Author Topic: It followed me home.  (Read 14008 times)

Online Jo

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It followed me home.
« on: July 24, 2013, 10:10:22 AM »
Yesterday I was asked to go to see a very sorry lathe: The previous owner had for some reason decided to dismantle her to the last nut and bolt. I got there to find a pile of bits mixed up in a load of other stuff and a request of is there anything to do for her.

I am not one to see machine tools suffer  :ShakeHead: so I generously purchased it and then spend 4 hours sifting through the boxes of stuff trying to put it back together again. The good news is it is all there. So far I have reassembled the headstock and the gear train. There is a very nasty burnt mains lead that needs to be investigated.

This is what she looks like the following morning in cold light of day  :whoohoo:

Jo
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Online sco

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2013, 10:28:43 AM »
Looks like it is in need of a loving owner who has the time to devote the care and attention it deserves - surely your loving touch is spread too thin already  :D

Simon.
Ars longa, vita brevis.

Offline Stuart

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #2 on: July 24, 2013, 10:51:27 AM »
Looks like a little darling to add to the ever growing family , I am sure you will give it the TLC it quite rightly deserves


Stuart
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Offline Bezalel

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #3 on: July 24, 2013, 10:59:02 AM »
Jo
 
I can see imediately why you had to buy it......
 
The swarf tray is one nice big casting  :Love:
 
Bez
Queensland - wet one day, humid the next

Offline ProdEng

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2013, 11:03:20 AM »
All such humanitarian deeds should be rewarded ;)  Now you can have a house lathe in the workshop?
Jan in Perth

Offline NickG

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2013, 11:30:54 AM »
Jo - I would have been very tempted by that should I not have promised to buy the myford from my brother in law's dad :-( Don't think it would go down well if I ducked out of it now!

Or is it another keeper?!

Offline b.lindsey

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #6 on: July 24, 2013, 11:36:51 AM »
Nice rescue Jo.....a little TLC and it'll be as good as new, and obviously in a home where it will be appreciated :)

Bill


Online Jo

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #7 on: July 24, 2013, 11:53:13 AM »
It is slow work putting a lathe back together, another 2 hours of work and she looks like this.

The mains lead seems to have been burnt by something else rather than it going up itself, there is no damge to the cores. It has now had a reinforcing piece put over the damage to the outer protection.

Yes Bez: It had been the base casting that attracted me to it in the first place. Cowells wanted £800 for one of those :o

It looks like I will have to sacrifice another machine tool to make space: The writing is on the wall for the Hobbymat lathe :shrug: This Cowells is a youngster and has a different nose to my older Cowells so there is an issue of gadgets to go with her :-\

Jo
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Online Jo

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #8 on: July 24, 2013, 04:01:26 PM »
She is ready to make swarf  :whoohoo:

I also found her original paperwork which shows that back in 2003 Cowells were just as efficient as they are today at meeting their orders (a 2 month delay on a 2 month order  :facepalm2:). Out of interest this lathe is serial number 3514 and my other is 245, so over 24 years they manufacturered just over 2.6 lathes a week. As for the price in 1979 it was £179.43, in 2003 £1400.

I am owner number 2 of both of them  8)
-------

I might need to make a quick change tool post for her :naughty:

Jo
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Offline b.lindsey

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #9 on: July 24, 2013, 04:21:01 PM »
And the list price today is 2572.00 according to their website. With a backlog like that, I guess they can ask whatever they want for them :)

Bill

Offline steamer

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #10 on: July 24, 2013, 05:23:52 PM »
That's cool Jo!....can't have too many lathes......within reason.

So what's the count these days?,....... 8)

I have plans for a "Hardinge" quick change that at half scale would work wonderfully on a Cowells.....let me know


Dave
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Online Jo

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #11 on: July 24, 2013, 05:51:58 PM »
....can't have too many lathes......within reason.

So what's the count these days?,....... 8)

The count today :embarassed: seven lathes. If we count the watchmakers turns  8)

But, but, but I have advertised the Hobbymat for sale ;)

But then there is that little Pultra that has not arrived yet, it was all unloved, unwanted, what could a lady do  :shrug:
--------
The plan is to make another quick change block like on the house lathe and then I can share the 18 tool holders between them  ;D
Jo
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Offline NickG

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #12 on: July 24, 2013, 06:37:17 PM »
Am Jealous! If only we could predict the future!

Offline Jasonb

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #13 on: July 24, 2013, 06:41:03 PM »
Seems to me its not so much a case of it following you home, more like you lead it up the garden path :LittleDevil:

And it was not alone  ;)

Offline Roger B

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #14 on: July 24, 2013, 06:55:35 PM »
It looks jolly good  :ThumbsUp: If you find another one I could give it a good home in Switzerland  :)
Best regards

Roger

Offline JimG

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #15 on: July 24, 2013, 07:00:35 PM »
And the list price today is 2572.00 according to their website.

Plus the chucks.  ;D

Jim.

