WTB - Small turret lathe

[itsmeBernie]

What part of the country are you Shays? What a wicked machine! I love my Hardinge Mill. That two speed motor seems to be in most if their machines then. Mine' still going great. They sure knew how to pour cast iron like artists.

Bernie

 

[L Vanice]

... It's got a 2 speed 220 3ph motor (1HP?) so not a great candidate to convert to 110V. I have to say, having the FWD/REV and HIGH/LOW levers right on the headstock makes drilling and tapping incredibly fast and almost fun....

The motor is probably 3/4 HP at 1750 RPM and 3/8 HP at 875 RPM 240V three phase. I have run that size motor from Hardinge lathes with a 1 HP rated 120V single phase in-240V three phase out VFD. Just plug it in to any wall outlet. Only catch is that you have to use the VFD controls for fwd-rev and speed changing. It is possible to wire the lathe levers and drum switches up to the VFD low voltage control circuits. I have found some of those VFD's on eBay for under $100.

By the way the Hardinge/Elgin nameplate means it was built in the Chicago plant that built Hardinge Bros. Inc. machines until 1930, when the old company name was bought and a new plant set up in Elmira, NY. After 1930, the Chicago plant was used by Elgin Tool Works, which was bought by Franklin Hardinge, who still owned the building and also made oil burners for furnaces there as Hardinge Mfg. Co. Complicated and confusing story.

Larry

 

[bardell]

Sorry I haven't yet responded. Life has this funny ability to get in the way of what you really WANT to do. I'm still trying to figure out my timing and moving approach for moving, and more importantly RUNNING, something like that Elgin. The price is more than right. My heart is, however, quite set on the older piece posted earlier. We'll see if I can't get something figured out real soon. In the meantime, if someone speaks up for it (as seems to be the case), I'd rather see them get it than see it go to scrap.

 

[toag]

for the cost of 5 cases of decent beer, you'd have a part making fool of a machine... sheys would you take 6 cases of homebrew beer? J/K, youre a bit too far, but dam thats a deal for the price
as a rule these deals never happen within 4 hours of me... never.

 

[Abeship]

for the cost of 5 cases of decent beer, you'd have a part making fool of a machine... sheys would you take 6 cases of homebrew beer? J/K, youre a bit too far, but dam thats a deal for the price
as a rule these deals never happen within 4 hours of me... never.

5 Hours for me, and I am seriously interested, I've never been to NY before...

Then again I am a broke college student, so finding an affordable machine is...

 

[sheys]

Larry is absolutely correct, motor is .75/.375 HP two speed. There are 4 v-belt sheaves on both the motor and jackshaft to change speeds though I couldn't tell you what the range is. I'm sure the VFD solution is feasible but it is so satisfying slamming the thing from forward to reverse while tapping, setting it up to be as fast with a VFD would be tricky. I'm very fond of the thunking noises the contactors make when changing speeds or reversing direction, makes me feel like work is getting done.

 

[Greg Menke]

The vfd solution is straightforward, just flip the control input from fwd to rev, the vfd handles slowing the motor then accelerating in the other direction easy peasy. Its likely possible to do fun stuff like make the reverse run slower than forward etc. Since the vfd brakes the motor and ramps it up from a stop the direction changes will not be as abrupt. If the machine in question uses a drum switch or some equivalent, then the vfd control input is wired to that and the machine controls stay pretty much the same- with the addition of a speed control knob. fwd/rev buttons would also work- most vfd's are configurable for momentary control inputs as well.

Regards,

Greg

 

[JST]

Another option is to find a bed turret for a lathe you have now.

I bought a bed turret for a Logan I have, and then the job I had figured on using it for went away. I'm keeping it, though.

A Logan with the lever crosslide and a bed turret is a credible machine. Some do take 5C, although many do not. I bought a mill from a guy who was running several of the Logan turret machines in his shop, and making money.

 

[IrbyJones]

My heart is, however, quite set on the older piece posted earlier.

Are you talking about the P&W No. 1 posted by Peter? If so, I have some more pictures if he didn't send them to you already.

Irby

 

[bardell]

That's the one, Irby, should you want to part with it. Email is still my username here @gmail.com. Thanks.

 

[zac_b]

Hey Sheys, you still looking for a home for that Elgin? It's a great price for a nice machine, and it wouldn't have to travel far.

 

[Totallyrc]

I have an older Elgin lathe with a lever cross slide, 6 tool lever operated tailstock and it takes 5c collet. It is Flat belt and has a single phase motor. I can post pics if needed. It is mostly taken apart but should work great for what you need.

Mike

 

[bardell]

Mike -
Your PMs are full. I'm almost certainly going to rescue the P+W, but you might as well post your pics here, as this has become the 'Shove it to China - Buy a Turret Lathe and Work For Cheap!' thread

 

[Totallyrc]

I just cleared some PMs.
I will postpics this weekend.

Mike

 

[Greg Menke]

I did the 1st "paying" job on my Wade 7; modify the hinge pin for the passenger pegs on my motorcycle- chuck the pin, drill the end and tap for a 8x32 screw. It worked great, the turret feed gives a great feel for the drill, I tapped by freewheeling the spindle and turning it by hand. The prev owner liked Jacobs chucks on little 3/4" diam stub arbors as turret tooling, I got silly and set up the center drill on one, tap drill on the 2nd, then the tap on the 3rd. Worked fine.

Definitely get a little turret lathe..

 

[bardell]

I learned machining working in a CNC production shop that supplemented its 4 or 5 CNC Swiss with a small array of excellent condition Schaublins, from 70 (I think) to 120 sizes, some with disc turrets. Oh, and the absolutely ruined DSM59 which, even with 1/4" play on everything (yes, really, 1/4") still made for a great cutoff and knurl machine. Blanked thousands of parts on that pile to feed a CNC chucker. Second opped tens of thousands of parts on the Schaublins. Nowadays the day job is aircraft toolmaking, and I wish we had a small turret for anything that's 2-20 pcs, small thumb screws and the like. Have to do 'em on a big HAAS lathe (junk). Oh well, bosses shortsightedness will land me some work when I leave.

Edit: Now that I think about it, boss got a really nice Harding HCT with a pile of mint masters/followers and a lever cross slide, and another 500lbs tooling, for 600 a while back. He wired it up, turned it on once, and the gave it away because 'we didn't need it, too much space!'. If I'd been in my current garage, she would have followed me home.

 

[gargoyle169]

Frank,
What happened to DRT?

If its not too late I'd like to buy plans for a cross slide turret and tailstock turret with one each of all the individual tools.

To fit a 9-10 " lathe.

Thanks
Kas

 

[john.k]

The ENCO turrets come up pretty regularly on fleabay,buying is a whole lot easier than making.