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  • Spring meet up in Ontario, April 6/2024. NEW LOCATION See Post #31 Discussion NEW LOCATION

Colchester 2ooo Engine Lathe $1,500 Southampton Ont.

combustable herbage

Ultra Member
Premium Member

3896e6c9-8455-497a-83f9-6a5fe7da27e4
 

Stellrammer

Well-Known Member
It’s the hidden unknowns that get you. Misaligned headstock, other bearings and their respective carried components, even a well seasoned bed casting is going to shift when not stored level after so many years. A fine machine for an I’ll take a chance price though.
 

trevj

Ultra Member
It’s the hidden unknowns that get you. Misaligned headstock, other bearings and their respective carried components, even a well seasoned bed casting is going to shift when not stored level after so many years. A fine machine for an I’ll take a chance price though.
Face it, most of the guys that will take on a machine like this, want it for doing essentially hack work on a farm, or in a similar small shop, where great deal of what 'may' be wrong with this machine, frankly, will never get noticed.

As those things go, I would like to see it in person, before making a decision on whether it would be of use. It seems to come with most of the basics, the rust on the ways could be a killer, or a non-issue, I have cleaned up some pretty ugly looking ways with mineral oil and steel wool.

Compared to what you get at Busy Bee for the same money, there is a PILE of capability, for the dollar spent, and even if you have to pull a few parts from the carriage and straighten or weld a few shafts, it doesn't look like a real high risk to me.

From my view, the real "watch" issue, is the headstock bearings, in the English Colchesters. They are a custom size made by Gamet, and there are no other sources, so they are pretty dear to replace if they are done. Like, I would likely scrap my Master 2500, if the bearings were hooped.
 

trevj

Ultra Member
Looks like a parts machine for the parts machine in Victoria.
Nope. This one is a English made Triumph 2000, the one in Vic is on Chinese iron, and has a different size bed as well.

Sorta like swapping parts among mismatched generations and sizes of trucks. If the parts off of a 1998 F-250 fit onto a 2010 F-150, it's a happy accident, rather than by design....
 

TorontoBuilder

Ultra Member
did you know that the society for prevention of cruelty to animals was founded in the early 1860s, but it was not until the equine influenza epidemic of the early 1970s that the SPCA really saw explosive growth, as many abusive owners forced their sick horses to work themselves to death, collapsing in the streets in droves.

I've seen so many abused machine equipment that has been similarly treated this past year, we must rally in their name and start a public awareness campaign, displaying the images of this intolerable cruelty to the public to win over their support for new legislation with harsh penalties for the offenders.

I'm joking people, this is not political, it's humour.

Later this week I intend to water board my lathe, but instead of water I'll be draping rags soaked in petroleum distillates over the lathe. I swear to god it will spill all of its secrets to me then!
 

JustaDB

Ultra Member
I've seen so many abused machine equipment that has been similarly treated this past year
For reasons known only to him, I have a very close buddy who has a warm spot for old drill presses, especially the big, heavy ones. The same family that sold me my lathe had an old drill press, too. Nobody wanted it. My buddy couldn't stand seeing it go for scrap so he loaded it onto his trailer in front of the front end loader we used to put the lathe in my pickup.

To twist the knife a bit more, every time I see one listed at an auction, I send him the link. :D
 

TorontoBuilder

Ultra Member
Pretty darn funny too!

Many a serious thing is said in jest though. I think all of us have cried for an abused and ruined machine that we would have treated like solid gold and been thrilled to own and brag about.
I sure hate seeing a machine left outside to rust and I've seen hundreds over the years.

Then there is the odd gut wrenching decisions like being offered accessories to already rare mill only to not have space and need for them...

For instance, I could pick up this item that fits the spindle of my swiss machine, but for a hefty price and without any type of insert or even knowledge of what insert would fit it.

The acquisition was proposed to me as a potential starting point for making a schaublin w12 drawbar collet to er16 collet adapter. The only advantage I see is a very accurate w12 taper and good buttress threads as a starting point. There would be lots to machine away, and I'm not sure if there was enough meat to cut the er 16 taper into. IMG_20230324_081323922.jpg


IMG_20230324_081334967.jpg


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Looking at it I dont see it working.

I'd be interested to see if I could make a functional flycutter out of this "chuck" tho.
 
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