Thread: Not another request for an AL-960 Manual !!!!!!!

Well, 96 hours down the tube and still no copy of an AL-960 manual to be seen across the mighty interweb. (No, not the AL-960B, I have the earlier model 'pre B')
Funny though, as just going through the posts here alone seems to indicate there are more of them around than just about any other lathe known to mankind.

Anywho, some most kind folk have pointed myself and others to the Grizzly equivalent or similar and the manual there is quite good and helpful but....(and there's always a but...) I cant read the Thread Dial Chart on my AL-960 so cant verify if the Grizzly or AL-960B plaque/plate call it what you will, can be fitted to my lathe.

If anyone is willing to cough up to actually owning a non B model AL-960 and could take a pic if their Thread Dial Chart is legible could keep a good many from taking up serious drinking.

Hopefully pics of mine attached.

AL960B_001_My.jpgIMG_0438.jpg

Cheers, Peter

Hi Peter,
Is it a metric or imp lead screw? If it's imperial i can almost guarantee i know what it should say. Metric is a different thing entirely however.

Ew

Originally Posted by befuddled

Well, 96 hours down the tube and still no copy of an AL-960 manual to be seen across the mighty interweb. (No, not the AL-960B, I have the earlier model 'pre B')
Funny though, as just going through the posts here alone seems to indicate there are more of them around than just about any other lathe known to mankind.

Anywho, some most kind folk have pointed myself and others to the Grizzly equivalent or similar and the manual there is quite good and helpful but....(and there's always a but...) I cant read the Thread Dial Chart on my AL-960 so cant verify if the Grizzly or AL-960B plaque/plate call it what you will, can be fitted to my lathe.

If anyone is willing to cough up to actually owning a non B model AL-960 and could take a pic if their Thread Dial Chart is legible could keep a good many from taking up serious drinking.

Hopefully pics of mine attached.

AL960B_001_My.jpgIMG_0438.jpg

Cheers, Peter

Hi Peter.
i have same lathe but not sure if it is a B not pre-B model.
will take some photos for you later.
cheers
Peter

If I can get the details would be terrific. I am hoping I could then get a new plaque made to replace the existing blank one.

Re the metric vs imperial lead screw, how could I go about checking what it is? (newbie at this)

Cheers, Peter

Originally Posted by befuddled

Re the metric vs imperial lead screw, how could I go about checking what it is? (newbie at this)

Cheers, Peter

hi peter ..get hold of a ruler, or better , a vernier caliper

measure the pitch of the lead screw eg, from one edge of the tooth/scroll to the next same point along the screw ... if its imperial it will be 1/8"or 1/4" whatever ..if its metric it will be 3mm or 6mm ..so on Mike

Originally Posted by morrisman

hi peter ..get hold of a ruler, or better , a vernier caliper

measure the pitch of the lead screw eg, from one edge of the tooth/scroll to the next same point along the screw ... if its imperial it will be 1/8"or 1/4" whatever ..if its metric it will be 3mm or 6mm ..

Just to add to that, measuring over just one pitch can be tricky. If you take a texta and count 5 or 10 turns, then measure over those.The difference between Metric and Imperial threads will be even more apparent.

Regards Phil.

Originally Posted by Machtool

Just to add to that, measuring over just one pitch can be tricky. If you take a texta and count 5 or 10 turns, then measure over those.The difference between Metric and Imperial threads will be even more apparent.

Regards Phil.

ok, best as I can make it is 10 turns looks close to 1-1/8" (1.125")

In mm 10 turns is something like 29mm

Does that sound typical?

Cheers, Peter

I would expect it to be 8tpi, thats what the new ones are.

How about a pic of your QCGB (quick change gear box) plaque, we can tell from that if it is metric or imp.

Ew

Get a ruler and count how many threads in 1 inch, it should be a whole number. If not it will be metric.

Roger

here is some photos requested from Peter and also a photos of my lathe for you to compare with your.
as i said I don't know if it is the 960B or pre-B model. but it have morse tapper No3 so it must be a B model with different name.
regards
peter_DSC7416.jpg_DSC7417.jpg_DSC7418.jpg

ok I checked against a rule and Im sure it is 8tpi. Excellent step forward.

I cant do pics just now but my lathe does look quite different to the one posted above.

I will see if I can get a photo uploaded to compare. In the meantime I have attached a pic of another that is identical to mine but a bit cleaner.

Thanks for all your efforts. Cheers, Peter

Ok, the newer machines list all the pitches and what divisions of the threading dial they can be engaged on. Older machines normally have a plaque that says- for all even threads engage half nuts at any division. For all odd pitches engage at any main division. For all half pitches engage at any opposite divisions. For all quater pitches engage at the same division.

For metric threading you need to leave the half nuts engaged and reverse the lathe. Well you don't have to but that's a whole different kettle of fish.....

Does the dial have 4 or 8 numbers?

Ew

Thanks Ew. I will need to look up what that means. (Newbie) My understanding of nuts and Canberra at this time of year may be different.

Some good news, I have managed to get a pic of the Thread Dial Gauge plaque that I can make out details on. I hope I can get one engraved without costing an arm and a leg. (Might need to visit the engraving forums)

I note that whilst i really appreciate the guidance to the Grizzly lathe similar to my AL-960, the Thread Dial Chart has different values as I suspected from the get go.

e.g.
TPI 4, Scale 1-4 on Grizzly G4003G
TPI 4, Scale 1-8 on AL-960

Now I dont pretend for 2 seconds to know what that means but figure it may be what Ew is referring to.
I do now know they are different. (and I'm still keen to find an original manual)

Cheers, Peter (Sunny Horsley)

Originally Posted by befuddled

TPI 4, Scale 1-4 on Grizzly G4003G
TPI 4, Scale 1-8 on AL-960

That's just the numbering on the thread chasing dial. Your 8 divisions are numbered in whole numbers 1 through 8(each line is a full number). The Grizzly's 8 divisions are numbered 1 thorough 4(each line being 0.5). Make sense?

Stuart

Originally Posted by Stustoys

That's just the numbering on the thread chasing dial. Your 8 divisions are numbered in whole numbers 1 through 8(each line is a full number). The Grizzly's 8 divisions are numbered 1 thorough 4(each line being 0.5). Make sense?

Stuart

The numbers are just there for convenience. They don't represent anything except to make it possible to work out where to engage the feed when cutting a thread. Both lathes have 8 positions. That is the important info.

Dean