Hendey Twin disc clutch not fully disengaging

Hello all! i'm new to machining and this is my first post so please be gentle

I got my first lathe, A grey and red 12 speed Hendey serial 36128, from HGR this past December and when I got it I really didn't know anything about it aside from that it was about the right size, all the important bits were there and it was cheap.
unsurprisingly though, a sub $400 lathe has a few issues, mostly it seems it was run by people who didn't really care about maintaining it properly. so, for the past few months I have been pouring over post after post learning as much as I can trying to fix the various messes left behind and I am left with two things preventing me from taking my first cut:

#1: the saddle seems to have overheated, possibly from them putting grease in it, and really needs its own post
#2: the spindle clutch

I'm not really certain whats wrong with it at this point, I tried adjusting it following Hendeymans instructions and found that even when the clutch is loose enough that I can turn the spindle and pulley in opposite directions by hand while its engaged it still won't stop creeping, I also tried adjusting the counterweight and the expandable rod (not sure what its really called) that's behind the lathe without much luck

I made this video showing how its behaving, with timestamps in the description:
YouTube

and this is its HGR listing if you want to see pictures of the lathe itself:
Used Hendey Lathe | HGR Industrial Surplus

I really hope I'm just missing something and that the clutch isn't trashed

Sorry I don't have anything helpful to offer. My Hendey / twin-disc is a different model.

I think you should bite the bullet and take it apart. Maybe the bearings are siezed. Or maybe after you clean the crud out you'll be able to get it adjusted properly.

What do you mean by "the saddle seems to have overheated"?

jwearing said:

Sorry I don't have anything helpful to offer. My Hendey / twin-disc is a different model.

I think you should bite the bullet and take it apart. Maybe the bearings are siezed. Or maybe after you clean the crud out you'll be able to get it adjusted properly.

What do you mean by "the saddle seems to have overheated"?

Click to expand...

sorry for the late reply, things have been busy for me
the bearings seem to be fine, I took the clutch itself apart to clean it and took pictures: Hendey Clutch - Album on Imgur I also sent Hendeyman an email asking about the condition of the plates
Is there a way to find out what order the plates are supposed to go in? I made the mistake of not marking them when I took it apart and cant get the clutch back together where it will tighten evenly, I also excluded the first pair of plates since the spring was broken and they looked really worn out

there are a few reasons I think the saddle has overheated; I got it with a melted oil sight (you can see it in the HGR listing, photo #8), there was some kind of grey plastic like substance that I found throughout the apron, the pinion is also discolored and one of its teeth is broken here are pictures: Hendey pinion damage + Apron Gunk - Album on Imgur

Your clutch is shot, worn frictions, and discs, heat damage as well as broken separator springs.
Judging by your pictures it looks like all is pretty much bad.
As for reinstall one internal ear disk and one external ear disk from the adjustment end staggered until the entire pack is built up.

While I don't know that particular clutch I know it's completely shagged.

What I've done in the past is work out what it is and source the materials then using the old plates as patterns have fresh cut (mine were water jetted) ……...as for springs etc etc - you'll have to play that by ear

Kaboom36:

As I mentioned in my email to you yesterday, the clutch in your picture was one I hadn't seen before. Hendey had several
vendors for clutches, the most popular was Twin Disc, but Conway was another one that was used in the 1930s. After I wrote
to you, I finally remembered the name of the third vendor was Carlyle Johnson. After looking through some of the clutch
drawings, there is a good chance that what you have maybe the remains of an old Johnson clutch. Except for the drawings,
there are no longer any repair parts left in inventory for this style of clutch.

My suggestion to you, in my email, was to change the clutch over to a Twin Disc MTS 4" clutch. My only reservation in
suggesting this plan was that the Johnson clutch may require a different Power Shaft than was used on the Twin Disc. Also,
would a Twin Disc MTS 4" from a 14 inch Geared Head fit a 12 inch Geared Head. According to the drawings, the Power Shafts
are the same regardless of the clutch type or the size. It is possible that from the mid-1930s until the end of production
that the Power Shaft Clutch diameter may have been increased from 1.500" to 1.750". That shouldn't present any problem
because the Clutch Hub is designed to be bored out to the larger dimension. As I mentioned in my email, I have a friend
who is parting out a 14 inch Geared Head and I spoke to him last night about removing the Drive Plate, Clutch Assembly and
Brake parts to send to you. I will give you his contact information later tonight and you folks work out the price and
other details. If you need any drawing for the conversion, let me know. Since the Drive Plate is connected to the Clutch
Pulley, may I suggest that you get that as well.

Hendeyman

Palmer Johnson is who we use for Twin Disc. Fair pricing and good stock.
Clutches & Brakes | Eaton Airflex, Wichita, Twin Disc,…