I'm working really hard to sort out my garage, as it's been a real tip lately, I'm running out of space and I can never find anything. I'm doing quite well so far, with 2 new shelf units and some serious throwing out of rubbish, but I have one remaining problem.

Currently my Colchester Student lathe is backed up against the wall. Very convenient to use, but maintenance is impossible and there's a lot of wasted wall space behind it. I want to turn it so that the tailstock end is to the wall, and the headstock goes to the middle of the garage (I have no problem with space there).

The problem is its weight - 1400lbs, or 635Kg - which is heavier than my Locost! It was originally put in place by me, my son and the bloke who delivered it; he had a hoist, levers and "roller skates" designed for moving heavy machinery. He also had decades of experience! I've only got a good lever...

It's way beyond the capacity of my engine hoist, and I don't have any strong beams overhead.

Any helpful suggestions will be gratefully received. My drive belt is starting to slip so I need to get this sorted soon!

cheers,
David
Rescued attachment DSCF0034.JPG

Borrow an engine hoist that will cope with the weight?

Large rope attached to one side and the other end tied to the tin top. pit some washing up liquid on the floor?

Use lumps of bar or tube (scaffold tube?) to use as rollers. You can use wedges/jacks to get it high enough to get the rollers under. Or slide lumps of sheet metal underneath and slide it.

You could always bolt some bits of angle iron onto the bottom of it to enable you to get a couple of trolley jacks under.

[Edited on 20/1/07 by owelly]

[Edited on 20/1/07 by owelly]

Hi david
i frequently move my harrison around on my own (similar size & weight). if you put a bottle jack or trolley jack under the lip of the coolant catch tray, lift one end and slip something like 20mm round bar under for rollers, i use 3 lengths, uou'll find it whizzes round really easily.
ATB
Al.

quote:

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Originally posted by scottc
Large rope attached to one side and the other end tied to the tin top. pit some washing up liquid on the floor?

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I’ve got exactly the same problem with my student at the moment. 3 big blokes don’t stand a cat in hells chance of shifting it (we have tried and failed) An engine hoist wont be any good for moving the complete unit either its to big and awkward, we are going to split it in half and move the base by hand (its still bloody heavy with that steel joist in it) and move the top half with an engine hoist (legs straddling the front and rear of the base).
Our other option was to use the front end loader on a mini digger and move it in one piece but our sealing height is a bit low for that. Colchester lathes are an awesome bit of kit and I couldn’t do without it, moving them is a total pain in the arse tough!

Hi David,

Big tyre levers (or wrecking bar) to get it high enough to slip pipe under.

I've got bitumen backed carpet tiles under mine to take up irregularities in the concrete.
I think it helps reduce noise transmission through to the house.

If you need a hand, give us a shout.

Atb

Paul G

[Edited on 20/1/07 by 907]

The only way an engine hoist is going to be any use is if it can lift the weight when fully extended - my hoist can only manage 185Kg in that configuration. It'll have to be a hell of a hoist to lift that weight when extended right out!

Sheet metal's a thought, but that's quite a mass of iron to get sliding.

I'll have to see if I can rig up some rollers - it's actually quite easy to lift the lathe a few inches, by using a long lever into one of the slots at the end and a pivot a short way away. It doesn't take much effort downwards to raise the lathe, when you've got a 20:1 ratio!

My problem is at the tailstock end, where there's not enough room to get a lever in to shuffle it into place. I might be able to lift it enough to get rollers in, though. Unfortunately I need to turn the lathe, rather than move in one direction, so rollers are limited.

cheers,
David

[Edited on 20/1/07 by David Jenkins]

Rollers go in at 45 deg.

Smart-arse!

You're almost certainly right though...

Know anyone with a quad ?

Ours comes in handy for pulling all sorts of things about.

It will slide on sheet steel, all we ever used in 15 years of moving heavier stuff than that about underground in tight spots.

Sorry. Only trying to help.

Six months ago we installed a 10ft x 3/8" Sedgewick folder at work.
The overhead crane is only 10 tonne so it wouldn't even look at it.

Paul G

Ignore me Paul - just me being tactless as usual - your input IS appreciated.

I've just had a look in the garage and I do have a few bits of pipe... helping DaveFJ with a bit of machining tomorrow morning, so I might have a tentative play in the afternoon. I'm not going to try and do it in one mad rush - it'll happen over a few days, as I try this and that, VERY slowly and cautiously.

I like the idea of bitumin-backed carpet tiles - makes a lot of sense, so I may well try that as part of the shifting process. How many did you use in the stack?

cheers,
David

PS: regarding the suggestions of pulling with a car or quad - the lathe is at the top end of a double-length garage, on one side. Just enough room to swing a large cat!



[Edited on 20/1/07 by David Jenkins]

Jack it up a bit and get a couple or three greased broom handles under it and use your lever to manoeuvre it when it's not got such a large contact area with the ground.

