Saved a Hendey from the scrappers yesterday

M.B. Naegle · Feb 14, 2016

Not that I needed another project but It was about to get junked and I couldn't let it go. I went to see it (Pasadena TX) yesterday and get an idea of what I was getting into and by 4:00 that evening, my dad and I had cinched it out of a storage unit, onto our flatbed trailer, and were creeping our way across the surface streets of Houston on up north to our new shop in Conroe. The trip took an hour driving on the freeway to get there and about 4 hours going 35 mph in our gutless 1/2 ton Chevy to get back (probably my most stressful haul yet).

This thing is massive by our shops standards. Looks to be in the ballpark of 24" by 60". Not sure of the model yet or where to find the serial number, but it looks to be an early gear head model where the motor mounts above the headstock. It's got plenty of damage and wear but no more than would be expected with its age and overall it seems pretty complete. It was sposedly in use until it went into the storage locker. Not a lot of tooling included other than some inserted cutters, a 4 jaw chuck, broken taper attachment, and 3 steady rests.

It set me back $300 and a Saturday....
But it's a Hendey!
Like I said, I couldn't let it go.

Pics to come

M.B. Naegle · Feb 14, 2016

Here's how it started.

M.B. Naegle · Feb 14, 2016

before and after

M.B. Naegle · Feb 14, 2016

Got it loaded

alskdjfhg · Feb 14, 2016

Glad I'm not the only one saving machines I don't need in the Houston area.

I've got your machine's bigger and younger brother #23751.

The serial will be on the way closest to the operator over on the trailstock end (unless I'm confusing some other maker)

M.B. Naegle · Feb 14, 2016

I checked there but didn't see it clearly. May need to polish the rust out a bit more.

We just moved our shop up to Conroe (from Yoakum, TX)this last week. Tooling, inventory, offices, etc. are still getting boxed and moved but we're hopefully going to be cutting parts tomorrow. Our shop's a mix of new and old stuff. I think it's appropriate though since the company goes back to 1858. I look forward to setting this lathe up to work along side our CNC's.
(Yes, I'm one of THOSE guys frustrating the wheels of CNC productivity, lol)

moonlight machine · Feb 15, 2016

With the head stock so far back the tongue weight on that trailer must have been about 500lbs of lift! It must have been a swaying demon to tow. I always go for about 200 lbs tongue weight on my trailer and it tows great.

M.B. Naegle · Feb 15, 2016

My initial condition check found a number of cracked castings and such. Nothing critical, just alot of peripheral brackets and stuff. We also accidentally broke off the hooks under the chip pan which hold the cutting oil trough when it was getting drug up the ramp (hindsight: should have removed em), But my dad's pretty good at welding and brazing cast iron so this'll give him a good opportunity to teach me his tricks.

I'm not sure if the motor is original. The guy I bought it from was told that the machine was originally a line-drive unit, but it looks like there are original bosses cast into the head stock for mounting the motor. It's 5HP and could be as old as the rest of the machine (it can be seen sitting on the trailer beside the lathe).

Tomorrow, I'm planning on getting a full rundown on this things condition. I'm going to try to wire-wheel off the green paint and see how bad the original black is. I don't think a full on "restoration" will be feasible at this point (way too much going on) so if I can cut the rust and paint, oil the heck out of everything, and make it run, It'll get put to work and we can get all the little things patched up as time goes on.

Its funny how this stuff comes together. Our 15-48" Colchester Clausing has been a great lathe for big work, but it has no steady, no 4-jaw chuck, and the 3 jaw chuck has lost it's accuracy. If I could find a good 3 jaw for this guy, then the floor where the Clausing is sitting just might make a good hole for our next CNC. :scratchchin:

M.B. Naegle · Feb 15, 2016

moonlight machine said:
With the head stock so far back the tongue weight on that trailer must have been about 500lbs of lift! It must have been a swaying demon to tow. I always go for about 200 lbs tongue weight on my trailer and it tows great.

