Planning to Buy ProtoTrak 1440S Lathe... Any Issues Before I Pull the Trigger

I'm looking seriously at buying a Proto Trak 1440S lath. Its in very good condition, and under $4,000. It also has a collet closer, but it doesn't have the chip pan or the base for the toolholder...only the cross slide. The lathe is a 2003 model.

I can fabricate a chip pan for it, but the tool holder base is another problem. I can't find a picture of just the base online, or in SWIs website. From what I've seen, the base is circular--about 6 inches in diameter with a T slot for a QC Tool Post, and has 4 vertical holes in the lower part. The cross slide has 4 bolts that project up through the base and are secured with hex nuts.

I've posted a Wanted Ad in the classifieds for the base. If somethine else will work, please let me know.

From what I've found on this site, the Protraks are decent machines... a little light, but useful. We had some larger ones in the government machine shop I worked with a few years back. The machinists liked them, especially the ones that didn't know how to program using G code.

This will replace my SB Heavy 10 that I sold a few weeks ago and be used to produce gunsmithing parts, and parts for the antique garden tractors I rebuild.

Any thoughts or opinions on this machine?



Regards,

Smitty

No thoughts on this machine but am kind of interested what happened with the other lathe.

welderboyjk said:

No thoughts on this machine but am kind of interested what happened with the other lathe.

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I sold it to a friend who wants to use it in his custom gunsmithing business. It'll be well taken care of.

Smitty

Got a photo?

I’ve used a prototrak lathe and it’s was great. Anything that can be programmed on it can be done a couple minutes. My only problem with them is that some older models have CRT screens that just die spontaneously. Direct replacement was £1000 or a LCD conversion is a bit cheaper if you’re feeling confident.

Accuracy was pretty good, just by simply touching on and setting the offset it could machine to 0.02 mm, anything better and just leave some positive offset in the tooltable and take measurement and extra finish cut.

They take a beating too, I watched the other apprentice at the time send a roughing tool straight in to the chuck twice consecutively at full feed, it just cut out and didn’t bat an eyelid.

All in all I wish I still had one where I work now.

We have a 2003 Prototrak 1845 that we bought new with a Dorian indexer. It came with a QC CXA tool post and the mounting plate to use it as it was a package deal, but we've never used it on the Prototrak. I don't know if it will fit the smaller machines but I'll get some measurements and see.

Overall dim. 210mm long, 140mm wide, 72mm tall

Mounting bolt pattern is 130mm long, 115mm wide

M.B. Naegle said:

View attachment 255971
View attachment 255972
Overall dim. 210mm long, 140mm wide, 72mm tall

Mounting bolt pattern is 130mm long, 115mm wide

Click to expand...

Thanks for checking that out, MB.

I don't think that will fit my machine. The "pedestal" for the tool post on the 1440 is cylindrical, approx 150mm with 4 bolt holes equally spaced around it and a t slot in top for the tool holder.

The picture may explain it better.

Regards,

Smitty

View attachment 256061

Thanks, Luke.

I don't have a picture yet of the entire machine. The photo in my reply to MB shows what the tool post "pedestal" looks like, although my machine is in better shape appearance wise.

Regafrds,

Smitty

At the time I mostly used it for electrodes, on the multi cavity work we mostly did, we would commonly make batches of 40ish turned copper electrodes, once dialled in it would hold a range of 0.01mm with a couple minor tweaks over the batch, for the accuracy of the angles and radii, they were hard to fault for what we needed.

So, SWI has one in stock, so I'll be buying it today. However I do need a QCTP and holders. The manual says the holders will take up to a 3/4" tool. The makes me think it's a CXA sized tool post and holders. Are you interested in selling your Dorian tool post and holders and if so, what would you want for them?

Regards,

Smitty

UtahSmitty said:

So, SWI has one in stock, so I'll be buying it today. However I do need a QCTP and holders. The manual says the holders will take up to a 3/4" tool. The makes me think it's a CXA sized tool post and holders. Are you interested in selling your Dorian tool post and holders and if so, what would you want for them?

Regards,

Smitty

Click to expand...

Sorry, we used the post and holders on a different lathe.

M.B. Naegle said:

Sorry, we used the post and holders on a different lathe.

Click to expand...

Ok, thanks for your assistance on the tool post base.

Smitty

Well, the tool holder came yesterday, so that problem's resolved. I intended to go get the lathe today, but it's raining, with rain in the forecast for the next 6 days... arrrgggh!

Anyway, I'll post pictures as soon as I have them.

Smitty