Great old video on the making of Cholchester Lathes (1950's?)

Milland · Mar 31, 2020

On a lighter note given our dire times, here's a terrific film on the making of Colchester Lathes from (guessing) the 1950's to early 60's. Great amount of process detail shown, from patterns to casting to special machining ops.

An amusing note - it seems they liked to paint their in-house custom manufacturing tools a very bright gold color. I must say, it works.

About 27 minutes, and worth each one.

YouTube

[sorry if this has been posted before, I'd not seen it yet]

old_dave · Mar 31, 2020

Thank you for this. That brass bell turned out early in the film must have been a demonstration piece of long standing. I remember in the late 1970'-early 1980's seeing that done on a Colchester lathe, including the insertion of the clapper at the end. It was a later model Colchester, the one with the square-ish headstock. Probably saw this at Selway Machine Tool in Union City CA.

David

sandiapaul · Mar 31, 2020

Great video. I have run a couple of those lathes. Nice machines I wish I had a new one off the factory floor today. I don't know about the gold though...gold only looks good on some Ferrari wheels

Milland · Mar 31, 2020

Great! So this is a new (old) video to you guys? I'm so glad it was on my YT recommendations, and I figured some of the folks here would like it too.

On the gold paint - I like it, it was a bold statement saying "we're here, we're doing well, and you (the Axis, the world, whoever) can't beat us". The film must have been made around the time England was just coming out of the post-war privations, so a little chest puffing on display would be good for moral.

john.k · Apr 2, 2020

Others have said the gold colour is a result of the digital colourizing of a black and white film.......I was more impressed with the assembly of the Gamet Bearings .......makes a nonsense of those who say you can rebuild bearings in a garden shed.....also the induction hardening of gears under water.

Milland · Apr 2, 2020

john.k said:
Others have said the gold colour is a result of the digital colourizing of a black and white film.......I was more impressed with the assembly of the Gamet Bearings .......makes a nonsense of those who say you can rebuild bearings in a garden shed.....also the induction hardening of gears under water.

I also liked seeing the submerged gear hardening, I wonder if that method is used anymore?

The bearing roller metrology was "sort" [sorry] of amusing - go through the measurements, then toss the roller in bin with a bunch of others! I guess they're hard enough to not risk denting.

On the gold color - would that really be from colorization? Bummer, throws my theory of purposeful painting out the window.

4GSR · Apr 2, 2020

Milland said:
........................................................................
The bearing roller metrology was "sort" [sorry] of amusing - go through the measurements, then toss the roller in bin with a bunch of others! I guess they're hard enough to not risk denting............................................

I just about came out of my undies when I saw that!!! Surprised they didn't scratch a few in each batch. I bet they don't do that today with class 7 and 9 bearing builds....

M.B. Naegle · Apr 2, 2020

I wouldn't be surprised if the paint was real. In some of the close-ups, they covered so much of the machines just like they do when "maintenance" crews are told to brighten up the factory floor.

ome.machining · Apr 4, 2020

All machines were painted Gold [emoji106]

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Great old video on the making of Cholchester Lathes (1950's?)

Milland

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old_dave

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sandiapaul

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Milland

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john.k

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Milland

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4GSR

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M.B. Naegle

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ome.machining

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