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Thread: Colchester

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
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    Adelaide
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    Default Colchester

    Well a few weeks ago I asked for advice and I think a colchester was mentioned. Dam and eBay has them now LOL.

    http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....ayphotohosting

    and
    http://cgi.ebay.com.au/COLCHESTER-TR...QQcmdZViewItem

    though I could never get them into my shed too dam big, it was hard enough with the Hercus. Aah well When I change houses Ill make sure I have easy access to the shed via forklift if I want one of those. What I read on them they sure sound impressive!
    Cheers
    Gene

    Holden Hill Crash Repairs
    607 North East Road
    Gilles Plains South Australia 5086
    (08) 8261-3979
    [email protected]

  2. #2
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    Feb 2007
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    Katherine ,Northern Territory
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    Default

    Colchesters are good machines ,these two are fairly old and quite large machines .
    There are more modern and later models that more suited to home workshops smaller Colchesters like the Master and the Student which would be more suited to home use.

    Infact we have a Colchester Master that is being replaced at work ,for the love of me I don't know why ,its in very good condition , would you guess its being replaced with an AL60 of Chiawanese manufacture .The Defence Dept does some wierd things.

    There are also Harrison lathes ,the 250 and 300 are nice sizes for home workshops.
    Not sure if the 250 is made any more though.

    Having said that I now have to find room for a large lathe and mill soon.

    Kev
    "Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend ,inside a dog it's too dark to read"
    Groucho Marx

  3. #3
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    The Fabulous Gold-plated Coast.
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    Default

    They are replacing a Master with an AL60? Philistines! That's like replacing a tank with a Kia.

  4. #4
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    Nov 2007
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    Mt Crosby, Brisbane
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    Default

    Those are both mk1 triumphs with medium beds. I'd have one at home in an instant. Probably THE handiest size lathe you can get.

    They may be replacing the master because of H&S issues. H&S has a lot of stupid regs to comply to and older lathes although perfectly safe sometimes fall outside the rules. Of course it could also be clueless managment.
    I'm just a startled bunny in the headlights of life. L.J. Young.
    We live in a free country. We have freedom of choice. You can choose to agree with me, or you can choose to be wrong. Me.

  5. #5
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    Sep 2008
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    Adelaide
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    Default

    Well if they make a smaller colchester, I will have to keep a look out. One might come up at auction who knows. The units on ebay are just too big for me. Reading up on them at http://www.lathes.co.uk/ they sure sound a very well made piece of equipment.
    Cheers
    Gene

    Holden Hill Crash Repairs
    607 North East Road
    Gilles Plains South Australia 5086
    (08) 8261-3979
    [email protected]

  6. #6
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    Nov 2007
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    Default

    A student went on ebay some months ago for $1800, and a master for about $2200. Triumphs usually get more than that, even mk1's get up around the $4k mark because they are so much more handy. Remember it's bed length that really stretch a lathe, a short bed triumph doesn't take up that much room. The bantams are a bit smaller than students but there's bugger all in it. And those weird variable speed things are about that size also. Never liked them but some people seem to have a thing for variable speed. I don't like the beds because they are hard to clean.
    I'm just a startled bunny in the headlights of life. L.J. Young.
    We live in a free country. We have freedom of choice. You can choose to agree with me, or you can choose to be wrong. Me.

  7. #7
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by damian View Post
    Those are both mk1 triumphs with medium beds. I'd have one at home in an instant. Probably THE handiest size lathe you can get.

    They may be replacing the master because of H&S issues. H&S has a lot of stupid regs to comply to and older lathes although perfectly safe sometimes fall outside the rules. Of course it could also be clueless managment.

    They replace stuff when it gets to a certain age ,the last lot of lathes they sold off were 12 years old there were two Colchester masters and one Harrison 300 .The Colchesters went for $850.00 and $900.00 and the Harrison went for 1100.00. None of them had done any serious or heavy work in their life.
    The one that is being replaced now , has done bugger all and gets very little use ,and when it does its only fiddly light work.With a clean up it would look like new.
    I asked why the Colchester is being replaced , and the person I spoke to said "it's no longer supported "which means they will no longer buy parts or accessories for it.
    Probably the main reason is the cost of replacement.
    In reality it for the maount of use it gets and the type of work it does it probably a waste of taxpayers money .

    kev
    "Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend ,inside a dog it's too dark to read"
    Groucho Marx

  8. #8
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    Nov 2007
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    Mt Crosby, Brisbane
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    Default

    Well if your willing to bid on it I'm happy to buy it and arrange transport. A master as I say is a $2k lathe in any old condition. For that money I'd drive up with my trailer and pick the darn thing up myself
    I'm just a startled bunny in the headlights of life. L.J. Young.
    We live in a free country. We have freedom of choice. You can choose to agree with me, or you can choose to be wrong. Me.

