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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
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    Adelaide
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    239

    Default My new ARL project

    Hi All

    I picked up this ARLF 9" with the raising block set fitted to it, the lathe has the high speed motor mount as well and the old girl needs a bit of TLC but generally is very nice condition.

    Can anyone confirm what the F stands for as i have seen a few different quotes around but unsure of what it actually stands for? is it that it is fitted with the high speed gear as in ball bearing countershaft and high speed pulleys and motor mount? Also i think the driven pulley on the countershaft is part No M204 from the spare parts manual and the motor pulley part No M205, could this also have been a factory set up or would it have been changed at some time? I am just curious to find out if other people have these set ups from the factory.

    Another question is would anyone have a picture and dimensions of the raising block for the travelling steady(or willing to sell one???) as it came with the fixed steady and raising block (which has Vee's both side so it can be turned around) and I have a travelling steady so I might as well make a raising lock for that as well.

    Steve
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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
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    sydney ( st marys )
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    Default

    I could probably supply a riser block for the travelling stead for around $50 depending on the height you require.

  3. #3
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    Aug 2015
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    Adelaide
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by pipeclay View Post
    I could probably supply a riser block for the travelling stead for around $50 depending on the height you require.
    Thanks for the offer pipeclay but I should be right to knock 1 up,I was going to use a bit of 12mm plate and put 2 studs 1" higher than the mounting holes in the saddle, I was curious to know how Hercus did it to see if I was close, I couldn't see it being anything too over the top like a big cast adaptor as that would bring the steady too far back from the saddle.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Newcastle
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    62

    Default

    Hi Steve, I have two "F"'s one "H" pattern (ARF) and one "P" pattern (ARHF) both mint and original after 4 or 5 of the standards. There is a lot of talk about just what the "F" stands for and I'm pretty certain it is the roller bearing counter shaft that makes it an "F" The books don't say anything about it them but what I've been able to determine that's what determines it.
    Some say it could mean fast, because they do run much faster or it could be full roller bearing but I think it's just a prefix letter to distinguish it from the standard "R" The pullies would be standard pullies, they come with a number of different ones, some double, some single.
    hope this helps
    Stephen

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Geelong
    Posts
    2

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    If you are referring to the 'F' at the end of the serial number I can advise the following.

    I went to the Hercus factory a few years a and asked about the 'F' in the serial number of my 260 lathe and was told it stand for 'Flame hardened" ways.

    Col

  6. #6
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    Aug 2015
    Location
    Adelaide
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen Gorton View Post
    Hi Steve, I have two "F"'s one "H" pattern (ARF) and one "P" pattern (ARHF) both mint and original after 4 or 5 of the standards. There is a lot of talk about just what the "F" stands for and I'm pretty certain it is the roller bearing counter shaft that makes it an "F" The books don't say anything about it them but what I've been able to determine that's what determines it.
    Some say it could mean fast, because they do run much faster or it could be full roller bearing but I think it's just a prefix letter to distinguish it from the standard "R" The pullies would be standard pullies, they come with a number of different ones, some double, some single.
    hope this helps
    Stephen
    Hi Stephen, Thanks for your reply, After I looked at the spare parts manual again I realised that the top drive pulley was definitely factory fitted, I knew it was a high speed machine but was unsure of the top drive pulley, I had a chat with Mal from AMH the other day and he said that the only thing that people thought F stood for was fast (as in bearing countershaft) as H is for hardened ways which I already knew, mine has the twin row pulleys on it. It is always nice when you can slowly upgrade the lathes as you have done I am sort of doing as this is my third AR 9"

  7. #7
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    Aug 2015
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    Adelaide
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tock View Post
    If you are referring to the 'F' at the end of the serial number I can advise the following.

    I went to the Hercus factory a few years a and asked about the 'F' in the serial number of my 260 lathe and was told it stand for 'Flame hardened" ways.

    Col
    Hi Col, on the 9" the flame hardened bed was designated by H not F, they must have changed the designation for the 260. A few of the letter designations seem to be a bit unclear on the 9" models but people have sort of come to conclusions of what they are.
    Cheers Steve.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Holbrook, NSW
    Age
    73
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    490

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tock View Post
    If you are referring to the 'F' at the end of the serial number I can advise the following.

    I went to the Hercus factory a few years a and asked about the 'F' in the serial number of my 260 lathe and was told it stand for 'Flame hardened" ways.

