Thread: safe lifting points of hafco 960b lathe

lather, is that the tank you are going to use full time? If so you might like to add a couple of wiers, One across the tank from the bottm to about 30 mm below the coolant level and another a little closer to the pump starting above the coolant extending about 30mm into it. The first one will stop most of the heavy stuff reaching the pump. the second will stop most of the "normal" oil reaching the pump.

Stuart

was considering a partition near the pump entry, will be placing a fine mesh filter on the lathes tray outlet plus a reticulation filter on the outlet hose, unscrews easily to clean.

Never thought about the oil, do the proper pumps contain a separator, or does the oil just float on top.
Does the normal oil ruin the job if pumped through ?

I don't think the oil would hurt anything.
To get the oil out they have whats called oil skimmers. There are disc ones were half the disc is submerged into the coolant and it rotates. A wiper (similar to a car windscreen wiper) rubs on each side of the disc which wipes the oil off that gets stuck to the disc as it's rotating.
There are a few other H&F sell a tube one which works the same but a tube ring runs down into the coolant then up through the machine were it gets wiped off.
Another one is a belt skimmer.
To buy one they are around $400 but are not that hard to make your self.
I picked up a few motors a while back to make one but haven't got around to it yet. I think from memory you need a motor with 9rpm for a disc type.
Dave

Yeah forgot the oil one. The first one is easy and doesn't have to seal very well to work, just an L of sheet metal sitting on the bottom would do. If the oil one wasn't sealed completely to the side of the container the oil will get through anyway(if slowly).

Stuart

The problem with the oil sitting on the surface (called "tramp oil") is that it encourages bacterial growth if the tank is left idle for long periods and this smells horrible (think dead dog in the sun).

And it doesn't take long to get smelly either. An fish tank air pump bubbling in the coolant works as long as you leave it running.

Dave

have placed partitions in the tank, purchased and cut up another container, used a solder iron to weld the partitions.
1 of the partitions has material to filter debris.
any coolants out there that dont get bacteria ?
may need to pour a bottle of pine o clean in the tank.

Looks like you have got it worked out.
I don't know of any coolant that doesn't go off and I don't think pine o clean will help. What happens is the oil floats on top of the water sealing it and making it go off. A small fish tank air pump (there about $8-$10) will break the tension on top of the water and help stop it going off. It wont use much power to keep it ruining, but make sure you mount it above the height of the tank, because if it gets turned off it could siphon into the pump.

Dave

Looks good to me. Let us know how it goes.
Stuart

Hi all
I also got a 960B about 6 weeks ago, I just put it together two weeks ago (I am very slow in doing things) . I have a 2 ton engine hoist very handy for lifting these machines and others. When down hired a box trailer pick up the lathe, got home took it off the trailer with the hoist. The way I install my lathe, I assemble the cabinet near the spot where I want it, then couple of straps in the centre bed, lifted with the hoist brought to the cabinet put some rope around the chuck for balance only. Then lifted it on to the cabinet, bolt it down then lifted it up again put 3 each side of 40mm by 500mm pipe under the cabinet roll it back and forward until we got the right spot.


Would like to know how you guys leveled your lathes did you use a special machine level or

Cheers Ross

HI,
Your Coolant Pump set up looks good. I started making one a while ago Myself to use on My Lathe and Mill Drill. For the Pump I have a Pump from a Kero Parts Washer (cost $50.00). The Reservoir is an approx 9LT Plastic Basin from GO-LO. My Brother made a Top for it out of Aluminium at His Work. I just bought a SS Potato Masher for $10.00 at BI Lo to get the Strainer of it. The Potato Masher is very Similar to this one. The Holes are a bit bigger than I would have liked, but I think it will be okay.
I will try and finish it off next Weekend and Post some Pictures of it.

Lifted the lathe today, no problems.
had made a frame with detachable wheels so in the future if it needs to be moved, simply bolt on the wheeled cross bars.
the cross bar with attached wheels will be used for leveling the lathe, as it has threaded rod to bolt the cross bar to the frame, so i just adjust the nuts until its level by using a laser level, then shim it.
posted a pic of the wheeled frame.
The frame also makes it easier to bolt to the floor.
could you use an oil trap similar to air compressors ?
may consider using a smaller container with a type of S bend as a first stage, hopefully if the first container always has its coolant at a certain level due to the s bend, the oil shouldnt get to the pump tank, just empty the small amount in the small tank every week.

Originally Posted by ARROW

Would like to know how you guys leveled your lathes did you use a special machine level or
Cheers Ross

Hi Ross,
Years ago I just used a stabila carpenters lever and it worked fine. It was only a couple of years ago I bought a Rabone Chesterman machine level (pictured below)because I got it cheap off ebay for $50.

Though I like my lathe to be level, it only really needs to be level for coolant etc, it is twist that is the worry when setting up a lathe. It doesn't matter if after setting it up, that with the level across the ways it reads a deviation out on the level at the head stock end as long as it is the same deviation out across the ways on the tail stock end.

There are 2 different resolutions in these machinist levels one is a machinist level which is like mine and good enough for a home shop with graduations at 0.005 per foot (0.42 mtr)
The other is a master precision level with 0.0005 per foot (0.04 mtr) graduations.
When setting up a lathe you really need to use the carpenters level first then the machinist level, then if you have one swap over to the master precision one.
When using a level on the lathe put some parallels on the flat of ways to get up over the V ways. (picture below)

I haven't seen or used one but CTC tools have a level on there website, that claim have 0.02 per mtr (maybe there graduations are closer together) The price is good at $89.61 delivered to your door.
MACHINIST PRECISION LEVEL #G70
One thing with these levels is the vial is adjustable, so you are not relying on the Chinese for accuracy of the vial setup.

For adjustment of the lathe I made up some adjustable feet that can be seen here.
https://www.woodworkforums.com/f65/la...ctures-114836/

Hope that helps you out a bit
Dave

Hi Dave
Thank you very much for that great information helps alot

Ross