Elliott Concord 460 lathe

[TomG]

Nope. Don't see a damn thing.

[Mayhem]

Patience Grasshopper! I'm taking pictures now but won't be able to upload them until tomorrow...

I'm channeling Wrustle on this one

[f350ca]

What did you send the film out to be developed.

[Vinny]

He's stalling

[Mayhem]

Truck arrived yesterday and it didn't take long for the driver and me to get the lathe into position using rollers and a large pry bar:

   
   

Where I think the feed issue is hiding:

   

The large Dickson style QCTP.  I couldn't' find a manufacturer name or other ID on it.  It is big.  The nut for the centre post is 36mm and the locking nuts are 18mm.  

   

Found the fluid pipe etc in the chip tray:

   
   

Speed controls (20 - 1000 RPM):

   
   

[PixMan]

Nice! Great to see it there so you don't have to partially disassemble the old lathe of unknown origins to move it. Leveling that one should be a chore all on it's own.

So what are your plans now that it's there? Will you give it a good bath and oil change(s) of the various sumps and reservoirs before tackling the feed issue? That machine should clean up really nice, probably never been done since new. While it would be nice if you had got the 1500rpm version it's as you said still over twice what you had and you don't have to swap gears (nor try to figure out how to reverse engineer parts for a feed mechanism.

Are those two separate chip pans that pull out for cleaning? That's a really cool feature! You know how much of a PITA it is got me to clean out my lathe.

Get power to it and run it through the gears and see how it sounds. Let us know.

[Mayhem]

Thanks Ken.  It does indeed have two pull out chip trays, both of which are on wheels.  Should make finding that small part or thread wire easier!

I had hoped to get several posts done, as to not fill one up with 30 odd images.  However, my PC has been playing up.  This post will outline what I did first.

Whenever I get any equipment, I like to check out the wiring and control components before I supply any juice to them.  Opening the electronics panel revealed that I had some work to do.    

   

First off I replaced the supply cable coming in, as the cable itself wasn't in great condition and I have some better cable that I will use for the hook up.  Additionally, I wanted a five core cable, so I can add neutral and provide single phase power for the DRO and (perhaps) a light (both a little ways down the track).  Removing the cable highlighted to me why I don't like using connector blocks.  They trash you wire unless you use ferrules and the screws loosen up over time.  Given that about 80% of electrical faults are mechanical in nature, I love to pull these out and toss them.

   

Here is the wire running from the block to the isolation switch.  Note the broken insulation on two of the wires and the small amount of wire actually making contact on the wire on the left  

   

The transformer and fuse holder on the left needed to come out, as they were obviously installed to provide low voltage output for a work light.  Also, the fuse holder was a complete disaster:

   

This is NOT the recommended solution for fuses that keep blowing.  It is a fire waiting to happen and fortunately the light has been long removed.


Here is the bay finished off, with the transformer and fuse holder removed, and the supply cable wired directly into the isolation switch.  Note the insulated neutral block (top left).  Second pic shows the internal covers in place.

   
   

Finally, I took a quick look at the motor to see if there were any issues.  The motor mount is very sturdy and well designed, and of course, I failed to capture it in my pics!  I can confirm that it is the original Elliott motor, which contains 12 horses and a pony

   

Not the easiest plate to get a picture of...
   

[Mayhem]

With the power sorted out I pressed the green button and the motor started up.  The motor itself is quiet but the oil pump is a little noisy.  However, as it circulated the oil is quietened down a little.  I let it run for a little while before spinning up the chuck, waiting until I could see oil splashing about in the sight glass.

Now, here is my problem.  When I looked at the lathe, I was able to drive the feedshaft from the feedbox, and it rotated as normal.  Now, I cannot get it to drive, despite changing the selection levers (ensuring that the one for the feedshaft is selected).  Further, one of the levers no longer engages into two of its positions.  I'm wondering if something has come loose on the trip up?  I really don't want to pull the feedbox to find that something has terminally failed.

I tried to push that to the back of my mind, whilst deciding to open up the headstock and set about adjusting the clutches.  
Once I had unscrewed the back access panel I discovered that the inside lip holds a fair bit of oil!  Given the location of the panel, it ensured that any oil runs into the electrical box and then from there into the motor housing

Once off I had a quick visual inspection and was very pleased not to see any signs of broken teeth or other damage.This is much more complicated than my old mill...
   

The spindle break clutch.  Should activate whenever the drive clutches are released.
   

The drive clutches.  Forward drive is on the left and the reversed drive is on the right.
   

As I had to work last night, I decided to leave the clutch adjustment until today.  

[Mayhem]

Final post is some of the accessories that came with it.

Four jaw chuck, which is 14mm hex driven, rather than the usual square drive.  Interestingly it appears to be made by the same company that made Nelly
   
   

Two steady rests.  The manual lists these as being 12" and 6" capacity but I've not measured them.
   

A following steady, which will be very helpful. This is listed as 6"
   

There was also a heavy home made contraption for working on flywheels and clutches, based on what the previous owner told be about the owner prior to him.  I'm going to explore making the top part into a faceplate.  However, I was much more interested with what currently sits on top.  That is a 12" x 10" x 6" angle plate.

I can't recall the exact thickness but it is over an inch thick.  Here, that alone would be worth a few hundred dollars.
   
   

Here is what I have of the taper turning attachment.  I'll have to figure out what is missing.
   

[Pete O]

I bet the lights in your street will go dim when you start her up! What a great machine. I was hoping to see a photo of it swinging from the hiab!
Some photos that give a sense of size would be good, perhaps your hand on top of the QCTP? I was trying to picture how big that thing must be with a 36mm centre bolt. You'll be pretty well equipped to turn out those M4 screws- and ship's crankshafts.