Nardini 1440E Questions

Bucket · Nov 28, 2021

I have two 1440E's within a few hours of me that I am considering buying, but I have some reservations about both. And Nardini generally.

I read through several threads here about these lathes. They seem well liked by those who use them, though a common comment is that parts are difficult or impossible to purchase. Looking at ebay, there is almost nothing.

First, several of the videos on Youtube are of machinery resellers demonstrating the machine. Some of them have difficulty engaging the feed for the carriage and cross slide. Is this a real issue? Or is it operator error because they are unfamiliar with the lathe?

Next, the two machines I am looking at have a difference in controls on the apron. One has two levers for feed and one only has one. I presume that the one with a single lever is a newer vintage machine. Pictures below. Anyone have input?

Last, there seems to be a plate of some kind by the removable gap on the first lathe. Any ideas on what the heck that might be? I've messaged the seller, but no response yet.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Buck

P.S.
There is quite a price difference between these machines. The first one is less expensive and has a 575v motor. The 2nd one is 220v. I have to jump through another hoop to get the 1st one running in my split phase 240v shop. However, the second machine comes a bit better equipped with an Aloris tool post and you may have noticed the carriage stop.

metalmagpie · Nov 28, 2021

If you expect to be able to do all the threading and feeds a 1440E is capable of, you need some gears. If those don't come with the lathe, that would be a serious impediment. Also, those machines came with 5C setups. Nosepiece, drawbar.

You are right, there is no parts support in the US anymore. There still appears to be a Nardini company in Brazil. Don't know if you lived there if you could still buy parts. I needed a quote for a part for the electric brake and I wrote and email and then used Google Translate to translate it into Portuguese and I sent it to the brake manufacturer (not Nardini) and got a prompt answer.

You can get a clean scan of the manual here:
http://nwnative.us/Grant/shop articles/nardiniManual.pdf

metalmagpie

Bucket · Nov 28, 2021

Thank you for the manual. Looking at the wire diagram has me wondering at my plan for using a vfd. I would have to get rid of low speed if my understanding of vfd's is accurate.

I will make sure to find out if the change gears are all included.

Bill D · Nov 28, 2021

I know nothing about this brand but I notice the chip tray at the right end is not tall. Not designed for flood coolant?
Also the support block at the right end of the leadscrew, on off rod, etc seems very big and bulky to me. I wonder if there are some gears inside or something. It just looks 3 or 4 times bigger then any other lathe that size would have. It almost looks like a standard size support then twice as much bolted to the righthand end of it. Maybe the forward reverse off switch in inside that and not in the headstock.
I do not see a threading dial.
Bill D

Bucket · Nov 29, 2021

Great catch on the threading dial. That is a deal killer.

Bill D · Nov 29, 2021

You have to have two threading dials one for english threads and another one with several gears for metric. Or maybe it depends on english or metric leadscrew so you can only use one or the other but not both.
Bill D

megiddoblades · Nov 29, 2021

Nardini's. The name brings back some fond memories at school. Think we even worked on that exact model.

However, they were almost always blowing fuses, and our instructor was frequently repairing them. Granted, we had high volumes of high schoolers and newbie machinists running (into) them. Myself included.

Also, the problems with ours weren't necessarily engaging the feed levers, so much as disengaging them. Although, now that you bring it up, we had some that wouldn't engage right and when they did engage, they'd mottle the finish. Maybe from wear, maybe from damage, maybe from poor design.

If I remember right, they had more guts than the Sharps, but were less accurate.

What are you planning on doing with them? Business, home/hobby?

Bucket · Nov 29, 2021

It would be my 2nd lathe for my home shop. I do have business aspirations, but strictly making things that I could sell. Not job shop stuff.

John Deere · Nov 29, 2021

I have one of those lathes and have helped a friend who also purchased one. My experience has been good overall.

Fortunately I haven't needed parts other than a coolant switch which was sourced stateside.

Of the two machines I have experience with, one has been wired straight from the VFD. By this I mean the R,S,T wires from the VFD are connected straight to the lathe with no other modifications. It works fine down to about 30 hertz.

The second machine was wired more "thoroughly" with the lathe mounted switch operating the VFD so the lathe has ramping start on the spindle and such.

JohnEvans · Nov 29, 2021

The second one looks to be much more fully equipped ,steady/follow rest etc. and 220 is helpful.

dazz · Nov 30, 2021

Hi
I have the predecessor to this lathe. It came from a South African University staff workshop, so unlike many Nardini lathes, it has led a pampered life.

Mine was originally fitted with a 7.2kW, direct start, 2 speed motor. These only produce 3.6kW at low speed, and this is what the lathe was rated at.
If the installing electrician fused the power supply for the rated power, naturally the fuses would blow when starting in the high speed range.

I converted my 3 phase lathe to single phase 3.8kW 240VAC VFD. It was a major undertaking. The only electrical item that remained was the apron switch (Fwd-Stop-Back). Everything else was replaced.

Attached are before and after shots of the controls enclosures.

Fitting an industrial grade Yaskawa V1000 VFD made the lathe a lot nicer to operate. The lathe can be left in a quiet gear and the motor speed adjusted as required. I have modified the controls so the panel switch functions replicate the hi/lo 2 speed motor and add variable speed. I can select the spindle speed with a switch and gear selections just like the original.

I also added a coolant switch. The pump only runs when the spindle is powered.

All of the indicator lamps are LEDs which look much nicer than the original incandescents.

I added a top mounted control panel with extra features that could not be added to the original control panel. These included power meter, rpm, e-stop (plus one mounted at the tail stock end), jog and variable speed control,

It is a nice lathe.

Bucket · Nov 30, 2021

dazz said:
Hi
I have the predecessor to this lathe. It came from a South African University staff workshop, so unlike many Nardini lathes, it has led a pampered life.

Mine was originally fitted with a 7.2kW, direct start, 2 speed motor. These only produce 3.6kW at low speed, and this is what the lathe was rated at.
If the installing electrician fused the power supply for the rated power, naturally the fuses would blow when starting in the high speed range.

I converted my 3 phase lathe to single phase 3.8kW 240VAC VFD. It was a major undertaking. The only electrical item that remained was the apron switch (Fwd-Stop-Back). Everything else was replaced.

Attached are before and after shots of the controls enclosures.

Fitting an industrial grade Yaskawa V1000 VFD made the lathe a lot nicer to operate. The lathe can be left in a quiet gear and the motor speed adjusted as required. I have modified the controls so the panel switch functions replicate the hi/lo 2 speed motor and add variable speed. I can select the spindle speed with a switch and gear selections just like the original.

I also added a coolant switch. The pump only runs when the spindle is powered.

All of the indicator lamps are LEDs which look much nicer than the original incandescents.

I added a top mounted control panel with extra features that could not be added to the original control panel. These included power meter, rpm, e-stop (plus one mounted at the tail stock end), jog and variable speed control,

It is a nice lathe.

Thank you very much. Very helpful. I sent another email to the guy with the 575v machine. We'll see how it goes.

Bucket · Nov 30, 2021

If only it had a threading dial. I would probably have to make one from scratch if I bought that machine. I looked online and found none.

Search

Largest Manufacturing Technology Community on the Web

Search

Nardini 1440E Questions

Bucket

Aluminum

Attachments

metalmagpie

Titanium

Bucket

Aluminum

Bill D

Diamond

Bucket

Aluminum

Bill D

Diamond

megiddoblades

Plastic

Bucket

Aluminum

John Deere

Aluminum

JohnEvans

Titanium

dazz

Stainless

Attachments

Bucket

Aluminum

Bucket

Aluminum

Similar threads