Offline sshire

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #16 on: July 24, 2013, 07:10:02 PM »
That is a beauty. So glad it found a good home. Have you named it yet?
Best,
Stan

Offline JimG

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #17 on: July 24, 2013, 07:12:57 PM »
I also found her original paperwork which shows that back in 2003 Cowells were just as efficient as they are today at meeting their orders (a 2 month delay on a 2 month order  :facepalm2:). Out of interest this lathe is serial number 3514 and my other is 245, so over 24 years they manufacturered just over 2.6 lathes a week. As for the price in 1979 it was £179.43, in 2003 £1400.

No.3626 was delivered to me in June 2010,  so they have slowed down a bit - like sixteen per year.  ;D  Price in 2010 was £2230 inc VAT for the basic ME90 lathe.

Jim.

Online Jo

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #18 on: July 24, 2013, 07:38:22 PM »
Sounds like Cowells is more of a retirement hobby than a business these days :wallbang:.


Plus the chucks.  ;D

Jim.

Plus goes for everything that you need to make it usable  :ROFL: This machine is really pitifully kitted out  :-\. Thankfully my older machine can provide a very comprehensive set of 0MT bits and bobs. The nose thread change is a pain but it means that you could at least buy chucks from other suppliers.   I have ordered a 14mm X 1.0 tap set, so I could convert my spare earlier collet set to fit this later machine  :naughty:

:thinking: I seem to have acquired another Cowells indexing head, not sure what to do with it  :shrug: It only has one dividing wheel I might need to add the other 5 and then decide ;).

Jo

Edit: It is an indexing not dividing head  :slap:
« Last Edit: July 24, 2013, 08:14:21 PM by Jo »
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Online Jo

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #19 on: July 24, 2013, 07:45:34 PM »
Steve: A name: I don't normally name my machine tools. Only my teddy bears get names and they are named after .....   :LittleDevil:

I might call my machine tools "lovely" at times :embarassed:

Jo
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Offline Tennessee Whiskey

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #20 on: July 24, 2013, 07:48:06 PM »
You poor lucky child. Just shows you are living right. Just name it "Hey You" Zee would love it.

Whiskey

Online Jo

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #21 on: July 25, 2013, 06:22:40 PM »
The first item missing was a quick change tool post so out of the scrap box came a piece of quality rust.. a bit of milling, drilling, out with the hand shaper for the dove tails and then a scary bit of slitting with the biggest slitting saw I own  :o



Just to check it works ok:



We have swarf  :whoohoo: :whoohoo:

And here it is alongside the original Cowells tool post:



 Next I need some dial gauges fitted   :naughty:

Jo
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Offline Mosey

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #22 on: July 25, 2013, 07:42:11 PM »
Lovely, Jo. You will keep these old buffalo's from going to sleep. If you get tired of your old Cowells, just give a ring...
Mosey  :Director:

Offline steamer

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #23 on: July 25, 2013, 07:52:11 PM »
I like that toolpost design....with a boring tool, do you have to swing the toolpost around?

Dave
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Damned ijjit!

Online Jo

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #24 on: July 25, 2013, 08:28:59 PM »
If you get tired of your old Cowells, just give a ring...
Mosey  :Director:

Which one?  They both are different characters ;D

Dave: Yes, the tool post can pivot if needed  :ThumbsUp:

Interestingly the topslide on the younger Cowells (C2) is wider than the older one (C1). There has been a number of changes over the years. And that Bison chuck she came with is very nice  :Love:

Jo
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Offline steamer

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #25 on: July 26, 2013, 02:33:16 AM »
Bison chucks are awesome!....I've used bought some big ones....like 20"...and I have 2 of them in my shop!

Dave
"Mister M'Andrew, don't you think steam spoils romance at sea?"
Damned ijjit!

Offline zeeprogrammer

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #26 on: July 26, 2013, 03:14:47 AM »
You poor lucky child. Just shows you are living right. Just name it "Hey You" Zee would love it.

Nope. I wouldn't. I would prefer Jo's 'lovely'...not knowing what she calls her teddy bears.
Carl (aka Zee) Will sometimes respond to 'hey' but never 'hey you'.
"To work. To work."
Zee-Another Thread Trasher.

Offline Pete49

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #27 on: July 26, 2013, 03:52:52 AM »
some people have all the luck :censored: If I was at a show I would find junk that when re-built would be......junk.
If some one was giving away hundred dollar notes I would have the only counterfeit one in the town :'(
Good score Jo and nice work as usual. You now have 1 for each hand  :whoohoo:
Pete
I used to have a friend.....but the rope broke and he ran away :(....Good news everybody I have another friend...I used chain this time :)

Offline tangler

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #28 on: July 26, 2013, 04:35:44 PM »
Talking of junk, here's my little lathe.  It's a Flexispeed Mk 1, supposedly the great, great, great grandfather (grandmother? -what sex are lathes?) of Jo's Cowells. 
This needs a bit of work - I'm sure there's something important missing  :headscratch:



cheers,
Rod

Online Jo

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #29 on: July 26, 2013, 05:18:02 PM »
I think what is missing is TLC  ;) and a lots of bits....

