My favorite birthday present of all time

ApoC_101 · 08-05-2011, 12:38 PM

Well, yesterday was a seriously fortunate day, I am super excited about what I found so I'm gonna start a thread about it!

Basically I've been looking for a suitable deal on machinery for Avratech for the last year, with the only really good deal being a close call with a Monarch 10EE (the rolls royce of toolroom lathes). So yesterday I just happened to pop on Craigslist and noticed someone in my home town selling a Colchester lathe for a thousand bucks (!!!!!), and immediately phoned him up to find out what was up, crazy deal and all. Original Colchesters are heavy duty Brit-built machines and this particular model (Mascot 1600, from 1964) generally would sell for at least 7 grand in good, used condition. Guy sounded like he knew his ****, so I went and checked it out... I was very impressed. Great shop with great tooling, the guy builds custom classic cars and trucks, very nice ones.

So I checked out the lathe, awesome condition, everything works great, loaded with tooling... so we talk about the low price, turns out he's retiring and moving to the Island (exactly where I'd like to retire some day), and wants to clear out his whole shop here... Aside from the big lathe (this thing is a 6,000 pounder), there's an awesome TOS vertical mill (also loaded with tooling), grinding machine, hydraulic bandsaw, and a massive store of tooling, inserts, you name it. I spent about an hour going over the machines and tooling, and all said and done, I've decided to basically clean the place out... for a total of 7 grand.

7 thousand dollars. For an entire machine shop!!! (I figure about 20 grand minimum would be a fair market price for all of it)

So yea, looks like Avratech will be opening for jobbing and in-house work in the very near future, September is a strong possibility (I've never set up a whole machine shop myself before so it will be some work). Pictures of the machinery and tooling will come very soon, will be over there Monday to complete the deal (put a big deposit down already), and get a hiab/crane truck to move the machines over here for installation.

edit: Now photos!!!!!!!:

COLCHESTER Mascot 1600 (British built 1965)

TOS KURIM Finessa FNK25 (Czech built 1968)

Manual grinding machine!

yea, the bed on the lathe is 8 feet long, three inch through-bore spindle, has both a 12" chuck and a 6" chuck and more... a very big machine for what I'm doing, but the price is right and it will allow me to handle just about any small-shop turning job there is. Will be equipping it with a 5C collet chuck for most of the work I'll be doing on it. The milling machine is absolutely loaded with tooling, and is absolutely perfect size for me. I will keep looking for a Monarch 10EE in the future, if I decide to sell the big lathe I can turn a profit on it!!!

MORE PICS TO COME. And now, to celebrate birthday weekend

Droop · 08-05-2011, 12:43 PM

didn't pick up an injection molder did ya? lol congrats josh. thats very cool!

Neurotic Hapi Snak · 08-05-2011, 12:51 PM

There are so many Monarch 10EEs for sale in Minnesota, and for pretty cheap. Not to make you sad

BigOldSkool · 08-05-2011, 12:53 PM

Damn that lathe is huge.

desertT1 · 08-05-2011, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Droop

didn't pick up an injection molder did ya? lol congrats josh. thats very cool!

Oh, you are such a hero for thinking to ask that question.

ApoC_101 · 08-05-2011, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigOldSkool

Damn that lathe is huge.

It really is... also it's very similar to the first manual lathe I ever worked with in training as a machinist, a Colchester Master 2500. I don't really like that this one is limited to 1600 RPM but hey, can't complain for the price, and it's a seriously heavy duty beast of a machine. Will eventually be looking to get a smaller lathe between 3000-4000 RPM spindle, better for production work with small parts, but for now I am very excited and looking forward to cranking out some big work

alpha434 · 08-05-2011, 01:14 PM

That's a machine that will definitely do right by you for a long time...

One of the first machines I learned on was an American Pacemaker of similar size.

Better make friends with an industrial electrician....

ApoC_101 · 08-05-2011, 01:15 PM

^already done

left handed · 08-05-2011, 01:59 PM

Karma FTW.

oldskoolkillz · 08-05-2011, 02:01 PM

custom mag bodies.......?

