Can you help me identify this lathe?

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My buddy wants to sell me this lathe. I have always wanted one. It is a Colchester brand from England. I can't find the model. I didn't see them on ebay or anything.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Start by digging through Tony's site.http://www.lathes.co.uk/colchester/index.htmlLincoln PrecisionTig 275Miller 251Miller DialArc 250Bridgeport millHossfeld bender & diesLogan shaperJet 14 X 40 latheSouth Bend 9" 'C'Hypertherm 900Ellis 3000 band saw21"Royersford ExcelsiorTwo shops, still too many tools.
Reply:ok, will do!Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:oh, wait, I already went there.thanks.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:is there any tag? Could you take some close up pictures like of the head shifting levers and ways, that would help.Last edited by endmill; 01-31-2013 at 07:30 PM.
Reply:Looks like a bigger version of this Colchester Master.http://www.lathes.co.uk/colchestermasterearly/"USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:I looked at the master too. but this seems lots bigger. the chuck is like 15 inches and the bed is 50Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:It's the mascott, for some reason it has a balcrank handle instead of a normal handwheel on the right side of the apron for saddle travel. It would also be really good if the gap piece was laying about somewhere. Anyway try this page for some joy;http://www.lathes.co.uk/colchester/page26.htmlGood luckMatt
Reply:Matt!!!!! Thank you! that is it. But there are no tags on it anywhere to identify the model. Where should it be?7a749, He wants 1400bucks.Is that reasonable?Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Matt, Are you saying that there is a piece that could fill in the gap and extend the ways to get the tooling closer to the chuck?Oh man, so I have to hunt around for an archaic piece that is missing?Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Ok, moving it is not an issue. I have all the right buddies for that. He does not have the gap piece. The motor is actually 3HP. I checked it out again last night. But it is 440v. I don't even know how to hook that up. I know how to hook up a 3 phase motor to drive the 3rd leg, but having to get 440v would be the issue for me. As for the price, I don't know a dang thing about them. I am going to take your advice. I always have people ask me for advice on welders and it ticks me off when they make me explain it all to them and the options and stuff, then they go buy a welder at harbor freight or something. Or they buy a 110v=120v and 3 months later tell me they want a 220v-240v unit wit balls that can do aluminum. We have all seen that thread a million times, right?I will tell my buddy I will pass on it for that price. Thanks.I thought I had found a prize.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:The price seems high to me also Joker, but I'm not there. You can link to page 1 from my link, where it shows that lathe is some 4600# and prolly has hardened ways. It talks about this particular machine in pretty good detail (the massive).You do have some bargaining points though. First is the 3hp motor can't be right - the 440 thing can be fixed with a buck-boost transformer. If it's a really old (pre t-frame) motor, then it's likely you can safely run as high as 520v. This lets you use a transformer meant for 208v with 230/240 wild leg input power(cheaper & more commonly found used than the 230/460).Next the missing gap piece - there is only one that fits it & thats the one that was in place when the bed was ground. Working near the chuck with the saddle overhanging the ways will wear the front of the saddle ways fast. So, you either chuck a smaller chuck in the big chuck or you do any close work with a large boring bar so you can keep the saddle back on the ways.The last thing is more confusing to me - not having a wheel for the saddle travel would for me be very troublesome. The location on the right side of the apron is something many machinist like about many UK built lathes. BUT, let's face it, when you are trying to hand travel or adjust close to a shoulder with that Balcrank handle - it's goint to be clumsy at best. I would say that at least you need a buck-boost or a new motor and a smaller chuck to be chucked in the big one. The speeds thing to me is no biggie, a BMW would be nice also but I drive a chebby & still get there.  I don't see a steady rest or any other tooling laying around (a steady will be hard to find), just the toolpost...Do some bargaining, at the $1000 mark you're about 21 cents a pound.Good luckMatt
Reply:Originally Posted by Joker11... I always have people ask me for advice on welders and it ticks me off when they make me explain it all to them and the options and stuff, then they go buy a welder at harbor freight or something. Or they buy a 110v=120v and 3 months later tell me they want a 220v-240v unit wit balls that can do aluminum. ...
Reply:Yea Steve, the info @Tonys' said 4620 for the 54" & 5160 for the 78". Prolly of the new generation gear head Brit lathes Dean Smith & Grace would be the only real heavy iron player. This Colchester would be an equal match for something like my Leblond regal (which Leblond called a light pattern lathe). The DS&G size is prolly why Monarch bought them in the 70's. Of course Monarch went toes up & now DS&G lives on.Your 61 series & the 60 series in general are very desired machines in these parts & you got yours right. They look smaller that the prior generation but I thinks that's because Monarch didn't want to look as bloated as the ATW Pacemakers. They still pack good weight in a given space, real solid.I saw WFM's stuff, there's a lot of love there in many ways!Nothing really matches the heavy iron lathes that started coming out of Cleveland after WWII. I would suppose that nothing I've ever seen matches the heavy pattern American Tool Works Machines, they were just "in you face outsized" and intimidated a lot of machinists. For a moderate sized lathe it doesn't get more decadent than the one below;[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbzKQWRQAYk[/ame]Of course ATW finally made something a bit smaller called the Zip-Shift which are absolute lathe porn if you like horsepower & smaller size. Let's see if we can get Joker to bite on one of these (they spin it up to 1630rpm late in the vid, there was a 2000rpm option);[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGt-zwp7jEY[/ame] Originally Posted by 7A749Your guy still have any of that stuff?
Reply:The Zip can be had for less than 7grand.Not bad.I still want a lathe. Now I just want it more. Thanks guys.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Originally Posted by 7A749Has a 12" Cushman chuckMy 61 has some runout, quite a bit over 30" I got to level it better I think. I wish it had a taper attachment too, but oh we'll. I also have a '68 Index 845 mill & love it. First real machine I owned. Old old #9 B&S taper quill. Good old mill.I would love to put a steady rest on my late. i got a guy down near Detroit that prolly has a couple of them. Have to call him up & see one day.Thanks for the info Matt. If you have any to pass on on leveling it out, I would be grateful.