New toy: Setting up Colchester Student lathe

[M250cnc]

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

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

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