[Edited on 20/1/07 by Peteff]

Forgot to mention, the most important thing with the carpet tiles is colour co-ordination.

You'll note how the silver of the lathe blends nicely with the dark grey of the carpet backing.
The contrast of the orange pile leads the eye to the subtle shades of the concrete.
The accumulated dust gives a "well used" feeling.




Paul G
Rescued attachment IMGP1606s.gif

What amazes me is that there are bolt holes in it to hold it down, as if it's going anywhere in a hurry

My lathe has bolt holes - but the manual states that they should only be used when really necessary, e.g. in a ship's workshop! Probably a good idea, as a 1/2 ton lathe sliding around the deck doesn't sound very safe...

[Edited on 20/1/07 by David Jenkins]

HI,I have a student as well and I have moved it a couple of times as well.
I agree with some of the other statements,I use my 1metre snap on pry bar to shuffle it and 5ft old pry bar to lift it clear to put some short scaffold tubes under it to roll.When you lift it you need something to pivot the pry bar with to gain the height you need.

Didnt some one say:if you have a long enough lever you can move the world!

Mine needs moving back against the wall tonight as I have just moved it to gain access to the motor belts as well.

Just noticed that you have the same transwave inverter in the picture that I have,weird. Good taste though!

[Edited on 20/1/07 by DEAN C.]

quote:

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Originally posted by DEAN C.
Just noticed that you have the same transwave inverter in the picture that I have,weird.

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quote:

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Originally posted by DEAN C.
Didnt some one say:if you have a long enough lever you can move the world![Edited on 20/1/07 by DEAN C.]

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In the end, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be...

Using a selection of ideas from this topic, I used some levers to raise each end a centimeter or so, and slid some steel sheet under to save damaging my concrete floor. Then I used the lever and pivot to "walk" or "row" the lathe a couple of centimeters at a time - first one end, then the other - until it ended up where I wanted it. Took me a few hours, but I wasn't rushing - slow and safe was the plan.

Haven't managed to find some orange carpet tiles yet Paul - they do have to be orange, don't they?

cheers,
David
Rescued attachment DSCF0036.JPG

quote:

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Originally posted by David Jenkins
I'm working really hard to sort out my garage, as it's been a real tip lately, I'm running out of space and I can never find anything. I'm doing quite well so far, with 2 new shelf units and some serious throwing out of rubbish, but I have one remaining problem.

Currently my Colchester Student lathe is backed up against the wall. Very convenient to use, but maintenance is impossible and there's a lot of wasted wall space behind it. I want to turn it so that the tailstock end is to the wall, and the headstock goes to the middle of the garage (I have no problem with space there).

The problem is its weight - 1400lbs, or 635Kg - which is heavier than my Locost! It was originally put in place by me, my son and the bloke who delivered it; he had a hoist, levers and "roller skates" designed for moving heavy machinery. He also had decades of experience! I've only got a good lever...

It's way beyond the capacity of my engine hoist, and I don't have any strong beams overhead.

Any helpful suggestions will be gratefully received. My drive belt is starting to slip so I need to get this sorted soon!

cheers,
David

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ok so, I was a bit late there, but you did it the same way!

ps David you don't know of any 4 jaw chucks going cheap for a roundhead do you?

Afraid not...
... I need to find a second-shaft gear for mine. Noticed while changing the oil that one gear is badly worn.

David

mine makes AWFUL noises when its running, especially in top gear, but then it did only cost me £100 delivered 6 years ago so can't complain!!!

one day will get a squarehead master and live it up a bit!!!

I rarely ruin mine in top gear - as you say, it does make a racket, which is not so good in a domestic garage!

Update for NS Dev

Just been talking to Colchester Lathe Spares regarding the gear - they have a Colchester Master in stock, roughly the same vintage, so they're checking out the condition of the headstock gears for me.

They may well have a suitable 4-way chuck for you... just pray that it wasn't the one that was on the Master when someone lost concentration, and drove the topslide into the rotating chuck!

David

[Edited on 24/1/07 by David Jenkins]

cheers David!!

web page printed, phone call to be made later!!!!!

I could really use a new 3 jaw as well so I'll try and get a price for the pair!

thanks again

Nat

Am I being greedy 'cos I bought another lathe today?
Not long ago I got a 10" bench-mount Atlas and was very happy. After searching the 'net and Ebay I found that the only place to get bits in regular supply was the States, it being an American made machine. Then the other day another one came up on Ebay.

Hadn't been repainted like mine, didn't have a chuck but, it had a set of changewheels, a threading position indicator, a pulley for the motor, a rack for the manual saddle traverse, a Dewhurst reversing switch and the cast metal stand which was an optional extra when new. All of these bits are missing from my first one and I figured by the time I'd collected them all I'dve spent more than the £128 that this one cost me, and I may be able to sell some of the bits I'm unlikely to use.
All I've got to do is convince SWMBO it was a good idea

[Edited on 28/1/07 by Browser]