Let's See Your Lathe

[kingcreaky]

Hi all

About 5 years ago; I bought myself my first lathe. Didnt really know too much about what I was doing (& still dont). So bought the first one I found in the paper... figured as it had a milling head aswell... it was a bonus..



None of my friends etc, are even remotely interested in this hobby.. so I have nobody I can learn from,  The only real connection I have is the fact I work for a huge industrial tool supplier (so I can get tooling cheap; but I work in IT so not really connected to the oldschool engineers they have hidden away)

Ive become absorbed in the concept of home machining and spend most of my spare time reading, watching learning anything I can get my hands on. Im probably subscribed to most of your youtube feeds. Really really enjoying it.

Ive done some basic stuff, screw cutting, boring; facing and parting. I even made a air powered beam engine (not good enough to post on here though). But as I have got more involved Ive realised that my existing machine was a great starter, but everytime I come up with an idea for another project the bloody thing is not big enough!! Its also only got a 80mm three jaw chuck. I could probably buy a bigger chuck.. but decided if I am going to do this more seriously I needed a bigger lathe, and miller part of it is also sh*te so... a seperate standalone milling machine.

I could be wrong, but I guess you can do a small job on a big lathe, but not the other way round... so Ive spent the last 6 months deciding what I wanted. I decided either a colchester student lathe or a  boxford like doubleboosts..  I didnt want to get driving half the way across the country to get one and I also didnt want to pay much more than a £1000. (I am married. )

Cutting a long story short; in my pursuit to find a friend; I started talking to a neighbour (that I noticed had a milling machine one day his garage door was open). He gave me a call to ask if I was interested in his father in laws old lathe that needed a new home due to the estate being sold.


I collected it yesterday... (took all day to load it / unload it)





Although its not what I "thought" I wanted (ie colchester / boxford).. it was free!!!  so my "wishlist" went out of the window and I got what I was given!! beggers cannot be choosers!

It does seem to have all the things I was looking for though (both chucks, three and four) a 40mm spindle bore. metric screw cutting, Powered cross-feed, suds pump etc.

I have lots to do (I need to get a phase convertor etc, it needs cleaning) but its now in its final resting place. and ive pulled my back moving it!!

The old boy even had photographs of when he moved it, from 1973 (he bought it off British Rail) and moved it using an old bedford truck.

Its a "Cardiff Major", 7"x30" . and I.... am over the moon

(as I was saying re friends) pleased to be a part of this forum.. to have somewhere to share my excitement!!

[Mayhem]

Well that definitely deserves one of these:



That looks like a nice lathe and should clean up very nicely.  Best part is you can run your small lathe whilst getting this one up and running.  Then you can sell the old one and put the money towards more tooling or a mill.

What is sitting on the rear of the cross slide?

Also - never worry about posting pics of projects, no matter what standard you think they are.  I've posted some of the quick and dirty parts I have made to fix something with and some are downright uglier than a hat full of busted arse holes!

[EdK]

Nice score Matt! Definitely deserving of a   .

Ed

[stevec]

(02-09-2015, 07:18 AM)Mayhem Wrote: What is sitting on the rear of the cross slide?

Ya, Matt, what's that (hey that rhymes).  
Looks like a die head with a cutting oil feed line.

Steve

[mike-sid]

Nice score! I think you should post a video of that lathe when you get the power to it! I like the combo mill/lathe too. I'd say that's a keeper too. Might be handy being able to mill a part while it is chucked up.

[Hawkeye]

Oh, yeah. It'll be a long while before you start thinking of this one as 'too small'. You'll find that another advantage is that it is a LOT more rigid - better finish and heavier cuts. Now if you can just get someone to give you a Victoria or Elliott mill ...

And, BTW, a heart-felt

[kingcreaky]

thanks for all your kind comments. Im extremely fortunate. I assured the kind old boy who gave it to me that I would look after it; that I certainly will.

I cant believe its mine to be honest..

in regard to your questions in reference to the peace of equiptment behind the cross slide; I havent yet worked it out myself.

Its on a big hinge... so it can be folded into two positions...

So; I have enclosed plenty of pictures and call upon your wealth of experience













Seperately I could just be asking some lazy questions.. but I have searched the internet so thought id ask here just incase.


1.) The chuck appears to be held on using a L0 taper.. I need to buy a C spanner to disconnect (or change) the chuck... any ideas what C spanner im buying?

2.) Earlier on in this very same thread, a chap called "wrustle" starts a very interesting story (post 121) but it doesnt appear that it was ever finished... he said "to be continued" have I missed something? intrigued as to what happened next????!!!???

[f350ca]

Nice score!
That's an adjustable threading die on the back. There should be other cutters for the different threads per inch. From the look of them they appear to be easily sharpened by grinding the end.
You, need a spanner like this for the chuck.

Only bigger. I cut these on the cnc plasma table, just did one for a friend's Colchester, can't remember the size. I made one for my Colchester, burn't it out with the torch and ground it to fit.

[stevec]

(02-10-2015, 01:25 PM)f350ca Wrote: Nice score!
That's an adjustable threading die on the back. There should be other cutters for the different threads per inch.

That's what I was trying to say in post #184    "Looks like a die head with a cutting oil feed line".

[hermetic]

It looks like a chipstream roller box of the type you see on semi auto/capstan machines like Wards etc. It is used to quickly reduce the diameter of a round bar and create a shoulder at the end, and it looks like this also cuts a thread on the reduced diameter, which gives the idea that it has been set up as a single process machine to make lots of parts. The "Cardiff" lathes were made in Wales(no ***** sherlock!) by a subsidiary of the Elliot company, have a look at http://www.lathes.co.uk/cardiff
they were very well made, and you definitely suck for getting it for NOWT! There is one for sale on ebay at this very moment.
Phil