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Author: Subject: Best place to buy a lathe?
tegwin

posted on 10/4/08 at 11:18 AM Reply With Quote
Best place to buy a lathe?

I have a really bad hankering for a Colchester gap bed student/mascot or similar lathe....someting that was built to last. (Not to bothered about age, but something with screw cutting and a decent bed would be nice!)

There are a couple of fairly average examples on ebay, but they seem to be slightly overly priced....

Where is the best place to get a used and working colchester lathe from?

[Edited on 10/4/08 by tegwin]





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Mr Whippy

posted on 10/4/08 at 11:32 AM Reply With Quote
the Colchester is always quite pricey due to it actually being a very good lathe and makes smaller modern ones look like toys. I used one years ago for building engineering models and it was a damn fine machine, so easy to use and I preferred it to the bigger lathes in the workshop, I'd love one in my garage





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tegwin

posted on 10/4/08 at 11:53 AM Reply With Quote
Yes, I learned to turn on them....that and some similarly british vertical mills.....I want one of those in my garage as well





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hughpinder

posted on 10/4/08 at 11:53 AM Reply With Quote
I have had good service from gandmtools.co.uk

Regards
Hugh

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David Jenkins

posted on 10/4/08 at 11:56 AM Reply With Quote
I got my Colchester Student for £200 about 10 years ago. It then cost me around £100 to ship it from a school to home - don't underestimate how much these things weigh!

My lathe is a few Kg heavier than my Locost...






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tegwin

posted on 10/4/08 at 12:04 PM Reply With Quote
Shipping would be a mission, but im fairly sure the colchester lathes split into three/four parts...

Not that it will make it any lighter, but still....


That website has given me the gimees really badly...

I could spend a small fortune on there!





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02GF74

posted on 10/4/08 at 12:20 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
I used one years ago for building engineering models and it was a damn fine machine, so easy to use and I preferred it to the bigger lathes in the workshop, I'd love one in my garage


were you the one with the little steam engine?






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hughpinder

posted on 10/4/08 at 12:35 PM Reply With Quote
Oh, by the way, have a look on lathes.co.uk for information on almost any lathe- A 'student' short bed is 790kg!

Hugh

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dhutch

posted on 10/4/08 at 12:38 PM Reply With Quote
Oddly enough, i aws thinking eactly that last night, and watched a harrison go for £1500 on ebay.
- As you say, they do seam exensive on there.
- Obvously they are very expensive new, and potentially last forever.
- But still, im not bidding £1500 on a unknown vintage lathe ive not even seen, based on about three grainy images!

Unfortuantly for me the days of school throwing out tonnes of good equipent for buttons was a few years ago now, and some of them are even starting to replace bit now ive lest school.



Daniel

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dhutch

posted on 10/4/08 at 12:41 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by hughpinder
Oh, by the way, have a look on lathes.co.uk for information on almost any lathe...

Yeah, thats a spot on site, very helpfull.
- Also the cheapest place i could find selling t-link splitable belting as well when i needed some for the steamboat.


Daniel

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mcerd1

posted on 10/4/08 at 12:55 PM Reply With Quote
I know a man that could sort you out with one

only trouble is he's up here (east of edinburgh) but he does collect and deliver all over the uk

I can get his number if you like ?

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David Jenkins

posted on 10/4/08 at 12:55 PM Reply With Quote
The colchesters do split into a few parts, but each of them are extremely heavy, especially the headstock.

The official lifting technique is to move the tailstock to the end of the bed, screw a very large lifting eye into the centre of the bed, and lift it as one unit. Fine if you've got an engine hoist that can lift 550Kg at full stretch!






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owelly

posted on 10/4/08 at 01:04 PM Reply With Quote
Not quite Scotland but a bit closer....I have just been to see a bloke (with a tyre changing machine to change my tyres!) and he has a couple of ex-school lathes. I remember them been at the school I went to and they were always stood in a corner of the workshop, never used. If you want his details, U2U me. He may even consider delivering for a price.





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mcerd1

posted on 10/4/08 at 01:44 PM Reply With Quote
the guy I know, knows a man with a big hiab lorry
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tegwin

posted on 10/4/08 at 01:50 PM Reply With Quote
I guess if you took the lathe appart....bed, headstock, sadle, base bit.....you could use an engine crane to lift the parts onto a suitable trailer, or into back of car....

Still a big ol weight to shift...

Im not even going to consider taking it up the garden to the workshop....i think it will end up stopping in the garage....





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Mr Whippy

posted on 10/4/08 at 01:51 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
I used one years ago for building engineering models and it was a damn fine machine, so easy to use and I preferred it to the bigger lathes in the workshop, I'd love one in my garage


were you the one with the little steam engine?


not me, I was doing models of concept designs for offshore equipment, used them to win funding for projects

people can do all the fancy 3D cad drawings they like but nothing works better than handing someone a model of what you want to build



[Edited on 10/4/08 by Mr Whippy]





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Wadders

posted on 10/4/08 at 03:40 PM Reply With Quote
Keep your eye on this site, it quite often throws up real bargains. harrison lathes are worth considering too, L5, L5A and even the L6 are a nice size for home use, although as said, are not lightweight. They also have an induction hardened bed, so tend to last for ever.
http://www.homeworkshop.org.uk/latest.html

Al.

[Edited on 10/4/08 by Wadders]






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caber

posted on 10/4/08 at 04:03 PM Reply With Quote
mcred1 I am in Edinburgh and if there really is the chance of a good lathe cheap I am interested. Currently I have an antique and well used wartime Myford 4.5" good for little bits in ally or nylon but not up to big bits of steel.

Caber

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clanger

posted on 10/4/08 at 04:25 PM Reply With Quote
Widen your search.
Bought my Boxford off the bay of decay and had it delivered on a pallet.
Pay decent money on an old well known make and avoid being tempted by machine mart rubbish.
See previous thread
Lathe thread

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mcerd1

posted on 10/4/08 at 04:50 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by caber
mcred1 I am in Edinburgh and if there really is the chance of a good lathe cheap I am interested. Currently I have an antique and well used wartime Myford 4.5" good for little bits in ally or nylon but not up to big bits of steel.

Caber

well I don't know about cheap, its his business after all - so he knows what things are worth

but he does have a stock of old and some newer lathes, mills, drills and everything else - obviously some things are worth more than others

also he might take any old machines back in p/ex

I'll get his number later

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v8kid

posted on 10/4/08 at 06:00 PM Reply With Quote
I bought my boxford off a dealer who advertised in the model maker mag last autumn for £100 cos it had a 3 phase motor.
They require a compact single phase motor to fit in the space available cost another £70.

Pallet delivery was £50 and they delivered right into the middle of the garage floor and I walked it into position.

Beware the cost of tools I've spent another £150 on drills, jacobs chucks, boring bars etc.

Could not live without it now.

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mcerd1

posted on 23/4/08 at 08:21 PM Reply With Quote
bit late, but I've got the number for the guy I was on about above ^^^^

u2u me if you want it

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