Needing help with my colchester mascot 1600

Just to give you guys a little info about myself, the last two years I've been aquirring machinery to setup my own job shop.

I purchased this paticular colchester mascot 1600 at an auction knowing that it was missing the coolant tank. Now in the next few week I wanted to get this lathe up and running but seen something weird on the back of the head-stock.

I noticed it's missing a few more things as well, the plate that covers the drive motor is missing, as well a cover plate that I'm pretty sure would have the serial number and date attached to it.

I've found these two hoses coming off the back of the head stock that look out of place and in place at the ame time. One is capped off at the end its a clear about an 1" ID. The other is a black hose with high pressure fittings. Both are just hanging there and attached to the head stock just under the clutch shaft assembly.

So the question is, do these lathes use an external oil pump/tank or what are these hoses for??

I'll get pictures posted tonight, they'll describe my scenario a hundred times better. If this is In the wrong section I'm very sorry.

Here's some pic's

Tough crowd, there's no Colchester owners out there.

Mr. G,

Sometimes new threads start off slow. It might be an idea for you to post some better pictures - ideally, well illuminated close-ups. Without intending to be offensive the ones I saw do not really show much.

Regards,

Vernon

Sounds good, I'll get better pictures.

Most Colchester owners in the U.K. are still in bed ! I'm off to work but to reply briefly I think the lube tank is part of the coolant tank and the oil for the headstock is pumped up to the headstock from this lower tank via those pipes. Regards Tyrone.

Third picture seems to show a pump/motor. Basically, any container will do for coolant as long as it resists oil and water.

The machine number might be engraved in the bed on the right end.

Here’s a link to England: Lathes

Looks as though lube tank and pump has been taken off, I am pretty sure I haven,t seen an externally mounted tank on a colchester so there should be a place under the headstock for the tank too sit nice and tidy ,I would expect it to be driven off the main motor.

I hope you or noone else has run it without the pump ,If that has happend the machine is prolly scrap as the bearings are insanely expensive.

Edit We are talking lube oil here not coolant.

Just back from the pub. If I recall correctly the lube oil for the headstock is contained in a tank which is part of the coolant tank ( I suppose the theory was that the oil tank being surrounded by the coolant tank would keep the lube oil cool ). The pump is in the headstock and is on the same line as the pulley and clutches. You can normally see the end cap on the outer face of the headstock nearest the chuck. It draws oil from the tank and circulates it around the headstock. The oil is then returned to the tank.

The pump you can see in the photograph is the coolant pump.

You can normally find the serial number for the lathe stamped onto the slide ways at the tailstock end.

Regards Tyrone.

Never even thought about the coolant tank having an oil tank compartment, but this makes perfect sense seeing that all the colchester's I've ever run never had a "standalone oil tank". All this time it was in the coolant tank. I never paid attention.

So here's my dilemma, I purchased the lathe without the coolant tank. One would assume that I could fabricate a new coolant tank/oil tank. Any thoughts??

Thanks again for all the help.

Fairly common occurance for the coolant tank to corrode through and contaminate the oil.

Although I dont recommend it I have worked on several with the 2 lines tied together and the headstock used for the reservoir.

Be fairly simple to fab a tank 5 gallons or so capacity.

When the coolant gets in the oil it rusts the shiftier mechanisms and makes them hard to shift.

I would have thought any decent sheet metal fab shop would be able to make you a replacement coolant/ lube oil tank. I don't know of anyone who runs a lathe without a supply of coolant and a coolant tank so that problem will definitely need solving.

Re - coolant contaminating the headstock lube system that Heavey Metal mentioned. It doesn't do the bearings much good either.

Regards Tyrone.

On my Okuma Ls 540 , it has a low down external oil tank aswell.

but cleverly , it is a split design in which the (possibly coolant contaminated) oil return enters the right hand side , it fills that side and overflows into the main chamber from which the pump draws it from.... but any water or swarf etc stays in the right side and not the main side.Each side has its own drain plug so its easy to draw off some of the dirty side if needed.



Rob