Hythe Colchester - 'THE MASCOT'

[DaveTTC]

Well what a beauty ... to me anyway who loves old stuff. This little number was 'found' in the back of an old church.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/07/6e0b6790077d23392ba1d51c35324943.jpg

Couple of things ... I dont know how to use it lol as I have never used a metal lathe but keen to learn. Here is a close up of the badge.

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/07/86c306fbe086b6386248fd8ca09e6d90.jpg

Also the casting under the head

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/07/5362e211c94fdb9a652aebb2a79d71b1.jpg

There does not look to be a lit of work needing to be done but then what would I know. Love some thoughts from the metal working guruys.

Huge thanks to Ross form the forum who sourced this for me for an absolutely unbeatable price. I hope to have it set up in service soon.


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

[bollie7]

Dave
Your machine looks almost identical to an old Australian made "Purcell" that I used to own (that I had bought from my Dad in the mid 1980's). Even down to the colour, though my Dad painted the one I had.
I'd say the Purcell was a copy of the Colchester. I might have some pictures of the Purcell some where. I'll see if I can find them.
I wish I had kept the old machine now.

regards
bollie7

[DaveTTC]

bollie7

Thanks for that ... love to see the pictures. Do you have a manual or anything?


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

[bollie7]

Dave
I can't find a decent pic looking at the front of the machine. When these were taken is was being stored and I wasn't able to get far enough away to get a decent pic of the front. You can see the simularity though
No manual unfortunately.

regards
bollie7

[DaveTTC]

My one has been painted too. Not sure what the original colour is / was.

Any idea on the age of your lathe. How did you find it to use? How does it compare to a newer lathe, asuming you have one now.


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

[bwal74]

Hi,

FYI :

http://www.lathes.co.uk/colchester/page14.html

I can't find your model though. It does look a Mars/Great Scot also essayed on that site, which are copies of Colchesters.
I really love old machinery, made to last.

Ben.

[bollie7]

My one has been painted too. Not sure what the original colour is / was.

Any idea on the age of your lathe. How did you find it to use? How does it compare to a newer lathe, asuming you have one now.


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

Dave
I have no idea of how old it was but I reckon it would have had to have been pre WWII. It wasn't a bad machine for what it was.Its a bit hard to compare an old machine like this to a new one. It had plain, white metal berings in the headstock with a total loss oiling system for starters. No problem as long as you kept the oil up to the bearings. Not enough speed to run carbide tools though.
Tailstock needed a bit of work as it was a bit sloppy on the ways on the horizontal axis. It really needed the base shimming but again I never got around to it. In the pics you can see the the saddle handwheel is different. It originally had the same sort as yours but I found it was difficult to use so I made the full circle one up out of an old vlave handwheel. Back then I wasn't really interested in the machine as an old machine but more of it being a machine to use.. When my Dad died in 2003 I inherited the little McMillon he had, so I gave the Purcell to a good friend of mine for him to learn on. With differing circumstances it ended up back in my shed (when these pics were taken) and then we sold it.
I wish now that I had been able to keep it but thats how it goes sometimes.
bollie7

[Oldneweng]

Dave
I have no idea of how old it was but I reckon it would have had to have been pre WWII. It wasn't a bad machine for what it was.Its a bit hard to compare an old machine like this to a new one. It had plain, white metal berings in the headstock with a total loss oiling system for starters. No problem as long as you kept the oil up to the bearings. Not enough speed to run carbide tools though.
Tailstock needed a bit of work as it was a bit sloppy on the ways on the horizontal axis. It really needed the base shimming but again I never got around to it. In the pics you can see the the saddle handwheel is different. It originally had the same sort as yours but I found it was difficult to use so I made the full circle one up out of an old vlave handwheel. Back then I wasn't really interested in the machine as an old machine but more of it being a machine to use.. When my Dad died in 2003 I inherited the little McMillon he had, so I gave the Purcell to a good friend of mine for him to learn on. With differing circumstances it ended up back in my shed (when these pics were taken) and then we sold it.
I wish now that I had been able to keep it but thats how it goes sometimes.
bollie7

I don't think I would like a 3 ball carriage handle either. I am used to full wheel handles. I machined thousands of pistons to size ready for grinding many years ago. I would not have been able to do it anywhere near as easy without the full wheel handle. My CY currently has a full wheel handle on the cross slide. It was cobbled together by the previous owners (Maint. dept at work) when the dropped the lathe on its face. The full (solid) wheel prevents access to the scale locking ring. Michael G has made me a replacement 3 ball handle which I have not had time to fit yet. Busy with more mundane chores like farm stuff. Fencing, building yards etc.

