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  1. #1
    My new lathe arrived yesterday, so I've spent much of today cleaning and setting it up:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    I was impressed how effortlessly that crane picked up the lathe. Getting it up the garden was completely the opposite though (I'll post that in the thread I started earlier).

    Here it is in place:
    Click image for larger version. 

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    We still need to move the worktops into a more optimal location (big hammer!) and fix them down. The lathe is pretty stable as it is.

    The bed of the lathe looks in good nick for the most part. In some places there's a tiny bit of discolouration - probably rust but I can't feel a bump or anything so I'm happy with that. There's a few small nicks in it near the tailstock end, again nothing major.

    It's come with a 200mm Burned chuck. The mechanism is nice and smooth, but I cleaned it all out anyway. No chuck key, but it didn't take long to make one! There's no external jaws for it, but I can get 4" bar in without them anyway and I don't envisage needing more at all often. I can use the (free!) 10" 4 jaw chuck that came with it for bigger stuff. There's also 3 soft jaws.
    Problem: The jaws on the 3 jaw seem to be worn such that it's holding bar at an angle to the axis of rotation of the spindle. When I tighten the chuck it looks like it grips the bar closer to the spindle first, then if you really tighten it the end of the jaw near the tailstock grabs. It looks like the jaws are tapered. :sad: I wondering if I should skim a bit off the jaws? 10mm from the chuck the runout is 0.22mm, 50mm away it's 0.44m, 30mm it's 0.32mm - so it looks pretty linear.

    The headstock has sufficient oil in it for now - the gauge is half full, or half empty...However the threading gearbox appears to have no oil, so I need to find some. It says in the manual here, but I'm not sure where to get it:

    http://bbssystem.com/manuals/colchester_student.pdf
    (page 11)

    The autofeeds both seem to work fine, if a bit slow.

    There's a bit of backlash in the cross slide and compound slide, more in the former. That could be a problem... It does seem to vary, so maybe the screw is worn unevenly. The slide is a bit stiffer near the end where there seems to be less backlash. I'll investigate this tomorrow.

    I swapped the wires in the motor to run it on 220v instead of 440v and wired up the 2.2Kw china VFD from the router with the relevant settings changed. It worked first time :surprised:. The main belts look a bit worn, I might replace them just to be safe.

    It would be nice to put the coolant pump on the VFD. I've read that it's OK to have two motors on the same VFD and I'll be changing the spindle speed with the gears for the most part so I won't have an issue with the pump not going fast enough. I'm still not sure that it's wise? I'm right on the limit of the VFD as it is. The VFD is 3HP, and so is the lathe motor. If I put it at full tilt (50Hz with highest gear - apparently 1200rpm) the VFD reads about 6 amps (upto 10.5 on startup but not for long at all). I've got the spinup time set to 5 seconds.

    More to follow as and when I think of it and find out.

    In the meantime, can anyone advise me on the chuck, coolant pump and oil please?
    Last edited by Jonathan; 19-04-2011 at 10:53 PM.

  2. #2
    m_c's Avatar
    Lives in East Lothian, United Kingdom. Last Activity: 3 Days Ago Forum Superstar, has done so much to help others, they deserve a medal. Has been a member for 9-10 years. Has a total post count of 2,908. Received thanks 360 times, giving thanks to others 8 times.
    If it's anything like it's big brother that I bought, headstock oil will be listed as Shell Tellus 27, with the screwcutting Tellus 33. Shell still do Tellus oils, but they're not the same as the old Tellus oils from the era of that manual.
    From much googling, modern equivalents are hydraulic ISO 32 and 68 oils.
    One word of caution when dealing with ISO 32 or thinner oils, wear gloves. 32 is thin enough to get in skin pores, and cause problems.

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by m_c View Post
    From much googling, modern equivalents are hydraulic ISO 32 and 68 oils.
    Thanks, I'll have a look where I can get them. Do you think I should remove the old oil and clean it up a bit first?

    Edit:

    Found it on eBay:
    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Premier-ISO-32...item19c370ed6a

    and

    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Premier-Slidew...item19c434faaa

    Hope that's enough!

    This is a better deal if not:
    http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Hydraulic-Oil-...item2562b7e483
    Last edited by Jonathan; 19-04-2011 at 11:09 PM.

  4. #4
    Just thought - the misalignment on the chuck could be the headstock that's out of line. I'll check it by putting the DTI on 'top' of the bar, then the 'side' to see if they're different readings.

    In the manual it says 32 and 68 oil, I should have read it properly!

