Dieselman 63
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All done. Pain of a job. Cross slide was in poor condition so I didn’t bother swapping it out. Tbh the whole thing was a bit crusty but there you go.
- Thread starter Dieselman 63
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Dieselman 63
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Four jaw cleaning today. This looks better.
edwinderry
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Great thread! I just wish I’d found it before I started stripping down the Bantam I’ve just inherited from my father-in-law, rather than right at the end 
Oh well.
The lathe I have has been converted to single phase but I’m putting it back to 3 phase using a VFD. The original drive pulley is missing, you couldn’t tell me what size it is could you? My machine is the 2 speed version. Thanks.
Oh well.The lathe I have has been converted to single phase but I’m putting it back to 3 phase using a VFD. The original drive pulley is missing, you couldn’t tell me what size it is could you? My machine is the 2 speed version. Thanks.
Dieselman 63
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On Friday, yesGreat thread! I just wish I’d found it before I started stripping down the Bantam I’ve just inherited from my father-in-law, rather than right at the end
The lathe I have has been converted to single phase but I’m putting it back to 3 phase using a VFD. The original drive pulley is missing, you couldn’t tell me what size it is could you? My machine is the 2 speed version. Thanks.
I've just read this thread from start to finish over the last 2 days. Such a great job you've done @Dieselman 63 , beautiful work.
I just agreed to buy a Bantam 1600 last night. Pick it up in a few weeks. The gentleman I'm buying it from bought it about 5 years ago from the auctions ( but has never used it, he also has Colchester Triumph 2000 ), which is where the local high-school sent it when they got new machines in. It looks pretty original, and being from a high school, hopefully hasn't done much work. There's also a manual, 4 jaw chuck of some description, and some change gears in the draw but not the full set apparently. Still 3 phase so probably the original motor. It also has a Mitutoyo DRO, which is a nice bonus as the dials are imperial, so doing metric jobs won't make my head explode converting everything. Might have to chase up the missing change gears so I can cut metric threads though. Looking forward tog getting it home, and cleaning it up. Not sure if I'll do a full strip and rebuild like you, or just clean it thoroughly. Might depend on how many jobs I have waiting for it
I just agreed to buy a Bantam 1600 last night. Pick it up in a few weeks. The gentleman I'm buying it from bought it about 5 years ago from the auctions ( but has never used it, he also has Colchester Triumph 2000 ), which is where the local high-school sent it when they got new machines in. It looks pretty original, and being from a high school, hopefully hasn't done much work. There's also a manual, 4 jaw chuck of some description, and some change gears in the draw but not the full set apparently. Still 3 phase so probably the original motor. It also has a Mitutoyo DRO, which is a nice bonus as the dials are imperial, so doing metric jobs won't make my head explode converting everything. Might have to chase up the missing change gears so I can cut metric threads though. Looking forward tog getting it home, and cleaning it up. Not sure if I'll do a full strip and rebuild like you, or just clean it thoroughly. Might depend on how many jobs I have waiting for it
Agroshield
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Looking at the photo, it appears to have the Gamet dual dial option fitted.
Oh really? Well hopefully it has then. The gentleman I'm buying it from doesn't really know that much about it, tried telling me it doesn't need change gears because it has a gearbox etc. I'm itching to get it home and get stuck into cleaning it up
Dieselman 63
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Long bed, qctp, lamp, dro, ideal..
Agroshield
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If you look in the manual, they offered two versions, an imperial one and a metric one. If a person only had a photo to go on, the layout of the gearbox chart is a good indicator of which model it is. The manual shows the lowest line of the imperial chart only has one entry - for 19 tpi BSP threads. The metric version has the bottom line of the chart fully populated. Even from a long distance, in a poor photo, it is generally possible to see which one it is.
OK I don't have a manual yet. The picture I posted is the only picture I had to go off, and with that info you provided I can see that it is the imperial one. The gentleman selling it messaged me today to say he had found another 5 gears on a peg underneath the bed when he was loading the lathe onto his trailer. So with any luck I'll have pretty close to a full set of change gears and won't have too many to hunt down and buy.
Mark Davison
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The chipmaster has a much heavier bed than the Bantam, though as you say the saddle, cross slide etc are the same.
I think they are identical, have same swarf holes in bed, same headstock mounts, same tail end. Size looks no different to mine either.
Edit, just had another look and can see cut away at bottom of bed which is solid on Chipmaster so stand corrected
Mark Davison
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For the benefit of everyone else, chipmaster bed viewed from rear. Swarf holes go out the back
On the Bantam they go straight down.
On the Bantam they go straight down.
Thanks for the detail, look very similar at first glance but quite different. That’s why I love this game, every days a school day.
Well I picked the machine up last weekend and brought it home. You are very observant Mr Argosheild, it does indeed have Gamet dual dials fitted to the cross and compound slides. It's got it's original 160mm Pratt 3 jaw scroll chuck ( no key though ), and the 8" Burnerd 4 jaw independent chuck ( with chuck key ). The machine is missing the key to undo the cam locks to get the chuck off the spindle. I'll have to do a stock-take of the change gears and work out which ones are missing and try to find those along with the chuck keys. It has an Algra Rapidue QC tool post, only 1 tool holder, and again no socket spanners or tools for any of that. No tooling, drill chucks, centres or steadies either, so a few things to try and find. I've started cleaning it up, pulled the compound slide off and stripped that right down, and it cleaned up very nicely, so a promising start.
Well that's the first project for it then!
I had to make one for mine 35 years ago and it's still good. I think I case hardened the square.
Make the shank plenty long so it will clear a faceplate or larger chuck.
Agroshield
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Did you get the manual for it as your original post? That will be a big help. If not, shout as Bantam stuff is plentiful online.
I guess you know that camlock chucks should go on in the same position each time - there should be a mark on the spindle and one on the chuck/backplate so the same pin goes in the same hole each time.
As above, the Chipmaster has the same shape bed and thus the same steadies. That might help with finding them. The Chipmaster was sold in the US as a Harrison 10AA. Some of the larger Colchester machines were sold in the US as Clausing - maybe someone esle will know if the Bantam was thus re-badged and as what.
I have never understood hardening chuck keys - to me, I would rather wear out and remake twenty of them than make a single camlock cam or chuck pinion.
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Mark Davison
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Brace yourself before you look at the prices people ask for fixed steadies on ebay. Most get offered for around £350 buy it now. I paid £180 for mine and that hurt.
