Hardinge Lathe

Hardinge HLV-H-EM Super Precision Metal Lathe--- This lathe boasts a spindle accuracy of 25 millionths of an inch (.000025”) total run out which means it has to be on center within half that amount.
The HLV-H is the finest tool room lathe ever built and was produced for over 60 years. The Plumier Foundation’s machine was newly rebuilt to factory specifications by Babin Machine. It boasts a speed range from100 to 3000 RPM and runs so smoothly that a coin resting on the rounded top of the headstock will not vibrate off through the on and off cycles or even a heavy cut. The dovetail shape of the bed adds significantly to the lathe’s rigidity, and the carriage is precision scraped by hand to full bearing contact with the bed ways in order to add to both longevity and stoutness. It also features a one-piece tailstock with full bearing contact to ensure accurate alignment with the headstock spindle. Operating this lathe is one of the most pleasurable experiences a machinist could ask for. Its silky-smooth feeds are unsurpassed, and the feel and look of the controls proclaim the fact that the engineers who designed it cared about both form and function.