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Finally found me an 18 speed 16X54 Hendey

Peroni

Cast Iron
Joined
May 18, 2007
Location
Yadkinville, NC
Well after missing out on 3 machines earlier this spring my patience was rewarded with this beauty. I've been after one of these 18 speed gear heads for several years now but was holding out for an exceptionally nice one. Dispatched from the Hendey works on May 20th 1953 this lathe was purchased by the USAF and sent down south to Robins AFB in Georgia. It has seen very little use over the past 68yrs but during that time managed to migrate up the coast to the West Point metal shop under Spellman Hall. I picked it up there right after Memorial Day, the weather was cool and dry for the entire 1300 mile round trip. Loading went smoothly with the onsite rigging company having built a substantial skid for the lathe.

195478566_1224428964680740_1602598710092409341_n.jpg

12hrs later I arrived back home in central NC. The ride was uneventful and the lathe remained firmly in place despite the horrendous road conditions. Next morning I fired up the ole John Deere 500C backhoe that my dad bought second hand in 1986 for his construction business. With over 30000hrs on it it's getting tired and I wasn't 100% certain that it would lift this nearly 6000lb Hendey. After some thoughtful rigging all doubts were disproved when the lathe was lifted off first try - nothing truly runs like a Deere!

195265240_1225162137940756_8839804391121650635_n.jpg

After careful maneuvering in some tight quarters I had the Hendey moved into its new home.

195321618_1225162077940762_8423418019170572187_n.jpg

It so happens that I finally got the Hendey Tool & Gage lathe purcahsed last summer operational. It's first job was to make some leveling feet for its big brother. After being carefully lowered onto the new feet I spent several hours with many rags and a gallon of mineral spirits cleaning off years of oil, dirt and shavings. The lathe has been repainted twice in the past, each time being pretty well done. The original color was a dark green, then a light gray and lastly dark machinery gray. I will probably strip and repaint it at some point down the road but for now I think it cleaned up pretty nice.

196232850_1227741907682779_4283947282808698256_n.jpg

Overall the lathe is in nearly new condition. The ways look brand new, very little backlash in the screws and tailstock. Compound isn't all chewed up and nothing has been broken. Only damage noted is the knob on tailstock handle is bent slightly, an easy fix.

I do wish to find a couple things for this lathe. First off it was ordered with the low speed option vs the 1000rpm high speed option. I'd like to find a motor pulley and correct speed plate for it to convert up to the high speed option.

Next, the lathe was ordered with forward rotation only. I'm after the push button plate that features 3 buttons for Forward, Stop and Reverse. Am also going to need a reversing motor starter, 220V 3 phase for 7 1/2hp motor. Prefer a Westinghouse Life Line unit as the motor and other electrics are Westinghouse but really anything would work.

Lastly it would be nice to have the little quick withdraw handle for the cross slide.
 
Very nice. I have it’s longer and much worse cared for brother. That machine looks great. Do you have the taper attachment and the steady rest?
 
Do you have the taper attachment and the steady rest?

Yes sir I have the complete taper attachment along with the steady rest.



They all have lead screw reverse - does this allow reversing of spindle?
Spindle direction is controlled by the motor. My current push button station has a button for stop and forward plus an indicator light. A third button paired with a reversing starter would give me spindle reverse, handy to have in some instances. It was an option, just that this particular lathe was not ordered with it.

20yrs ago I was given this original FIFTH EDITION Hendey manual.
Manual 5th Edition.jpg
 
That lathe looks very nice!!
Congratulations!!
That’s about the size I’m looking for too!
I might have to add Hendey to my list!
What is the spindle thru hole size?
Max spindle speed?


Well after missing out on 3 machines earlier this spring my patience was rewarded with this beauty. I've been after one of these 18 speed gear heads for several years now but was holding out for an exceptionally nice one. Dispatched from the Hendey works on May 20th 1953 this lathe was purchased by the USAF and sent down south to Robins AFB in Georgia. It has seen very little use over the past 68yrs but during that time managed to migrate up the coast to the West Point metal shop under Spellman Hall. I picked it up there right after Memorial Day, the weather was cool and dry for the entire 1300 mile round trip. Loading went smoothly with the onsite rigging company having built a substantial skid for the lathe.

View attachment 322542

12hrs later I arrived back home in central NC. The ride was uneventful and the lathe remained firmly in place despite the horrendous road conditions. Next morning I fired up the ole John Deere 500C backhoe that my dad bought second hand in 1986 for his construction business. With over 30000hrs on it it's getting tired and I wasn't 100% certain that it would lift this nearly 6000lb Hendey. After some thoughtful rigging all doubts were disproved when the lathe was lifted off first try - nothing truly runs like a Deere!

