Colchester Master 2500 lifting

[Sosh]

Hi all,I’ve just bought a Colchester Master 2500,pick it up next week,loading arranged at pickup end but I will move it into my workshop at home with a gantry.
I see in the manual it describes lifting the machine with a lifting eye sandwiched in the bed with steel plates, I could make this easily enough but I don’t have the dimensions,if anyone has done this before or has the same machine they could measure it would be much appreciated.
Cheers,Tony

 

[john.k]

Ive nevr used this stuff.......I simply loop a sling thru the bed ,a bar thru this,and lift .....if youre real fussy,loop the other end of the sling thru another gap in the bed.......Accidents happen to people who try to sling around the whole machine,it can then turn over in the sling,or crush any sheet metal under the sling.

 

[Sosh]

Ive nevr used this stuff.......I simply loop a sling thru the bed ,a bar thru this,and lift .....if youre real fussy,loop the other end of the sling thru another gap in the bed.......Accidents happen to people who try to sling around the whole machine,it can then turn over in the sling,or crush any sheet metal under the sling.

I’ve done similar over the years, but I need the lifting point down low this time because I’m limited for clearance under a roller door,and it seems like a good idea as well.
Cheers

 

[john.k]

If limited overhead,I use a carpet pole in a forklift .....you can get the overhead down to the diameter of the carpet pole plus a couple of inches top clearance for the lathe head.......I originally got the carpet pole to cut up for steel,but it was so useful ,I cut it to length ,and use it for lathes.......Using the pole ,I could get a lathe into the back of a customers van in perfect safety,insted risky sliding and dragging.(*sometimes called a carpet spear)

 

[Bill D]

Clausing Colchester Lathe Lifting Plate

The manual mentions one of these as apparently a part which comes with a new lathe, a plate which somehow bolts to the bed for purposes of lifting with a large eyebolt in the center. There is only a thumbnail sketch with no real details. Tailstock goes to the far end, and carriage tunes the...

www.practicalmachinist.com

 

[Bill D]

My Harrison m300 weighs 1775 pounds. Lift is one 16mm lifting eye in a threaded hole in a bed cross member near the chuck. Bridgeports weigh 2200 pound lifted by one 5/8" eyebolt in the top of the arm.
I would use plywood or carpet between the iron plates and the bed for cushion so nothing gets chipped. The top plate will need a notch or two to clear bedway vees? Or several widths of plywood to make it level above the top of the vees.
Since I have it I would use some 4x2 heavy channel. The top plate could even be thick plywood with no iron since it is just to prevent tipping. It carries very little load. Use an eyebolt and nut rather then tapping the lower plate, easier.
As a total guess 1/2 plate would be fine for 2,500 pound or so depending on how wide the bearing points are. Thi is the only time narrow bedways are a good idea
Bill D

 

[Bill D]

880 KG, so roughly 1,600+ pounds. same as my Harrison m300. One forged 5/8 lifting eye should do it safely I see them rated around 5,000 pounds. Adjust carriage so it is slightly heavy towards the tailstock. Then use a light strap from lift hook to tailstock end so it stays level.
If you plan to take the chuck off to clean and lube it do that before the lift. That will almost guarantee the lift is heavy to the tailstock end. I recommend remove the tailstock after the lift and carry it where it can not slip off. On the highway is not the time to find out the tailstock lock clamp needed adjusting.
Bill D.

 

[trevj]

Moved mine twice with just lift slings. One main around the web about where the manual shows, and a couple for insurance and stability.
If you can jack the machine or hoist it, and lag bolt a couple timbers (4x4 or 6x6) that are wider than the lathe, you lower the risk of toppling if you move it on a pallet dolly/pallet jack.

 

[lucky7]

When I moved my Colchester Triumph 2000 it was an easy in balance lift with factory bolt arrangement. Suggest bolting the fixed steady behind the tailstock so no possibility of tailstock sliding off…

 

[Peter from Holland]

I lift my lathes with a sling in the web But also a bar in the chuck with one piece of the sling at each side of that bar
Because the headstock is so heavy I had it happen that the lathe tumbled to the back or front This way of lifting prevents this
Peter

 

[john.k]

Bigger lathe,but I recently moved a 5 ton Swift using a bar thru the spindle and a bar under the end of the bed.....one of the guys from the yard stood on the bed holding the hook,just like an old time construction site....I took a video thru the front window of the old crane,and a couple of guys took vids with their phones......I dont care ,cause my crane ticket is expired ,Im over 70 and wont get the costly medical WHS want.

 

[Overland]

I've just used slings looped under the webs in the lathe bed.
Move tailstock and carriage to the right, and lock in place to balance the weight of the headstock.
Slings through the webs will not allow the the lathe to twist (rotate), and of course 2 slings allow you to balance the weight side to side.
Take your time !
Bob

 

[matt_isserstedt]

I had one about 15 years ago and made the plate - lathe is long gone...the plates were something like 1" x 6" x 5" or 6" flat stock.

The top plate had something like a 70 degree included angle in it for aligning with the V-way of the tailstock. I had to make that with a shaper as there was no way a squared milling cutter could do it.

It worked really well. Pretty sure the bottom plate is tapped 3/4-10 (?) or 5/8-11 (?) the thin jam nut just is along for the ride.

 

[Bill D]

I think there is no real load on the top plate unless things go sideways.
Bill D

 

[john.k]

A lot of work when all's needed is a green fabric sling looped thru the bed a couple of times.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I had one about 15 years ago and made the plate - lathe is long gone...the plates were something like 1" x 6" x 5" or 6" flat stock.

The top plate had something like a 70 degree included angle in it for aligning with the V-way of the tailstock. I had to make that with a shaper as there was no way a squared milling cutter could do it.

It worked really well. Pretty sure the bottom plate is tapped 3/4-10 (?) or 5/8-11 (?) the thin jam nut just is along for the ride.

That’s a really nice lathe, the high school I worked at before I retired had 5 of them in the workshop.

Regards Tyrone.

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

A lot of work when all's needed is a green fabric sling looped thru the bed a couple of times.

I’ve moved lathes like that one around the shop on the overhead crane with a piece of 4” by 2” channel iron 2 ft long slipped in under the bed and the green sling down either side of the bed. I never went more than 2” off the ground and I took it pretty carefully.

Regards Tyrone.