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Hendey Lathe

MoriMillMan

Aluminum
Joined
Jan 6, 2019
Hey folks, I just picked up a 16x6 gearhead. I was hoping to get information from hendey man. If anyone can share his contact information or direct him to this thread.

As I look at online resources for information and fun facts I see absolutely no other gear head with this style base. Is there something to that?

Any suggestions for a maintenance to do list before I run it much?
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Thanks everyone!

Side question, did hendey invent the modern quick change gearbox? What’s it called, Norton style?
 
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See Antique Section

Spell it Hendey will help

Post serial so hendeyman does not have to look for it

Its the eight speed from the teens / twenties

Related manual - thanks to Greg menke for hosting this for me:

http://pounceatron.dreamhosters.com/docs/hendey/1920-Hendey-manual.pdf

My old write up on their lead screw reverse system - starts at Post #17 here

Hendey lathe "emergency"!

Norton invented his design - one of many designs by other folks

Thumbnails ares scans from early twenties catalog

Any suggestions for a maintenance to do list before I run it much?

Do enough info digesting to KNOW about Hendey's marvelous ring oiled spindle bearings. All the oil rides up to top of bearing journal by means of the ring that rotates with the bearing journal. This ring gets its oil from a chamber UNDER the journal. Its is ESSENTIAL that this chamber be clean and filled with clean light bodied spindle oil. The lift off plugs over the spindle bearings are INSPECTION ports to observe this process.

There are MANY other oiling points on the machine - some with screwed in ball shaped covers - know where they all are and service them frequently
 

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Hendeyman frequents on here so he'll likely chime in with your machine's history.

I've got a slightly older 1909 8-speed geared head Hendey. Very similar (base included) however yours was likely an overhead belt driven unit, while mine came with a built in motor over the head-stock. I never found any evidence of a clutch on mine but I think it was a DC variable speed machine with all stop/go control coming from the electrics.

Does yours have the 16x6 cast into the bed? Mine doesn't but from what I understand they measured the length in feet as the overall bed casting, not just between center, so mines a 16x8.

Yours looks to be in very good shape. Mine was beat to heck, but it's coming back together.
Saved a Hendey from the scrappers yesterday
 
Thank you both for the information. And John thankyou for the spelling correction. I was actually starting to wonder if I was spelling it wrong due to the lack of information I was finding.

I’m wiping it down now and see scrapping marks still very visible. It does appear to be in good shape so far.

I look forward hearing the history of this machine
 
Per _Serial Number Reference Book_, 10th ed., s/n 26715 would have been built 1926-1927. Hendeyman may have more reliable information. In _American Lathe Builders: 1810-1910_, Kennth Cope comments that Wendell Phillips Norton (1861-1955) patented his QCGB in 1892 and describes it as "probably the first successful design." The Hendey-Norton lathe using it came out in 1893. Cope also shows a gear head Hendey looking very much like that of the OP's introduced in 1907.

I think "Norton" became something of a generic term for quick change gear boxes, maybe at times applied to those even that did not follow the Norton design.

David
 
Thanks Dave. I thought I read somewhere Hendey had the first successful quick change.

Actually didn’t realize how old this was. I was torn between posting in antique or general. If someone can move it or tell me how to I would do so?

Got a few hours of cleaning in. You can tell by the first few inches of the ways that this machine had at least one careless owner over the years. Good amount of dents and such there but nothing that will hurt anything. Aside from that I am pleasantly surprised by what I am seeing as I clean the oil off. Flaking all over still except for first 5 inches. The taper attachment looks almost unused!!

Best $500 I’ve spent in a long time.

I look forward to reading into the information you all have shared after work. Thankyou
 
I guess mod moved it? I won’t make a new thread the spelling has been corrected by others and that should be searchable.

When I typed the previous post about starting a new post it said do you want to make new thread in antique and I clicked yes.
 
Hey guys I have a few things I’m working on figuring out. First issue is the pictures shaft is not turning with the gear behind it. Is there perhaps a shear pin joining them?

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Next problem: I can only get the forward reverse lever into two positions and not the furthest position toward headstock.

And finally, the cross feed grip nut turns freely and doesn’t engage.

I’ve been reading up a lot here and in the manuals and so far no luck. Just hoping to get some input and maybe solutions before I go taking things apart. Not used to a lathe with all the niceties like this, any input would be very helpful.

Thankyou!
 
Next problem: I can only get the forward reverse lever into two positions and not the furthest position toward headstock.

Show us that lever

shaft is not turning with the gear behind it.

The lead screw reverse system is in neutral (or maybe just broken). I have a write up on that system in Post #2 above
 
Show us that lever



The lead screw reverse system is in neutral (or maybe just broken). I have a write up on that system in Post #2 above

I think It was engaged i played with the gear and lever quite a bit back and forth.

I took pins out of the rod atop headstock preparing to remove the cap and check out the innards and now the lever moves to all 3 positions. Not sure if that tells you anything? I didn’t have time to dig any deeper than that today.

I’ll get some pictures to post after work.

I did read through your information. (And many other of your posts) nothing really sounded like my problems. I will read over that one again though.

I was hoping you would post more here, thank you.
 
Oh sorry John I just realize I said toward headstock. Not sure what I was thinking there.

Okay so I have it moving freely between the 3 positions since removing and replacing the portion of rod on top of headstock. Something was in a bind and got loosened by doing that. Now that I can get to the BOTTOM (not toward headstock) position, the pictured shaft will turn, however still nothing while in the upper position.
 
Still need to tinker a little more to be certain but I think I’m beginning to better understand the inner workings and my problem. I’m going to pick up a engine hoist or similar equipment hopefully this weekend and I will actually be able to look inside my lathe.

Anyways, I finally found a thread that is helping me out with plenty of pictures and such.

Someone please correct me if I’m wrong but here’s how I’m understanding it. Behind my pictured gear and shaft (intermediate gear?) are 3 bevel gears. The lead screw reversing lever moves the bevel gears in and out of engagement reversing the rotation direction. So if that’s correct then one of the bevel gears is either damaged or not engaging?

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The "spool" in between the bevels shifts back and forth engaging one or the other for forward and reverse. Each bevel has a single feature or "tooth" the clutch spool engages. If such feature is damaged or broken off, the system no worky

The single tooth is the "magic" that enables reversing lead screw without getting out of "time"

Some of Pat's great shots - plainly showing the single "tooth" on the bevels

Too bad the head stock has to come off to see - or work on - any of this
 

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Oh boy. Didn’t know that headstock needed completely removed. Fun fun.
That tooth is definitely starting to sound like my problem.
 








 
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