Hardinge Cataract Lathe

I have a Hardinge Cataract lathe model 49 with serial #366.It is working fine but I'm looking for the "transmission". Right now it is hooked direct from the motor (1725 rpm) to the head stock. I'm hoping Larry will see this and maybe he has a spare he will part with. He seems to have a lot of parts.
Also what year was it made?

Next issue is that it has the "cataract" taper tail stock. Can you just use a finish reamer in MT 1 or should you bore it first and then use the reamer?


Thanks,
Todd

If you have the ability to taper bore before reaming, you should.

If you can't taper bore, my preference for making tapers would be to step drill, use the appropriate roughing taper reamer, then use the appropriate finish taper reamer. With something as slender as MT1, you might be able to get by with one drill size and one reamer, but you'd really be pushing your luck, IMO. For MT3 and larger, I would say "no way" using just one reamer to convert a min ID cylindrical drill hole into a good taper.

Thanks for the reply.
It is tapered already. It has the "cataract taper".
So maybe can just use the MT 1 rough reamer and then the finish reamer?

Pictures always help fill in the gaps.

But, in general, I have found that using a 1946 model TR tailstock with the OEM 1 MT taper is a better solution than reaming out an original Cataract tailstock. Each time Hardinge redesigned their tailstocks, the improvements were obvious. The above picture shows a 1946 flat belt drive split bed 9" lathe with the tailstock I mentioned. That was the last tailstock that Hardinge made for the non-screw-cutting split bed lathes, and they were made in both 7" and 9" swing. They usually have a 1MT taper, but a few have 2 MT.

Larry

Another approach for this is to manufacture a new tailstock ram from scratch, if you cannot find a newer MT1 version. Side bonus is you can compensate for the inevitable wear on the underside of the tailstock to bring the centerline back up to match the headstock. Step boring is advised, even rough reaming will tend to follow the existing bore.

Thanks for the pics and description.

here are pics of the lathe.

It is a model 49 with serial# 366

Cross slide is a newer Elmira made one. Model 9D

Tailstock has '#478" on the bottom of it.

Larry. - Do you have a spare flat belt pulley transmission of MT#1 tailstock you would part with?

BTW Jim

Nice work

todd

Flat belt drive pulleys and complete countershaft assemblies for Hardinge lathes are very scarce. Over the decades, many of the lathes and mills have been removed from their original benches, leaving the benches and drives to be scrapped. I have seen a few machines still on the original bench with drive, but never wanted to buy one because of transport and space limitations. I ended up building my own bench and drive, but did use an antique Rivett countershaft I got from General Electric Co. (picture below)

Around 1984, I met a guy in Chicago (which used to be full of Hardinge machines) who liked old machines. He had a pile of Hardinge and other things in his basement. Once, he took me to a neighbor's garage he rented that was stacked full of Hardinge stuff, including many countershafts, some probably off other makes of machine. I looked and did not buy anything from that pile, though I did spend a lot on other things. He said that a lot of the stuff in the garage had come from an auction of Star Watch Case Co. I think he said that the auction buyers left all the countershafts behind when they hauled off the machines they bought, so he filled his truck with them. Star closed in 1982.
Star Watch Case Company - Wikipedia

I have some of the late tailstocks and may have a flat drive pulley. I think I have one Hardinge countershaft, but it is not complete and I have not looked at it in many years.

Larry

Darn. Your cataract is pretty darn near a clone of mine:

First I want to thank you all for your time and expertise.

I guess Ill be looking for a tailstock first like Larry suggested. No luck there and Ill take Jim's advice.

Guess Ill be making a flat belt step pulley.

Thanks again guys.

Jim. - They are pretty close! But I see yours has a nice collet closer! But I do have that on my DV-59 and TFB-H. We aren't to far apart Jim. You are down in Peekskill and I'm in Walton in Delaware County.

Larry

Just re-read your post. Looks like you might have what I'm looking for.

PM sent. (at least I think it sent)

Todd

Todd - drop me a line at:

jrr0 (at) us (dot) ibm (dot) com

Where that's a zero in the address, not an oh. I may not be able to get back to you until next monday night. This ugly thing would be for sale to you. It's the
one that originally came with the 5/9 machine shown in my photos above.

Jim