    Col
    Hi Col,
    What is the highest speed on your 260's speed chart.
    Mal

  9. #9
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    Nov 2008
    Location
    Perth WA
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    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen Gorton View Post
    Hi Steve, I have two "F"'s one "H" pattern (ARF) and one "P" pattern (ARHF) both mint and original after 4 or 5 of the standards. There is a lot of talk about just what the "F" stands for and I'm pretty certain it is the roller bearing counter shaft that makes it an "F" The books don't say anything about it them but what I've been able to determine that's what determines it.
    Some say it could mean fast, because they do run much faster or it could be full roller bearing but I think it's just a prefix letter to distinguish it from the standard "R" The pullies would be standard pullies, they come with a number of different ones, some double, some single.
    hope this helps
    Stephen

    Hello Stephen,

    There could be something in F for fast. I posted this a while back - //metalworkforums.com/f189/t130...62#post1267462 and given that Hercus supplied different cone pulleys for both the headstock and countershaft for high speed use, it would make sense that another letter was included in the model designation.

    I had a look at my 260 brochures and in 1976 Hercus used the letter H to describe the hardened bed. Things may have changed latter on, who knows?

    Bob.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Holbrook, NSW
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    73
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    Default

    There are a couple of 260 owners on my machine register, that have both H and F in their serial numbers. I think it unlikely F can mean hardened if the H is already there. I will try get in touch with them to check out the speeds that are stated on the speed charts. Hopefully the ones with F in the serial number will match the high speed chart shown.
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  11. #11
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    May 2015
    Location
    Newcastle
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    Hi Col, the talk is you're probably right with the 260's and Mal tends to confirm that but on the 9" it's still a bite of a mystery with letters running from C, B, A and AR and I think they can have L, H and F attached to them although it seems only the AR's have the F. Any can come with either L, H or both attached as far as I know but could be wrong. Both cone pullies are a little different as are the drive and motor pullies, some single, some double and they seem to be able to run around 2600 rpm's where the standards run around 1100 rmp's I think.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Geelong
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    Hi Guys

    Mal just gave me a call and got me to have another look at my 260. It has a highest speed of 2650 as per speed chart in the right hand photo in Mal's post of 9 April. So Mal and I have decided that the 'F' stands for 'Fast' and not 'Flame Hardened' which aligns with everyone's comments.

    Col

  13. #13
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    Jan 2009
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    Holbrook, NSW
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tock View Post
    Hi Guys

    Mal just gave me a call and got me to have another look at my 260. It has a highest speed of 2650 as per speed chart in the right hand photo in Mal's post of 9 April. So Mal and I have decided that the 'F' stands for 'Fast' and not 'Flame Hardened' which aligns with everyone's comments.

    Col
    Thanks Col,
    I think we can put that question to bed. one more solved. We now know

    A = gearbox model with power feed apron
    B = power feed apron no gearbox
    C = base model, no gearbox or power feed apron
    D = double drive shaft, leadscrew for thread cutting and driveshaft for turning
    F = fast (high speed model with roller bearing countershaft )
    G = geared head model
    H = hardened bed
    L = long 49" bed standard models had 40" bed)
    M = metric model
    N = instrument version ( I take it this is the high precision model)
    R = tapered roller bearing headstock ( 9" models)
    T = belt drive version ( only used on the 260)
    U = under bench drive.
    V = Bit of a guess with this one but I think it refers to 110v 60hz electrics as they all seem to be Canadian exported machines. The "V" referring to voltage

    These are all the variants that have shown up in the 2000 odd machines I have registered so far.

  14. #14
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    Aug 2015
    Location
    Adelaide
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by allterrain50 View Post
    Thanks Col,
    I think we can put that question to bed. one more solved. We now know

    A = gearbox model with power feed apron
    B = power feed apron no gearbox
    C = base model, no gearbox or power feed apron
    D = double drive shaft, leadscrew for thread cutting and driveshaft for turning
    F = fast (high speed model with roller bearing countershaft}
    G = geared head model
    H = hardened bed
    L = long 49" bed
    M = metric model
    N = instrument version ( I take it this is the high precision model)
    T = belt drive version ( only used on the 260)
    U = under bench drive.
    V = Bit of a guess with this one but I think it refers to 110v 60hz electrics as they all seem to be Canadian exported machines. The "V" referring to voltage

    These are all the variants that have shown up in the 2000 odd machines I have registered so far.
    N could also stand for Nanoscopic Scale maybe?

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