Hafco AL900A lathe, is anyone able to identify what it really is?

Another job after the success with the headstock was to re-zero the tailstock.
Went through the whole procedure, fresh centre point, razor blade between the centres, adjusted tailstock, all good.

Did a reface on the alloy bar, re centre drilled it, set up live centre against it and did a LHS and RHS 2 pass turn and measured.
34 thou out on RHS on 5" bar. Expletive not typed in here!
Surely the sodding headstock hasn't moved?
Rolled back the tailstock, re-turned the bar at each end unsupported and measured and 1 thou difference. Phew! :encourage:

So now the problem was, what the heck is going on? :cower:

So, the whole centre procedure again and yep, 34 thou out again...... If nothing, this thing is consistent in how far out it wants to be.

So standing there looking at it wanting to repurpose the tailstock as a boat anchor and I got thinking, "bet the bar will spring when I back off
the tailstock"?
It did.
So I decided I would play this game the tailstock way.
Bob will probably shake his head at me being unconventional again, but worth a try.
I put the tail stock back into the bar and set up the dial indicator, then adjusted the tail stock across 17 thou.
Checked by winding the centre in and out and looking for any bar deflection to confirm I had centre (also with help of dial indicator) but mainly trusting eye sight.
Then re-turned each end of the alloy bar (tailstock supported) and measured = 1 thou difference.

Ran the dial indicator, bar supported by tailstock and then without and bingo, 1 thou difference.

Then just out of curiosity I set up my peep sight device and it agreed that the tailstock was in line. Photo attached.
Due to camera not being able to cope, I could not get the photo with correct distance from peep sight to show concentric rings with just a hair of clearance between the circumference of each ring.
What you see as the white glow in the central hole is the light reflecting off the live centre in the tail stock. Add in some hand shake and I am off centre a tad when taking the photo, but you get the idea.
Samsung doubtless never expected their phone camera to be used for this sort of thing, so surprising that the results were as good as this.
20180701_163144.jpg


That was it for today. Progress is pleasing and I am satisfied the lathe is now bedded down at its new home.

Regards
Doug!
 
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dgrev said:
Bob

Here are some photos I took today for you.
Unfortunately the markings were a bust.
There are some other photos I want to ask some questions about, but will do separate posts for clarity.

I ran out of time and forgot all about getting measurements for you. I will do that tomorrow.

QCTPView attachment 270880View attachment 270881View attachment 270882View attachment 270883View attachment 270884
Click to expand...

A couple of good shots of the tool post, It looks a size smaller than mine, that doesn't matter. It's only two sided mine is three, again doesn't matter.

It is of exactly the same design, but that don't prove anything, as I said before there are at least 4 manufacturers of that design in Europe that I know off, and mostly their parts are not interchangeable.

The vertical V groove slides are crucial, and must be the same. The camlock spindles, you appear to have two of them, that's good, because they'd be one of the hardest parts to make.

The height adjustment piece, looks a bit like a cotton reel, has a tapped hole running through the middle, it screws onto the threaded rod on the topside of the tool; holder, and in conjunction with the locking spindle locates the height of the tool holder and locks into place. Another screw, the same as the square headed screws for clamping the tool, is screwed down into the spool and locks it into place.

I'd post some pics if I could, but for some reason my photo card will not download to my computer.
 
Bob. Thanks for the details. I did wonder what the appropriate method was to lock the cotton reel in place.
 
dgrev said:
For your entertainment, look what I discovered today when I pulled the cross-slide/compound slide apart for a much needed clean and oil. This was due to the swiveling action of the compound slide not wanting to happen unless I slackened the far-too-big-to-allow-an-open-end-spanner-to-fit-all-the-way-on nuts many facet turns off.
It may be this is a factory job, but probably not. I wonder what happened to the originals?
View attachment 270888
A couple of high tensile bolts, some ham fisted oxy-acetylene weld resulting in 2 dodgy
sliding (not) retainers.
Does anyone have photos of what the real things should look like please.

They don't look original, I'll try to get a look at mine tomorrow, I'll take photos, but until I can sort out why I can't post them, All I can do is try.
Click to expand...
 

Actually I don't need to take photos, My lathe uses socket head hex screws that screw into a "T" nut that fits in the circular groove. I can't get at them at the moment because I have a job set up that I can't move until it's finished. SHHS also make it easier to get a spanner in.
 
I got to the point I heartedly detested the SHHS in the headstock of my lathe. Especially so the ones at the gear end which are upside down. The one behind the 127/120 Tooth gear was very difficult to get into.
Normal hex head bolts would have been so much easier.
However, for my compound slide, anything would be an improvement over those nuts and mangled bolt heads.
 
dgrev said:
I have a steady rest, but am missing the retainer/foot device. Suggestions please as what I can substitute that will be robust enough to do the job?
View attachment 270889
Another photo flipped on its side by the forum software!
Click to expand...

A piece of 1/2" plate should be sufficient. should be able to get some scrap from the fabrication guys.

Your pics being flipped are you posting from a camera or a phone, I've noticed a lot of people have trouble with flipped pics from a phone.
 
dgrev said:
Now for some "what's this for" questions.

Photo 1
- Far side of the carriage, 2 sets of threaded holes, differing heights and differing dimensions apart.
Any idea what their purpose is?
- You will also notice 2 pieces of rag sticking up out of the cross slide. They are blocking 2 threaded holes
also of unknown purpose? They do however collect swathe and drop it into the cross slide area so I
will plug them with grub screws (if I have any that size) or small bolts.
View attachment 270885

Photo 2
- Its at thing! First off I thought it was a parting tool with a broken carbide tip. But closer examination
shows the carbide does not appear to be broken. It also appears to aim way too low for a part off tool.
So what is it?
I have no idea why the forum software randomly turns photos on their sides or upside down. It is not
me doing it!
View attachment 270886
View attachment 270887
Click to expand...
Is that a brazed in tip. It looks home made and looks all wrong it's upside down and the rake is wrong, badly wrong, but it does look like a parting tool, just wrong.
 
Bob.

Phone pics.
Gave up on camera years ago.
Phone is always charged and on me. 16mp quality but usually turned down to 8mp as sufficient for my needs and does not take up so much storage space.
Camera is 12mp, but does have a better lens (zoom). However, by the time the camera finishes analysing the focus/light/zodiac and whatever else it mucks around doing, any quick event has gone and I get a photo minus the subject. Phone beats it hands down there.
Likewise the torch app on the phone. Invaluable!
Camera is always not where I am because I did not intend to use it so didn't take it with me and it goes flat when not being used, so have to put it on charge for an hour first.

Doug.
 
Bob - ok, weird parting tool it is then. Can't see me using it. Myself and parting tools seem to be non-compatible. I try my hardest to get them on centre and set up right. But they still chatter and misbehave.

What am I doing wrong?

Doug
 
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