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

Hello All (especially Bob).
I thought it was time to re-visit the lathe and see if I could improve on things now that it has had some months to settle in (with a limited amount of use).
I noticed that the tailstock seemed out due to a spring when I tried to use the live centre on a 6" piece of bar. So did the razor blade adjustment as per Bob's instructions. It was quite a bit out which surprised me.
So it was back to using the dial indicator on the saddle and checking each end of the bar until I was satisfied that the taper I attained last time of 0.001" per inch had not changed. As before, with the headstock, it is very difficult to align due to the 4 allen head bolts having such an exaggerated effect on the alignment as they are cinched down. But I got the run out to 0.0015" in 6". Very chuffed with that.
 
All
Next job was to do something about the thread gear data plate. The previous owner appears to have hung the chuck key on the thread gear levers and ruined the data plate in the process. About 8 hours work at pixel level gave me the artwork for a new plate.
I have 2 types of sticker material, 1 is silver the other is clear. Have not decided whether I will stick the clear on a piece of thin alloy or just use the silver sticker material. Regardless I will apply a layer of clear to protect the information. Details are in a previous post on this thread, but I use a laser printer (or photocopy machine) to print onto the sticker material as the medium is thermal set whereas regular printer ink smudges. See photos.
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I also did another data diagram to attach to the cover to the left of the spindle gear cover as a reminder of the gear configuration for metric as to imperial for threading.
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I am still on the hunt for the remaining missing gear. The Grizzly site has been continuously showing it as out of stock ever since I bought this lathe. Sigh.....
What I have allows me to do the common metric threads so I should be ok, but it would be nice to have the full set.

Regards
Doug
 
Hello Tom.

Good to know there is another Shen Wai out there. You mention you bought some parts from Grizzly that fitted. What parts were those please?

Regards
Doug
 
I have not put the gear I bought in yet but they look the same. It is one of the gears in the gear box on the back shaft that runs the lead screw. In the Shenwai parts list there are 3 gears with the same number. It is a double gear with 16 and 32 teeth. For the Grizzly G1003 the parts list shows what look like the same 3 gears but with two different numbers. I ordered one of each. They are the same except one has a bushing so it can be used on a smaller shaft. The Grizzly DF1237G is the same as ours but Grizzly doesn't show it in their parts lists. They seem to be running out of other parts too. I thing a lot of the parts are the same but there is no standard number that could be used for cross reference. It is likely a plan.
I am just finishing getting my Mill/Drill going and getting back to the lathe. I need to tear it down far enough to change the gear and do a deep cleaning. Your posts above will be a great help.
 
A guy I used to do work for bought one of these about mid 80s,he s still got it ,and I doubt its done more than 10 hrs running in all those years......I tried to buy it about 20 yrs ago,but hes made of money,and simply wont sell anything....easy enough to understand when he owned every farm in his street,and been selling out to developers at around $1 m each.........now he s got fancy houses all round ,and his cows still c****p on the roadway.......as he says......they gotta go somewhere.
 
John. It will make a great buy one day. Hopefully considering your environment, it is well oiled. Doug
 
dgrev said:
I also did another data diagram to attach to the cover to the left of the spindle gear cover as a reminder of the gear configuration for metric as to imperial for threading.
View attachment 288043
I am still on the hunt for the remaining missing gear. The Grizzly site has been continuously showing it as out of stock ever since I bought this lathe. Sigh.....
What I have allows me to do the common metric threads so I should be ok, but it would be nice to have the full set.

Regards
Doug
Click to expand...

G'day Doug, It's been a while, good to see your getting that lathe sorted, Your replacement charts look good. I look forward to seeing it sometime, Don't know when I'll get to visit the hill but it might even be later this year.
 
Hello Bob.

I get back to it as I can. Other stuff takes priority. But the main ratio data plate was really annoying me as it was so hard to read when I did want to do a job with the lathe.

Regards
Doug
 
john.k said:
A guy I used to do work for bought one of these about mid 80s,he s still got it ,and I doubt its done more than 10 hrs running in all those years......I tried to buy it about 20 yrs ago,but hes made of money,and simply wont sell anything....easy enough to understand when he owned every farm in his street,and been selling out to developers at around $1 m each.........now he s got fancy houses all round ,and his cows still c****p on the roadway.......as he says......they gotta go somewhere.
Click to expand...

Do you think he might have the owners manual? That would be a great thing to have a copy of posted here.
 
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