Bed width top & bottom on PM 3520B

Nathan Hawkes

Member
Messages
96
I ordered my new lathe last week, and I want to be ready for it. I'm digging footings for a concrete foundation, and I want to make a new steady rest for it. I couldn't seem to find the width of the bed ways. I'm looking for not only the top width but the bottom of the ways as well--they aren't straight up&down. I'm thinking about having the steady rest frame extend to the bottom of the ways & clamp on the top and the bottom for ridgidity, and to make possible the use of a thinner piece of wood over the ways to waste less of the swing capacity of the lathe. It may end up not being necessary, but My current setup with glued & braced ply & 2x4's is just not stiff enough to keep the wheels from vibrating slightly out of position, even when using 2 wing nuts on each slide. I'm going to have braces around the slides so that they are held tightly and cannot move side to side, which should alleviate this, if the sheer mass of the 3520 doesn't stop the vibration by itself.

Thanks in advance. I can't find the measurements anywhere--they're not in the online PM manual or the "mustard monster" site.
 
Sorry I missed answering this, Nathan. I saw the question yesterday afternoon but was too busy to go measure the lathe. Then I forgot about the question when I was out in the shop. :doh:
 
Thanks anyway. I'm going to build the framework and just cut out the part around the ways when I get the lathe. I got the measurements, but I want to actually trace the end & cut it out in profile to the ways so that I keep the potential for vibration at a minimum. Thanks folks!
 
Top