Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing lathe question for the smiths (or machinists)

have a chance to buy a henry lathe 18"x56". 3 and 4 jaw chuck with steady. some tooling. lathe is tight and they will deliver to my door. $1500. if you need more info to respond please ask.....
just wondering if to much is a bad thing or is it a good deal none the less.....
woofer

Honestly never heard of a Henry lathe... What's the inside diameter of the headstock? Anything over 1.5" is icing on the cake. Is it on stands or do you have to make some?

It doesn't sound like a bad deal at all, but like I said, I've never heard of a Henry.. How old is it? Any info on parts availability if needed?

Too much is generally a good thing in lathes, more mass makes for more rigidity, and hence smoother cuts. Much better to have lathe that is several inches bigger then the the work you want to turn, then one that is a 10th to small <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

The few possible hickups would be that it might not run as fast as you want for small dia work, and you might have trouble powering it, assuming garage use.

I'd highly recomend getting a chance to start it up, and take some test cuts if possible. If the lathe needs a new motor, or a re-build, thats big bucks. If the ways aren't shot, and the motor works, you've got yourself a good deal.

You have to have a workable plan to get it off the truck, and
installed without damage (to you, the lathe, or the house).
If it takes 3-phase power that is another can of worms.
Good Luck!

he is including the converter box with the lathe. it looks like i get to test drive it this weekend. the guy has been a machinist for 50 plus years.
he has a truck with a boom at his disposal. i get it delivered to the house <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />. i think for guys with hand trucks should be able to position it. i will keep you posted.
thanks for all your help!
woofer

Woofer,

The best place I know for lathe information is here web page
You may want to scroll down and check out the entry for Hendey, which sounds a lot like Henry...

If he can move it with a boom, then it is probably an older lightweight type lathe. Otherwise I'd expect it to be pushing a couple of tons. If it is a lightweight, then does it have plain or ball bearings in the spindle? Ball bearings are generally better, but accurate work can be done with plain bearings, as thousand of South Bend owners will attest. But you will have a pretty low top speed.

Check the chucks to see if they are still tight and true as well. Otherwise you'll be out another $4-500 or so, just for some medium quality imports.

Also, with a lathe that big, any chambering you do won't be through the headstock, which has its' advantages.

Regards,
Scott

Now that you are getting it, think long and hard as to where you want it. While it can be moved later it can be a real pain in the postier. A way to roll it around is to use a whole bunch of steel pipes underneath. You'll feel like you are moving a piece of the pyramids. Don't forget it needs to be leveled.

If the wiring is a real problem you could always go with a 110 motor, all you will loose is reverse and it will consume more electricity.

As for fast speeds, you could always change out pulley diameters if and when you change the motor, if needed.

As for the chucks....if the jaws on any universal chuck are not
true, a grinder attachment can bring them back. If you are really lucky your universal 3 or 4 jaw chuck will be a buck chuck. Those can be adjusted.

Once you have it you will be amazed at the little things you can make. Go to Varmint Al's site for some ideas on using it as well as a few projects. One that is a must is to make "plugs" that are used to locate the end of the chamber. Once the dimension is known many cases can go multiple resizings without needing to be trimmed.

If maching it new to you be sure to get the feel of the machine learing how to manipulate speed, feed and depth of cut with soft metals. Aluminum is a good one to start with.

You are going to enter a new world, enjoy it!

-----Ross