Little lathes like these are far too dainty to be masculine, but I wouldn't call my Colchester "her".

Maybe the answer is to look at a lathe like this and ask what could it be, if it was not a lathe... a watchmaker's milling machine immediatley comes to mind  8)

Jo
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Offline steamer

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #30 on: July 26, 2013, 05:25:18 PM »
Well...if you enjoy  self inflicted pain....you could rebuild it. ( ask me how I know this)    That's about as simple a lathe as it gets....cute little thing!

Making parts shouldn't be too hard....but there will be a bit of that going on.

Dave
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Damned ijjit!

Online Jo

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #31 on: August 02, 2013, 02:20:37 PM »
There was one main thing missing from C2 a set of Dials gauges. So over the last couple of days I have added these  :pinkelephant:


 
They are larger than I would have chosen but I had them spare kicking around in the workshop  :shrug:

I have also removed that clear swarf guard as it was getting in the way  >:(

Jo
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Offline JimG

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #32 on: August 02, 2013, 03:33:03 PM »
I have also removed that clear swarf guard as it was getting in the way  >:(

Mine came off the first day I operated mine.  I wonder how many actually stay in place.  ;)

Jim.

Online Jo

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #33 on: August 16, 2013, 03:17:00 PM »
I have been adding further to this lathe. As a little present to myself I have brought a 22 piece set of 200DA collets to go with my Cowells collet chuck:



These are 1/64ths and differ from the original Cowells collets by the fact that not only are they a 1/6th of the price each  ;D but that they only have 0.4mm of movement, where as the original ones can adjust 0.8mm. This is achieved by the slots down the collet extending further as can be seen by this front shot of the collets:



Whilst I was at it I remembered that the chuck key for the four jaw independent chuck was missing so a quick turn up of a shaft using an off cut from the scrapbinium stocks, cut the hex:



Find a nasty bit of 304 for the handle, cross drill and the missing chuck key has been added to the collection:



I also remembered to put a tommy bar hole on the back plate of the 4 jaw self centering chuck so that I could get the backplate off with the chuck rather than the chuck coming off the back plate  :facepalm2:

So the current collection of gadgets for holding stuff on the nose of the new Cowells looks like this:



My guess is that most of the time the collet chuck will be a permanent attachment  8).

Jo
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Offline b.lindsey

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #34 on: August 16, 2013, 03:40:25 PM »
Wow Jo....such shiney new additions...the chuck wrench look excellent too!!

Bill

Offline JimG

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #35 on: August 17, 2013, 12:40:41 AM »
Whilst I was at it I remembered that the chuck key for the four jaw independent chuck was missing so a quick turn up of a shaft using an off cut from the scrapbinium stocks, cut the hex:

The chuck key supplied with my new four jaw with my Cowells was an Allen key.  :D   But you have persuaded me to make a "proper" key.  :)

Jim.

Offline Pete49

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #36 on: August 17, 2013, 04:13:34 AM »
wow Jo how do find time to go to work and feed yourself?? So many projects on the go and always a little more done each day. :LittleDevil:
Pete
I used to have a friend.....but the rope broke and he ran away :(....Good news everybody I have another friend...I used chain this time :)

Online Jo

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #37 on: August 17, 2013, 05:34:50 AM »
Jim: I found that chuck key it was a soft Allen key. But my earlier Cowells had a real chuck key and the other day when I used C2 to to make some bearings it just did not have the right feeling  :ShakeHead: So I had to make a real one.

Pete: All I have in my life is my projects and the garden and of course you fellas ;) Work does get in the way of life but there is something missing  :noidea:   

Jo
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Offline Jasonb

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #38 on: August 17, 2013, 07:45:50 AM »
Jo as your soft allen key rounded off whats to stop your new mild rust one doing the same? would a bit of silversteel (drillrod) have been better so the end could have been hardened? Maybe if this one rounds you could drill out the end and insert a length of hex cut from a quality key.

J

Online Jo

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #39 on: August 17, 2013, 08:20:20 AM »
It is made of a bit of 304.

And I would prefer that the key was damaged rather than the chuck if I got over enthusiastic. I do not believe that any of my other chuck keys are hardened.

Jo
« Last Edit: August 17, 2013, 08:46:06 AM by Jo »
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Offline NickG

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #40 on: August 17, 2013, 10:49:44 AM »
Good idea Jason, or buy a socket then you just need to shove a bit of square bar in it with a tommy bat through. Reckon it'll be strong enough for that little chuck as is though.

Offline Jasonb

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Re: It followed me home.
« Reply #41 on: August 17, 2013, 12:23:30 PM »
Must be a Cowells thing to have soft keys  :???:. All mine are hardened even the two bars for the Unimat 3 scroll chuck are hardened.

 

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