Colchester lathes and carriage stops.

[john.k]

On another forum ,nowdays never a week goes by without some newbie busting the feed gearbox on a Bantam or Student by useing a bed stop ........clever operators like.....the saddle just pushed one stop along,so I used two...... and ..........my one screw bedstop slipped ,so I altered it to three screws........and now the gears are busted.....Simple fact is there are no spare feed gears anywhere ,unless you are prepared to pay several thousand dollars to have them made.....So ,dont use a bed stop and dont wreck your lathe.

 

[benmychree]

Or, use hard stops and kick out the feed before hitting them; most every machinist in training learns to do this! "Experience keeps a dear school, but a fool will learn in no other"

 

[wa5cab]

And from the quotes in the previous message but one, some fools never learn.

 

[middle.road]

I wonder if it would be doable to make replacements using 3D Printing in metal. Aluminum, SS316, Titanium, and even Inconel.
Or for that matter would acetal (delrin) work?

 

[john.k]

Found another....ME 12/jan/20.........."seems to load up the feed ..lot of force.....broken teeth off the rack".....If you break rack teeth ,imagine the damage to the rest of the geartrain.......I used to buy these machines in quantity from technical colleges ,and if youve ever seen feed gears with the teeth all bent backwards,or every tooth broken off a gear.....another goodie is using the bedstop with the leadscrew.

 

[Janderso]

I was watching one of Joe Pieczynski's Youtube videos, he was turning to a hard stop.
His lathe is equipped with a clutched feed kick out in his apron.
He has a Clausing Colchester 13. I have his same lathe except it's a 15.
The first time I tried it, I was wearing diapers. Works slick.
I think all gear heads should have this feature.
Like Bemnychree said, I would kick out the feed right before the stop and finish by hand until I learned a little more about my lathe.

 

[sgisler]

I think my Colchester 15x50 has but I’ve always been scared to try it!


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[Janderso]

I think my Colchester 15x50 has but I’ve always been scared to try it!


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I have a Colchester 15X50. Which style? Round head? Rainbow dial change gears on the front or top of the head stock?
Do you have a 2" knob on the left side of your apron?

 

[sgisler]

I have a Colchester 15X50. Which style? Round head? Rainbow dial change gears on the front or top of the head stock?
Do you have a 2" knob on the left side of your apron?

Well, its a square head gap-bed, apron handwheel on the left. 1996 I think, need to look at the badge again.
Have never been able to find the ‘exact’ owner’s manual, but have a couple that are close.

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[Janderso]

You have the newer style. Nice lathe sir!
I believe that's mfg. by the 600 Group. Do you know if it's made in Colchester, England or had they moved off to Taiwan by 1996?
Either way, those are professional quality lathes from my research.