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HLV-H Guarding, Removing Compound, ...

rpseguin

Stainless
Joined
Jun 28, 2006
Location
Napa, CA
Anyone here got a good way/bed guarding setup for their HLV-H?
Remove their compound and replace with a solid toolpost mount?

I like Robin Renzetti’s solutions for these things, but I want to see what other solutions people have for them.

Robrenz guarding:
YouTube


Robrenz solid toolpost mount:
YouTube
 
Hardinge made a 4-way turret tool post that replaces the compound slide on the HLV-H and TFB-H lathes. It is very solid and they claimed very close repeatability for position after indexing the tools. I have a very nice one, all boxed up for a guy who failed to send the money. They are very cheap at $200 compared to the original list price. Here is a current eBay listing for one to show you what they look like.

HARDINGE L6-B FOUR STATION INDEXING LATHE TURRET TOOL HOLDER HLV-H TFB | eBay

Larry
 
Hardinge made a 4-way turret tool post that replaces the compound slide on the HLV-H and TFB-H lathes. It is very solid and they claimed very close repeatability for position after indexing the tools. I have a very nice one, all boxed up for a guy who failed to send the money. They are very cheap at $200 compared to the original list price. Here is a current eBay listing for one to show you what they look like.

HARDINGE L6-B FOUR STATION INDEXING LATHE TURRET TOOL HOLDER HLV-H TFB | eBay

Larry

Thanks!
Yeah, I’ve seen that online (never in person) and it looks nice!
The price is certainly right given that it is designed for it! I just messaged you.
I think his mount has some advantages, but certainly a lot more initial work.
 
Thanks!
Yeah, I’ve seen that online (never in person) and it looks nice!
The price is certainly right given that it is designed for it! I just messaged you.
I think his mount has some advantages, but certainly a lot more initial work.

Here is the Hardinge catalog page for the L6. My last Hardinge price list was dated 1983, in which the L6 was $685 and an HLV-H (English) lathe was $16,950.

Larry

DSC02378.jpg DSC02379.jpg
 
Larry, thanks. Do those turrets allow locking in intermediate positions other than 90 degrees. Think I read somewhere those do not, there is the one with the "l" shaped handle that does, but it mounts on the compound. Seems lots of people really have a disdain for turret toolposts (so they're pretty inexpensive to find). Cheers.
The L6 has only four positions.

I have several of the two kinds of Hardinge turret tool posts that mount on the compound slide. For that matter, I have some spare Hardinge quick change sets, wedge-type tool posts and boring bar holders.

Larry
 
My HLV-H had a Hardinge indexing tool holder when I got it. It repeats withing a couple of tenths and I take it apart to clean it about ever 10 years. That L6_B holder would probably give you a tenth repeatability like an HC chucker with less than a million miles on it, but you give up the quick retract and compound feed when threading.
 
My HLV-H had a Hardinge indexing tool holder when I got it. It repeats withing a couple of tenths and I take it apart to clean it about ever 10 years. That L6_B holder would probably give you a tenth repeatability like an HC chucker with less than a million miles on it, but you give up the quick retract and compound feed when threading.

The L6-B design, fit and finish is very nice looking!
One thing you seem to give up is tool variety and size.
Yes, you could machine holders to be held by those 3/8” turret slots, but with an Aloris, you have a wide variety of holders.

That said, the L6-B is a nice chunk of tooling.
 
In Larry's ad I think mention is made of an adapter for 5/8 round tooling. I have one for my turret and use bushings for small boring bars all the time. Just looked at my 5/8 adapter and it is stamped L1A.
The Hardinge turrets will give you no fuss accuracy and repeatability when doing multiple pieces. Aloris type are flexible. Do your really blow them off and wipe the contact surfaces every time you change them? can you pull the handle to the same force each time? If you have an HLV-H capable of holding a tenth or 2 giving that up for flexibility would not work for me.
Really I only use a hand full of insert types on mine and have bought holders that configure those inserts to different angles so i have not given up much flexibility. Use most of those same inserts on the Omniturns with 1/2 tool height.
 
And yes, the HLV-H is a small lathe, but I already have a BXA toolpost mounted on it and some BXA holders.

I even had the crazy notion of getting a CXA toolpost on a solid mount replacing the compound. So I could share holders/tooling between my Webb lathe (has a CXA on it).

Doing something crazy like that, it would be best to machine the solid toolpost mount to get the center height matched dead nuts with the Webb center height so you wouldn’t have to fiddle with the holder height adjustment when going between lathes.

Yes, I’m on crack, I know :-)
 
In Larry's ad I think mention is made of an adapter for 5/8 round tooling. I have one for my turret and use bushings for small boring bars all the time. Just looked at my 5/8 adapter and it is stamped L1A.
The Hardinge turrets will give you no fuss accuracy and repeatability when doing multiple pieces. Aloris type are flexible. Do your really blow them off and wipe the contact surfaces every time you change them? can you pull the handle to the same force each time? If you have an HLV-H capable of holding a tenth or 2 giving that up for flexibility would not work for me.
Really I only use a hand full of insert types on mine and have bought holders that configure those inserts to different angles so i have not given up much flexibility. Use most of those same inserts on the Omniturns with 1/2 tool height.

Yeah. I like the repeatability aspect and it looks nicely done.
And I know the HLV-H is a small lathe, so small tooling is ok.
 
The other advantage of the L6-B is the cost; it’s already done and was designed to fit and work.
If I make a solid toolpost mount, the material alone might be close to $200... time spent will be way over that!
 








 
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