Member postings for David-Clark 1

A BS0 should be fine.

I had one of there Tom Senior Light Verticals,and they are great.

Mill 5head height is not usually a major problem.

Turn the mill head at 45 degrees and the dividing head at the same angle will increase the capacity considerably.

You can clock up the centre of the dividing head spindle and as long as you only use the y movement of the table you should be able to do very large workpieces. A bit of trigonometry should enable you to mill in the x directin.

i can’t remember the cross slide travel but by positioning the dividing head on the table and the mill head in relation to it, you could probably divide about a 12 inch diameter workpiece.

I fitted a digital readout to my Tom Senior. I can’t remember If,I wrote it up but if not, I probably have the photos.

You need to set up the feed screw between centres. Check for eccentricity, both ends of the feed screw and both ends of the handle end.

If out of true, you will have to return it to the seller or lightly skim the handle end so it is true.

Use a collet chi/ck if you have one.Now you need to bush the handle support bracket so it fits the re-turned portion of the feed screw.

It might be worth getting hold of Martin Cleeve’s articles in Model Engineer about doing this although it may have been George Thomas who added ball and/or a thrust race to the cross feed screw. I think it may have been published in George’s Red workshop book.

Hi Steve

A centre pop may work but I assume the holes go right right through the tube so alignment is important?

I would note a square block to git over the tune and then drill the cross hole.

Do this on a cross slide, drill and bore the hole to size then rotate the block 90 degrees and drill the cross hole.

I would make one side of the cross hole the size of the drill you want the hole to Ben.

The other hole about 3 mm larger and make a hardened bush from silver Steel.

the bush should have a simple location pin to stop the bush from toning.

Drill the first hole, remove the bush and deburr the hole so the block slides around the tube.

Put a round bar through the unbushed hole and drill the other hole through the hardened bush.

You should add a grub screw to the block to stop it moving on the tube.

Done carefully this should work.

if you have a mill, you can make the block on that.

Are there any grub screws holding the pulley on?

I think Meddings had double grubs crews on some of there fittings.

I.E. a grubs-crew with another grub screw on top to lock it.

Meddings are great drills, I used to maintain about 24 spindles when I was younger.

I would saw through the motor shaft and put the Philly into a lathe and drill most of the shaft out.

if you are very careful you may be able to bore out most of the remaining spindle, at least until you break through to the keyway.

Good luck.

That’s Pete

I was aware. Good job I don’t do cooking.

Just checked eBay for sold items. Try this search, round heads cheap, square heads cheap. Both steadies cheap.

I see you are at the bottom of Cornwall but a saving of £1’500 would pay for a lot of transport.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/ebayadvsearch?_dmd=1&_stpos=DN357DY&_fosrp=1&_osacat=0&_sop=12&LH_Complete=1&_odkw=Colchester%20lathe%20-Triumph&LH_Sold=1&_sadis=15&_from=R40&_nkw=Colchester%20lathe%20-Triumph&_sacat=0

£2,500? Run a mile and don’t stop running.

He is taking the p*ss.

For that kind of money, you should be able to get a modern square head Colchester.

As a beginner, I would recommend you buy a second hand mini lathe for about £300 to £500 and learn to use that.

When you need to upgrade, it will probably get your money back but you will probably keep it for smaller work.

I spent about 35 years in engineering before I became editor of Model Engineer and Mode Engineers’ Workshop.

looking on eBay, there are several Colchester students and master lathes with Roundheads at £500 to £1,000.

square heads under £2,000 although there was a nice looking one for £2,750. Traveling steadies are about £320 each. Fixed steadies are about £650.

replacement apron gears are about £150 each but you may need 2 or 3 of them.

Finally, is it 3 phase? Do you have a three phase supply? If you are doing tailstock tapping, you may need the fast reverse 3 phase will give you. If you are using a converter, it may take a few seconds to get up to speed.

This one on Bay is a square head at £1,850.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284619900111?hash=item4244ab04cf:g:uVsAAOSwpzJh6skn

Hi Mike

There is one major problem on Colchester industrial lathes and it is not obvious.

The gears in the apron usually suffer from lack of lubrication.

This on its own may not be a major problem but because they are used in an industrial environment which normally involves soluble oil, oil mixed with water.

The oil uses gets lost leaving the apron rusting away in water. If the seller will let you, undo the apron drain plug and see what comes out.

A replacement gear cost about £600 in the mid 1980’s.

I seem to remember the cross slide lead screw nut wears out,

Let us know what you find.

I had a pacemaker fitted about 6 months ago. Other than arc welding are there any other problems I should be aware of with general workshop activitetes?

Particularly with electric motors.

I have been trying to add an avatar but tried the wrong type of format. I found out by u/pleading a random avatar from the forum and found what is was doing wrong.

Now I can’t get rid of the old avatar to replace it with a new one.

Suggestions welcome.

It is not distasteful, it is a fact of life.
War is bad for everyone but it will keep happening.

Any engineering subject is suitable for Model Engineer (and Workshops&rsquo if it informative and useful to the readers.

With reference to Club News and all the snowflakes out there:

And finally, feed donkey meat to children, two birds killed with one stone!

No more starving children and no more donkeys!