Advice onVintage Hardinge watchmakers vertical mill to fit properly on Peerless Lathe

Hi guys, I have recently found a Hardinge watchmakers vertical mill attachment to fit on my vintage peerless watchmakers lathe. I am excited to have found it because it is American made and should look and feel nice on the Peerless. Problem is, while sitting on the cross slide, the spindle center only goes as far low as about one inch above the lathe spindle center. My question is, is this normal, or should I look for a single slide for it? Anyone here know how this mill was originally meant to be used? Would it possible to get the slide hooked up with an indexing attachment so the cutting gears would be on the lathe itself?

Other question is does anyone know who can make a handle for the mill turn as the one that was there was obviously lost somewhere.

Please Advise and many thanks!

You have a slide rest that was not meant for a Peerless lathe and does not properly attach to the lathe bed. That slide rest has a recess in the bottom that is meant to fit on top of a saddle that keeps the bottom slide square with the bed. Marshall made slide rests to fit the Peerless lathes.

The Hardinge milling attachment (vertical slide) will work on most watch lathes equipped with a slide rest. It had a unique design that involved cartridge spindles that could be swapped out quickly. The spindles were made with female tapers and with collet capability. They could be pulley driven or they could have indexing plates. They were made around 1910, so you get to make your own repair parts. Fortunately, you own a lathe.

Try rotating the head on the Hardinge attachment so that the spindle is vertical. The gear cutter is adjusted to line up with the lathe spindle and cuts on either the front or rear of the gear blank, which is held in the lathe headstock.

Here is a picture of a Hardinge watch lathe milling attachment I used to own. It had two original spindles with female tapers and a home-made WW collet spindle (the brass one).

And some pictures of a Peerless lathe with collet-holding tailstock and slide rest. Note that the slide rest has a flat bottom that sits on the bed and a sliding part that fits against the bevel on the front of the bed to square the bottom slide to the bed.

Larry

Thank you so much for your very fast reply and awesome pics Larry! You've owned and operated one of these! I'm so glad you saw my post!

So, the only way this will work on the Peerless lathe is to find a Marshall cross slide and use the mill vertically, correct? The other problem I've run into with the Peerless is there is no place on the headstock to place an indexing plate. There is also no place to attach an adjustable lever with pin to lock an index plate if it were there, which is why I was hoping to use the Hardinge somehow to hold the index plate and operate by running the gears over the cutter running on the lathe headstock spindle. Please advise if there is a way I am not seeing or am aware of as I have looked for a solution for a couple years.

The slide rest is for a Boley Leinen reform. It's the only slide rest I have right now for illustration purposes as the Marshall slide rests have been very difficult for me to find (and if I have seen them too expensive). If you have an idea on how to find one please PM me I would so appreciate it! I want to restore this lathe to it's glory days.

so does anyone know how to set up a peerless to accommodate an index plate?

Could you make a split clamp hub to fit on the outboard end of the spindle and screw the index plate to it?

Peerless spindles do not have an extended left end, so there is no simple way to add a screw cutting attachment, indexing or dividing device. Many other brands of lathe do have the extended spindle.

There are milling attachments for watch lathes with indexing capability. Here are pictures of one I have, which takes WW collets. The catch, of course, is that they are rare and expensive. This one is $750.

Larry

Illinoyance said:

Could you make a split clamp hub to fit on the outboard end of the spindle and screw the index plate to it?

Click to expand...

That's a great idea, but there is not enough clearance room on the spindle end plus the end is threaded so the split clamp might damage the threads when tightened. I'm thinking maybe of using the drawbar itself since it would be held in tight after the collet is attached to it. The grab on the drawbar is metal so the index plate could screw on to that part and I'm thinking of getting a new drawbar anyway with the black resin grab, so the metal one would be specific to the index plate. Next would be how to attach a lever with pin to the bed or tailstock to hold the index plate in place and adjust. I could use the little hole on the end of the bed to drill out, and then thread, then make a lever to attach there but then I risk damaging the bed. That is the next big question, how to attach a lever that would adjust the index plate.

That is a nice mill! what brand is that? Looks like a Boley?

L Vanice said:

Peerless spindles do not have an extended left end, so there is no simple way to add a screw cutting attachment, indexing or dividing device. Many other brands of lathe do have the extended spindle.

There are milling attachments for watch lathes with indexing capability. Here are pictures of one I have, which takes WW collets. The catch, of course, is that they are rare and expensive. This one is $750.

Larry

View attachment 173009View attachment 173010View attachment 173011View attachment 173012View attachment 173013

Click to expand...

I have wanted one of these milling attachments for a long time. But they are quite pricey and it isn't something that I truly need, just want. But then again, so have a lot of stuff like that.