Cheap lathe purchase/rebuild

[NigelAylesbury]

Hello
I have an option to buy a second hand lathe, a Colchester Master, which is adequate for what I want/need. It seems to require………….
A decent coat of paint, and some TLC (sellers words)
The backlash taking out of it.
it looks OK, it works and nothing sounds odd.
I have been told, that it is quiet easy to strip a lathe down and rebuild it. I am not too sure about this, and I don’t know anyone who has ever done it and/or information on T’internet is limited, or am I looking in the wrong places?
It’s easy taking stuff apart, but how much setting up is required on putting it all back together again?
Is this a job for the brave?
Is it cost effective? – the lathe and some tooling has to be shifted quickly, and its going for £200!!
Thanks in advance

 

[jugs]

Hello
I have an option to buy a second hand lathe, a Colchester Master, which is adequate for what I want/need. It seems to require………….
A decent coat of paint, and some TLC (sellers words)
The backlash taking out of it.
it looks OK, it works and nothing sounds odd.
I have been told, that it is quiet easy to strip a lathe down and rebuild it. I am not too sure about this, and I don’t know anyone who has ever done it and/or information on T’internet is limited, or am I looking in the wrong places?
It’s easy taking stuff apart, but how much setting up is required on putting it all back together again?
Is this a job for the brave?
Is it cost effective? – the lathe and some tooling has to be shifted quickly, and its going for £200!!
Thanks in advance

@ that price even if it's shagged you will make a profit as parts

DONT MOVE THE HEADSTOCK the rest is simple-ish
some info links
http://www.lathes.co.uk/

http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/index.php

http://madmodder.net/index.php

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ColchesterLathe-User/?v=1&t=directory&ch=web&pub=groups&sec=dir&slk=1

Google - colchester lathe

john

 

[ford34/2]

Lathe

http://www.lathes.co.uk/colchester/page2.html

more info here,

need to check motor Voltage, 240/415 ??

3 phase- can you swap the motor, or can you afford an inverter.

guessing its MK1/2 the lathe is getting on a bit but for £200 could well be a bargain,if its running and machining fairly true why strip it??
what tolerance do you want for your projects, and with little machining experience can you machine to that tolerance.

plenty accessories always available, if you need L0 (L zero) headstock chucks or face plates, dogs, etc I have some spare.

Stan
Theres a master on E bay: 270645921912

 

[NigelAylesbury]

Thanks for the prompt replies guys
I have thought about the stripping for spares, which seems criminal when I would dearly like a lathe…..
I have been reading the pages on lathes.co.uk all lunchtime trying to find more information.
Thanks for the address for the yahoo group – I didn’t know about that.
Motor voltage is 415V 3 phase, which isn’t a problem, I hope, as I have an inverter and a power supply already sorted.
As for tolerances, as of now it’s just for knocking bits and bobs up, and the odd skim. There are loads of projects possible when it arrives though, as is usually the case… I’m taking along a mate from the car club tomorrow night, who’s a CNC specialist to see if its worth getting involved with.

 

[ford34/2]

lathe

I think your mate will talk you into it, as previously said-criminal I know, but you will get your money back selling it as spare parts and put that towards another one.
you`ll move it on boggies or roll it on bars.its got to be 3/4 tonnish.maybe an engine hoist will help.

since you are using an inverter, you can play about with the headstock drive and even put a drive belt direct on the shaft and use the inverter for speed control should the gearbox on the shaft be worn out, always a thought.

manuals readily available

update us tomorrow.

Stan

 

[brookie456]

Is this a job for the brave?
Is it cost effective? – the lathe and some tooling has to be shifted quickly, and its going for £200!!

If you don't want it, I'll cover your £200 and come and get it, sounds a good deal, don't worry about the paint! Ask your friend to check the screws, and make sure the gibs are not "buyer-friendly-loose". Good old machine, probably the one that made Colchester's reputation... They only come apart and go back together one way, nothing to fear. Jugs is right on the headstock, if you have no means of truing it up - leave alone.

Lucky so-and so

 

[awemawson]

So long as the headstock bearings are ok it's worth the dosh. The headstock bearings are made by Gamet and are enormously expensive - they are a very big tapered roller and the rollers are hollow - sometimes they collapse. Everything esle can be fixed - loads of spares on eBay

 

[Pete.]

£200 would get you a couple of good used chucks. I'd grab it with both hands, even if it was a very early one.

 

[Wedg1e]

Hello
I have an option to buy a second hand lathe, a Colchester Master, which is adequate for what I want/need. It seems to require………….

Adequate? ADEQUATE!? Every Master I've seen has been about a million feet long, are you turning javelins?

Re. your inverter and the 3-phase motor: you might want to check it's a dual-voltage motor as most inverters put out 240V 3-phase but not 415v. Mine (on my Boxford) is a 415v-out but it cost a few bob.

 

[NigelAylesbury]

Update
I went along to the place with my car club colleague, and he said pretty much what everyone else has said here. It’s worth it – just for the spares, so why not?
It was still available on Monday lunchtime at £200, checked on the phone.
The earliest I could have picked it up was last night, so I had organised a massive trailer, lifting gear, borrowed a bigger car and turned up with cash in hand. The seller had looked on eBay and realised he wanted far more. Can he have £1000 instead? Mate just said “walk away” – so we did.

 

[brightspark]

Update
I went along to the place with my car club colleague, and he said pretty much what everyone else has said here. It’s worth it – just for the spares, so why not?
It was still available on Monday lunchtime at £200, checked on the phone.
The earliest I could have picked it up was last night, so I had organised a massive trailer, lifting gear, borrowed a bigger car and turned up with cash in hand. The seller had looked on eBay and realised he wanted far more. Can he have £1000 instead? Mate just said “walk away” – so we did.

a grand whose he tryin to kid u can get a realy nice colchester or a harison for that with chucks and faceplate included and not worn or sloppy

 

[ford34/2]

Value

Its worth what any one is willing to pay, but in the real world, its not worth a grand unless it has everything, chucks, tooling, inverter,
move on, put it behind you, check what E bay has regularly, note the prices or do a backwards search and see what they sold for a while ago,keep checking all the machine tool suppy traders, watch Home workshop etc etc, there is always a regular supply of 60s 70s lathes.


Stan

 

[breezer]

he might be back in touch when it doesn't make a grand....

 

[MarkMG]

...and then knock him down the cost of the first attempt to purchase it.

 

[mike os]

no way an old master is that kind of money even with a shed load of accessories

 

[hareng]

Theres idiots on that site look at this who is he trying to kid http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170555230891&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

One apparently sold yesterday £2100 single phase buy now, guess where i will advertise mine next week.