Hazdent Machine Tools - big wood lathe project!

[minilathe22]

Yes it would be a bit of a mission to preheat it, that part of the headstock is cast integral with the bed.

I was debating a piece of angle iron across the top, and filler underneath. I suspect any welding quote would be quite expensive really. I have heard that laser welding is a thing now, I wonder if that can handle large cold pieces better?

It is more than strong enough with the bit missing, technically you could touch the belt while it's running but it's only for hobby use so common sense can be used for the time being.

 

[TFrench]

Yes it would be a bit of a mission to preheat it, that part of the headstock is cast integral with the bed.

I was debating a piece of angle iron across the top, and filler underneath. I suspect any welding quote would be quite expensive really. I have heard that laser welding is a thing now, I wonder if that can handle large cold pieces better?

It is more than strong enough with the bit missing, technically you could touch the belt while it's running but it's only for hobby use so common sense can be used for the time being.

As far as I know laser welding can't be done on cast - the parts have to be perfect fitting. Trying to weld or braze it would be a nightmare which is why I suggested the cold option. Having a steel plate there gives it strength where the spanner rests when you're locking the spindle.

 

[minilathe22]

It looks like all the welding options are either faffy or pricey. I will see what scrap metal I have and make something out of that. Then filler to tidy it up.

The centre to centre alignment is not great, however I do not see how I can adjust it, as the headstock and bed are cast as a single piece and the tailstock casting is a single piece sitting in the centre slot of the bed. There are two holes for floor mounting on the headstock side, maybe I bolt those with anchor bolts, but put adjusting feet under the other end of the bed so I can make sure the bed is flat. How much twist can a bed like this realistically have if not laid on a flat surface I wonder?

 

[Richard_C]

A couple of random ideas for the missing chunk. Thinking back to out student 'car bodging' in the 70's, fibreglass got used a lot. My mates Renault 4 ended up with a lot, in places with some flattened tin cans sandwiched in so the MOT testers magnet would stick.

Anyway, could you use fibreglass/epoxy lay up larger than then the gap on the inside face, then when it had set build up the hole with either more fibreglass or go back to car filler? The removable cowl could be turned upside down and reinforced with fibreglass from the inside then some resin/filler perhaps.

Another thought for the big hole, the top edge is straight. Get a nicely printed on aluminuim plate saying "restored by - name - 2021" a bit wider than the gap and fix in place. Covers the hole! Google for printed metal plate, surprisingly cheap.

My son has just bought a pair of period timpani drums to restore. They are in very rough state, when we opened one up it had chalked inside "restored by T Smlth, Civil Service Symphony Orchestra, 1913". So, your aluminium plate might not appeal to you but might delight people in 108 years time .....

Still trying odd searches for Hazdent, still bugging me, no progress unfortunately.

 

[minilathe22]

In terms of history, I noticed the end of the spindle, some rough saw marks are still visible, not completely faced off. Also the big cast pulleys have some very small casting voids in them, as does the tailstock. The bed surface is slightly rounded at the back, so not a totally flat surface. Most of the original nuts look like the Whitworth style, as in they are one spanner size larger than you would expect. Underneath the bed, it was unpainted, same with the tailstock.

There is no easy belt tension release for either flat belt or v belts. Also when compared to a similar spec Taylor lathe, the bearings are massively oversized for the application, and are very far apart, making the headstock much bigger than really needed. Or perhaps there was a larger model with the same bearings. The headstock lid lifts off, which feels like a bit of an afterthought, I wonder if originally it did not have a lid. Many older wood lathes have visible exposed flat belts like that. Perhaps it was originally run from flat belt lineshafting, and had no motor.

All this leads me to think that it was made by a company without significant R&D resources, so they overspecced overything, and the imperfections passed QA when they would not have done at other companies. I think a premium maker such as Hardinge or similar would not have accepted these kinds of imperfections. It was not a cheap and chearful outfit though, as they chose to cast their name into the door, and the door itself offering no structural strength is over 1/2" cast iron.

Also Hazdent does not sound like a very british name to me, I wonder if its more of an eastern european sounding name?

