My new scrap lathe , Colchester Student

[RobWilson]

Evening Lads 


I thought I would bring my project lathe home from work were its been in storage , I got it for scrap ,had to fork out a hole 100 notes  , any way Its a round head Colchester Student with power feed problems  , came with TTA , unused Pratt 4 jaw chuck , face plate , travelling steady , Pratt 3 jaw and some other bits and bobs .

So today was spent moving it , I fit into the van no bother , well I did have to take a fair bit of  kit out ,but it went in .



Putting it in was no bother , getting it out took a bit more effort 

Some cribbing ,jacks and chains 




knocked up a ground anchor .


 

Then winched here out 




All good fun 


Rob

[vtsteam]

Whoa.....majoproject upcoming! 

[mcostello]

Like Your ground anchor!

[vtsteam]

I do wish you'd taken a video of when you put the pedal to the metal and peeled out. 

[steampunkpete]

Do you have a box full of the missing parts or are you going to have to hunt them down?

[Manxmodder]

I do wish you'd taken a video of when you put the pedal to the metal and peeled out. 

The industrial scale version of the tablecloth and crockery trick  ....OZ.

[doubleboost]

Was the lamp post not strong enough 
John

[dawesy]

Wish I could have done that with the Churchill. Maxed out the 350kg position on the engine crane getting just the bare bed off the truck
Good work. Be good to see this running again.

[awemawson]

That was my first lathe - a Round Head Student - sounded like a bag of nails but was actually very serviceable. They all seem to have noisy head stocks as the gears are straight cut. So long as the main spindle bearings are ok it should be fine, but they are Gamet and there are (or were) no equivalents, and were £600 a pop back in the 1970's  They are opposed tapers, but the rollers are hollow cylinders and I had one that had collapsed and knocked a chunk out of the raceway. Fortunately found a s/h one.

[Manxmodder]

Large Gamet hollow roller headstock bearing advertised on ebay. Not sure what model it's for....OZ.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Gamet-166101XN1-166161XN1-C2-Taper-Roller-Bearing-Ex-Harrison-Lathe-Works-/360603940979

[Jonfb64]

That's a great find and only £100. I'm looking forward to the rebuild.

Don't forget

 

[RobWilson]

Wish I could have done that with the Churchill. Maxed out the 350kg position on the engine crane getting just the bare bed off the truck
Good work. Be good to see this running again.

Hi Lee , what flavour Churchill lathe  do you have ?  I have a Churchill/Redmans  mk3 Cub 


Rob

[hermetic]

Hi Rob, thats just like mine! I have the two speed motor model, you did VERY well with the TTA, look at this!!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Taper-Turning-Attachment-for-Colchester-Student-or-Master-Roundhead-Lathe-/121587610408?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c4f2fb328

If you need a manual/parts list, I can send you the PDF. phildothermeticat langtoftdotnet

[RobWilson]

Hi Phil

PM sent 


Blood hell  how much  , mined mine is not as shiny at that one on the box ,but it will be  . As you say not bad for £100  , I did get a few other bits and bobs as well 


Rob

[hermetic]

Manual is incoming! TTA's are ott expensive and tbh you could make one for less than that! I have tried to buy one in the past, but most are incomplete. I paid £180 for my student, some years ago granted, but a smaller lathe stood next to it made over £400 at the same auction. The difference is that the smaller one was manhandled into the back of a van by two blokes, people see the student as much more heavy, and heavy machinery, especially if it is three phase, tends to make less. Luckily I have three phase!
Phil

[hermetic]

Hi Rob, average price for a travelling steady is about £75...........you did VERY well!
Phil

[tekfab]

I'm sure a man of your calliper will soon have it running even better than this :

     

 

Mike

[awemawson]

Oh boy, having watched that video I now feel totally inadequate 

[vtsteam]

"Man of your caliper", I like that! 

[RobWilson]

Cheers Lads 


Well thats enough heaving and hauling for today , I think this maybe my alfresco lathe 




I see the problem  , looks a canny job 

 


The other doodads that came with the lathe .




Some solid carbide long reach ball end mills and a selection of carbide insert milling cutters , with spare inserts  and screws .




A rather nice 9x9x9 angle plate and wee tilting angle plate , most of the gear has the usual workshop oil and dust coating that just wipes off .



Not a bad £100 spent 


Rob

[RobWilson]

Manual is incoming! TTA's are ott expensive and tbh you could make one for less than that! I have tried to buy one in the past, but most are incomplete. I paid £180 for my student, some years ago granted, but a smaller lathe stood next to it made over £400 at the same auction. The difference is that the smaller one was manhandled into the back of a van by two blokes, people see the student as much more heavy, and heavy machinery, especially if it is three phase, tends to make less. Luckily I have three phase!
Phil

Hi Phil ,


Cheers for the manual  ,I wonder why TTA are so over priced , its not an attachment thats commonly used .

I will need to make a fixed steady  , I need one for the Cub lathe so needing two gives  a good excuse for a bit casting 

I do wish you'd taken a video of when you put the pedal to the metal and peeled out. 

The industrial scale version of the tablecloth and crockery trick  ....OZ.

 

Rob

[Brass_Machine]

Very nice haul for the money Rob! Looks like a simple fix?

