling casters, too. I like the Carrymaster line that is similar to Footmaster in design. It allows you to move the lathe quickly and easily, do what you have to do and then roll it back into place. Leveling is simply done with the leveling feet on the caster and you're back in business. This is not as solid a mount as it would be when set on solid concrete but it is a very practical compromise if the casters are sized correctly. The PM1340GT is 1650# so I would use four Carrymaster AC-1000 casters on it. This allows you to move a heavy machine by yourself with ease, without using bulky lifts to do it.

 

[tmarks11]

I'm with the "move the damned thing" school of hobby guys. I

Then spend a couple of hours re-leveling the lathe, recutting a bar to get rid of taper, etc.

That is why my machine stays where it is.

 

[mikey]

Then spend a couple of hours re-leveling the lathe, recutting a bar to get rid of taper, etc.

That is why my machine stays where it is.

Re-leveling takes a few minutes to a few hours, depending on whether or not God smiles on me or not. Doesn't matter - if I have to move it, I move it and it takes all of a few minutes to do so.

 

[tmarks11]

Example of what I had on my mill which was a similar weight. Worked just fine for moving it around in the garage, but would want bigger wheels if they need to go over anything. These machines can be top heavy, so try to get a wide stance in the front to back direction.

Building a base you can get a pallet jack under would be ideal. Makes it much easier to move equipment if you can get a pallet jack underneath... of course, that is kind of impractical for a lathe...