It followed me home.

[JimG]

And the list price today is 2572.00 according to their website.

Plus the chucks. 

Jim.

[sshire]

That is a beauty. So glad it found a good home. Have you named it yet?

[JimG]

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  ). 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.    Price in 2010 was £2230 inc VAT for the basic ME90 lathe.

Jim.

[Jo]

Sounds like Cowells is more of a retirement hobby than a business these days .

Plus the chucks. 

Jim.

Plus goes for everything that you need to make it usable  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 

I seem to have acquired another Cowells indexing head, not sure what to do with it  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 

[Jo]

Steve: A name: I don't normally name my machine tools. Only my teddy bears get names and they are named after .....   

I might call my machine tools "lovely" at times

Jo

[Tennessee Whiskey]

You poor lucky child. Just shows you are living right. Just name it "Hey You" Zee would love it.

Whiskey

[Jo]

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  : 



Just to check it works ok:



We have swarf 

And here it is alongside the original Cowells tool post:



 Next I need some dial gauges fitted   

Jo

[Mosey]

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 

[steamer]

I like that toolpost design....with a boring tool, do you have to swing the toolpost around?

Dave

[Jo]

If you get tired of your old Cowells, just give a ring...
Mosey 

Which one?  They both are different characters

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

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 

Jo

[steamer]

Bison chucks are awesome!....I've used bought some big ones....like 20"...and I have 2 of them in my shop!

Dave

[zeeprogrammer]

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.

[Pete49]

some people have all the luck 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 
Pete

[tangler]

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 



cheers,
Rod

[Jo]

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 

Jo