Clausing Colchester 15 is available

[Janderso]

Judging by requests for spares,the feed gears would be something I would give close attention to......

Please explain. I am not familiar with this issue.
I know someone who can make gears though

 

[john.k]

Colchester have always had the charming habit of using non standard gears.......their gears are very difficult for a beginner to make.......now if you have a gear hobbing shop,I stand corrected............However ,were I to buy another used lathe...unlikely,.....I would ask for the gear covers to be removed,and check the gears visually..........failing this,I would then engage each and every gear in the head,and turn the machine "backwards" via the chuck......I would then disconnect the feed box ,and do the same,both for leadscrew and feedrod. drives.........any busted gears should cause a noticeable jam up....................dont be fooled by dealers "warranties" and assurances.....there is a lot of hassle involved in buying a lathe,and you dont want to discover how expensive spares are straight away the machine is installed in your shop.

 

[BROCKWOOD]

I was hoping to power the lathe with the same VFD I had planned for the mill.
The mill is a 3HP and the lathe is 7.5.
Oh well, i'm thrilled to have the Clausing!! I'll work something out.
The 92 year old machinist I bought the B&S Micromaster from had a Rotary Phase Converter that powered his whole shop.

The very valid point here is to plan ahead. I had no idea that I wanted or needed a real lathe once I ordered up my RPC & sized it perfectly for the 1 mill. Now, I'm realizing that I have a choice as I move forward: Get a lathe that also uses a 5HP or less motor or expect to get a whole new RPC for a 5+HP lathe.

At what HP rating do the VFDs max out at anyway?

 

[Bob Korves]

The very valid point here is to plan ahead. I had no idea that I wanted or needed a real lathe once I ordered up my RPC & sized it perfectly for the 1 mill. Now, I'm realizing that I have a choice as I move forward: Get a lathe that also uses a 5HP or less motor or expect to get a whole new RPC for a 5+HP lathe.

At what HP rating do the VFDs max out at anyway?

VFDs go up to really high power ratings, over 100 hp, I assume. But they are $$$$$. In a home shop an RPC usually starts to take over when more than about two 3 phase machines are present, or if one machine is over about 5 hp. No real knowledge here, just what I have gleaned from discussions. Decisions like these also morph with changes in technology and with what else becomes available, and at what cost.

 

[mksj]

Single phase input VFDs typically max out at 5 Hp, I would use a Yaskawa and they run around $650. Beyond 5 Hp, you need to buy a 3 phase input VFD and derate it for use on single phase. The typical number to multiply the motor Hp/kW by ~1.7 and round up to the nearest available sized VFD. So a 7.5 Hp motor would need a minimum 12.75 Hp rated VFD and rounding up one gets 15 Hp, so you would need something like a Hitachi WJ00-110LF which run a bit over $800. The other consideration is that even though you are derating the VFD for operation at a lower power, the input wiring and fusing need to be rated for the full current of the VFD. So it adds up quickly and you cannot just connect the VFD to the machine and have it work. At this size level, an RPC may be a better and less expensive option. Looks like you would need a 15 Hp RPC, it all depends on the manufacture and the specs.

A few other considerations, you could switch out the stock motor to a 5 Hp (run around $300-400 on eBay) and use a 5 Hp VFD. You will have more than enough power, another option would be if you used an RPC for multiple machines, you could get by with a 10 Hp RPC and running the lathe off of a 7.5 Hp VFD with the 3 phase input from the RPC. Only practical in bigger shops where you may already have an RPC. VFD's can be run off of RPC's, but the RPC has to be rated for a higher output current than the VFD. There are a few other caveats depending on who you talk to.

You have not mentioned the price, but if you are pushing 8-10K range then there are a number of other new lathes to consider that may be less expensive in the long run. I have worked with a number of individuals that have purchased the RML-1440/1640 from different vendors. These come with 5 Hp motors, and also are available with a factory VFD that will run off of single phase. They are around 3300 lbs so fairly robust, also a few people have purchased the Eisen 1440EV which comes with a VFD, has a wide bed and they weigh around 2400lbs. All of these individuals have been very happy with these lathes.

 

[Janderso]

It looks like a RPC may be the most economical choice.
Price is close to $5,000.
I was trying to get an idea what price range these lathes go for.
Ebay had them dirty, ugly and worn out for a lot more than what I payed.
Of course, what they sell for is another matter.

 

[Janderso]

I’m trying to date and identify the lathe. Serial # 6/0015/0751 places it around 1971 in the, Triumph 2,000 category.
According to, lathes.co.uk, articles pertaining to this model stated, all gears in headstock, d1-6 cam lock, drive gears etc. we’re hardened and ground.
This picture is of the Triumph 2000. It is my lathe in every way, even the paint is correct.

 

[mmcmdl]

I was running one last night , nice machines . If I had to buy 1 lathe and only 1 , the 15" Colchester would be the one ………………….or the Hardinge HLV-H ……………………..

 

[Janderso]

I know nothing of the Hardinge. I did notice, Tom's Techniques, youtube videos include his Hardinge Lathe.
Joe Pieczynski, runs a Colchester, I think it's a 13".
I became familiar with the Clausing Colchesters features after watching Joe's videos.
The instant auto reverse, ease of changing speeds, the foot brake, on-off controls at the head and saddle, quality of manufacture etc.
I assume you own one Mr. mmcmdl?
I may asking you some questions if you don't mind.
Where to get parts? Like the serpentine drive belt for one.??
How to acquire a 5C D1-6 collet chuck and quick release fixture? (I'm not sure what you call that set-up)
Thank you,
Jeff

 

[Bob Korves]

How to acquire a 5C D1-6 collet chuck and quick release fixture?

On a lathe of that size and power, I would be looking at a used Hardinge Sjogren collet chuck set, takes 5C, 2J, 3J or 22J collets, depending on the model, or maybe a bigger than 5C lever collet closer. I sold a 2J one for a friend some years ago. Very nice collet chuck! A lever collet closer would be better for production work. Again, maybe larger than 5C. What size is the spindle bore?