  9. #9
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    Aug 2008
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    near Rockhampton
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    Default

    One area of concern especially with older British/Australian tools is bearings (nearly every other part could be easily made)...Spindle bearings might very well be made of unobtanium...I found this out with my New Visby, I was curious as to cost of new bearings so having the Timken number in the manual I queried Timken and they told me the bearing has been superceded and no replacement was ever made...This is a machine designed in the late 1950's...

    Another Colchester here --->>> http://www.machines4u.com.au/view/?a...y_id=36&page=1 probably quite a good machine for the price...

    The stuff I would buy if I had the spare cash...Why waste it on a holiday...

  10. #10
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    Default

    Wow woodlee you get all the bargains, I see some one has given you a lathe and you get a chance to pick up a colchester for next to nothing aah good luck to you I say. Now you will have all of us figuring how to get the one that is going to be sold!!
    Cheers
    Gene

    Holden Hill Crash Repairs
    607 North East Road
    Gilles Plains South Australia 5086
    (08) 8261-3979
    [email protected]

  11. #11
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    Feb 2006
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    Melbourne
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    Default

    Hi,

    http://cgi.ebay.com.au/COLCHESTER-TR...QQcmdZViewItem

    I worked on one of these occasionally at a former workplace. It says it comes without the gap piece which is a shame as you will get a fair bit of vibration if taking large cuts without it in place. The only negative I had about it was the pain in the butt (as well as lower back) when coming to change the chucks or faceplate that weigh a tonne (well they felt that heavy). They are also taken off (& on) with the use of a large "C" spanner - so you have to have it in the lowest gear to be able to tighten (& untighten) them. They (chucks and face plate) are located via a key way if I remember correctly.

    Regards
    MH

  12. #12
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by footz View Post
    Wow woodlee you get all the bargains, I see some one has given you a lathe and you get a chance to pick up a colchester for next to nothing aah good luck to you I say. Now you will have all of us figuring how to get the one that is going to be sold!!


    Footz ,
    I doubt I will get a chance at bidding on the Colchester ,chances are it will be transported south for disposal, or maybe to Darwin.I hope they don't leave it sitting out in the weather like the last three .
    It maybe put back into stock as well depending on the disposal instructions.
    We used to have a local auction here ,where Defence Dept. would put furniture and all manner of stuff for disposal there were some really good bargains up for grabs.
    The local business complained to the Minister that they were flooding the local market with second hand goods and people weren't buying new stuff from them.
    So they stopped entering stuff into the auctions and sent it South or up to Darwin .
    The auction business eventually went bust and had to close up , so no more local auctions,no more bargains.

    So much for healthy competition.

    Kev.
    "Outside of a dog a book is man's best friend ,inside a dog it's too dark to read"
    Groucho Marx

  13. #13
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    Default

    Well when it goes put a note up on the forums as I will check out here down south in Adelaide you never know? Though the hercus is working great more then enough for me its just when you read about the colchesters they sure sound as if they where engineered extremely well.

    And as for healthy competition I wish, just a saying. In the crash trade the insurance say that to us , only to increase there profits but never bring the premiums down. I better shut up LOL Ill be typing all day otherwise.
    Cheers
    Gene

    Holden Hill Crash Repairs
    607 North East Road
    Gilles Plains South Australia 5086
    (08) 8261-3979
    [email protected]

  14. #14
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    near Rockhampton
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by footz View Post
    Though the hercus is working great more then enough for me its just when you read about the colchesters they sure sound as if they where engineered extremely well.
    I will firstly admit never to have seen or used a Colchester but I wonder how much of the Colchester legend is real and how much myth..I look at the specs for a colchester lathe and I see nothing out of the ordinary..Generally they seem a bit on the light side when compared to other makes and brands of similar swing and vintage..No doubt they are exceptionally well designed, made and from what I hear very accurate but to me to look at pictures of one they appear to be proportioned wrong(the saddle a bit short and tailstock a bit small)...Maybe I have seen too many US lathes where to them building a 14" swing lathe that weighs 3 tonnes is considered normal..

    However in saying all that I would not pass up the opportunity to buy a Triumph 2000 if condition and price was right...

  15. #15
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    Aug 2003
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    Christies Beach
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    Default

    I turn on a Mascot 1600 at work, Love the power to take big cuts, the range of screw cutting and being able to stuff 90mm stock through the headstock makes life easy.
    The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.
    Albert Einstein

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