:Happybirthday:Happy birthday to me as I have finally pulled the trigger on a 932 Mill. I have several lathes and have always wanted a full size knee mill; just never found a good one for what I wanted to pay. Figured this would a least be a good start for a person like me that just likes to tinker. Read a lot from this web site on the pros and cons. Call Matt up and talked to him on several occassions. What a nice fellow, he answered everything I threw at him. Anyway he hooked me up and mill should be getting shipped this week. Can't wait.
Yesterday, 09/25, my pm932 arrived in my driveway, on an extra long pallet, because I had asked Matt to not stack the base to the top of the mill crate. I`m a one man outfit, and this made it a lot easier, and safer. Lucky for me, 2 good friends came along, and helped me get the mill and base up a small ramp, and into my 12x16 wood floor outside shed. The floor is rugged, and didn`t sag. I`m thinking about bolting a couple of sheets of 3/4"x30"x30" plywood to the base for added stability- it may not pay for me to try to level it on a wooden floor-your thoughts? The milling machine , in my out door shed, will be about 60` from my house circuit breaker box, so I bought some 10-3 uf wire to hook it up. After I figure out what to put under the base, I`ll do what most of you guys did, and borrow an engine lift to hoist the mill on top of the base. Now, after it is all fastened down, I expect to have to go all over it, the way I did with my pm1127lb. Carefully clean, maybe change the oil in the gear box, attach the power feeds, tram, etc. I always thought that was part of the fun, and yes, that does require several hours to get it right. I bought a used Bridgeport, j head, years ago, that I had to spend days to get that right. Matt does, in my opinion, a very good job of checking out the machines, but after they are bounced around in crates, hoisted with chains, straps, fork trucks, etc., there is no way that they won`t need to be adjusted, especially if fine accuracy is needed. The spindle bearings on a new machine should be perfect, or darn near it, even if they are Chinese. BTW, if some one knows of replacement US spindle bearings, {numbers}, that would be welcome info for future reference. Anyone experiencing bad parts, including bearings, especially on a new machine, should contact Matt; he will make it right! Happy Milling..........Art.