Michael Smith 26 | 10/03/2022 11:18:10 |
34 forum posts 6 photos | Hi, |
Thor 🇳🇴 | 10/03/2022 15:26:24 |
![]() 1766 forum posts 46 photos | Hi Mike, Welcome to the forum. If the Colchester is in good condition I would say buy it. The problem with such an old lathe is you don't know what kind of life it has had, and how much repair/restoration is needed. If you could get someone with more experience to check it out for you that would give you more information. Thor |
Dave Halford | 10/03/2022 16:09:01 |
2536 forum posts 24 photos | Did he turn something parallel and measure each end for you? |
Michael Smith 26 | 10/03/2022 16:54:46 |
34 forum posts 6 photos | Thanks for the responses: Edited By Michael Smith 26 on 10/03/2022 16:55:41 |
JasonB | 10/03/2022 17:03:51 |
![]() 25215 forum posts 3105 photos 1 articles | A couple of thou cut with a worn insert would not have been the ideal test. Better to take a decent cut with one and a lighter with some HSS. Try to see it running in all gears under load and also with the power feeds to check they work and there are no nasty noises. As for accessories make sure they include the hard to get ones like fixed & traveling steady, spindle sleeve (if it had one), full set of change gears, etc. The odd chuck or tool post is easily replaced but lathe specific ones less so |
Michael Smith 26 | 10/03/2022 17:05:20 |
34 forum posts 6 photos |
Shot of the turned down rod - couple of points on this: |
Michael Smith 26 | 10/03/2022 17:06:57 |
34 forum posts 6 photos | It did have a fixed and travelling steady - I was able to see the lathe running through most of the gearing and sounded OK - no nasty noises and honestly quieter than I was expecting. |
Nick Wheeler | 10/03/2022 17:09:20 |
1227 forum posts 101 photos | A lathe like that should easily manage that finish straight off the tool. While I have, and like, a WM250, in your circumstances I would buy the Colchester. |
Michael Smith 26 | 10/03/2022 17:11:09 |
34 forum posts 6 photos | Power feeds were definitely working too - forgot that in my last post. As was the coolant pump. |
Tony Pratt 1 | 10/03/2022 17:16:28 |
2319 forum posts 13 photos | Ah the perennial question, a piece of old British iron or a shiny new Chinese lathe, really only you can make that decision. Iv'e used most makes of lathe during my career, some good, some bad, some accurate, some clapped out but I now have a Warco 290V, rough round the edges but it does a good job & can turn parallel no 'polishing' needed, Iv'e worked on some old iron where 'finish turning' was impossible & the emery had to come out. Do you really need a m/c as big as the Colchester? No easy answers on this one. Tony |
Michael Smith 26 | 10/03/2022 17:27:43 |
34 forum posts 6 photos | Just called the owner and had a good chat with him - really nice guy. I'm heading over Saturday to see a parallel turn with a HSS bit and we had a chat about him demoing screw cutting on the machine too. |
Michael Smith 26 | 10/03/2022 17:30:39 |
34 forum posts 6 photos | Thanks Tony - I definitely don't need the size (yet) as the core goal is to learn machining. I was originally planning on buying something smaller and new to work with but the lathe is literally 20 minutes down the road from me and seems a shame to pass up on it if it's in good condition. |
Mick B1 | 10/03/2022 17:38:07 |
2444 forum posts 139 photos | I've been a turner since 1975, but I'd only buy an older lathe if I'd had the chance to test it properly, especially as the chuck has obviously suffered some unknown but heavy trauma around the key square. If you don't know lathes well, I'd say the safer option is to buy new. I too have a Warco WM250V, and for the work I do - which is of small to moderate size - I don't think it's easily bettered. |
Michael Smith 26 | 10/03/2022 17:48:50 |
34 forum posts 6 photos | Thanks Mick - I think those marks around that key square are deliberate to mark it. The current owner mentioned boring out the 3 jaw chuck when he got it to take a slight taper out - and using that key square specifically whilst he was doing it - believe he marked it off and mentioned that he tried to always use that key square when changing out materials. |
Rod Renshaw | 10/03/2022 17:57:12 |
438 forum posts 2 photos | I love the idea of the Colchester but it might be wise to consider how you are going to move it to your shop. These older ex-industrial lathes are heavy and awkward loads and a specialist mover may well be needed, and most of the cost of these moves seems to be in the loading and unloading rather than the drive down the road. If it does need a bed re-grind that will also be expensive and there are not so many firms around who can undertake this work as there used to be. Rod |
David-Clark 1 | 10/03/2022 18:09:51 |
![]() 271 forum posts 5 photos | 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. |
Pete Rimmer | 10/03/2022 18:17:14 |
1486 forum posts 105 photos | That Colchester might have been lightly used for the time the seller has known of it but it bears all the hallmarks of a machine that's been round the block a few times and down the motorway too. That chuck is almost certainly clapped out. If I had to guess I'd say that it's been heavily rusted and then brought back from the dead. The chisel and punch marks around the hole are where someoe has tried to shrink the hole so that the scroll driver doesn't flop about and bind up. The chuck is in dreadful condition so allow for buying a new one if you do end up with the lathe. You'd be just as well off with a 100 quid Indian jobbie from Vevor. Looking at the peck marks all over the compound top and saddle tops I'd say that it's done a good bit of factory or job shop work they are caused by the operator setting drills and reamers into taper adapters. Take someone with you who knows what they are looking at because if the spindle bearings are shot then you just added a grand to the cost and IMO even in great condition £2500 is too much money for that machine. |
Michael Smith 26 | 10/03/2022 18:20:33 |
34 forum posts 6 photos | Thanks for all the responses. Fortunately transport and loading aren’t an issue - there’s a friendly farmer with forks to load it and I’ve got ground workers in for a couple of weeks at our place who can provide the trailer and a tractor for unloading at my end. Thanks for the tip on the gears in the apron - i’ll ask about undoing the apron drain plug when I go for the second viewing. |
Ady1 | 10/03/2022 18:20:48 |
![]() 6137 forum posts 893 photos | A very tough decision, especially for a first lathe |
Michael Smith 26 | 10/03/2022 18:22:43 |
34 forum posts 6 photos | Thanks Pete - missed your response when I did my last reply. That’s very helpful advice - unfortunately no one I know locally who’d have any experience - I live in rural Cornwall and only been here a couple of years. Edited By Michael Smith 26 on 10/03/2022 18:23:44 |
Please login to post a reply.
Want the latest issue of Model Engineer or Model Engineers' Workshop? Use our magazine locator links to find your nearest stockist!
Sign up to our newsletter and get a free digital issue.
You can unsubscribe at anytime. View our privacy policy at www.mortons.co.uk/privacy
You can contact us by phone, mail or email about the magazines including becoming a contributor, submitting reader's letters or making queries about articles. You can also get in touch about this website, advertising or other general issues.
Click THIS LINK for full contact details.
For subscription issues please see THIS LINK.