Thread: Hafco AL 330 lathe repair

Hello everyone,
Years ago I changed the the position of one of the quick-change levers for the lead-screw. When I moved it back all motion on the lead screw was lost completely!

It is probably a case of poor manufacturing, or poor design as seems to be typical with this brand. So the question is – has anyone had the head-stock apart or can give me some advice on how to proceed please?

Cheers Charlie

Has the leadscrew ever worked?

Check the sacrificial pin at the left hand end of your lead screw.

If it is snapped the lead screw might not rotate.

Typically lathes are constructed in this way so if you have crash, the pin shears and it all comes to a halt.

Grahame

Wait a sec. It was working, you changed something, now it doesn't work and its someone else's fault?
Possible I guess.

Which "quick change" lever did you move?
Are you sure you don't have it set for powerfeed?
Do the change gears turn when the spindle is turned?

About the last thing I would be doing ATM is pulling the headstock apart.

A picture of how you have the levers set might help.

Originally Posted by Chazza

Hello everyone,
Years ago I changed the the position of one of the quick-change levers for the lead-screw. When I moved it back all motion on the lead screw was lost completely!

It is probably a case of poor manufacturing, or poor design as seems to be typical with this brand. So the question is – has anyone had the head-stock apart or can give me some advice on how to proceed please?

Cheers Charlie

Hi Charlie.
You are a new member ,so welcome to the MetalWork Forums.
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Your lathe problem
As with many new members requests for assistance, further information will be a big advantage to the responding members.

You know the circumstances of what you were doing, but we don't. We don't know what experience you have with the lathe.

Have you had the machine a long time or is it a recent acquisition?

What operation were you doing on the lathe at the time when the problem occurred?

Also the semantics may have a bit to do with the responses.

Ie : Years ago I changed the the position of one of the quick-change levers for the lead-screw


Did you change the lever - meaning as movement from one position and moved it through its arc of travel to another? Or do you mean ,that you mechanically undid the lever and changed the location ,using a tool.?

There are variables ,you see and removing those that do not apply will see a quicker conclusion to your problem.

Welcome to the Forums

Grahame

Originally Posted by pipeclay

Has the leadscrew ever worked?

Yes worked perfectly up until then. The change lever/dial became very stiff to turn, moved a little and then stuck,

Cheers C

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

Hi Charlie.
You are a new member ,so welcome to the MetalWork Forums.
...

Your lathe problem
As with many new members requests for assistance, further information will be a big advantage to the responding members.

You know the circumstances of what you were doing, but we don't. We don't know what experience you have with the lathe.

Have you had the machine a long time or is it a recent acquisition?

What operation were you doing on the lathe at the time when the problem occurred?

Also the semantics may have a bit to do with the responses.

Ie : Years ago I changed the the position of one of the quick-change levers for the lead-screw


Did you change the lever - meaning as movement from one position and moved it through its arc of travel to another? Or do you mean ,that you mechanically undid the lever and changed the location ,using a tool.?

There are variables ,you see and removing those that do not apply will see a quicker conclusion to your problem.

Welcome to the Forums

Grahame

Thank you Grahame.

By way of explanation;
1. Yes it was years ago when the malfunction happened, this is the first forum I have found since then that may be able to help me.
2. Can't send pics as I live and work away from home 3 weeks in 4.
3. My trade is a fitter/armourer did most of my years on a Hercus – oh for the simplicity!
4. The HAFCO lathe uses 3 or 4 knurled dials to change the position of the quick-change gears. After moving one of them to slow the feed rate it would not move all of the way back and the drive to the lead-screw is now non-existent.
5. No bangs, no crashes and no bulldust.

None of the workings of the levers, or gears, are visible from under the headstock, hence my suspicion that the top of the headstock may need to be removed to see what has gone wrong,

Cheers Charlie

Originally Posted by Grahame Collins

Check the sacrificial pin at the left hand end of your lead screw.

If it is snapped the lead screw might not rotate.

Typically lathes are constructed in this way so if you have crash, the pin shears and it all comes to a halt.

