harrison lathe

[morrisman]

Hi.

A local is selling a 1950's ? Harrison lathe . I had a look at it. A very solid machine that has been looked after . Looks like a model 5A with thread cutting gearbox . He ran it and its very noisy , gears or the clutch ? It has bothe a travelling and fixed steady . Single phase . The speed chart says 48 to 1000 rpm

If I buy it I would sell the Sheraton AR as I dont have space for both of them...

Has anyone here owned one of these ?

Regards Mike

[nadroj]

I priced some new Harrison headstock gears from 600 Machinery, the distributors. The cheapest one was around $1500.
These are hardened, ground, complex design.

Jordan

[morrisman]

I priced some new Harrison headstock gears from 600 Machinery, the distributors. The cheapest one was around $1500.
These are hardened, ground, complex design.

Jordan

holy cow :oo: another pommy company into extortion..no wonder their manufacturing capability are all just about gone

[Ueee]

Like this Mike? Page Title (http://www.lathes.co.uk/harrison/page6.html)

[Dave J]

Just came across this after seeing your post. It's a 59 and I never read the thread but it might help you out a bit.
Harrison L5 lathe rebuild (http://www.metalworkingfun.com/showthread.php?tid=788)

Dave

[morrisman]

Like this Mike? Page Title (http://www.lathes.co.uk/harrison/page6.html)


Yes Ewan

The example I inspected has a shorter bed, but essentially, thats it

the leadscrew is about 1" diameter ...

one thing I noticed , it has a threaded spindle ... not that L type so it must be a pre 1959 model .

[morrisman]

Just came across this after seeing your post. It's a 59 and I never read the thread but it might help you out a bit.
Harrison L5 lathe rebuild (http://www.metalworkingfun.com/showthread.php?tid=788)

Dave

Ta for that :)

I had a quick read of the lathes UK blog , and apparently the noisy gearbox was due to the type of material they used for the gears . So it may be OK ?

[Dave J]

From what I have read Harrison lathes where good quality.

Dave

[nadroj]

From what I have read Harrison lathes where good quality.

Dave

The M300 model was first made in the 1970s, and is still a current model.
It looks like the origin of a thousand clones.

Moving a Harrison M300 lathe from Devon to London (http://www.anf.nildram.co.uk/workshop/m300/m300_moving.html)

Jordan

[waxen]

So did you buy it? I went and had a look as well and didn't think it was overly noisy.

[morrisman]

so did you buy it? I went and had a look as well and didn't think it was overly noisy.

Yes I got it.. am I in for another disaster ? :o

Done some reading, its apparently a L5 not a 5A as I had thought .

There were a few other people looking at it and It would have sold if I didnt make my mind up and quickly .

[Dave J]

Congratulations,

Now we want pictures :D

Dave

[morrisman]

The M300 model was first made in the 1970s, and is still a current model.
It looks like the origin of a thousand clones.

Moving a Harrison M300 lathe from Devon to London (http://www.anf.nildram.co.uk/workshop/m300/m300_moving.html)

Jordan

I wouldnt be game enough to lift a machine that heavy with a cheap engine crane . That exact same crane is sold here by super crap auto . Knowing my luck the crane would collapse at the critical point and drop the machine .A HIAB is so much safer .
BTW thats a fantastic lathe he bought from that school in the UK ...... makes my purchase look like a heap of scrap :(


Mike

[Dave J]

I would jump at a Harrison lathe like that, always like the style of the cabinet. I am going to make a new cabinet/stand for my lathe similar to it.

As for engine cranes, when I went to the markets to buy mine and I had the choice from 2 sellers, the first was a 2 ton crane with air over hydraulic ram which would be nice, the second was a dual piston pump manual ram but I noticed the wall thickness was a lot thicker in all the tubing, it was also the last one he had in. I ended up going the manual crane with the thicker wall tubing as I can always up grade to a air over hydraulic ram in it, but it's a big job to strengthen a whole frame.
I now notice all the new ones are mainly 1.5 ton and are the same as the thin wall one I was looking at, so maybe something went on about them.

I have lifted my HM52 mill with mine and although it was on it's limit it did lift it. I would have liked a 3 ton crane like some guys here have, but just didn't have the extra as there double the price of a 2 ton.

