Spindle bearing Colchester Chipmaster

Hi!

Is there anyone that have ever replaced the front spindle bearing on a Colchester Chipmaster? If so do you have the procedure for this?

I had some axial clearence in the front bearing. I try to tighten it and it get mutch better. But i think the bearing is worn since i used a lot of force to tigheten it. So i wonder if i shell replace it.

Gunnar

Hi Gunnar,

The bearings are VERY expensive if they are still available. How did you adjust your bearings?

Hi Nick!

I have got a price for the front bearing 444.-€ + shipping. Yes they are expensive. The rear bearing 292.-€.

I open the side cower and loose the set screw on the c-spanner nut that are close to the gear 1087. Then loosen the c-spanner nut a littel.I then loose the set screw on the c-spanner nut that are close to the front bearing. Used a hammer and a brass bolt and gave the c-spanner nut some punch. I then manage to remove the clearence.

Gunnar

From Global Bearings in the UK? That price is likely to be the same across all dealers in Europe. How much movement did you detect and how did you measure?

That’s very cheap for the bearings, are you sure they are selling you the pre-assembled dual row version, and not just the single row?

https://www.qualitybearingsonline.com/113060x-113101xhe-10-gamet-double-row-flanged-cup-60-325x101-6x25-4mm/

That is the entire front bearing assembly, the same bearings as fitted to the 12 inch students.

Edited By Nick Taylor 2 on 18/09/2018 10:11:43

Hi!

It's not from Global Bearing's in the UK. I am in contact with the company to be sure that it's the correct bearing. I will be back with the comapny name when i have received one, if i order it.

How mutch movement it was i can't remember. But i measure it with an dial indicator on the end of the spindle after i run it for abouth 20min. I just push it wiht my hand. I hear a knocking sound when i push from one side to the other. It get OK after i tighten it as described in the second message. But i am worried that the bearing is damaged since i was able to muve it and i got the knocking sound

Regards

Gunnar

Here you go done some searching for you. £186 and UK Gamet double row.
https://axxacnc.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=20&product_id=2512&limit=50

Look like old stock

The price of spares for colchesters is a scandal, one of many reasons not to buy one.

Not sure where you got that part number Jon, but its not the correct bearing for the chipmaster.

Ronan – not sure scandal is the right word. The bearings are expensive because of quality. Also don’t forget we are talking about a 60+ year old design here, the fact that there are spares at all is impressive.

Sorry i have a very low opinion of colchesters, having used them for many years professionally, and foolishly taking one home, free from where i was working. Should not have done that, noisy rattly thing with a rapid wear bed.

Someone told me the old round head machines were better, i do not know, but i avoid colchester now at all costs

Ah if you’re referring to the newer square ‘Mk2’ machines then I agree, they obviously made a choice during the design and focused on price heavily. A friend of mine runs a predominantly CNC business but needed a large swing centre lathe and looked at a few Colchester’s, finding machines less than 5 years old which were complete wrecks!

The Roundheads seem to command much better prices though!

Indeed Nick. At work years ago, a decision was made to buy a cnc lathe. A colchester was selected, despite the objections of the turner who had to use it, the manager of the machine shop, and even me. We were proved correct shortly after it was installed. The thing would not hold much of a tolerance.

The company who sold it were called back out. After much head scratching, fancy measuring kit being used, too-ing and frowing, it turned out the bed was badly bent. It was a brand new machine fresh out of the crate.

And set up properly??

Round head Colchesters = marvelous (but noisy) bits of kit.

I ran two in my UK workshops for 15 years. By the time i sold up, they were both over 35 years old. Regret not keeping one.

Link to AXXA, says "out of stock"!!

I thought I had posted this reply, but it didn't appear so I must have messed up,

Gunnar, before you go spending lots on new bearings check that your difficult adjustment isn't just the bearing inner being very tight on the spindle. I had a lathe that was like this and it was impossible to adjust the bearing due to the extreme stiction. I had to ease the fit a little with very fine emery, and after that the adjustment was easy to achieve.

If you pull the spindle out of the bearing and it creaks loudly then it's a good sign of the above.

As far i as i am aware, it was yes. All we did was remove an old machine and clear the area generally. The agents who sold us the machine did the installation, and took two days to do it if i remember correctly.

Hi all and Gunnar!
Don't know if you are still stuck with the loose bearing on the Chippie(hope not), but here you go. Maybe someone else will make use of this info.
A few years ago I disassembled the headstock of my Chippie. And yes the front and rear bearings on the main spindle are adjustable. They are double taper pin and taper shell bearings. These can be adjusted by tightening a nut that holds it to the end of the spindle(in case of the front bearing), and in between two nuts on the rear, if I recall correctly. The only thing you haven't seen is that there is a washer that has a longer protrusion that is bent into one of the groves of the nut. This impedes the nut loosening. If you haven't observed this and adjusted the nut, you probably bent the locking washer's protrusion and might be the cause you struggled with it.
Although adjustable, the real axial play is taken out by the 24 small springs that push the bearing shell onto the taper pins. If these fell out, you might need to take all the guts out of the headstock to remove the spindle and put the springs back. It's a few days of work if you have a day job but all fun. I was not in a hurry so it took me two weeks as I was ordering seals, bolts, oil paper and popcorn.