Just picked up this little lathe!

[Deerhurst]

About a week ago I made a 1200 round trip to go pick up this little guy and satify my MTAD (Machine Tool Acquisition Disorder). Poor old mini truck worked for a living and hills were not my friend. Really need to get MPFI converted and find a supercharger but thats a different project.

The lathe is a 1947 Hardinge HLV with a 0027 serial number. Its pretty early. I still have some work before I can turn it on. It was completely restored which meant everything came off so I get to finish up some control cabinet wiring. I was told it has an issue with the power feed motor, likely the selenium rectifier. Need power to check that. Got the aloris toolpost mounted today. Need to find some good photos of the identification plaques so I can make new ones. Plan to laser engrave anodized aluminum.

To get power to it I need to extend the run from my phase converter and add a disconnect. Then see if I get to wire in a modern diode rectifier or replace a variac or replace a motor.

Anyways, pics. Enjoy!

 

[Galil#1]

Not a shop/machinist guy... but can still appreciate a fine machine... WoW 1947 that thing looks beautiful!
So can you make a phased plasma rifle in the 40W range with it? Or cool gun stuff?

 

[Deerhurst]

Could have used it today to make a punch to drive out the extractor pin on a HiPower. Had to use a very low precision 110v Grizzly lathe instead.

I got it from a friend. He tore it down completely, ground the bed back to tighter than spec, sand blasted and painted the cabinet and did an overall complete rebuild including new bearings and belts. It's a very high precision machine.

Last thing I made on a lathe, not at work, was a plug for the transfer case on my pickup so I could move it around with the speedo cable removed (output shaft seals were wasted) and not barf fluid everywhere.

 

[Galil#1]

WoW!

 

[brenbuilds]

Beautiful!

 

[slimshady]

Setup for collets? You got any chucks to go with it? Steady rest? Hard to beat those old machines, they were built like tanks and even worn ways and such could be re-scraped to restore accuracy. Not cheap, but owning a classic never is.

 

[Deerhurst]

No steady rest of follower rest. Has a collet closer and came with some 30+ collets. I've got 2x 3 jaw and 1x 4 jaw. Came with an Aloris style tool post and about a dozen tool holders and a bunch of good, worn and trashed tooling plus a bunch of endmills, reamers and some Silver and Deming drills.

Got a hell of a deal. With the DRO and scales from my buddies HLV-H and all the stuff with it I paid less than half what it is worth as a bare machine.

Thought these cutters were pretty cool.

Having loads of fun the with electrical. Thankfully it was mostly done already. I think I'm at the stage I can plug it in and see what happens.

 

[pjm204]

I have some lathe tooling/steady rest that I acquired. Not sure what lathe it came off of but if that is of any interest in me taking pics/getting more info, shoot me a message. I would likely be willing to sell it.

 

[root]

Nice little tool room lathe.

If your buddy scraped it right it will be a real high precision machine.

I've had a few of them over the years still have/use the cabinet off of one of the Hardinges that have come through my small shop.
Thing is built from 3/16 sheet steel is rather old and really cool looking possibly the 20's

You can make some great stuff on that machine once running.

 

[trilogymac]

High quality stuff right there!! Congratulations!!

 

[Deerhurst]

Nice little tool room lathe.

If your buddy scraped it right it will be a real high precision machine.

I've had a few of them over the years still have/use the cabinet off of one of the Hardinges that have come through my small shop.
Thing is built from 3/16 sheet steel is rather old and really cool looking possibly the 20's

You can make some great stuff on that machine once running.

It was ground in nicely. He had a guy with a 4'x8' grinder that does stuff like that grind it in. My buddy did everything else. We can't trust him to put a head gasket in the right way (funny story about that one that we don't let him forget) but he sure knows how to rebuild a bit of machine tooling. He is the most organized person I have ever met. I even have the original rivets from the plaques that are missing. The plaques are not installed because all the markings have been worn off. As far as the bed, we've run indicators over it and can't find anything that makes the dial wiggle. It's flat. Crazy flat.

Hopefully start running conduit past my Bridgeport to power this little guy sometime this weekend. After I do an Acro cut on a HiPower. Maybe by Sunday night I'll be able to spin the lathe!

 

[Deerhurst]

BHP acro cut is done. Love that Series 1 HD.

Got power to the lathe this evening. Nothing happens. Even pushing contactors nothing happens. I get a little buzzing when I press buttons. I think I have 440 contactors. I only have 220.

I think I need to find a good way to step up to 440 for control power only.

Didn't measure anything on either rectifier so both are either dead or doing have enough power.

 

[root]

Well seems you know more about power then me.

I know a little from electronics in college and can run plain 12/2 house wire.

Thankfully when I bought my enco 13-40 it was only a power on/off switch that was bad.

Anymore then that I'd been needing a lot of diagrams & schematics along with possibly 3x the amount of time most people in the know would need.

 

[Deerhurst]

I misspoke on the 440 contactors. Should have said 440v system with 220v coils.

More digging last night and I think the overload relay is a NO device. I have 120 power for control as I'm running the system on 240v 3ph. Pretty sure I need a transformer to bump it up to 240 and then I should be good to go. I hope.

 

[Deerhurst]

Got a step up transformer on order.

Got to see the spindle run today! Yay!

Time to sit down with the electrical prints and check everything.

 

[Deerhurst]

It's alive!!

Added an auto transformer since it was a 400v system, motor rewired to 230v, so it has 200v controls. One phase of 230v 3 phase is 115 which isn't enough.

Have not yet worked on the DC side for the carriage motor.

 

[root]

Very nice.
Seems to be coming along very well.

won't be long and you,will be making the 1st chips with it.

Appears to have the taper attachment too!

 

[Deerhurst]

Made a thread protector with it last night.

Having issues with the brake. Had to put spacers in to hold the brake disengaged because it keeps tripping out the control power when I try to start the motor. I think I'm going to have to find a 115V brake.

I do not have the taper attachment. It had one, buddy kept it for his HLV-H.

Also having issues with the collet closer. It's acting like the drawbar is too long. I can run it all the way to the end of the threads on the collet and move the closer arm full travel with a finger and it never clamps the part in the collet. Even has some free play still. It should get tight and cam over or when threaded all the way in not even let me get it to the cam over point.

 

[root]

Is the collet bar missing a spacer?

on my collet bar for my atlas 10x48 it has a adjustable ( threaded ) finger nut between the hand wheel on the end of the bar and the spindle so I can easily adjust between the OEM 3MT collets and 5c collets

It's a aftermarket home built bar though not made just For the atlas line.
Guy I bought the lathe from threw it in back around 09 or 2010 when I bought the lathe.

Also the only draw bar I've ever seen like it.
I'm guessing he used it on more then one brand of lathe.

Need to get a collet setup,for my Enco lathe

 

[Deerhurst]

I have no adjustment that I've found. I have a feeling I will be taking a few thou off the end of the bar until I get the length I need. Feels like the draw tube is too long.