What to do, advice needed.

[stevie-tc]

After wanting a lathe for a long time i made some enquiries and found one, after a small amount of bartering i swaped a piller drill for it - bargain i thought. it is a Colchester Master 2500, the lathe is in excelent condition and only needed a little clean and a few small parts to make it work.
Now, after buying a manual and looking for parts i find i can't get alot of the things i thought would be available for this lathe, on smaller lathes you can get Vertical slides, slotted cross slides and other things to make the lathe more useable.
Are there things availble for this make and model of lathe so i can use it for more than just turning?
Any comments are all greatfully accepted.

[Mike Burdick]

Even if you bought a "new" lathe parts and accessories are not that easy to get after a short time. So... make what you need. Most posts on this forum are ideas for doing just that!

[stevie-tc]

Thanks for ther reply, but i'm supprised that things fot this lathe are not availible as a used part.
It seems that this make and model of lathe is very popular. Does anyone know if it is possible to carry out Milling operations in this lathe with the correct accessories?

[panchula]

Look for a Palmgren 250 milling attachment. It takes the place of the tool post on the compound. Not quite as rigid as one that replaces the compound, but a heck of a lot easier to install/remove.

-Mike

[Mike Burdick]

Do a Google search for your make and model of lathe and see if you can find what you need. Another source is Ebay.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclient...w=1440&bih=795

[rock_breaker]

Look for a Palmgren 250 milling attachment. It takes the place of the tool post on the compound. Not quite as rigid as one that replaces the compound, but a heck of a lot easier to install/remove.

-Mike

Without going out to the shop and checking I think I have an "Atlas Milling Attachment". As Panchula states it is not as firm as a mill but I have turned numerous bolt heads etc on mine. It takes patients and imagination!

Good luck

Ray P.s. Mine does bolt to the cross feed.

[Marty Feldman]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ColchesterLathe-User/

Join and post a request for what you're looking for.

[Hopefuldave]

Hi Steve,
Colchester Master for a pillar drill? *Very* nice score - wish people would do swapsies like that for me! Square head I guess, as it's the 2500, quite modern?

The Master's at the "light industrial"/"training college" end of the spectrum, so milling (vertical) slides and such would probably be replaced by a Bridgeport or similar mill in the corner... If anyone offers you one in exchange for an angle grinder, take it or I will

Nothing to stop you making your own or adapting one from another (possibly smaller) lathe though! As a temporary fix I'm using my lathe's topslide (compound) bolted on an angle plate, which is then bolted to the cross-slide, and a vice in place of the toolpost; it's a bit limited (only 5-1/2" vertical travel) and not as rigid as I'd like, but does the job for light milling while I get my milling attachment designed / built (a Chinese small mill head on a stick, sat on the tailstock ways - eventually!).

If you're thinking about putting the milling cutters in the chuck, I'd recommend using a collet chuck / spindle collets + closer, I've found a jaw chuck doesn't have the grip, and the cutters pull themselves into the work, ruining both work and cutter...

Dave H. (the other one)

[stevie-tc]

Many thanks for all your replys, i have searched the internet but at the moment haven't come up with any leads, i will look out for the Palmgren attachement.