Quiet Clausing 13" lathe

Eddyde wrote:
It is the same lathe as Joe Pieczynski and yes, it's 3 phase, I think they all are. I was also thinking of getting the 15" version, which is more common and of course more more expensive, but this one popped up close by and...

-That's Quite a story! You are your friend were quite "creative" (and "brave")!

Eddyde wrote:
I built a RPC to run my lathe as it has 2 motors, spindle and coolant pump. VFD's don't do multiple motors well so 2 would be required and rewiring would be necessary as I waned to use the original controls. Also the lathe has 16 speeds which is more than enough fo me. You might want to consider the RPC approach as well. Not that VFDs are bad, I have 5 in my shop, they are just not best for everything.

-Thank you for the suggestion. I don't yet know the difference between RPCs and VFDs, but I'll try to do my own homework before I ask any questions.

By "2 motors spindle" do you mean "2-speed motor" (I noticed a 2-speed motor was an option for the lathe)?

Thanks!
Bill_729
 
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john.k said:
.....and US market models often have no provision for metric threading .
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I will pay attention. Thank you! IIRC, I have seen some that they they just need some gears swapped for metric threading--which is what I would expect.

Bill_729
 
Bill_729 said:
I will pay attention. Thank you! IIRC, I have seen some that they they just need some gears swapped for metric threading--which is what I would expect.

Bill_729
Click to expand...

Bear in mind that although most if not all Imperial based lathes will cut metric threads that are close enough for most threaded fastener usage, in order to make for example a lead screw the lead screw on the lathe that you are running must be metric. And the same statement is true of cutting Imperial or inch-based threads on a metric lathe.
 
wa5cab said:
No. He meant that his lathe had two 3-phase motors, one for the spindle and one for the coolant pump.
Click to expand...

Thank you. Eddyde typed his message clearly enough, I just read it wrong.. I had "2-speed motor" on the brain...
 
Bill_729 said:
I'll try to do my own homework before I ask any questions
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Doing your homework is great but don't be afraid to ask any questions, we're here to help.
 
I read through a long thread at Practical Machinist. where they just "lambasted" the "Clausing Colchester". "I woudn't have one in my shop" came up a couple times. Bothered me..lol. Anyone advise me as to how I could do better? The Grizzly (G4003, 12"x36") was on my list initially, then I started appreciating that it surely doesn't have "hardened gears", and who knows what else.. Not only that, it's top speed is 1400 rpm (and, as you most-assuredly know, it is not uncommon for older lathes of this class to have a top speed of 1200 rpm). My gut feeling is the Colchester is "sturdier", and certainly heavier--the Grizzly is just over 1000#. By the way, I like the RPM approach better than the RFD approach because, in my woodworking background, defacing tools is frowned upon. The G4003 is lighter and easier to power, but I know these 2 aspects don't lead to a better machine.. I have been learning all along, so I have not been wasting my time without a lathe on hand. I think the most interesting part of most things happen in the mind anyway. And, in the mind, clutches don't stop working! ; )

Bill_729
 
I for one don't believe everything I read on PM. There are many nasty trolls over there who like nothing more than to cause bad feelings and stir up trouble. That is actually one of the main reasons this site came into existence, so people could get friendly, constructive advice, free from putdowns, insults and haughty egos.
I did my research, read many articles and threads (including that one) before deciding on the Clausing Colchester, From what I gathered, it's one of the finest lathes ever made, in its class. There is a reason the used ones still fetch relatively high dollars and the company is still in business. Mine is 40 years old and still runs smooth, solid and accurate, I'd wager it is, as or more accurate than any new lathe under $10k.
 
“As a hobbyist, I don't want one that make so much noise that it's not enjoyable to use without hearing protection.”

I have a 5900. The drive is loud to me. My only other experience was a Southbend 9. I can see myself doing away with the Reeves drive at some point. Ive owned it for about 5 years.
But I wouldn’t say it’s not enjoyable to use because of it.
 
I have both a 12.5x18 Cincinnati Traytop and an Clausing 5914. The Clausing came after the Traytop and was chosen for bed length (40") and the fact that it uses the same LOO taper chucks so I didn't have to purchase another pile of chucks.

The traytop was very noisy at first but I eventually replaced some worn out gears (leadscrew to spindle) and it quieted right down. I also made a set of change gears for it so it could cut metric threads. I really like the Traytop control layout better than the clausing, but it's really about what you get used to. I appreciate what machPete99 did with his reeves drive (elimination) as it's a terrible design and causes me the most trouble maintenance-wise. Replacing the seals didn't stop my leaks. Other than that it makes a handy 2nd lathe that I can use for odd jobs in the shop and is quiet enough to hear the TV on the other side of the shop.
 
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