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

Good news, the lathe is now mine and is in my shed. Still sitting in the trailer, so still to unload.

It came with 4 micrometers, 2 in cases, small and medium. Also 2 smalls, which are unloved, gunked up and lying in the bottom of the drill
bit box.

Now for a stupid question, the oil level is at the bottom of the LHS sight glass, where do I put more in?

For those who would like to see it, attached a photo of the head gears and pulleys.

Would anyone have a threading data plate that even if it doesn't have the same appearance as mine, has the same data?
Bob kindly took a photo of his for me, but when comparing it to mine, the data is different.
As you will see below, parts of the data are not readable.

.View attachment 269726View attachment 269729View attachment 269730View attachment 269731View attachment 269732View attachment 269733View attachment 269734
Oops!

Here's the photo. Plus another that gives some detail on the far right section.

Regards,
Terry

IMG_1201.JPGIMG_1194.JPG
 
Bob,

That's consistent with what I learned as well - with a bit more detail. My understanding (which may be incorrect) is that after Jet won the marketing prize, the smaller competing factories simply vaporized. In any event, the good news is that very nearly ALL of these vintage machines are essentially alike. Makes it a bit confusing trying to identify a specific brand, but comforting to know that if you find detail on any one of them, you've got it on all of them.

Regards, and thanks for the history lesson.

P.S.: Several have posted this comment and I most certainly agree: These are extremely well-built machines! I was at the seller's large shop to look at some tooling that he had for sale (he's in his late 80's and selling off much of his stock). I saw this little gem sitting among some other large tools, basically just collecting dust. It was immediately obvious that this was a solid little machine. My number one 'go-to' lathe is a 2000's vintage 15 x 40 floor model, and it was clear that the Kin Shin, although smaller, was a much sturdier machine. Should have kept it.

Yes it all makes sense, just a bit confusing. my lathe is essentially the same just a later model, with a few improvements, like the camlock chuck, a few more oil points, geared headstock. It's a dam good lathe very accurate straight out of the shop. all handwheels are calibrated metric and imperial. Even though Australia is officially metric and has been for some time, I decided to order my lathe as an imperial machine with 8 TPI lead screw cross slide, compound etc are all imperial I just figured that most of what I'm likely to do will be imperial. I am comfortable working in either system and have done for nearly 40 years.

If I need a metric thread I just use the 120 x 127 T gears and I'm in business, basically 127/5 gives 25.4 = mm per inch that's how it works, so its sconverting the leadscrew to a metric equivalent, then the norton box does the rest.

And as Doug said the right hand saddle wheel is a british convention, and seeing as they invented the industrial revolution and built the first lathes we reckon it's the correct way, and Taiwan has long been prepared to make them that way for us. personally I think it's safer, you get a lot less hot chips on your hands. and it puts you further away from spinning things like the chuck. Over the years I have driven a few LH lathes but was never happy.
 
Hi Doug,
Glad you got the program sorted. I've used it for years and had a few niggles when I upgraded to Win 7 yet others have no problems.
I used it to work out what gears to make as my lathe only came with one change gear, has a metric leadscrew and most of the stuff I work on is Imperial. I set the precision at 0.0000001% and if a thread can't be cut work down to see if I can find something that will work OK. 0.05% is close enough for most things.
Looks like everything is coming together well. Thanks for posting the updates.

- Barry.
 
Terry, Bob and Barry. Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and photos.

Bob - See attached photos of carbide holders - both SECO. Also see photo of a new surface myself and the carbide tool have invented, I have christened it the "Porcupine Surface"! Probably the result of incorrect rpm for the tool?
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Now for my latest problem. This lathe is cutting a taper headstock large to tailstock small of 35 thou in 6"!!!

I tried checking its level and mucked about with the leveling bolts to no avail. Adjusting them does not make a difference.
I do note that when I extend the right rear bolt the right front bolt leaves the floor. But the opposite does not happen.
Do I have a warped bed or am I missing something?
 
Terry

The right hand photo - the ratios are the same as mine.

I can't make out the data on the blue plates.

Regards
Doug
Doug,

Try t
Terry

The right hand photo - the ratios are the same as mine.

I can't make out the data on the blue plates.

Regards
Doug
Doug,

Try these photos. I think I figured out how to crop and enlarge a section of a photo.

Regards,
Terry
IMG_1192.JPGIMG_1193.JPGIMG_1201-a.jpg
 
Terry

Easy to see now - thanks.

The left and right photo, the data is exactly the same as my lathe.

The middle photo the data is totally different.

Weird huh. See attached photo and compare.

Regards
Doug
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Terry

Easy to see now - thanks.

The left and right photo, the data is exactly the same as my lathe.

The middle photo the data is totally different.

Weird huh. See attached photo and compare.

Regards
DougView attachment 270107
That is strange. Any other experts out there have a clue on this one?

Regards
 
Terry. Did you note that the cross feed is 1/2? But even when those numbers are doubled they don't match yours. Doug
 
Terry. Did you note that the cross feed is 1/2? But even when those numbers are doubled they don't match yours. Doug
It's not uncommon for the cross feed to be half the long feed, my lathe is the same.
 
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