08-05-2011, 12:38 PM	#1 (permalink)
ApoC_101 Avratech Industries Inc. Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Maple Ridge, BC Canada	My favorite birthday present of all time Well, yesterday was a seriously fortunate day, I am super excited about what I found so I'm gonna start a thread about it! Basically I've been looking for a suitable deal on machinery for Avratech for the last year, with the only really good deal being a close call with a Monarch 10EE (the rolls royce of toolroom lathes). So yesterday I just happened to pop on Craigslist and noticed someone in my home town selling a Colchester lathe for a thousand bucks (!!!!!), and immediately phoned him up to find out what was up, crazy deal and all. Original Colchesters are heavy duty Brit-built machines and this particular model (Mascot 1600, from 1964) generally would sell for at least 7 grand in good, used condition. Guy sounded like he knew his **, so I went and checked it out... I was very impressed. Great shop with great tooling, the guy builds custom classic cars and trucks, very nice ones. So I checked out the lathe, awesome condition, everything works great, loaded with tooling... so we talk about the low price, turns out he's retiring and moving to the Island (exactly where I'd like to retire some day), and wants to clear out his whole shop here... Aside from the big lathe (this thing is a 6,000 pounder), there's an awesome TOS vertical mill (also loaded with tooling), grinding machine, hydraulic bandsaw, and a massive store of tooling, inserts, you name it. I spent about an hour going over the machines and tooling, and all said and done, I've decided to basically clean the place out... for a total of 7 grand. 7 thousand dollars. For an entire machine shop!!! (I figure about 20 grand minimum would be a fair market price for all of it) So yea, looks like Avratech will be opening for jobbing and in-house work in the very near future, September is a strong possibility (I've never set up a whole machine shop myself before so it will be some work). Pictures of the machinery and tooling will come very soon, will be over there Monday to complete the deal (put a big deposit down already), and get a hiab/crane truck to move the machines over here for installation. edit: Now photos!!!!!!!: COLCHESTER Mascot 1600 (British built 1965) TOS KURIM Finessa FNK25 (Czech built 1968) Manual grinding machine! yea, the bed on the lathe is 8 feet long, three inch through-bore spindle, has both a 12" chuck and a 6" chuck and more... a very big machine for what I'm doing, but the price is right and it will allow me to handle just about any small-shop turning job there is. Will be equipping it with a 5C collet chuck for most of the work I'll be doing on it. The milling machine is absolutely loaded with tooling, and is absolutely perfect size for me. I will keep looking for a Monarch 10EE in the future, if I decide to sell the big lathe I can turn a profit on it!!! MORE PICS TO COME. And now, to celebrate birthday weekend __________________ ☼ Josh Grasby, Machinist/Airsmith/Paintballer Extraordinaire ☼ If you play with skill, style, class, finesse, honour, integrity, pump or semi, you play paintball.** Last edited by ApoC_101; 08-11-2011 at 08:19 PM.

08-05-2011, 12:43 PM	#2 (permalink)
Droop (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻) Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Redmond, WA	didn't pick up an injection molder did ya? lol congrats josh. thats very cool! __________________ My Feedback live in the puget sound or BC and play pump. JOIN US! I highly endorse Open source Development. PPS Blazer, Splash Mag, and a Cocker for Sale!

08-05-2011, 12:51 PM	#3 (permalink)
Neurotic Hapi Snak Eating Iranian Happy Cake Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Ham Lake, MN	There are so many Monarch 10EEs for sale in Minnesota, and for pretty cheap. Not to make you sad __________________

08-05-2011, 12:53 PM	#4 (permalink)
BigOldSkool MCB Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Deer Park, NY	Damn that lathe is huge. __________________ RIP - Ed "BigDaddy" Roth and "Indian" Larry "Reading APG does not make you an airtech" Wild Geese - Coney Isand White Fish - Brotrocity - ECA BOS's Feedback! What Serial Number Is Your Cocker? WTB

08-05-2011, 01:14 PM	#7 (permalink)
alpha434 like a Stegosaurus. Join Date: May 2008	That's a machine that will definitely do right by you for a long time... One of the first machines I learned on was an American Pacemaker of similar size. Better make friends with an industrial electrician.... __________________ Don't Freak Out. (Barrel) *A small upgrade for your Flex mask... (Ears)* Get your custom Ball Sizers right here! <-- NEW PRODUCT OFFERINGS 2/24/12 *The RIGHT kind of protection....! (Raincover)* Re-thread your gun for the Autococker Barrel standard The ReVents mask: It's what Russc wears. Cool Pro 2 (Mask)

08-05-2011, 01:15 PM	#8 (permalink)
ApoC_101 Avratech Industries Inc. Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Maple Ridge, BC Canada	^already done __________________ ☼ Josh Grasby, Machinist/Airsmith/Paintballer Extraordinaire ☼ If you play with skill, style, class, finesse, honour, integrity, pump or semi, you play paintball.

08-05-2011, 01:59 PM	#9 (permalink)
left handed Paintball Hipster Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: California	Karma FTW. __________________ Disregard Females. Acquire currency. If the person on the other end of your gun does not walk away from the game eagerly anticipating the next game because of your actions, you have failed as a paintballer. My Feedback

08-05-2011, 02:01 PM	#10 (permalink)
oldskoolkillz MCB member U MEMMMBER? Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: So.California	custom mag bodies.......? __________________ Don't mess with the OLD ones..... collecting another few mags for my Gun WHORE status!! I ship fast & pay on time....everytime!! FEEDBACK :http://www.mcarterbrown.com/forums/f...ml#post1194437[url] PAYPAL: PREMIUM VERIFIED USER our work halloween pic as my Avi.......