View attachment 322541

After careful maneuvering in some tight quarters I had the Hendey moved into its new home.

View attachment 322540

It so happens that I finally got the Hendey Tool & Gage lathe purcahsed last summer operational. It's first job was to make some leveling feet for its big brother. After being carefully lowered onto the new feet I spent several hours with many rags and a gallon of mineral spirits cleaning off years of oil, dirt and shavings. The lathe has been repainted twice in the past, each time being pretty well done. The original color was a dark green, then a light gray and lastly dark machinery gray. I will probably strip and repaint it at some point down the road but for now I think it cleaned up pretty nice.

View attachment 322539

Overall the lathe is in nearly new condition. The ways look brand new, very little backlash in the screws and tailstock. Compound isn't all chewed up and nothing has been broken. Only damage noted is the knob on tailstock handle is bent slightly, an easy fix.

I do wish to find a couple things for this lathe. First off it was ordered with the low speed option vs the 1000rpm high speed option. I'd like to find a motor pulley and correct speed plate for it to convert up to the high speed option.

Next, the lathe was ordered with forward rotation only. I'm after the push button plate that features 3 buttons for Forward, Stop and Reverse. Am also going to need a reversing motor starter, 220V 3 phase for 7 1/2hp motor. Prefer a Westinghouse Life Line unit as the motor and other electrics are Westinghouse but really anything would work.

Lastly it would be nice to have the little quick withdraw handle for the cross slide.
 
You didn’t say . Does it happen to have hard ways . Nice find regardless

Yes it does have hard ways, they look brand new! Starting in 1947 Hendey introduced hardened and ground beds on their lathes. I had a 1947 #2 General Purpose lathe that was H91, this 1953 lathe is H1554.
 
What is the spindle bore/thru hole size?
Max RPM?

1.550 thru the spindle - fairly typical of the era in American lathes.

Top end is 652 or 1000 depending on how the lathe was ordered. Mine is 652 but I have a pulley on the way to make it 1000.

I have heard of some 12 speed lathes with two speed motors and ball bearing spindles from the factory with a top end of 1500 to 2000.

A Hendey should be #2 on your list right under a Pacemaker with "tool room" package. #3 ought to be a Pratt & Whitney C.
 
The 7 1/2hp Westinghouse Life Line CSP 3 phase motor all cleaned up and ready to go back in. I'm very glad I decided to check it out before putting power to it. The bearing grease had completely dried out to the consistency of brittle yellow candle wax! Otherwise they looked great so I removed the snap rings and shields, thoroughly cleaned and repacked them with Mobil Polyrex EM grease.
Westinghouse Motor.jpg

Moving forward with cleaning up the gearing, all the gears are in great shape with no chips stuck in the teeth or otherwise damaged. I have run into a broken piece that is not shown in my parts book or any photos I can find online. There is a V notch in this connecting bar that operates the clutch/brake. To the left is a small L bracket with appears to be a broken off flat spring? I assume the spring was to put pressure on the link so that the brake wouldn't drag. Could someone pop their end door open and take a phot of this spring so I can make a new one? I'd hate to bother Hendeyman with looking up a drawing such a trivial little part.
clutch rod.jpg
 
Can you zoom out on that thing? I opened my door but it’s pretty dark and greasy in there. I’m not exactly sure where that is
 
Peroni,

Now that looks like a very nice 16" Hendey you got there. Congratulations! Wish I had that one instead of my own rather worn 14".
As to the clutch/brake linkage, I have always thought that the counterweight on the backside would prevent the brake from "dragging".
My 1937 does not have the notch in the crosslink or any bracket for a leafspring. Looks like this:

DSC00512.jpg

I'm also missing the quick withdrawal handle. Quite easy to make but would be nice to have the original.

Lars
 
Can you zoom out on that thing? I opened my door but it’s pretty dark and greasy in there. I’m not exactly sure where that is

Here it is, the link runs along the bottom behind end of the bed casting. It connects the shaft with operator levers to the clutch actuating linkage. Might be a feature only on late machines? It was certainly notched like that from the factory and the little spring bracket also looks like it has always been there.

change gears.jpg

Lars I have the counterweight moved out as far as it can go. While it helps balancing the lever's action it does not hold the mechanism off the brake on its own. Maybe because all my linkage is still new and tight? Oh and I think a worn Hendey is better than no Hendey at all!
 
Mine doesn’t have the notch or the spring clip either. Don’t judge me on the condition of themachine. It was free and is really worn out but it does what I want for now

8CA97C0B-AF62-4F97-BA87-4B37915A89A0.jpg
 








 
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