# Hardinge Radius Tool On A Maximat Lathe



## RIMSPOKE (May 16, 2016)

THIS IS MY PROJECT OF THE MONTH , TEACHING NEW TRICKS TO AN OLD LATHE .
A RADIUS TOOL IS SUCH A WONDERFUL PLAY-TOY FOR A HOME MACHINIST .




I HAVE A RATHER NICE HARDINGE MOCEL C RADIUS TOOL .
THESE THINGS ARE AMAZING AND ARE WORTH QUITE A BIT SO
I APPROACHED THE IDEA OF CONVERTING IT WITH GREAT CAUTION .




MY DESIGN PARAMETER IS THAT THE TOOL CAN BE CONVERTED BACK FOR USE
ON A HARDINGE , THUS NOT RUINING IT . 




THE HARDINGE "C" IS MADE TO CLAMP ONTO A DOVETAIL WAY BUT THE MAXIMAT
HAS THE CONVENTIONAL INVERTED V RAILS . NO SMALL ORDER .




I CAREFULLY LAID OUT THE HEIGHTS , ANGLES & PLACEMENT OF THE RAILS
AND TRANSFERRED THIS TO THE CAST IRON BASE OF THE RADIUS TOOL .
I CRIED A LITTLE AS I MADE THE FIRST CUT THROUGH THE HAND SCRAPING BUT THINGS
WENT SMOOTHLY AS MY FEAR TURNED TO EXCITEMENT .




ONCE I HAD REPRODUCED THE V's ON THE BASE I NEEDED TO DEVISE A WAY OF
LOCKING IT DOWN .




THE HARDINGE HAS A GREAT LITTLE CAM LOCK DEVISE AND I DECIDED TO INTEGRATE
INTO THE NEW DESIGN . I MADE A PAIR OF RETAINING BLOCKS FROM A PAIR MACHINABLE
STEEL JAWS .




THE JAWS WERE WIDER THAN THE BASE SO I LEFT SOME ALIGNMENT RAILS ON THE ENDS
WHEN I MILLED DOWN THE TOP SURFACE . . THERE IS A .150" STEP THAT HOOKS UNDER THE OUTER PART OF THE WAYS .




THE FRONT BLOCK IS HELD IN PLACE BY FOUR M6 CAPSCREWS . THE HOLES DO NOT INTERFERE WITH THE EXISTING ONES .




THE REAR BLOCK IS A SLIP FIT ON THE SIDES . I MILLED TWO .300 SLOTS SO IT CAN MOVE ON THE RETAINING BOLTS . THE INSIDE WALL WAS MILLED DOWN FOR THE PROPER INTERFERENCE WHEN IT IS LOCKED IN PLACE .




FINALLY I MILLED A SLOT IN THE CAMLOCK BRACKET AND A HOLE IN THE PLUNGER
THAT LINES UP WITH A PIN PRESSED THROUGH THE BLOCK .
THIS MAKES THE BLOCK RETRACT WHEN THE LEVER IS OPENED .  WORKS PRETTY SLICK .




SO HERE ARE SOME PIECES BEING CUT WITH VARIOUS RADII .


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## kd4gij (May 16, 2016)

Very nice work.


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## RIMSPOKE (May 16, 2016)

Very nice work. 

I'M JUST HAVIN' A BALL !


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## valleyboy101 (Feb 24, 2021)

A nice job on the adaptation.  I have a Model C on a Hardinge HLV and my only complaint is the need to move the work quite a distance from the headstock, in order to turn the radius on the headstock side of the sphere.
Michael


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