Dean

[DaveTTC]

that handle you mention is this one here?http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/08/6356038e4ec8ce294ab5ef17ede6e218.jpg

The one down here off the bottom of the picture


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

[jhovel]

Hi Dave,
I think you got a good one there!
After some reading and searching, I think it is a 1930s Colcester Mascot made in Hythe, Colchester, England.
Lathes.uk don't seem to have any info on it on their web pages, but I suggest you write to them /him and send him photos of yours. You never know if he's got info on it unless you ask.
As far as doing something with it, I suggest you carefully clean it - without using any abrasives like sandpaper or grinders or stones of any kind! Just Scotchbrite and kero and elbow grease.
Then oil everything well.
Then take new photos of the bed, all of the slideways (on the sadlle, cross-slide and top slide - even the underside of the tailstock). Don't take too many things apart just yet.
Let those here who know old lathes have a look at the cleaned machine and its surfaces and then go witht he advice you get then.
It is likely to have significant wear in some places, but you won't know until you have all the rusty bits clean.
THis looks a pretty substantial lathe in any case and will be good for a lot more work.
Can you measure the senter height from the bed to the centre of the tailstock and from abouth the middle of the chuck to the front of the tailstock with the tailstock at the very right hand end of the bed, please?
Also take some photos of the back pof the lathe - particularly any drive parts there might be. is there a countershaft at the back and where does the flat dirve belt go?
Lastly, see if you can measure the bore through the headstock and the size of the bearing sections of the headstock.
All that info will help guide you with choice of motor for it, it's capacity and capability.

[bollie7]

that handle you mention is this one here?

The one down here off the bottom of the picture


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

Yes. You can see it quite clearlty in one of the pics I put up. That made it a lot nicer machine to use.
I just remembered I made a new cross slide nut for it as well. It had about 3/4 of a turn of back lash in it. I pulled the cross slide spindle out, set it up and chased the flanks of the thread out until it was consistant across the whole length. ( I had access to an almost new Colchester Triumph 2000 at the time in the early 90's)
It was a Left hand acme thread and I think the OD was 5/8". Once it was cleaned up it was not a standard acme profile.
I then machined a new nut from Phosphor Bronze and machined the thread to fit the spindle. I had to make a special little boring bar to machine the thread. I ground up a bit of HSS to the required profile and welded it to the end of a 5/16" hi tensile bolt about 3" long. It took almost a whole day to do the thread due the the amopunt of spring passes I had to make. The nut was about 1&1/2" long.
Put it all back together and the back lash was reduced considerably. I can't remember the numbers though. Too long ago. I looked at trying to modify it to a split nut arrangement at the time but for some reason I didn't do it. Probably not enough room.
regards
bollie7

[DaveTTC]

G'day Joe,

It is securely wrapped in plastic wrap ATM and as my carport is not covered yet I dont want to risk exposing to the elements.

It is about 1000mm between centres and looks to be close to 160mm from bed to centre height.

There is a motor with is

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/08/d5dbd3db2529f52e4576acaf3a9c1f04.jpg

It looks to have a reversing switch

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/08/bfd55daf1a2fd977522636f66282053a.jpg

here is one of the badges

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/08/da017f6cba885daa4136d2b983c53139.jpg

and another

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/08/dbe9028c70dd3b73e78594597313b207.jpg

This label

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/08/2f40312bdaadac0de5a49e9286852950.jpg

and a brand

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/08/3c90c8253a48e7a32261af544b2c795f.jpg


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

[jhovel]

Very nice! It is a single phase dual voltage gear motor. So you are set to go. Single belt drive, no layshaft required!
The last picture: that could be a brake.... whatever it is, it is fitted to the rear of the motor spindle. If it is a brake, then that's a bonus. Great setup!
That is a bigger lathe than I expected.
I look forward to your progress prictures when you start cleaning it up.
Good luck with your carport / workshop extension!

[welder]

Random question but are you in Pétersham I saw a bus towing a similar lathe wrapped in plastic ?

[DaveTTC]

did the bus look like this by anychance

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/10/dda425016572cb74355c4b206a7c28b1.jpg

I was visiting my brother and doing some work to his house .... he has cancer and I am looking after his twins atm

http://tapatalk.imageshack.com/v2/14/09/10/4c607c955cc0ed495897302348189be9.jpg


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

[welder]

That's the one I live around the corner literally and was checking out that trailer and that lathe last week what are the chances is a nice looking machine.

[DaveTTC]

We'll have to meet next time I'm visiting my brother.


Dave the turning cowboy

turning wood into art

[wheelinround]

I missed you getting this Dave nice score :2tsup: