Hardinge ESM 59 3 jaw chuck

Good morning,

I am looking for a 3 jaw chuck for an esm 59. Will a chuck from a later model hardinge collet lathe fit on my old machine? I understand how it fits on the t-slot (no threads) just unsure if any harding chuck of that type will fit.

thanks

As far as I know, there is only one version of the Hardinge 4 degree taper spindle nose. So any Hardinge chuck, faceplate, or step collet closer with the 4 degree taper will fit your machine. However, Hardinge lathes of the ESM/DSM/TR variety also came with threaded spindle noses (2 3/16"-10TPI). So make sure you are getting a chuck with the 4 degree taper mount, not just a "Hardinge" chuck.

To further complicate the matter, Hardinge made lathes with the taper nose spindle in five different collet sizes and each had a taper nose in proportion to the collet. The collets were called Cataract no. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 and Hardinge later began calling those collets 3C, 4C, 5C, 6C and 7C. The ESM and TR lathes were made in sizes 37, 47, 49, 57 and 59. Taper mount chucks for the 3C and 4C collet lathes are very rare, but do exist. The odds favor any random Hardinge taper mount chuck will fit an ESM59 and, since around 1960, any new Hardinge taper mount chuck or adapter will be for a 5C machine.

The 3-jaw and 4-jaw chucks that were meant for the ESM59 and TR59 were 5 inch diameter. At some point, Hardinge began advertising 6 inch 3-jaw chucks for the HLV-H and TFB-H lathes, so there are 6" adapter plates and chucks with 2, 3 or 6 jaws with 5C taper mounts and the associated thread mount. Six inch or larger 4-jaw chucks with the Hardinge taper are scarce, but do exist.

Hardinge made cute little 4-jaw chucks for watch lathes around 1907. Other than those, they always sold chucks made by actual chuck companies, even the ones with the Hardinge name on them. You will see chucks that are stamped Hardinge and Made in England (by Pratt Burnerd) and chucks marked Hardinge by Buck.

Larry