Thank you for taking the time to check out what makes the HDB200XL so special. With so  many seemingly similar machines and accessories on the market, even experienced turners may find it difficult to make an objective choice of equipment. I have accordingly listed the main features that you will recognise as contributing to the quality and turning performance of any lathe and explain how the Hegner design meets all of these important criteria. These are "real" features (not purely cosmetic) in that they contribute directly to the lathe's practical capabilities and consequently your enjoyment in using it.

As you consider these facts, remember too please that our complete confidence in the quality of Hegner machines is backed, within the

Single row ball bearings (with which the vast majority of lathes are fitted) necessarily have a limited amount of working "clearance", that is, free-play between the rolling elements and the inner and outer tracks.  This translates into unwanted movement between the work and the tool.  The HDB's bearing is a double row, angular contact ball bearing.  Apart from its enormous load carrying capacity, it has the virtue of being adjustable to completely eliminate all trace of unwanted axial and radial float in the shaft assembly.  It is pre-lubricated and sealed for life, so requires no maintenance.  In practical terms, it means that the HDB enables you to undertake work that is far beyond the scope of similarly priced machines.  Whether you are turning large or small pieces, the pleasure of being able

The HDB's double row angular contact bearings are easily adjusted to eliminate end float with this lock nut.

The "kiss" test is a simple check of centre alignment carried out by bringing the head and tailstock together and observing that  the centres meet. This is no guarantee however that the head and tailstock bores are in line with each other. The moment when a long hole boring auger emerges from the side of a lamp stem that you are drilling may be the first you know of the problem! Similarly, although a drill may be started into the work successfully because the tip is on the same axis line as the drive centre, drilling will become progressively more difficult and mechanically stressful if the bores are not parallel.

The "kiss" test

"The tailstock body incorporates two sprung ballbearing units........

..... which take up the lateral working clearance between the slide faces and serve to locate the tailstock positively against rear-centre (datum) face of the bed."

W ithout access to proper measuring equipment, a simple check is to carry out the "kiss" test with the tailstock in both the fully retracted and fully extended positions. If the tailstock bore is in line (the important bore in this case) there should be no appreciable deviation. Also check that operating the tailstock body and spindle clamps does not affect the accuracy of the setting through excessive clearance in the fit of the relative components.

H egner's design meets all of these requirements. The lathe bed is made from 4mm thick, rectangular box section steel, precision welded to form an immensely strong and rigid, one-piece structure. Its upper and inner bearing faces are then machine ground to provide a dimensionally perfect slideway for the tailstock and cross slide assemblies. The tailstock body incorporates two sprung ballbearing units which take up the lateral working clearance between the slide faces and serve to locate the tailstock positively against rear-centre (datum) face of the bed. The practical effect is to ensure that the tailstock moves freely to any chosen position but never deviates from true, parallel alignment with the bed and mainshaft tuning axis. The tailstock spindle is also machine-ground to its finished dimension for a close tolerance fit in the tailstock body. Lateral pressure from the spindle clamp has no discernible effect on its centre alignment over the full 75mm travel. Bronze support bearings and a large diameter handwheel for the shaft make for a beautifully smooth operation. Drilling, long hole boring (through the hollow tailstock spindle) and support functions of the tailstock are as good as they can be.

A ny chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so to complete the relative perfection of the HDB's centre alignment picture, we provide a twin bearing, industrial quality, live centre for the lathe. ( A poor quality centre can be the source of many problems such as spiral ribbing on planing cuts, vibration and so on.)

THESE SPECIFCATIONS of the HDB200XL are exclusive to
Hegner UK Ltd and are not availble from other HEGNER AGENTS