Advice on Lathe purchase

[grim_d]

Hi all,

I know nothing about Lathes but it is something I would love to learn how to use and can see a practical use for one with all the car tinkering I do.

I have an opportunity to buy a Harrison L5A (11" swing, 24" BC I think) from a lovely chap round the corner from me who has long retired and is moving his machines on, machine is in lovely condition and he showed me it running, unfortunately I didn't really know which questions to ask about it! I should have in hindsight asked if he has the appropriate parts for metric screwcutting. I can go back down and ask some questions if there are any you lot think I should?

He has given me the manual which is quite interesting to read. I see there was 2 types of gearbox available, a "norton" type and a three speed, is there anyway of telling from my picture which one it has and which one is more desirable?

He wants £700 for it and says he will throw in a load of tooling to get me started, is that a fair price?

Thanks for any advice! Here's a picture.

 

[Seadog]

Buy it. I would

 

[ford34/2]

excellent price for very popular size lathe, accessories can be expensive, hopefully he will have several desriable bits, tooling is a big bonus, Motor will have been 3 Phase 440Volts may have been replaced with 240 single phase or running off an inverter/converter. Obviously its had a lick of paint to tidy it up sometime in its life, but the tray is very unmarked, Spares are a nightmare to find.The machine is getting old but very very usable capable of producing accurate and fine tolerance work. I can send you a manual that covers similar and this size lathe. looks to have a "Norton" gearbox" slightly older model with two levers. Nice 4 Jaw there
would be nice if there are a few changewheels with it, steadies, Spindle nose bush, any Morse taper reducers, Catchplate.
So all in all a very good lathe for a very good price.
If you buy join the Yahoo Harrison lathe user group.
140 lathe owner
regards
Stan
Quite honestly you could buy it and resell it showing a good profit. Accessories bring good money. If you buy it DO NOT go daft and use grease in the nipples--

 

[grim_d]

Thank you Stan. It didn't look like it had been repainted, but you are probably right!

He gave me a loan of the manual, just read a bit on and discovered it is the Norton feed gearbox. So I will need to find out if it has the appropriate changewheels?

Not sure if three of single phase, not a problem either way as I have three phase available.

I will go back and see him soon and ask what it comes with, he used it commercially so should have a few bits.

What is a spindle nose bush for? I think there is a faceplate under the rag in the picture.

How much of a nightmare are spares? Is it likely to go wrong often? I assume I should not use grease in the nipples because they are for oil, not grease?

Either way I think I will go ahead!

 

[ford34/2]

"Proper spares" are a night mare but Harrison made these Laths to be Bomb proof, good maintenance has seen examples of this and similar size and the 9" models all living a long and stll very usefull life.with no major part failures.
Only a guese, the spindle may well accept 35mm diam stuff in which case it will heve a quite rare taper of 4.5Mt, reducer bushes are quite hard to find and will reduce 4.5 down to 3 Mt, the tailsock will be 3 Mt as well. as it has the suds pump 3 phase would be ever so nice, and I do think it will have the original electrics and motor -cant see any new electric controls to switch it on and off.
Theres not a lot on it to go wrong and a lot of the less complicated stuff is fixable easily, but if say the headstock gears and spindle were knackered----unlikely, ---then its like a diesel snapping a cam belt, major money--just your spares are almost unobtaiable. Dont let this put you off there are hundres and hundreds of 9" and 11" varieties of Harrisons going strong.
Under the rag is a face plate. The lathe may well have an L00 spindle nose for the chucks and face plate as againt a threaded spindle nose. The chuck Spanners would be ever so handy
The nose reducing bush alows you to insert -Probably3 Morse taper attachments into the headstock spindle, the likes of a centre to turn between centres.
good examples of this and similar size lathes, well equiped, fetch over a grand on a very regular basis. A L00 4 jaw may well command £150.00

BUy Buy Buy


Stan

 

[Pete.]

It's a fair price for a solid machine. If you want a lathe then it's a good deal.

 

[Keith 66]

Looking at the photo, it has a 3 jaw, 4 jaw & faceplate, it looks like a late L5 so L00 nose fitting. The chuck guard looks like an ex school one so i would bet it hasnt done much. Dont worry about spare parts it should never need any! Bite the guys arm off at that price. Be very careful moving or lifting it as they are very top heavy.

