Hafco AL336 not cutting straight

Thanks guys.

I used a HSS vertical sheer tool for the turning and carbide for the facing.

I had a quick look tonight and I've decided to go back and start again. I checked the runout on the spindle mounting face 0.01mm, pulled the jaws off the 3 jaw and checked the runout at the chuck face 0.05mm. Rotated the chuck in the spindle and the runout changed I got it down to 0.02mm. So this weekends job is to markup the spindle and check the mount, and put the chuck on the surface plate to check it.
 
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Just thinking......

With the chuck not running concentric I think I have mal adjusted the headstock so it cuts parallel but the headstock is now pointing forward.
 
I've got an AL356V and after about 3 years developed a slight taper, turned out the two front hold down bolts had relaxed slightly. Crap quality so replace all the cap screws with quality ones, aligned using Rollie's Dad's method with a cut on a 300mm piece of 50mm heavy wall pipe for final checks and been good last couple of years. The cap screws are all low quality throughout so it pays to replace as you go if you need to remove for any reason.
 
Have a look at Dgrev's post on his older hafco al 900. he has had no end of trouble getting it square.

Unfortunately hafco are selling a lot of chineses made stuff that has not been properly made or assembled. And it appears that they don't check them very well on delivery.

I only have one hafco product, a small band saw, it is Taiwanese made and it does a pretty good job so far, considering I overload it shamelessly.

If you get it to turn parallel and then it faces concave or convex, it means the cross slide is not square with the bed. you may also find that the head stock is not parallel in the horizontal plane and you may have to shim it. So when you have turned a piece that is reasonably parallel, set your dial indicator to read on the top of the shaft and wind the carriage back and forward see if its truly horizontal. If it dips or rises that will affect your parallel turning so shim that first and then reset the headstock square with the carriage travel.

Before buying my lathe I looked at these chinese made lathes, and walked away from them. A decent Taiwanese made lathe of the same size is only about 20% more to me that is no contest.

If the cross slide and bed turn out to be out of square you may have to compromise on each one. depends which one is more important for the work you do. good luck.
 
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Just thinking......

With the chuck not running concentric I think I have mal adjusted the headstock so it cuts parallel but the headstock is now pointing forward.
When I adjusted my headstock the tailstock needed a big adjustment, too.

I wished I would have changed my cap screws with high quality screws, sometimes when I moved them the headstock moved opposite the way it should have. I believe this is due to uneven threads and/or unflat surfaces on the cap screws( either at the base or under the cap). Might also be due to uneven surfaces where the headstock meets the lathe bed.

Unfortunately it is true that before adjusting the headstock everything else(chuck or collets, bed, compound, carriage, crossslide, leveling, ) need to be dialed in.:guilty:
 
I've got an AL356V and after about 3 years developed a slight taper, turned out the two front hold down bolts had relaxed slightly. Crap quality so replace all the cap screws with quality ones, aligned using Rollie's Dad's method with a cut on a 300mm piece of 50mm heavy wall pipe for final checks and been good last couple of years. The cap screws are all low quality throughout so it pays to replace as you go if you need to remove for any reason.

Thats a very good suggestion, I replaced the column bolts on my HM47 with 8.8 so I will do the same with the lathe this week.
 
There is a Colchester for sale which I have already inquired about, I am seriously considering it.

My problem is I can not sell this lathe as it is. I would not pass this onto an unsuspecting buyer. I need to get it cutting as true as I can then re-asses. I have just ordered a Moore & Wright 0.001mm runout indicator and I have a 16x400mm precision shaft.
 
I did the lathe cutting less than 0.02mm taper over 140mm, not too bad.

But I fixed the issue for good. I had been looking for a Colchester for a long time and this one came up, it's in very good condition, the bed looks pristine, even the brake works.

Colchester Master Mk1.5.jpg
 
You did well, lathes of this quality and in this condition are very scarce downunder. I looked for a couple of years and gave up, ended up buying new.
 
I made the trip into Melbourne today to pick it up, I thought $3000 was a good price for the condition, most of the swarf in the machine is plastic.

As soon as the VFD arrives I can fire it up.
 
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