My new Taiwanese lathe

Skierdude

David P
H-M Supporter - Silver Member
Joined
May 24, 2017
Messages
78
So I'm new to machining. I've cut, bashed, bent and welded metal for quite some years now. Purely for fun to give me a diversion from the pain of being part of the IT industry. I've been looking to add a lathe to the workshop for a few years now. I've been looking for a good second hand machine for a while now but here in New Zealand there hasn't been a lot available that's in good enough condition. I've watched YouTube videos, read website blogs and wandered through dozens of forums gathering information to make that first purchase. I hate buying any tool only to find it isn't quite up to the job. So after much reading and with a little bit of apprehension I purchased a new Taiwanese 12x36 2hp lathe - a Hafco AL-960B.
I have read horror stories about Asian lathes having casting sand in the gearbox, out of tolerance components and other assorted nasties so this lathe got a thorough going over as it was uncrated. I have been very pleased with what I've found so far. Castings are pretty good and certainly better than some Chinese lathes I've seen. Once the lathe was mounted on its stand and given an initial alignment I ran the DTI over most of the moving parts and it was well inside the tolerances for this unit so I was quite happy. There's a few annoyances such as the Drive belts are very difficult to change as the motor won't move as far as it should as it runs up to the rear splash guard and into one of the headstock adjustment screws. Second and more important issue is that the motor control is a simple FWD / OFF/ REV switch. Turn the power on while the switch is in FWD or REV and the spindle starts to turn. I've already bought some contractors and will be building a new electrics system. I'm learning how to grind tools and chips have started to fly so let the fun begin.
One question, if anyone is still reading, do people use the chuck guards that seem to be supplied with new lathes. I don't see what real purpose they serve covering just the chuck and I'm not usually standing in front of the chuck. I don't recall any videos where a chuck guard is in use.

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I use my chuck guard about 20% of the time. The wat it is set up, it just flips up out of the way. I don't have a splash guard, and most of the flying chips are launched bu the chuck - I like the guard because it reduces how many and how far the chips fly. It also reduces the spray of various oils & lubes. I do not think of it as a safety device, it simply contains stuff that would fly around more. Even if I had a splash guard (on the project list) I would still keep the church guard.

I see you have a splash guard. Try out the chuck guard for a while - you may find you like it.

I agree, don't stand in the line of fire off the chuck.
 
So I'm new to machining. I've cut, bashed, bent and welded metal for quite some years now. Purely for fun to give me a diversion from the pain of being part of the IT industry. I've been looking to add a lathe to the workshop for a few years now. I've been looking for a good second hand machine for a while now but here in New Zealand there hasn't been a lot available that's in good enough condition. I've watched YouTube videos, read website blogs and wandered through dozens of forums gathering information to make that first purchase. I hate buying any tool only to find it isn't quite up to the job. So after much reading and with a little bit of apprehension I purchased a new Taiwanese 12x36 2hp lathe - a Hafco AL-960B.
I have read horror stories about Asian lathes having casting sand in the gearbox, out of tolerance components and other assorted nasties so this lathe got a thorough going over as it was uncrated. I have been very pleased with what I've found so far. Castings are pretty good and certainly better than some Chinese lathes I've seen. Once the lathe was mounted on its stand and given an initial alignment I ran the DTI over most of the moving parts and it was well inside the tolerances for this unit so I was quite happy. There's a few annoyances such as the Drive belts are very difficult to change as the motor won't move as far as it should as it runs up to the rear splash guard and into one of the headstock adjustment screws. Second and more important issue is that the motor control is a simple FWD / OFF/ REV switch. Turn the power on while the switch is in FWD or REV and the spindle starts to turn. I've already bought some contractors and will be building a new electrics system. I'm learning how to grind tools and chips have started to fly so let the fun begin.
One question, if anyone is still reading, do people use the chuck guards that seem to be supplied with new lathes. I don't see what real purpose they serve covering just the chuck and I'm not usually standing in front of the chuck. I don't recall any videos where a chuck guard is in use.

Welcome to HM! That's a nice looking lathe. Most guys don't seem to like the chuck guard but some do. It has more to do with preventing the lathe from running if you forget your chuck key in the chuck. It also reduces the vertical stripe of oil you get on your shirt and face when you first run a freshly oiled chuck. I don't really care for them but mine is still in place; it doesn't really get in my way ... much.
 
Like mikey said, they will prevent the oil sling on the shirt from fresh oiled chuck. I got those, as my old lathe did not have sucha thing. Have never used one but my though is how do you keep it clean so you can see through it. Scratch city. Welcome to the site and have fun.
 
I don't try to see through mine. I might clean it once a year. The way I have the guard adjusted, I can see just fine. Like I said in my earlier post, I don't use it all the time - it just flips up out of the way. I don't think of this as a safety item, the purpose is to reduce the spray off (shirt, wall, ceiling).
 
Yea, I have two lathes back to back, The front side of the back splash on one is acrylic and wipes down. The problem is the back side which the other lathe sits is not, It has a nice strip of oil from the chuck. Of course I got it from both. I even though I was standing to the side when I started it up after oiling, but still got it. I also figured out a put to much and lowered the amount I put in.

One lathe I saw with it would not start or run with the shield up, Thus I did not like it.
 
Chuck guards are good for cutting certain metals like brass which emit a spray of pernicious little chips; I had a brass chip bounce off my eyeball once
and wished I had had a guard.
Mark S.
 
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