Hardinge HLV-H Rebuild

[50BMG DUDE]

Hi Guys,

I've got a couple HLV-H toolroom lathes in the shop. I was thinking about having Babin rebuild one, but it's just out of my budget. I'm semi-retired and have thought about doing the rebuild myself.

I would probably take one of Richards classes before attempting anything. I'm just wondering what is involved with the bed on a HLV-H rebuild. Do you pull it and have it ground? (bigger than my surf grinder) Re-Chromed? (Is it chromed in the first place?)

I ASSUME that grinding the bed requires new Turcite on the saddle, but what about tailstock? Gotta keep the center height the same I know.

I've got nice equipment, 12 x 24 Okamoto Accugar, Wire EDMs, manual and CNC mills/lathes so support equipment is not an issue.

I'd really like to take a shot a restoring this machine to Factory new condition, I've got the time to burn and a bit of cash to throw at it. Just don't know what I don't know.

 

[MCritchley]

The bed is not chromed, its simply ground. The difficult thing with a Hardinge is the very thin teflon sheet the glued to the underside of the carriage. The bond fails easily. The teflon is scraped so its not a beginner project. Ive pondered milling the saddle deeper and gluing in turcite into a pocket so it doesn't move. I think Kitamura does this on their milling machine heads.

Take one of Riches classes, its good for semi retired folks to keep learning stuff.

 

[rons]

From D & L Precision Rebuilding years ago. I mentioned that people stick material to the underside of the bed to raise it up.
He said that was bullshit. They scrape the underside of the head to lower it. and grind the top side of the bed.
Lowering the whole head does not give me a good feeling.

I was speaking to the owner on this one. Last I heard from him was that he was relocating up north to work on
logging equipment. The way that guy chain smoked was amazing. I bought a machine from him and didn't fuss
with the price. I was pleasant and this guy was smoking up a storm, even when writing up the bill.

They had a lathe big enough to chuck up a round-ram BP head and shave metal off the large diameter column.
Those guys don't believe in Scotch Brite or Turcite.

 

[daryl bane]

From D & L Rebuilding years ago. I mentioned that people stick material to the underside of the bed to raise it up.
He said that was bullshit. They scrape the underside of the head to lower it. and grind the top side of the bed.
Lowering the whole head does not give me a good feeling.

No expert, just curious. So how do you align the threading leadscrew , etc, to the apron on all of this removing of material downward? I just reread the post and this concerns the bed, not the apron.(do not drink when responding on this board) I would assume you would have to raise the apron with turcite/moglice to get everything aligned.

 

[rons]

No expert, just curious. So how do you align the threading leadscrew , etc, to the apron on all of this removing of material downward? I just reread the post and this concerns the bed, not the apron.(do not drink when responding on this board) I would assume you would have to raise the apron with turcite/moglice to get everything aligned.

They shave off minimum depth on the top of the bed. Then touch the two diagonal edges.
Then remove the head and scrape off the bottom of the four head bolt areas.

I don't know your answer. But when you look at before and after pictures on some expert jobs, no words.

 

[jim rozen]

I think usually the stick is just replaced with a new one.

 

[jwearing]

I was speaking to the owner on this one. Last I heard from him was that he was relocating up north to work on
logging equipment. The way that guy chain smoked was amazing. I bought a machine from him and didn't fuss
with the price. I was pleasant and this guy was smoking up a storm, even when writing up the bill.

When did you talk to him? Are they still in business?

 

[50BMG DUDE]

Found and old PM thread about a guy that sent his bottom bed casting and the removable bed still installed out for grinding (about Y2K) - He said he was going to re-install thicker Turcite on the saddle and the tailstock. This makes sense to me, keeps the apron height the same. I'd like to know how Babin does it, but don't want to bother him as I'm not going his route. Not sure if it's worth sending the whole casting with the bed? Thought it was a good idea to keep from distorting it when re-installed.

Planning on new cross feed screw and nut from Hardinge, or maybe make them myself I dunno. Having tailstock taper re-ground. New bearings in the spindle and vari-drive. The electrics cabinet is pretty clean so I probably won't touch that. Strip it all down and re-grind all the non-critical surfaces for looks. Re-scrape the cross slide and compound. Check out the leadscrew and half nuts and re-do the oil system, I'm pretty sure mines all plugged up.

Anything else I should plan on? mahcine I'm re-working will be a '86 machine so it's not THAT old :-)

 

[Richard King]

I used to rebuild Hardinges for the local Hardinge Distributor The Milton Gramquist company.. If the customer has $$ issues we used to have the bed ground and we (my Dad too) used to shim up under the bed after having it reground. I would not re-scrape under the headstock in most cases, but have done that too. If the bed was worn real bad or we bought a new bed plate from Hardinge. I believe you can still buy them. Iverson in Chicago also rebuilds Hardinge as they were a authorized Harding repair station. I taught their techs to scrape. https://iversonandco.com/service-parts/
I would mill the saddle lower and put Rulon on it. If the TS is to low I would put Phenolic under it as Turcite is to slippery. I will write later. I am still recovering from teaching my 2 week class to 15 students at DLA . I get tied mentally and physically. I am doing a April class in MN --- Rich

 

[rons]

When did you talk to him? Are they still in business?

Twenty years ago. Business? I don't know.
I'm not in the group who scrape underneath the head.

 

[rons]

You might get inspiration from this. It's what got me started.

Rebuilding a Hardinge HLV Toolroom Lathe

 

[50BMG DUDE]

Richard - I would like to sign up for your class in April, please PM me details or post here if you would

Thanks!

 

[Guy_m]

I used to rebuild Hardinges for the local Hardinge Distributor The Milton Gramquist company.. If the customer has $$ issues we used to have the bed ground and we (my Dad too) used to shim up under the bed after having it reground. I would not re-scrape under the headstock in most cases, but have done that too. If the bed was worn real bad or we bought a new bed plate from Hardinge. I believe you can still buy them. Iverson in Chicago also rebuilds Hardinge as they were a authorized Harding repair station. I taught their techs to scrape. https://iversonandco.com/service-parts/
I would mill the saddle lower and put Rulon on it. If the TS is to low I would put Phenolic under it as Turcite is to slippery. I will write later. I am still recovering from teaching my 2 week class to 15 students at DLA . I get tied mentally and physically. I am doing a April class in MN --- Rich

I used to rebuild Hardinges for the local Hardinge Distributor The Milton Gramquist company.. If the customer has $$ issues we used to have the bed ground and we (my Dad too) used to shim up under the bed after having it reground. I would not re-scrape under the headstock in most cases, but have done that too. If the bed was worn real bad or we bought a new bed plate from Hardinge. I believe you can still buy them. Iverson in Chicago also rebuilds Hardinge as they were a authorized Harding repair station. I taught their techs to scrape. https://iversonandco.com/service-parts/
I would mill the saddle lower and put Rulon on it. If the TS is to low I would put Phenolic under it as Turcite is to slippery. I will write later. I am still recovering from teaching my 2 week class to 15 students at DLA . I get tied mentally and physically. I am doing a April class in MN --- Rich

Can you explain farther about Phenolic?

 

[Richard King]

Not under the bed plate as phenolic isn't accurate for a shim like brass or steel is. In the old days before Turcite or Rulon we put phenolic linen grade or bronze for wear plates.