Looking for me a good Lathe

H

Hillbilly

Chance Doane
I'm still in search of a nice Lathe for Riflesmithing. What do must recommend? I have used several brands over the years and want to get away from the China made stuff. Clausing Colchester sounds good or a Rockwell 11. South bend heavy 10 is on the list as well. Thanks Chance
 
The fellow I bought my lathe from (South Bend 13) has a couple of late South Bend 13 inch machines for sale. One has a threaded spindle, the other a D1-4, and both have Flame Hardened ways. PM me for contact info. The lathes are located in North Georgia.

Bill Jacobs
 
Clausing was the brand name for Colchester in US.
Under the 600 Group together with Harrison share same parts.

Beauty of newer Colchesters and Harrisons from M300 and Student on they don't need change wheels to cut any thread, within reason, just dial it in via 4 selectors nothing more whether metric or imperial simple. Amased the Chinese haven't copied, takes me around 20 seconds to change from something like 52TPI to 3.5mm pitch.
All induction hardened beds that will last X amount longer than Chinese.
 
Jonnyh said:
Clausing was the brand name for Colchester in US.
Under the 600 Group together with Harrison share same parts.

Beauty of newer Colchesters and Harrisons from M300 and Student on they don't need change wheels to cut any thread, within reason, just dial it in via 4 selectors nothing more whether metric or imperial simple. Amased the Chinese haven't copied, takes me around 20 seconds to change from something like 52TPI to 3.5mm pitch.
All induction hardened beds that will last X amount longer than Chinese.
Click to expand...

Johnny, when cutting Metric, do you have to leave the half nut engaged all of the time on these, reversing the machine to return the carriage.

I ask because all of our newer machines, (Mazak, Kingston, Whacheon), that cut both TPI and Metric, you have to because of the TPI lead screw.
 
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they have....

Jonnyh said:
Clausing was the brand name for Colchester in US.
Under the 600 Group together with Harrison share same parts.

Beauty of newer Colchesters and Harrisons from M300 and Student on they don't need change wheels to cut any thread, within reason, just dial it in via 4 selectors nothing more whether metric or imperial simple. Amased the Chinese haven't copied, takes me around 20 seconds to change from something like 52TPI to 3.5mm pitch.
All induction hardened beds that will last X amount longer than Chinese.
Click to expand...
 
I chamber with my 6913 Clausing. I do really like the Rockwells for chambering.
My experience said the Colchesters were the odd size swing-11-13-15" and the Clausings were even at 12-14 and so on.
I could be wrong.
 
Chance, Clausing and Colchester are made by the Brits.

Know why the Brits don't make computers?

They haven't figured out how to make them leak oil!!

..
 
JerrySharrett said:
Chance, Clausing and Colchester are made by the Brits.

Know why the Brits don't make computers?

They haven't figured out how to make them leak oil!!

..
Click to expand...


Jerry,
I believe you will find that there was or is a big difference between "colchester clausing" and "atlas clausing". At one time I owned a 10" atlas clausing that was made in Ottumwa, Iowa. The colchesters were probably a better machine,for their price they should have been. The one thing about the colchesters I was not fond of was that the half nut threading lever went the opposite direction of the American machines. If you were not paying close attention things could exciting when you got up close to a shoulder. That was in the late 50' and early 60'.
 
martin zuck said:
Jerry,
I believe you will find that there was or is a big difference between "colchester clausing" and "atlas clausing". At one time I owned a 10" atlas clausing that was made in Ottumwa, Iowa. The colchesters were probably a better machine,for their price they should have been. The one thing about the colchesters I was not fond of was that the half nut threading lever went the opposite direction of the American machines. If you were not paying close attention things could exciting when you got up close to a shoulder. That was in the late 50' and early 60'.
Click to expand...

Martin, that earlier comment was an old joke we used in developing mainframe computer systems in the late 1960's.

Other than the Heavy 10 I have at home I never really kept up with small engine lathes. One of the last I bought for Eastman was 85 HP, 60" swing and 228" center distance Monarch.

,,
 
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