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

dgrev

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Hello all.

I have bought a lathe in Outback Australia and would like to try and identify it and get a handbook.

It claims to be a HAFCO AL900A, which could mean it is a Shun Shin (Taiwan) lathe circa 1980 to 1985.
The same manufacturer also appears to have supplied nameplates in a dog's breakfast selection of
brands. Possibly Herless, Pacific, Enco etc. But I have yet to find any with those name plates that have
the same appearance, close yes, the same no.

See photo attached. Noteworthy is the main hand wheel located on the RHS.

I seem to be able to find various lathes on line which look similar, especially with the the 2 view glasses on the headstock,
but they all have the traditional tumbler gear lever over on the LHS, but this lathe doesn't?

Apologies for the poor quality photo, but it is all I have until next weekend when I can collect the lathe.

Regards
Doug

34594925_10155200713212003_3516783637884305408_ob.jpg
 
I can tell you the Norton Gearbox, the thread versus drive, and the forward/backward levers are in the same place as my Grizzly G4003G.

What I don't see are the spindle RPM selection gear controls.
 
Hello Mitch

The spindle speed has me puzzled too.

On the lathes I can find online, there are many that appear similar, but have a definite "step" or shelf in the area immediately above the thread/speed selector handles. Some have data plates on there others do not. See attached photo of a Jet 1236 which I found online last night. I have found photos of the Grizzly 4003 and am downloading a manual for it from the Grizzly site as I type, thanks for the info!

I am told that the main hand wheel being on the RHS side is an alteration for the English market, I think they actually mean "British" or
probably most correctly "British Commonwealth" market.

Once I can get access again next week I will take decent photos.

Regards
Doug

12x36 Jet-02.JPG
 
On the bed of the Hafco lathe are 3 rods:
1) Lead Screw
2) Feed shaft
3) ? What does it do?

Also have found out that the actual manufacturer may be "Chizhou Jousehold Machine Tool Company" - note their spelling of "Household"!

Yet another brand name it may have been sold under is "Rex-Cut".
Seems like the maker supplied a wide choice of name plates or by request whatever naming the seller/importer wanted.
 
Mitch. Thanks for that, it now makes sense as to why there is no forward/reverse lever on the head stock and no power on off buttons mounted above the feed rate handles.
Regards
Doug
The third shaft has a lever on the carriage that turns the lathe forward, off, and reverse.
The shaft runs over to a switch near the norton gearbox.
 
Spindle speed is directly below the HAFCO logo. Just about everything Hafco sell now has apron wheel on right. Much easier to use than on left.
Hafco now sells an AL-900B that still looks very similar - have a look at their website and download the manual it will bee nearly the same, in fact they advertise that they have been selling this model for over 20 years.
Hope that helps.
 
NortonDommi

That's the weird thing about it. I have done repeated web searches for the HAFCO website and can never find it.
I keep getting re-directed to Hare and Forbes and they do not list an AL-900. When I emailed them, they said they
had never stocked it.
Do you have a link please?

Regards
Doug

Spindle speed is directly below the HAFCO logo. Just about everything Hafco sell now has apron wheel on right. Much easier to use than on left.
Hafco now sells an AL-900B that still looks very similar - have a look at their website and download the manual it will bee nearly the same, in fact they advertise that they have been selling this model for over 20 years.
Hope that helps.
 
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