Hardinge HC - Is it possible to use riser block to increase swing?

I make banjo rims, need a lathe that can swing 17" and handle an 8" chuck. I'm currently using a 24" Oliver pattern makers lathe, works great, but it's 10' long, I only need 12" or 18" cc at most.

Looking ahead to downsizing, wondering if I could block up the headstock of an HC, and cobble together a compound slide. I'm turning wood, but I need a moving carriage and an relatively accurate cross slide and compound. I don't need to work to tenths, +/- a few thou is just fine for wood!

Is it just a matter of making up a riser block and fitting a larger belt, or is there way more to it?

Rather see you bandsaw the Oliver down to size.

As the belts for the chucker are special V angle made for Hardinge, there is
no longer ones out there. But you probably could fit some other belts and maybe
a VFD. Seems like a lot of work to mod the HC.

Sounds like you need a "T" lathe...but they are pretty rare and usually way larger in swing than you need.

Another option would be to adapt an cross slide and compound to a bowl turner's lathe; much as you're using the Oliver now.

Delta once made a metal cutting compound for its 12" wood lathes. Not an especially well made bit, but it worked. No reason most any metal lathe compound couldn't be risen to the proper height and bolted to the bed much like a wood turner's rest. Could also use an x-y table for the movements. You'd have limited travel (e.g. 6" or so); but I'm guessing that would work for banjos?

A Hardinge horizontal mill might be another option. You'd fit a chuck (or faceplate, or whatever you use to hold banjo bits) to the 5c arbor and use the table for moving the cutting tool. Even better a small 30 taper or so horizontal mill?

FWIW, I put an old Powermatic wood lathe headstock and tailstock on risers for 22" swing, added a VFD, and occasionally used a metal cutting compound jury rigged to clean up disks larger than my metal lathe (a 13" Harrison at that time) could handle.

Thanks for the replies.

This is going on a back burner, the HC I was contemplating was sold before I got a chance to look at it. At $500 it was a bargain, I would have tucked it away for later.

But at some point I'm going to revisit this in the main forum. When l eventually move into a smaller (cheaper) space I'll have to give up my big Oliver pattern lathe. But I will want a large swing, short bed, compact and relatively accurate lathe with carriage, cross slide and compound. I'm resigned to having to cobble something together,but that might be fun, so long as I have the time to dick around.