? for PM3520 owners

Re: ? for PM3520 owners

John Lucas

>John

I have the exatension. If someone doesn't answer before I get home I'll measure it and get back to you. john

Re: ? for PM3520 owners

John Lucas

>John

The 3520 extension is 18 " long. It is 8" wide measured across the ways. Each way is 2 3/4" wide by 9/16 thick. There is 2 1/12" between them.

The part of the extension that bolts to the lathe is 8" deep 8" wide. It has 3 bolt holes the top 2 are 4" apart the bottom one is centered and is 4 1/2" from the center of either top screw hole.

It's painted mustard yellow and is quite heavy.

Re: ? for PM3520 owners

John Trant (Baltimore/WashDC)

>Thanks John! The color and the weight I was pretty sure about but everything else was just a guess. It appears that I will need a larger piece of steel than I thought. Maybe I will use a 1/4 thick steel backed with 3/4" MDF (or two 1/8" thick sheets sandwiching an MDF board) because a 1/2" thick steel plate that big is about $150.

Thanks again,

John

Re: How big were you planning to use?

Al Crandall

>I just did a search on ebay for 1/2" x 12" steel plate. Using "buy it now", you can get a piece of mild steel this size and 18" long for $31 plus shipping. Somebody is out to screw you if they are charging $150. For the truck crane I built recently I gave .50 lb. for the steel plate at a local fabricator's scrap room. 1/2" x 6" x 24" was $10.

Re: ? for PM3520 owners

Ron in Drums PA

>John, you might want to consider using a u-channel instead of the steel plate.

Re: How big were you planning to use?

John Trant (Baltimore/WashDC)

>I was planning on 12"x10"x1/2" so a 12x12 would be great. After a little bit more searching, I found much better prices (specifically McMaster-Carr). I did not think of looking on ebay. I was pretty shocked by those earlier quotes also and was about to look for a local salvage yard.

Thanks for the help

John

(Loose the 2 for email)

ebay for $20

John Trant (aka Boxes-n-Bowls)

>Ifound a 1/2" x 12" square piece of steel for $20. That is more like it!!!

Thanks all,

John

A cheaper alternative

Dominic Greco in Richboro PA

>John,

Have you considered using a 20" bed extension for the Jet 1642 lathe? It runs $175.00. I believe it would allow you to do what you want.

I've included a drawing I made of the cross section of my lathe bed, just in case you're interested.

See ya around,

Dominic

Re: A cheaper alternative

John Lucas

>I paid $175 from the tool nut for my powermatic. Things have gone up since January however so I don't know if that price still holds.

It is $230 plus shipping now

John Trant (aka Boxes-n-Bowls)

>

Re: A cheaper alternative

John Trant (aka Boxes-n-Bowls)

>Hi Dom,

Thanks for the schematic. I had considered both the Jet and the Nova bed extensions but I had a problem using a tool rest banjo from a 24" lathe on these small beds. I have been told that only very small modifications are required to fit a banjo from the 24" PM onto a bed from a 20" PM. The second reason I was leaning toward the PM was that I foresee a PM3520a in my future. I wanted a bed extension that would fit my future machine. In fact, I am using your strategy of putting $20 each week into the "lathe jar" so that in 2 or 3 years, I will have the cash. I only have 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 years to go. 8^)

Thanks for the suggestion of the Jet but I think I will stay with the PM parts.

FYI: My immediate plans are to anchor the PM bed to the headstock/lathe stand at 180 degrees to the Nova bed. I hope there will be no problems getting around to the headstock side of a bowl blank. If there is a problem, I have been thinking of anchoring the PM bed to the headstock via a pivot point so that I can swing it laterally. If I had access to a good machinist and welder, I would do it now. See my diagram of a side view of the pivoting mechanism (below).

John

Re: I saw that one too.

Al Crandall

>I knew that if you did the search, you would find something usable. That's why I asked what size you were thinking about. I'd be tempted to go thicker than 1/2" myself, but it's your project. There was some 1" plate listed also.

You plan reminds of...

Jay in Ohio

>Psychobilly Cadillac by Johnny Cash.