Dave

[old_fella]

I used a Harrison lathe at tafe when doing my apprenticeship, it was newer than that one square shaped headstock, it also was noisy to run but was a good lathe

[morrisman]

its here

it has a odd motor , a 1hp dc unit and a mains rectifier , the seller said the lathe came off a ship

its been used more than I thought , worn cross feed nut as usual

the spindle is 1 1/2 X 6 tpi

the base/cabinet is a heavy cast iron unit

[Ueee]

Well done Mike, but can we please please have some pics of it and the shaper?
And how is the hendy coming along?

[morrisman]

Well done Mike, but can we please please have some pics of it and the shaper?
And how is the hendy coming along?

will do Ewan

the motor will ideal for a conversion as you have done , variable speed

is yours fixed yet

[morrisman]

pics................

the spindle nose is so small compared to the rest of the machine .....

the carriage is rather robust

[morrisman]

............................

the machine shows its age .... been used , but has life in it still

the carriage handwheel is a bit sloppy as it enters the apron, years of use

the tailstock # 3 morse female needs reaming , its pitted

[Stustoys]

Hi Mike,

Is this going to be put to work or is it a restoration project?

Stuart

[bwal74]

Hi,

The crows foot or arrow underneath "Made" on the motor plate generally represents Government and specially in Australia, military owned equipment.

Ben

[Ueee]

Thanks for the pics Mike.
I see that the carriage handwheel is on the wrong side:D It can probably be bushed, from memory the LeBlond need the same.
The motor is only 120v so finding a controller may be an issue, unless you know how to rig a 180v one to limit the top end voltage (it's pretty easy actually) You should be used to dodgy wiring with all that Lucas stuff in the Land Rover.....:D
Looks like a nice solid machine, is the apron in an oil bath, or open? I guess it has an MT3 T/S and H/S?

Edit, Should have looked a little harder last night, it is not 120v.....its 220:doh: you could run it on a 180v controller.

[morrisman]

Ok, I have learnt more That box on the front with the brass handle on the side is a control box for onboard the ship. There is a multi stage resistor network inside that box that is engaged bit by bit as you turn the brass handle to on , it slowly connects the ships DC supply to the motor , rather than one big jolt of DC . There is a overload relay in there too . Somebody has roughly connected up a bridge rectifier for the mains 240 v AC ( a ordinary Tandy thing :o ) and that rectified output goes into the original 220 Volt DC + and - connections - It's a bodgy job and not very safe , no capacitor filtering at all, the output would be a very rough DC . I think I will junk the old motor and use a modern motor problem is : the lathe is geared to about 500 rpm spindle speed with a 1500 rpm motor . These lathes had a 2 speed motor 1500/3000 in a land workshop . Mike

[morrisman]

Hi Mike,

Is this going to be put to work or is it a restoration project?

Stuart

A bit of both Stuart :p

Yes it might have been on HMAS Melbourne, who knows , or the Sydney . The /i\ symbol is a Govt. stamp

[morrisman]

the DC starter box

the bodged bridge rectifier somebody has installed

[morrisman]

metalworking (http://www.piczo.com/metalworking?g=8051932&cr=1)

[Gringo]

Heavier oil in the gearbox might quieten it, light oil is ok in a cold place like england

Ken

[morrisman]

Heavier oil in the gearbox might quieten it, light oil is ok in a cold place like england

Ken

Yes .

I have had a closer look and most of the noise is coming from the change gears , they are way out of adjustment, like the teeth are only meshing a small amount.


I don't know why, but with the lathes I've bought , they are always out of adjustment by a long way e.g., little maintenance , or the owners just don't have a clue how to fix things , or they dont know even the basics of how to use the lathe for that matter .

[morrisman]

A few pics

the gearbox lid has a magnetic bolt, it fits into the recess that drains oil into the 2 Timken bearings

Mike

[morrisman]

Hi

A misguided previous owner has filled the headstock on this lathe with automotive gear oil , looks like hypoid modern stuff, the gearbox has bronze bits in it. I flushed the headstock with kero, but any damage has already been done :CAll seems Ok .. had a play and i am getting 40 to 830 rpm

[YarrD]

Re oil for headstock and gearboxes..I was going to use "hypoid stuff" on my restored lathe ...what should I use when I get round to filling gearboxes up again?

David

[morrisman]

Re oil for headstock and gearboxes..I was going to use "hypoid stuff" on my restored lathe ...what should I use when I get round to filling gearboxes up again?

David



Hi David..you use hydraulic oil, the stuff they use in tractor transmissions .mike