It was a real test of our rigging skill and equipment. We've always had professional riggers move everything over 4000 lbs in our place. Once it's on the floor, we're pretty confident with pipes and skates, but this was easily our biggest personal load and haul. Most of the loading was done with a 2 ton chain fall and an aluminum freight ramp. The guy who owned the storage facility was a big help but laughed when I said what we'd be doing. Once he saw we were serious (and actually making headway), he brought out a little forklift to help get the head stock over the last little hump. I wish it had been pointing the opposite direction, but it made it. All n all, I think the prayers made the biggest difference.

billzweig · Feb 15, 2016

A noble task. Congratulations!

johnoder · Feb 15, 2016

Here is "manual" scan - thanks to Greg Menke for hosting

http://pounceatron.dreamhosters.com/docs/hendey/1920-Hendey-manual.pdf

You'll find at least a photo of the head stock in there

Its the eight speed early gear head - these were gone mid twenties

Vee belt pulley not stock

Here is the 24, different head stock design on those

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/johnoder/24 Hendey GH/CatPagesm.jpg

Here is smaller version - made up to 20"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/johnoder/8speedHendey12.jpg

You'll find size cast into face of bed - like 18 X 8 - the 8 being over all bed length

ON EDIT

Add 18 / 20 scan

spaeth · Feb 15, 2016

M.B,
Nice find at a great price. Turn a couple 20" diameter
parts and the old Hendey is making profit. I had an
18"x72" of the same design. Yours looks to be missing
the spindle clutch which was a handy feature. Mine had
a rod that ran the length of the bed so you could start
and stop the spindle even at the far end. Also there is
a strange looking gizzmo at the front right of the
carriage. Round looking dial with a straight up handle?
When you get her settled in tell me what that does.
Glad that one did not get sent to the scrap yard.
spaeth

TimRD · Feb 15, 2016

Nice save, taper attachment and all! Good luck with her.

Greg Menke · Feb 15, 2016

We have a similar 8spd 16" Hendey at Tuckahoe, it has the remains of a relieving/taper attachment, but also has the OEM lineshaft pulley and clutch. We mounted a motor on the platform, driving with a flat belt. Biggest problem with the machine is that the bed is severely worn- we have a parts machine with a pretty good bed, I'm voting we swap beds & possibly carriages rather than spend time refitting the badly worn parts (and they are quite bad).. but no consensus yet, the metrology contingent is still trying to measure things.

Greg

M.B. Naegle · Feb 15, 2016

Got it unloaded this morning and first thing I did was power wash the grim and loose paint off, then air blast all the water out. I moved it inside to a patch of floor it can call home and mounted the motor. Powered it up and started running oil through it. Everything seems to work although there's lots of loose rattley parts. The ways are really rough. I think it still has a lot of work left in it though. Two of the steady fit perfect but the third looks to have come off of something else.

I was a little liberal with my size estimate on this machine. The chuck is a 16" and the swing is close to 18". Distance between centers is closer to 48".

There isn't a size cast into the bed like most hendeys. The serial number is 10366

I really like the control layout. From what I can tell, the dial on the right side of the carriage runs down under the chip pan to control the original drum switch via a sprocket chain(defiantly want to go back to that setup). Am I correct in thinking that the feed direction lever on the carriage van be switched with the machine running or am I asking for a crash?

M.B. Naegle · Feb 15, 2016

On the floor. Old Dealer Tag on one leg.

M.B. Naegle · Feb 15, 2016

Taper attachment, drum switch control, and steady rests.

M.B. Naegle · Feb 15, 2016

johnoder said:
Here is "manual" scan - thanks to Greg Menke for hosting

http://pounceatron.dreamhosters.com/docs/hendey/1920-Hendey-manual.pdf

You'll find at least a photo of the head stock in there

Its the eight speed early gear head - these were gone mid twenties

Vee belt pulley not stock

Here is the 24, different head stock design on those

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/johnoder/24 Hendey GH/CatPagesm.jpg

Here is smaller version - made up to 20"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/johnoder/8speedHendey12.jpg

You'll find size cast into face of bed - like 18 X 8 - the 8 being over all bed length

ON EDIT

Add 18 / 20 scan

Thank you very much! I was worried this one might be too old to have paperwork. That's the wall I hit with our Brown & Sharpe #12 mill. The only info that's come up on it have been pages out of their catalog.

johnoder · Feb 15, 2016

Am I correct in thinking that the feed direction lever on the carriage van be switched with the machine running or am I asking for a crash?

You may want to read about what Hendey made for you

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...ory/hendey-lathe-emergency-113621/#post421468

M.B. Naegle · Feb 16, 2016

Well that's slick! Definitely going to enjoy using this machine.

Saved a Hendey from the scrappers yesterday

Titanium

Titanium

Titanium

Attachments

Titanium

Diamond

Titanium

Diamond

Titanium

Titanium

Stainless

Diamond

Attachments

Hot Rolled

Aluminum

Diamond

Titanium

Titanium

Titanium

Titanium

Diamond

Titanium

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