 

[grim_d]

Looking at the photo, it has a 3 jaw, 4 jaw & faceplate, it looks like a late L5 so L00 nose fitting. The chuck guard looks like an ex school one so i would bet it hasnt done much. Dont worry about spare parts it should never need any! Bite the guys arm off at that price. Be very careful moving or lifting it as they are very top heavy.

It came from a technical college many many years ago so you are right. He has another lathe about 3 times the size of this one and says he didn't use the Harrison much.

There was a few other bits and bobs in the cupboard but don't know what! The manual states it is a L00 fitting

I'll give him a call tomorrow and tell him I'll have it then! Worry about moving it after that.

 

[Screwdriver]

Lovely machine at a great price. Being around the corner is the clincher though, collection/delivery can be massively expensive.

If it were me, I'd be thinking about building a purpose made trolley and rolling it by hand. So long as you don't have any steep hills, a couple of streets should be no problem if you have four or five strong guys with ropes, persuaders and a ramp for curbs etc.

S.

 

[grim_d]

It's round the corner from me but my workshop is about a mile away, all up hill and some of it farm road!

 

[Screwdriver]

It's round the corner from me but my workshop is about a mile away, all up hill and some of it farm road!

Trailer!

Still a nice machine for a bargain price.

 

[Richiew]

I'd jump on that!

 

[ford34/2]

as mentioned very top heavy, 3/4 ton , just under the swarf tray there are 4 holes two on each side, check the manual thses are for two bars to slip through. fascilitate easy and safe lifting, dont use the chuck to lift it. if you are going to roll it on anything but flat solid ground, consider bolting out riggers to the base, and the worry of it tipping is eliminated, the motor is easily removed to reduce the width if you need a few inches. Theres not a lot to remove to help reudce the weight unfortunatly. some scaffold poles or similar,even metal conduit will all be worth there weight in Gold for rolling, but do watch the top heavy weight when rolling. whilst the trolly will indeed help, it increases the height and the wheels can make it easier to run away and tip so easily. We used to shift 15 and 20 ton Rhodes and Bliss presses on rollers in the 60s, occasionaly we hired skates but I was young and daft then.
think safety, draft a plan and make a back up plan.Grease it cover it protect it.
Stan

 

[rikrobson]

I'd have bitten his arm off for that price.

 

[ukracer]

Hi all,

I know nothing about Lathes but it is something I would love to learn how to use and can see a practical use for one with all the car tinkering I do.

I have an opportunity to buy a Harrison L5A (11" swing, 24" BC I think) from a lovely chap round the corner from me who has long retired and is moving his machines on, machine is in lovely condition and he showed me it running, unfortunately I didn't really know which questions to ask about it! I should have in hindsight asked if he has the appropriate parts for metric screwcutting. I can go back down and ask some questions if there are any you lot think I should?

He has given me the manual which is quite interesting to read. I see there was 2 types of gearbox available, a "norton" type and a three speed, is there anyway of telling from my picture which one it has and which one is more desirable?

He wants £700 for it and says he will throw in a load of tooling to get me started, is that a fair price?

Thanks for any advice! Here's a picture.

Snap his hand off.....

 

[roofman]

I have the same machine without the gearbox..iff thats the actual machine then get it bought asap before someone else buys it

 

[Keith 66]

Re lifting, As Ford34/2 says, there are four holes through the cabinet for bars to slide through. You need the fattest bars that will fit the holes otherwise they will be liable to bend. Most of the weight will be on the headstock end so the bar that end will be holding most of the weight. Sling it with one good strop at the headstock end & another single strop at the other end. Do not under any circumstances use one long strop from side to side then diagonally across the hook & down to the other end. Me & a mate did this once & due to the weight difference at each end the sling slipped as it stretched, bloody lathe rolled in the slings & went over in slow motion coming up against the mast of the fork lift, fortunately it only did cosmetic damage & we were able to right it.
Do not lift by the chuck or you will likely bugger the headstock bearings. You do not want to know how much they cost!
If in doubt bolt the thing to some timbers to spread the load out. Watch your fingers & have fun!

 

[addjunkie]

Have you bought it yet, if not give me the guys number!

 

[mfletch]

I have the L6 12" love using it just the right size

 

[grim_d]

Have you bought it yet, if not give me the guys number!

As good as, tried to call him tonight but gone to the pub! First thing in the morning.

It's not advertised for sale publicly so should be safe!