  5. #5
    Jonathan i used those machines when i was an apprentice and they were old then as the square headstock models came out so that lathe is at least 45 years old and probably older. It will have not only be used but abused so you should stand back amazed that it is in such good condition.

    Re the chuck, small pieces were held and the chucks overtightened so again hardly surprising the jaws are bell mouthed.

    You wont be able to SKIM them they need to be ground, obviously you can skim the soft jaws. I would check the fit of the jaw profile in the chuck body worst case a new chuck around £200

    Congrats in getting it in.

    Phil

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by M250cnc View Post
    Jonathan i used those machines when i was an apprentice and they were old then as the square headstock models came out so that lathe is at least 45 years old and probably older. It will have not only be used but abused so you should stand back amazed that it is in such good condition.
    The owner said that it had had very little use from him since they've got bigger and better lathes. I tend to believe him since the nut you undo (should be a lever) to rotate the toolpost was extremely hard to undo. I think is the slightly newer version of the old lathe as it's got the later apron and the better bearings.

    Re the chuck, small pieces were held and the chucks overtightened so again hardly surprising the jaws are bell mouthed.

    Quote Originally Posted by M250cnc View Post
    You wont be able to SKIM them they need to be ground, obviously you can skim the soft jaws. I would check the fit of the jaw profile in the chuck body worst case a new chuck around £200
    Would they be machinable with a carbide tool any plenty of coolant? I read someone doing it on a mini lathe with a diamond tool spinning fast, and the lathe on full speed so the centripetal force pushes the jaws against the thread. That was only to remove a tiny bit though. I guess it's worth a try? Alternatively could I anneal the jaws, machine, then harden again? Just thinking aloud!

    I've had the jaws out and there were some burrs on the thread.

    Just checked with the indicator and it's the same runout wherever I measure, so must be the chuck at fault. With the indicator on the body of the chuck I get about 0.015mm runout.

    Edit:

    It's just occured to me, I removed the burrs on the back of the jaws easily enough with a needle file, and somebody's machined them else where which implies that they are machinable. I have a glanze boring bar and some new inserts for it.
    Last edited by Jonathan; 20-04-2011 at 12:26 AM.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan View Post
    The owner said that it had had very little use from him since they've got bigger and better lathes. I tend to believe him since the nut you undo (should be a lever) to rotate the toolpost was extremely hard to undo. I think is the slightly newer version of the old lathe as it's got the later apron and the better bearings.
    Well he would say that wouldn't he. Not, no mate it's completely flipped.

    You can check out the serial number here http://www.lathes.co.uk/colchester/page34.html


    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan View Post
    Would they be machinable with a carbide tool any plenty of coolant? I read someone doing it on a mini lathe with a diamond tool spinning fast, and the lathe on full speed so the centripetal force pushes the jaws against the thread. That was only to remove a tiny bit though. I guess it's worth a try? Alternatively could I anneal the jaws, machine, then harden again? Just thinking aloud!
    Not really, they are ground when made new so there is your answer. Stop thinking out loud don't even think about annealing them


    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan View Post
    I've had the jaws out and there were some burrs on the thread.

    Just checked with the indicator and it's the same runout wherever I measure, so must be the chuck at fault. With the indicator on the body of the chuck I get about 0.015mm runout.
    If the runout was repeatable at the same point on the chuck it might be worth it, but if the run out changes position then you live with it or buy a new chuck.

    Phil

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by M250cnc View Post
    Well he would say that wouldn't he. Not, no mate it's completely flipped. You can check out the serial number here http://www.lathes.co.uk/colchester/page34.html
    Yes, of course he would. He didn't realise the 4 jaw chuck was in the cabinate until he started shifting the lathe, so I got that chuck for nothing. I'll check the number tomorrow.

    Quote Originally Posted by M250cnc View Post
    If the runout was repeatable at the same point on the chuck it might be worth it, but if the run out changes position then you live with it
    Sorry I'm not sure what you mean by 'at the same point'?

  9. #9
    The machine No. is F 2/65795 - I think that's 1968 so not too bad considering they stopped making them in 1972. Still more than twice as old as me :lol:
    Last edited by Jonathan; 20-04-2011 at 12:53 AM.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Jonathan View Post
    Sorry I'm not sure what you mean by 'at the same point'?
    Chuck a piece of quality stock.

    Check with your dti run out, mark the high point on the chuck with a marker pen and note the reading.

    Take out stock then repeat the process and check the readings.

    Phil



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