 

[Richard_C]

Manchester Museum of Science and Industry have an online catalogue, links to the Science Museum. 600+ lathes including many photos, but no Hazdent. NIce picture of a VERY big lathe turning the outside of a ships gun barrel though so worth the looksee. I've searched the online patents and trademark databases for the UK, USA and EU, no results. I've also looked at the Government Insolvency service for any relevant bankrupt companies. Also google maps - the only Hazdent business name I've found is a dentist practice in Columbia. Oh well, will have another bash soon.

 

[minilathe22]

Thanks for your research Richard. I suspect any paperwork for this machine is not digitized, and I am not sure where to start with offline research to be honest!

 

[minilathe22]

Update since I last posted - I have been busy with a few other things but have used the lathe occasionally for woodturning when I have had time.

The banjo and tailstock clamps were a bit Heath Robinson, being made from flat pieces of metal they would sometimes rotate while trying to tighten the bolts, and bend slightly so it required several turns of the nut to get it fully tight. They also did not slide very well. I had another forum member make me some very solid T pieces from 4" round bar, inspired by the Wadkin RU banjo clamp. These are internally threaded so I can use a bolt instead of a nut, I hope this will be more resistant to getting clogged with dust. Quick spray of zinc primer to avoid rust, and a bit of oil on the slides and grease on the thread, they have a much stronger feel and I now only have to turn the banjo bolt a little over 1/4 of a turn.

I have found pieces of wood of around 2foot diameter are not often available cheaply! so I have not stretched the full capacity often. Still get some belt slippage at low speeds, but usually only when the chisel has bitten off more than it can chew.

I do not normally need two banjos but I am planning to upgrade my bowl saver to take dual toolposts, this should make it alot more solid.

I plan to get some T nuts and bolts to go in the seconary slot, the thicker banjo doesnt need it but the thinner one seems to rock slightly sometimes, so at larger diameters I think the extra bolt would be handy. Perhaps it is not perfectly flat.

Still no progress with finding any history of Hazdent Machine Tools. Surely more than one was built...

 

[Neil Lawton]

Spotted this but can't find the custom search button on the site.

Machine Tool Archive - Lathes.co.uk
http://www.lathes.co.uk › page21

27 Apr 2021 — ... Hasselquist (later Elgin Tool Works), Hatch, Haulin, Hauser, Havier, A.Haworth (Sowerby Bridge), Hazdent Machine Tools - spinning lathes, ...

 

[Droogs]

click on the search icon at the top right of page and select advanced search or the dropdown list that shows everywhere

 

[Neil Lawton]

click on the search icon at the top right of page and select advanced search or the dropdown list that shows everywhere

I meant the search on Lathes.co.uk

 

[Droogs]

try this page

 

[minilathe22]

Unfortunately the lathes.co.uk resource does not have any reference to Hazdent Machine Tools, only a text at the bottom of the page to boost links. I phoned the guy who runs it, he had not seen one before. I plan to send him all the information I have, which is basically just the photos and some dimensions.

 

[TFrench]

Good to see the blocks being used, glad they work well. I thought I'd be able to use the 4th one for a part I'm making for my RS, but the hazdent bed is much wider - I'd be turning half the block to chips to make it work. Back to the drawing board!

 

[minilathe22]

I made a new discovery regarding the origin of this lathe - it appears to be "Hazlewood and Dent Ltd" established 1885 in Birmingham.
The advertisment does not show my specific machine, but one very similar for much larger work. This is from a scan of "Benns Encyclopaedia of Hardware" 1954 so they must have still been going in that year at least.
Confusingly a new company has started called Hazdent Ltd in 2022 but this is not dental and not related!

 

[minilathe22]

Also some extra info, looks like the company made it into the 1980s: Hazlewood & Dent Ironmongery & Tools

 

[tonylathes]

We now know a little more about Hazdent Multico Junior Wood Lathe Permission to use your rebuilt pictures - and others if you have them - would be a most welcome addition to the Archive I trust that the rebuild has gone well and the machine back in use? My good wishes, Tony Griffiths.

 

[minilathe22]

No problem Tony, go ahead!

 

[tonylathes]

No problem Tony, go ahead!

Thank you very much - will do!

 

[minilathe22]

Hello everyone, as I am moving house this machine is now reluctantly for sale:

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/large-wood-lathe-for-sale.149012/