Hardinge lathe...

[PipesByDesign]

...anyone have one? I see them once in a while on CL and they're kind of weird looking. The turret they seem to usually come with is intriguing for pipemaking, but I don't know enough about lathes to make a move on one since they're out of the ordinary looking...

Cheers,

Jonathan

[oklahoma red]

IMHO, Hardinge Bros. of Elmira, NY produced some of the best small lathes ever made in the US. They are right up there with Monarch and Rivett. I personally have spent many hours operating a DV-59. Equipped with a bar feeder and 5C collets, it becomes a hand operated screw machine capable of knocking out a lot of small parts per hour.
All that being said is it a good lathe for pipe making? No, unless you intend to tool up to make a lot of the exact same pipe over and over. If you look at pics taken inside high production pipe factories you will see some turret machines, a lot of which are custom made.
Now, if you can find a good Hardinge HLV tool room lathe at a decent price jump all over it.
Chas.

[PipesByDesign]

I see your point regarding mass production. Not necessariliy something I am looking to get into at the moment...

Read this on lathes.co.uk... "As this lathe was capable of prolonged, very hard use, most have been worked to death. A little-used example such as this is now very rare."

Kind of an important tid-bit of info. Course, that could be said for most lathes from a certain period unless you find one of the rare museum pieces someone is selling for a friend and doesn't know anything about...

[oklahoma red]

"As this lathe was capable of prolonged, very hard use, most have been worked to death. A little-used example such as this is now very rare."

Very true statement that applies to all used metal working equipment. However, just because that old Monarch no longer has 30 millionths (!!!!!) run-out on the spindle as it did when it was new doesn't mean it's not suitable for pipe making. Unless these machines were lucky enough to have been somewhere with a top notch maintenance department they are usually gunked up from decades of use and abuse. But they can be cleaned up and have more life squeezed out of them making pipes.
Flip the coin again and one the biggest drawbacks to most of these old machines is that they are HEAVY and difficult to move. And when a factory has a huge floor full of various machine tools they run off of high voltages to cut down the electric bill. 480 three phase is certainly not found in the average home work shop.
This is why, in my opinion, the old Logans are a such a good choice. They aren't that heavy, they run with 115 or 230 volt motors and best of all there is not a single high wear item that cannot be bought BRAND NEW via the Logan Actuator Company. A number of makers here on the Forum have them. Then there are the guys across the pond such as Chris that are lucky enough to get their hooks on Myford Super 7s. Sigh. It won't be very much longer and I will have my Logan ready to make briar shavings and I'm champing at the bit.
Chas.