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

There originally had been a round pin with an angled top to stop the tool post from turning clockwise. Easily made up piece. I am on the road for the next few days so I cannot take any photos of it.

Lube oil suggested is usually something like Mobil DTE Heavy/Medium.

As for the apron oil filler. Are there any oil points on the apron other than that one? It maybe a single point reservoir to lube all points on the apron while mine has like a half dozen individual points to lube. My apron lower section has no sump for the gears, so I have to spray in lube oil and watch it run out afterwards.
Pierre
 
Pierre - could not get it through Scribd, I used the free trial a few months back and it has expired. But got it under the actual name of PL-300 from another site. Thanks Doug.

For anyone with an Enco lathe of other version, go here: <http://enco-lathe-manuals.blogspot.com/p/lathe-manual-downloads.html>

Update: I found the Enco manual at another site and it has different content to the PL-300 version, no download restriction:
<https://123slide.org/everything-is-okay.html?utm_source=enco-manual-110-2034>
 
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Next question. On top of apron/carriage there is an oil filler plug, very nicely marked "Oil". But no sight glass and no obvious drain plug.

So how do I know how much oil to put in there?

None of the manuals mention quantity.

Providing I can find a drain point I will multi flush that too.
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Oh, other success was a magnetic base dial indicator. I was sure from the last time I was around lathes (about 3 decades ago) that they were spring loaded to give a dynamic run out reading. This thing was quite firm and stayed where ever I pushed it to. Hmmmm. Gave it a liberal dose of WD-40 (no INOX yet) and got it working. Chuffed!
It does however want to rest at 20 thou before zero and is at full travel 20 thou after 1". Is that normal?View attachment 269808

Doug that oil hole under the cap is either a small cup with some pipe cleaner wick type oil carriers to various parts under the saddle or it fills a little reservoir that one of the gear wheels under there dips into and then spreads it around. mine does that but does have a little sight glass on the front of saddle. Open it and see what it looks like. or just pour 1/4 cup of oil in and see what come out. if nothing comes out pour a bit more in until it comes out then you'll know it's full.

In the photo immediately under the oil cap see that little ball oiler on the hand wheel use a pump type oil can to put a couple of squirts in there, and any others you see like it.
 
Bob, thanks. Will do. Need to go buy some oil tomorrow morning. There is a car place that is open 7 days that has Penrite, hopefully they have some hydraulic oil. Regards Doug
 
A quick change too post has been retrofitted at some point. Seems to be a mixed blessing. There is a through hole with a counter bore at the top, whatever that is for?
There is no indexing, but I did retrieve a spring out of a hole in the cross slide, but no ball. :-(
So went in search and found the original tool head. It has 4 nice index slots.
I think I feel a need to upgrade the quick change head to 4 index bores and reinstate the missing ball.View attachment 269809View attachment 269810

That QCTP looks to be the same make as the one I got with my lathe although mine is 3 sided not two. It's an Italian brand very good quality. Although the tool holders are very expensive so if you need to get more it's a pain. OK if you have enough. Looks like your previous owner did away with the detent pin same as me I think they are a pain. ok with the older 4 sided posts but just get in the way with QCTP.

Because of the cost I have upgraded to an Aloris BXA. The cost of a new post genuine from USA Aloris with 4 holders was less than two new holders for the italian one.
 
There are 2 holders on the post that you can see plus another 2, 1 of which is missing the long grub screw.
I need to have a play with it to see how the cam action gadgets on the top work.
 
Bob, thanks. Will do. Need to go buy some oil tomorrow morning. There is a car place that is open 7 days that has Penrite, hopefully they have some hydraulic oil. Regards Doug


Have fun shopping see if they have Inox. Not sure that it has to be hydraulic just straight oil without additives SAE 20 will be fine.
 
There are 2 holders on the post that you can see plus another 2, 1 of which is missing the long grub screw.
I need to have a play with it to see how the cam action gadgets on the top work.

They're an odd type of post but very well made and super accurate I just can't think of the name and it's to cold to go out in the garage now, does yours have a name on it, should be on the top. the big trap is there are a few similar looking ones all made in europe but they are not all interchangeable.
 
There are 2 holders on the post that you can see plus another 2, 1 of which is missing the long grub screw.
I need to have a play with it to see how the cam action gadgets on the top work.
They are fairly easy to understand once you star playing with them. In some ways I like them better than the Aloris, and I'll keep mine and use it it's pretty simple to change between i've modified my set up so I can quickly change from one post to the other, all three, each one does have an advantage. I'm just not paying the exorbitant price for sopare tool holders.
 
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