Grahame

Good point Grahame but the fault lies with the change-lever itself, which will not turn,

Cheers Charlie

Originally Posted by Stustoys

Wait a sec. It was working, you changed something, now it doesn't work and its someone else's fault?
Possible I guess.

....

It is called a breakdown Stu and is not all that unusual in the machinery world.

By way of explanation; my HAFCO drill press was delivered with a table with a 0.25mm bow in it and cost me $300 to have it milled and serviceable, after about 1 year's use the movement in the quill, which was there when new, is now so bad I suspect poor quality bearings. The same model at work wasn't any better and neither were the other examples in the warehouse apparently.

Hence the reason why I suspect something has come loose and jammed the change-lever on my lathe. Did I mention the tool-clamping-screw on the turret, that had its head machined as a rhombus?

Not my go-to brand anymore,

Cheers Charlie

Originally Posted by Chazza

It is called a breakdown Stu and is not all that unusual in the machinery world.

and the answers to my questions?

Which "quick change" lever did you move?
Are you sure you don't have it set for powerfeed?
Do the change gears turn when the spindle is turned?

Is this the same lay out as your lathe?

https://metalworkforums.com/attachme...4&d=1554031045

If so, which lever do you think is the issue?
Does powerfeed still work?

The QCGB is separate from the headstock(just like the Hercus), if the change gears are turning with the spindle the issue isn't in the headstock.

Originally Posted by Stustoys

and the answers to my questions?

Which "quick change" lever did you move?
Are you sure you don't have it set for powerfeed?
Do the change gears turn when the spindle is turned?

Is this the same lay out as your lathe?

https://metalworkforums.com/attachme...4&d=1554031045

If so, which lever do you think is the issue?
Does powerfeed still work?

The QCGB is separate from the headstock(just like the Hercus), if the change gears are turning with the spindle the issue isn't in the headstock.

No nothing like my lathe to look at.

As explained in an earlier post I can't send a photo of it now.

No the power-feed doesn't work.

No gears or levers can physically be seen anywhere.

https://www.machineryhouse.com.au/L689 this is not the same as my lathe but the layout is similar. The two dials with the arrows on them are the change-levers,

Cheers Charlie

Originally Posted by Chazza

No nothing like my lathe to look at.

As explained in an earlier post I can't send a photo of it now.

Ok, its likely yours is a later model of the 330.

Which is why I supplied a photo for you.

The change gears, the ones under the cover on the left hand side of the lathe. Are they turning the input shaft of the QCGB when you turn the spindle?

If the issue is in the QCGB(and I'm guessing at exactly what QCGB you have), in all likelihood you just need to remove the name plate which will be covering the bolts which hold the front cover on the gearbox. Maybe the key from one of the tripple/gears has fallen out or the lever is no longer moving the tripplegear. Of course this will let the oil out

Probably this variant, given he said two knobs:

330a.jpg

Although there is some other variant that a Kiwi was saying a while ago he had that appeared to be laid out like my AL335 with 4 knobs, don't think that's the case here...

But yes, if the knob moved in question is in the lower panel, front cover comes off the QCGB to inspect, if it's one of the upper 3 levers, top of headstock off.

I do wonder if the OP is suffering what I endured with my new lathe in 2007 . Not a Hafco but a similar clone ( Metalmaster 12x 36) with 4 knobs (levers?) on the bottom square plate.

When the arrows were placed in alignment with the original plate markings the bloody thing was out of gear with no shaft rotation when turned over.

I had to feel the gear engagement between the original marks to get the screws to rotate. Needless to say I added my own marks to the points where the levers did engage.

With just 4 round knobs it is a not big deal to remove the cover plate.




I might take it off later and have another look just for fits and giggles .If I do I shall post some phone pics.

As an aside. Did anyone else notice the latest Hafco catalogue where they marked certain tooling and machinery such as lathes,drill presses as being made in Taiwan?

Very interesting?

Grahame

Yeh because no body wants any thing from China, and it is known that much higher quality comes from Taiwan.