Finally got the lathe of my dreams, now where to place?

machine aviator · Oct 17, 2020

I am new to the forum and look forward to learning a great deal here and maybe contributing as I learn. My Hardinge HLV-H shows up this week and I need to figure out how to place it. How much room should I provide on the sides and back? Suggestions really appreciated.

L Vanice · Oct 17, 2020

Partly depends upon where the electric control box is located and how you arrange the external electric supply. In any case, you need room to the left to load a bar into the spindle. You probably will not be loading a 10 foot bar, but I have occasionally found need for a 4 foot bar. The tailstock is very heavy, but you might want to remove it some day. Consider where you will stand when you do so. If you install a taper attachment, consider how you will need to access the back of the bed.

Larry

rons · Oct 17, 2020

I have enough space on sides and back to walk around and clean/inspect. The grill for the motor is in the back so there needs to be room to kneel down while
working on the motor. (Kneeling while praying).

Some people have made rolling bases, then you could move the rig next to a wall.

Others prefer to angle the machines to a long wall, like 60 degrees.

I just use a 2x4 on each side which does not raise the machine that much higher.

machine aviator · Oct 31, 2020

Thanks for the advice. Now that I am using it, I wish I had left a bit more room behind to "clean out chips, etc." Other than that, it is proving to be all I wished for.

Conrad Hoffman · Oct 31, 2020

At work we have space to the left and a bit of space to the right, but the back is right up against a wall. Surprisingly, it's pretty easy to slide one end out on the asphalt tile floor to get behind it. With two people it's trivial. On any other surface, not so much.

tbirds · Nov 1, 2020

I wanted mine against the wall for max. floor space,so I installed 4 swiveling casters, but found out it "rocked" during some operations; so I installed "steady rods", and a step as the lathe was then too high. It's easy enough to loosen the rods a couple of turns and move the lathe by myself; in this scenario, the rods serve to prevent a tip-over if a wheel hits something...

gustafson · Nov 1, 2020

I have known guys who are space limited put the headstock end close up to the garage door. if they ever have to turn a long piece or otherwise deal with the headstock end, they just open the door.
HLVH is not a super heavy machine, and hopefully reliable so it would not be absurd to push it against the wall and plan on moving it if repair work needs to be done. Maybe there are other reasons not to

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Finally got the lathe of my dreams, now where to place?

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Conrad Hoffman

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