Closet Machinist

Hello from Toronto, Canada.

I am new to this site and came upon it while looking for more information on this lathe I bought. I had taken a mechanical engineering technician course at a college here in Canada in my youth and worked in a machine shop for some time. I don't work in that field anymore but have always been handy. Now in my mid life I am looking down the road at retirement and decided to start investing in some machines that will keep me active. I expect I will find lots of interesting posts here on your wonderful site.

Welcome along Mark, any thoughts on what you want to make or use the lathe for ?

Thanks for the welcome Chris. I don't have anything in mind for the near future. The machine does need some heavy cleaning and I will have to go over all it's functionality. I know I will need some parts and Im hoping I can find them here along with any advice people may have.

Thanks again!!

Welcome to the forum Mark, I'm afraid we can't see your picture!

Neil

Hello Mark, whatever you decide to make, this is the place for advice. I've had loads 

David

Edited By David Noble on 03/10/2019 19:08:05

Hi Neil,

I tried linking the image from dropbox. Any advice on the best way to post images?

Thanks.

Go to ‘Forums’ on black bar towards the top of the page, select ‘website FAQS’. First one.

Figured out the photo album. Here we go:

Snap, Colchester Bantam 1600, useful sizemachine for ME modelling.

Emgee

Welcome Mark.!

You should get lots of help and advice on here, about your machine, and life in general. Even if some of it gets contentious at times.We all have our own hobby horses in the stableu, it this is a good place to visit, often.

Although it is interesting, educational, it does keeps me from making swarf!

Howard

Thanks for the welcome Howard,

Every perspective counts!!

Hi Mark,

The Bantam is a fine machine, yours seems to be a 1600 which will have come with 2 speed 3 phase motor. If you have no 3 phase supply into your workshop that might be a minor stumbling block but not difficult to overcome.

I had a Bantam and I found that the two-pedestal style of support made it possible to put significant twist in the lathe bed just from having it stand on slightly uneven floor. When you have cleaned it up and decided where you will stand it, be sure to research how to 'level the bed' so you can fix it down nice and straight.

Hi Pete,

Thanks for the advice on the leveling. At this point I have no other choice but to leave it on the custom built skid I made for it. It will live in the garage, on the skid, on an uneven floor which I will try to shim as best I can and hope for the best.

It is a fine machine, but as you can see from all the photos, it has required a lot of clean up. The machine came with the taper attachment that the PO modified (destroyed) to create a template for a part they were running, ruining the taper guide dovetail and the tape guide follower dovetail. This also means it has the taper attachment cross slide screw installed and did not come with the original cross slide screw. Luckily I have found a "new old stock" replacement for a reasonable price in my area. I will be removing the taper attachment to get the cross slide working properly until I can make the broken/altered parts with a friends mill.

The machine came out of an automotive casting facility. The PO had installed an assortment of lockout screws to insure the spindle speed was fixed, feed rate was fixed, screw cutting was disabled, even the tail stock was limited in its travel by a pin installed in the front bed way, disgraceful. It was obvious the machine was used for a repeatable process by unskilled workers, not machinists. Such a shame to see a beautiful piece of machinery demoted to such a mundane task.

Continued in next post...

Continued...

On the plus side, it seems to have come with the full set of change gears, the original Burnerd 3 jaw chuck with inside and outside set of jaws, original follow rest and original steady rest. I also measured the spindle run out and it shows less than 1 ten thousandth of an inch of movement.

I plan to use a 2 hp 3 phase 240v 3000rpm motor and run it with a VFD. I will try to incorporate all the original switch functionality into the VFD so I get two speeds, forward and reverse, safety lockouts, etc

Here are some photos from the result of 4 or 5 days of cleanup progress:

Most of the old aluminum swarf, oil and old coolant has been removed, it was everywhere, almost a whole garbage bag full.

Apron and Saddle, back gibbs need adjustment.

Love the brass apron indicators, they were indistinguishable and covered by the same thickness of grime that you see on the rest of the apron. Now her personality is starting to come out.

Compared to the image higher up in this post where the lower thread cutting plate was hidden by the thick grime, it shined up ok. Some of the black paint is starting to come off though.

The back of the machine where the motor had collected a bag full of swarf. Notice the amount of swarf on the underside of the taper attachment base slide in the lower part of this image.

Even the gear train had swarf everywhere. Manged to clean it out well.

The gear train cover, not yet cleaned.

Disassembled the tail stock, cleaned, oiled and reassembled.

Disassembled the compound slide, removed the cross slide dial, cleaned and oiled.

Found the original Burnred 3 jaw chuck with both sets of jaws in the drawer, wrapped up and taped in a shop towel. So happy the machine came with this.

The cross slide and some tapper attachment parts. Notice in the bottom of the image one side of the dovetail on the tapper attachment has been milled away to produce a form template that the PO used to make repeatable parts. Butchering the tapper rig in the process.

Stay tuned as the saga continues...

Hi Great Lathe i have the same but the long bed version. I am in the process of fitting a Newall DRO to mine. I only problem i have had with mine is Suds getting in the feeds gearbox? And i am jealous of your taper turning attatchment. Have fun cleaning it up. John