Thread: Hardinge HLV-H lathe

Originally Posted by Toggy

Well here goes for another attempt. Nerves numbed with some red liquid sedative.

Earlier this week I was extremely fortunate to luck onto a Hardinge HLV-H precision lathe. I went to a "scrappy" who also deals in anything that he can return a profit on and regularly has older machine tools. Was quoted a price by his father who thought he should be asking twice as much. I went home and mentioned it to the wife and informed her that in 2003 they were a $60 000 USD machine. She suggested that I should go back next morning and buy it which was great news as I did not want to miss such a rare and quality lathe. I offered his price less 10% which he accepted.

It is ex CSIRO Geelong with a serial # of 7519 which appears to be about 1980 build. The machine had apparently been disconnected years ago and stored in a corner with other items. Apparently was covered in dirt, dust and grime. By the time I got it home a lot of the external dust had blown off. Lathe was built in Feltham, Middlesex, England which I think technically makes it a KL-1. It has a 440V two speed main motor of 1hp & 1/2hp and a separate 1/10hp motor on the apron for power feed. 11" over 7" dovetail bed and 9" over cross slide. 18" between centres. Weight on scales at pickup was 695kg. The leadscrew is imperial 1" X 8tpi, but the $1000> accessory metric threading package is also fitted. Has advance/retract cross slide for threading. Spindle is 1.25 through and internal is 5C with lever change, external is Hardinge taper (about 4 degree) Spindle speeds via reeves type belt drive of 125? to 3000rpm. 22 Hardinge collets in cabinet as well as travelling and fixed steadies, micrometer travel stop, drive plate and dead centre with 5C adapter. This was found in the base and has a small amount of "flight rust". Also fitted with a tiny Aa genuine Original Multifix Suisse qctp with a single holder. Coolant pump appears to be a replacement Grundfos unit.

There appears to be no perceptable wear in the dovetail bed, but has slight backlash in the rack, cross and compound slides. Dovetails are good though. Strangely there is an Australian stickered 110V transformer connected and floating around in the pedestal. Not fixed down at all.

Pics to follow.

Ken

Hi Ken.
all i can say is congratulation's . great lathe and not sure how much you paid but should be good price too
regards
Peter

Peter,

how does about $3.60 a kg sound.

I also forgot to mention the box of change gears (probably 20 or so). Current price of these would equal the purchase price. 2 small extra ones are still in packaging.

Ken

Originally Posted by Toggy

Peter,

how does about $3.60 a kg sound.

I also forgot to mention the box of change gears (probably 20 or so). Current price of these would equal the purchase price. 2 small extra ones are still in packaging.

Ken

WOW .
that is a steal Ken . can't wait to see some pictures of it.

Peter

Originally Posted by Toggy

Peter, how does about $3.60 a kg sound. I also forgot to mention the box of change gears (probably 20 or so). Current price of these would equal the purchase price. 2 small extra ones are still in packaging. Ken

My sincere congratulations. You now own one of the finest toolroom lathes ever made. PDW

Well done Ken.
Funnily enough i was fondling a HLV today, and even funnier it came from the CSIRO here. They just sold their entire workshop, my local engineering place won the tender. Thats were the 2 FP's mentioned in the ebay thread came from.
Beautiful lathe, dual graduated dials, quick release for threading and the same tiny Aa multifix. Asking price is about 5 times what you paid however.....

Ew

Originally Posted by Toggy

There appears to be no perceptable wear in the dovetail bed,

Those beds are actually hardened steel, they are about 62 R.C. Any wear you have will be in the saddle or tailstock. Quick way to tell is to wind the tail stock quill out, and run an indicator along the top. They tended to wear at the front of the tail stock, so the barrel droops. Most of them didn't have wipers on the tailstock, so they wear at the front, and that end drops. Its a days work to tickle them up.

CSIRO & Geelong.That thing is likely to be in factory condition.

You may as well tell us what you paid for it. We all hate you allready. *

*Note the smilely.

Regards phil.

Originally Posted by Machtool

You may as well tell us what you paid for it. We all hate you allready. *

Rich River Dealers... of all places for a high end tool room lathe to turn up at.. I don't think the price is secret? $2400, was it... I would have happily doubled that and still walked away with a bargain.

Ray

Phil

I realize that the dovetail bed is hardened. At the moment I am moving nothing except the whole unit on a pallet due to the dirt and grime. When I get a chance I will clean down the bed and then can move the apron and tailstock.

I wouldn't say factory condition as nearly all the stencilling on most of the name and "control" plates have faded or most likely washed away from some evil cutting fluid. The whole unit has stain splashes over it; but no 'flight' rust except the dead centre and collet which were lying in the base beside the motor. I found the sheet metal spindle cover at the back of the cabinet and it has a few rusty patches on it where the paint is chipped from impacts. The bed and tray has paint missing from use and appears to have been damaged by the coolant. I am guessing that they have used a solid cutting oil as recommended by Hardinge. I am wondering if the lathe has been used for some type of instrument work as there was a tiny centre drill in the cabinet grime. I didn't check the size but 00 if they made them comes to mind.

Envious Phil?; and you surrounded and working on the finest and best of equipment. I will take that as a complement.

Ewan, something as course and politically incorrect as "fondle"' I would much prefer to gently caress my finest.

Raye, actually 2500 cash.

Very well done Ken, naturally we are all green with envy, but great to hear that one of the forum members has had some good fortune, and that the scrappy didn't just smash it up for chinese bed springs. What were they thinking at the CSIRO salvage centre. Now everyone will be wearing a track to your tool supplier.
Rob.

It's about time see the goods..

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That's it... see Ken for explanation of the controls. The threading stop sounds interesting...

Ray

Ken,

Back when Reliable Tools were trading on eBay, they proffered a number of HLV-Hs for auction. The photos they provided were abundant and of good quality and because I liked to dream, I saved a number of photos of the lathes and their accessories. Amongst the photos are some pristine examples of these coveted machines.

If you are interested I can copy what I have onto a CD and post it your way.

Bob.

ps I posted some PDFs of a 5C collet brochure here - https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...38#post1371538 The thread wanders a bit but I'll blame the absent GQ for that.

Wow, that's impressive. Just goes to show, bargains can still be had, it doesn't get more of a bargain than scrap metal prices. I'm happy for you, at least it will live on for many years and be treated with the love and affection that it deserves!

Simon

Someone made mention that they thought the lathe may have been a HLV. From further checking and also finding the cover of the operators handbook under 1/2" of dust & grime in the base this morning I have to agree. The cover is printed 'Model HLV Lathe'. Further info to hand describes it as a "Narrow Bed English" model with a bed dovetail width of just under 5" which is correct. The serial # for a 1980 would have had a prefix "T" before the digits. No idea as yet to date of manufacture.

Being in such good condition for being possibly manufactured prior to 1960 (I think HLV-H's started then) says heaps for it care. I would also like to think that it was made in a time when the makers took pride in their work and had the metalworking skills for hand assembling of precision machinery.

Apparently there was quite a waiting list for a Hardinge lathe and I have seen a copy of a 1974 HLV-H which required a 20% deposit of the approximate $7900 US purchase price and had a 39-40 week delivery time.

Ken

Would you be open to suggestions of a possible colour scheme for a repaint?

I have a few ideas floating around in my head...