Eric

[RobWilson]

Very nice haul for the money Rob! Looks like a simple fix?

Eric

Aye it should be an interesting fix  Eric , aye not a bad haul but not keen on the colour of the lathe 


Rob

[vtsteam]

Love the solidity and all the curves on this era machine. You knlow it's going to be a handsome addition to the shop when it is finished. 

What the he... was that gear a worm wheel, or is it just stripped into that shape?

[RussellT]

Great value Rob.  You could put some of those bits on ebay and have a lathe for less than nothing.

But - another project - have you finished the CNC mill and the forge yet?

Russell

[awemawson]

Rob,

No sign of the lead screw or feed shaft in your pictures - do you have them?

[S. Heslop]

Nice haul! It's gonna look great once it's tidied up.

[RobWilson]

Love the solidity and all the curves on this era machine. You knlow it's going to be a handsome addition to the shop when it is finished. 

What the he... was that gear a worm wheel, or is it just stripped into that shape?

Aye she has canny curves Steve ,,,,,,,,,,,yer that was a worm wheel (once upon a time ) 

Great value Rob.  You could put some of those bits on ebay and have a lathe for less than nothing.

But - another project - have you finished the CNC mill and the forge yet?

Russell

I could do Russell  , but I would rather keep all the tooling , you cant have enough tooling 

  yer I no , I have way to many projects on the go    Me thinks I just like faffing about in the back yard 

Rob,

No sign of the lead screw or feed shaft in your pictures - do you have them?

Hi Andrew yer I have the lead screw and feed shaft  , I took the machine apart at work to see what was buggered and also to lighten the load a tad .

Nice haul! It's gonna look great once it's tidied up.

Cheers Simon , aye she should look better in Gray 


Rob

[Meldonmech]

 
    Hi Rob
                  Great buy you have there, are you thinking of casting the worm wheel blank?

                          Looks a very interesting project, good luck, will be watching as things materialize.

                                                                         Cheers David

[dawesy]

Wish I could have done that with the Churchill. Maxed out the 350kg position on the engine crane getting just the bare bed off the truck
Good work. Be good to see this running again.

Hi Lee , what flavour Churchill lathe  do you have ?  I have a Churchill/Redmans  mk3 Cub 


Rob

Hi rob. Mines a Churchill redman 7-CM. can't find any info about it anywhere other than its about a 1937 vintage. Still works well other than being very noisy (straight cut gears )
Looks like a good package you have there and hopefully a straight forward repair.

[micktoon]

Hi Rob ,glad you have the new toy home and safe, hope you did not have to shift too much about to get it a spot to work on it   

 Cheers Mick.

[RobWilson]

    Hi Rob
                  Great buy you have there, are you thinking of casting the worm wheel blank?

                          Looks a very interesting project, good luck, will be watching as things materialize.

                                                                         Cheers David

Hi David , I was given a contact number for spare parts , if there not to expensive and available I may purchase parts , If not I will probably machine from bar stock 

Hi rob. Mines a Churchill redman 7-CM. can't find any info about it anywhere other than its about a 1937 vintage. Still works well other than being very noisy (straight cut gears )

  Hi Lee , mine is really LOUD  at full belt , the same straight cut gears 

Hi Rob ,glad you have the new toy home and safe, hope you did not have to shift too much about to get it a spot to work on it   

 Cheers Mick.

It stopping  alfresco for now Mick , until I decide what to get shot of machine wise .



Rob

[rotorhead]

Hi Rob,

Welcome to the Colly real world, I've looked for bits for mine in the past, but people seem to think Colchester = Boeing 747 prices.

The machines themselves are very accurate, robust and adaptable, I wouldn't want owt else.

I've made a few mods to mine, just wish I could afford a DRO, my lad's got it on his Bantam 800.

So good wishes for this project Rob.

[hermetic]

"It stopping  alfresco for now Mick , until I decide what to get shot of machine wise . "

You got it the wrong way round Rob, you don't need less machines, you need MORE workshop!

Good luck with it, and keep the posts coming. I agree with the above comments on buying from the Colchester spares specialists, they are a bit toppy, but if you can find someone breaking a Colchester, you are on a much better deal.
Phil

[RobWilson]

Hi Rob,

Welcome to the Colly real world, I've looked for bits for mine in the past, but people seem to think Colchester = Boeing 747 prices.

The machines themselves are very accurate, robust and adaptable, I wouldn't want owt else.

I've made a few mods to mine, just wish I could afford a DRO, my lad's got it on his Bantam 800.

So good wishes for this project Rob.

Cheers Chris , I am looking forward to getting it up and running , I no what you mean about prices 

"It stopping  alfresco for now Mick , until I decide what to get shot of machine wise . "

You got it the wrong way round Rob, you don't need less machines, you need MORE workshop!


Phil

  would you like to explain that one to my wife Phil        mined you fair do's to her she did suggest I got an industrial unit 



Cheers Rob   

[Sid_Vicious]

Could this be of interest for you? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Colchester-Student-Lathe-Spares/391086069600?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3D76ed6d49bcda425cb6e09d89b7a10b0c%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D221718135622&rt=nc

[RobWilson]

Cheers for the thought Sid 


Rob