I've never seen any mention of recommended break-in procedures for new lathes, but I've got a new one on the way (PM 3520C) and figured I'd ask. Are there any recommended do's or don't's with a brand new lathe, beyond using common sense?
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New lathe break-in procedures?
- Thread starter Ric Williams
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- break-in
loosen set screw before taking face plate off spindle
Yeah, I've heard that one, and forgetting it does sound like something I'd do.
make sure the spindle lock is fully unlocked before turning the lathe on
No break in procedures. Ball bearings are good to go from day 1.
The idea is to get the lathe In without Breaking it 
.
Although things don't always go according to that plan.
. Although things don't always go according to that plan.
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check the level of the ways.....depending on size 2 different size levels and auto shop style lift for adjusting the legs helpful
this should be checked periodically.....shavings get under legs and just a little will warp
this should be checked periodically.....shavings get under legs and just a little will warp
My Grizzly metal lathe has this procedure for a spindle break-in. May not be bad to do on your Powermatic:
- Set spindle direction switch to "F" (forward), ensure range lever is in LOW, and operate lathe for 10 minutes at 100 RPM.
- Operate lathe at 1000 RPM for 10 minutes, then turn variable speed dial to "0" to stop spindle.
- Shift range control lever to HIGH, then operate lathe at 2000 RPM for 10 minutes, then stop spindle.
- Run lathe in reverse at 2000 RPM for 10 minutes, then turn speed dial to "0", turn spindle direction switch to "0", and press Emergency Stop button.
The idea is to get the lathe In without Braking it
Although things don't always go according to that plan.
Are you saying that it should be used indoors??? I was planning on keeping mine outside, covered with a tarp during the winter. Will that be a problem?
Which model is that? Does it have a tapered sleeve bearing? Oil bath head?
I recently got one of Teknatool's new 14" lathes. They had a break-in procedure which was to run the lathe at its fastest speed for 30 minutes. The head gets so hot after 30 minutes that you can't touch the head for more than 2 or 3 seconds. This is due to the bearing placement, two bearings on the right side of the head about 2" apart and then there is about 4" of shaft to the left with no bearing with the pulley and belt on the left end. This is the only lathe I have seen that does not have a bearing on each end of the shaft. To prove a point I ran 6 other lathes at the same time (including my DVR300 @5000 rpm) for 30 minutes while doing the same for the 14"er and not one of the other lathes was even slightly warm (they all have bearings on both ends). It is a very well made lathe except for the bearings, tis a shame.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
My spring pole.lathe had a warm up.period. had to eat a couple of donuts and finish off a coke.
And then , did you run it at the high speed (60 rpm) for 30 minutes and stop, then check if it came up to speed at the same rate after that? Also did you feel to see if the head got hot as Bill said above?
What model is that, Bill?
Another angle on this.... It may be more important that you break yourself into the new lathe. I got a new lathe a few yrs back. I wanted to be able to control the lathe (on, off, speed) with a lot of thinking and study. So I t got some 2x4 material and started turning finial and tops. After turning on and off for a couple of days I was satisfied that I knew what thing did what and that I would not turn the speed up when it should be turned down. Allyn
That's a good point, but I've got 1/2 of an old railroad tie that I was going to turn down to a pen and I'm tired of waiting. 
Actually, I'm planning on a learning curve at first, not because I don't know which thing does what, but more that I want to feel comfortable and confident that I reach for the right control at the right time, especially stopping the lathe. I've turned on my mentor's 3520B a few times, so I'm not too intimidated, but enough to have a healthy respect for the power it possesses.
Actually, I'm planning on a learning curve at first, not because I don't know which thing does what, but more that I want to feel comfortable and confident that I reach for the right control at the right time, especially stopping the lathe. I've turned on my mentor's 3520B a few times, so I'm not too intimidated, but enough to have a healthy respect for the power it possesses.
It is the Grizzly G0765, their labeled version of the standard Chinese bench top version sold by many. It came with ball bearings, but I replaced those with roller bearings as is done by most when you have to replace the drive gears (plastic). And, the original bearings were sealed. The roller bearings are packed in grease.
Vitamins C and D?
2 of the 4 major food groups! (The others being chocolate and peanuts.)
Nova Comet 14 DR 14'' Midi Lathe The ad on the Rockler site gives a good view of the inside of the head,
There are similar instructions for replacing high precision bearings in some machine tools. Usually those machines have a pre-load bearing adjustment nut on the far end of the spindle. The instructions differ a bit from the above though. The method basically involves setting initial spindle end play (bearing tightness) to a certain amount then incrementally increasing rpm's for time periods while monitoring bearing temperatures. Once you reach max rpm without overheating you're good to go. It can be a tedious day long process. Wood lathes typically don't, or never, have bearings of that precision though.
Some machine tools use precision spacers between the bearings so there is no adjustment needed. Even those machines need some running time to break in the bearings.
As to the OP, it might be a good idea to follow any instructions from the manufacturer. Plus, if the lathe is stored outside, unheated, it'd be a good idea to run the spindle at low rpm to warm up the bearing grease before getting up to high rpm.
Powermatic doesn't say anything about a break-in period or procedure, so I'm not going to worry about it.
Sorry, I was totally kidding about keeping it outside and about turning 1/2 of an old railroad tie down to a pen. Sometimes my warped sense of humor doesn't translate well to text, so I always try to include a smiley face or something.
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Hopefully, "packed" isn't fully packed because that can sometimes be worse than not enough grease. A good range for ball and roller bearings is about ⅓ to ½ fill. There are a lot of different greases to choose from, but I think while automotive type wheel bearing grease is OK, a much better choice for wood lathe spindle bearings would be Mobil Polyrex EM. It uses a polyurea thickener for the oil. I think that wheel bearing grease typically uses a metallic soap thickener. Polyurea thickener has a longer service life than metallic soaps.
My first lathe was like that ... Delta 1440 Boat Anchor. I spent more time repairing it than turning on it.
I'm pretty sure the Powermatic break in instructions are:
1. plug in
2. turn on
3. make something
4. repeat
1. plug in
2. turn on
3. make something
4. repeat
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
My Delta 46-700 break in was turn it on with a bowl blank then chase it around the room. My Powermatic was a dream. Turn it on and make stuff..
Sounds good to me. That's the plan, starting tomorrow.