Precision Mathews PM1340GT Review

[Skyfall]

This was a great review. To put this in perspective, I have had my PM-1340GT for almost 2 years and I have learned more from this thread and your review than I have anywhere previously. I've already mounted and wired in the light to the control box as you indicated, replaced the belt which was toast after little use and plan on adding the carriage stop t-handle. I really wish I would have ordered the 3 phase so I could add the VFD. It probably would have made any future CNC conversion easier and cheaper. I use it mainly for hobby gunsmithing. I've already made an outboard spider for it and a coolant pump is in progress. I'm trying to make somewhat of a closed loop system so it can pressure feed cutting oil while chambering barrels. Any suggestions for what to put on the ways and chucks during extended idle time? Mine is in the garage so humidity is pretty high. I've been just hitting it with WD-40 if I notice rust.

 

[tmarks11]

I really wish I would have ordered the 3 phase so I could add the VFD.

Its not a one time chance. You can buy a motor and VFD from just about anywhere and add it, but you just have to be clever with the control wiring (since rather than switch contractors on or off, you need to tell the vfd to change directions or stop).

Buying after the fact means you can buy a quality balder or lesson motor. Its on my list for my lathe, but the electronics enclosure definite requires some thinking of how to implement it.

Any suggestions for what to put on the ways and chucks during extended idle time? Mine is in the garage so humidity is pretty high.

I generally wipe mine down with way oil (vactra) after use. I am not convinced that WD40 is good for anything.

I suggest you get a 50-70 pint dehumidifier and run it for 20-30 minutes a day. It will take a gallon or two out of the air in that time period. Well worth the $150-180.

 

[darkzero]

I wouldn't trust WD40 to protect my machines from rust either. I do use WD40 on my lathe but only for clean up on the painted surfaces. I oil with Vactra after use & use HTC covers on them if I won't use them for a few days to protect from dust setting on the oiled surfaces.

 

[John Hasler]

I've been just hitting it with WD-40 if I notice rust.

That's too late. You need to apply it every day if you expect it to prevent rust. As far as I know it's just light oil in a kerosene carrier.

 

[zmotorsports]

I agree with what others have already said, just wipe a thin layer of way oil on the bare metal surfaces. WD-40 won't cut it as far as rust prevention.

Mike.

 

[Falcon67]

WD-40 is a solvent, not a protectant. I personally use ATF on my machines. ATF leaves a thin oil film and also cleans the metal. I use it on cylinder bores too.

Here's a bore washed, blown dry, sprayed with WD-40 and wiped with a white towel sprayed with WD-40:

Same bore, wiped with ATF:

Its not a one time chance. You can buy a motor and VFD from just about anywhere and add it, but you just have to be clever with the control wiring (since rather than switch contractors on or off, you need to tell the vfd to change directions or stop).

Yes, the first thing to note about using a 3 phase + VFD is that the drive has to control the motor directly. It can't feed "3 phase power" to the machine. On my G0519 mill I basically gutted the control box of everything but the buttons. I had to change the E-stop switch because it was backwards of what the VFD required for an input. The good thing is that you hit the E-stop and the spindle stops in .2 seconds. Better than a foot brake IMHO.

 

[John Hasler]

I don't see that your photos demonstrate anything except that ATF has dye in it and WD40 is colorless. WD40 is a solvent (kerosene, more or less) with a bit of light oil in it. The idea is that the solvent will carry the oil into very small spaces where it will provide some lubricating action after the solvent evaporates, making it easier to disassemble stuck parts. Spray it on a metal surface and the solvent evaporates, leaving a very thin film of the oil. However, the oil is very light and so evaporates in day or so. It's only useful as a protectant if you apply it at least once a day. Acetone with a few drops of oil works better for getting things apart but is less convenient.

 

[Falcon67]

The gray stains on the wipe are from metal in the bore that hot water/scrub brush and WD-40 wash/wipe did not remove. The ATF lifts metal out of the valleys in the bore left after honing. I like to get as much metal out as possible. I also use it to clean the head and block decks before drying with air and solvent. When I get ready to final assemble and engine, the machine surfaces need to be lick-able, literally.

 

[borris]

Outstanding job on the video. I own a PM1340GT lathe and PM932 mill. My machine are in a metal workshop that I heat with propane only when I am working. To help minimize rust, I have mounted rod dehumidifiers on both machines and keep them covered. After each use, I spray the metal surfaces with Rustlick 631 (Matt provided a can to me) and cover the machine with a machine cover. This seems to work well to keep the rust under control. I found that the Rustlick 631 works much better than WD40 to prevent rust.

 

[catoctin]

Google around on rust prevention in high humidity areas and the WD40 versus other treatments is discussed in detail. It's thumbs down on WD40 in most cases. My woodworking equipment will sometimes lay idle for months depending on busy things are at my day job. I have used TopCote (now GlideCote) and Boeshield T9 for extended idle time. I spray a layer on after a good surface cleanup and not wipe it down after application. Both products have worked well for me but my area is pretty dry. It appears most folks have the best luck with TopCote in high humidity environments. It's a lot like cosmoline in that it leaves a waxy film. You need to give it a wipe down with mineral spirits to bring the equipment back into service.

-Joe