Hardinge mill

[KenS]

Hardinge makes maybe the finest lathe in the HLV-H, but I've just seen a Hardinge TM UM horizontal/vertical mill. No mention of it in Tony's lathe archive.

Vas ist?

Is it compact and versatile, combining the best of both worlds, or is it a troublesome huge dog of an industrial machine best suited for leaving outside to make unusual rust patterns on pavement?

[toff]

Hi,
Here I stick my neck out.. About 40 years and more ago, Hardinge had a series of small horizontal knee mills WWII surplus that took the small Bridgeport "M" heads (no back gear/ 1hp.)The head replaced the Arbor support. The table was about 6X24" and 8"Yx 18"X 10Z (knee.) The footprint was about 3'x3'x4'high. In the modelshop we used the horizontal for almost every thing in the other thread about(Horizontal mill?) They (2) got as much use as our Bridgeport!
It would probably need scraping out, but on one at work in the 60's we had a fellow do about 200" .032 wide by .125 deep without breaking a cutter on one that needed a lot of TLC.. It is small enough that taking the parts to machine shop for Turcite 'B' or just gib work would be no problem. Find out for sure before ordering!!!
If I could lay my fingers on one at low cost I would love it.
If the Cataract Miller had arbor round three inch support attachment holes 8" above the spindle and were mounted on a drip pan machine base, it would be what I remember.
Again, a wonderful machine.
toff

toff

[This message has been edited by toff (edited 08-05-2001).]

[Henry Kratt]

Possibly, among others, Hardinge made a Model TM and Model UM horizontal machine. The UM is a "Universal" type with a table that can be swiveled allowing the cutting of helix with appropriate dividing head gearing. Except the table, the machines are the same. Chip tray is 2'x3' and it stands 5' high. 3/4 hp, two speed 3 phase motor with four step pully, power feed on the table, auto trip. 110 to 1850 rpm. two arbors were supplied 7/8" and 1". spindle is bored for 5-C collets. There was a vertical head that uses 4-C collets. Table is 6-1/2 x 25 with approx. 6"x13" travel and 12" vertical. Two dividing heads provide spiral and plain indexing. vise is 4" with a rotating base.

It is an outstanding machine in that size.

[Robert Jones]

Ken, go to www.lathes.co.uk and look at cataract millers. I think they are the same, if I'm wrong,someone who knows will correct me I hope. Bobby

[Milacron of PM]

My 2 cents, is that I've considered a Hardinge mill a few times, but, unlike their lathes, I'm not particularly impressed with the mills. I've run across a number of them with broken knee gears...and these are not available from Hardinge..would have to be custom made (bevel gear set as I recall). The vertical head attachment's fatal flaw is that it doesn't have a moving quill. And no variable speed model was ever made, you have to change speeds by stooping down (probably with a flashlight) and changing belts inside the lower cabinet. (btw, the pix on the Lathes.UK site is not of the typical Hardinge horizontal mill, but the much rarer "tiny" version...if anyone wants pix of the TM/UM version, which is the only one you're actually likely to find out in the marketplace for sale, leemie know and I'll post one)
Don
www.practicalmachinist.com

[Thrud]

Go to \\www.hardinge.com to drool, and drool.
They make CNC and Manual stuff. They probably still have manuals and parts for them as well. Email them with your questions .