New to me - Colchester Triumph

[prepman]

I've not noticed anything on my Chipmaster to suggest half assed bodgery. I'll be very surprised if in sixty years people are still selling 7x14" Chinese lathes from "the twenties" and discussing how good they are on forums.

Don't know much about those lathes, but I believe them to be light weight and cheap? I'm overall happy with my Student, but there are few. Duhs! Gearbox isn't the best, noisy, apparently always were? Considering it was an extremely expensive machine? Way outside the budget of most people. Like buying a Rolls Royce and finding the wiper blades the wrong way round?
I can only afford it because it's an antique.......a bit like me when I think of it.
A years salary (apprentice) in 1965 (ah... just like yesterday) and this was earlier.

 

[Hood]

IMO the Chipmaster was the best lathe that Colchester made, the rest are decent enough but nothing to write home about.

 

[prepman]

IMO the Chipmaster was the best lathe that Colchester made, the rest are decent enough but nothing to write home about.

I can well believe that from things I've read. There were various options that Colchester offered so the were differences in models. They were the first lathe mass producer I've read, with collosal sales (relatively), and worldwide distribution, due in part to the Empire.

 

[Munkul]

Well we talk about xyz and king rich stuff these days already and they are Taiwanese...

 

[addjunkie]

Well we talk about xyz and king rich stuff these days already and they are Taiwanese...

But our 600 group stuff not also made outlast somewhere now.

 

[Maker]

Don't know much about those lathes, but I believe them to be light weight and cheap? I'm overall happy with my Student, but there are few. Duhs! Gearbox isn't the best, noisy, apparently always were? Considering it was an extremely expensive machine? Way outside the budget of most people. Like buying a Rolls Royce and finding the wiper blades the wrong way round?
I can only afford it because it's an antique.......a bit like me when I think of it.View attachment 327154
A years salary (apprentice) in 1965 (ah... just like yesterday) and this was earlier.

I'd love to know what my machines cost new, I'd assume the mill (Elliott 181) is probably not far off that, it's a similar size and vintage. All I can find about the Chipmaster is it was "46% more than a similarly-specified but larger "Student" model" but that's not very helpful without knowing what a Student cost.

 

[Fastdruid]

I'd love to know what my machines cost new, I'd assume the mill (Elliott 181) is probably not far off that, it's a similar size and vintage. All I can find about the Chipmaster is it was "46% more than a similarly-specified but larger "Student" model" but that's not very helpful without knowing what a Student cost.

I'm sure there are old catalogs with the prices in. My L5 was £567 & 10s in 1950 so about £20k now adjusting for inflation.

 

[addjunkie]

I'm sure there are old catalogs with the prices in. My L5 was £567 & 10s in 1950 so about £20k now adjusting for inflation.

6 years ago I signed a purchase order for a new M400 harrision. It was 13.5 ex works.

 

[prepman]

I'd love to know what my machines cost new, I'd assume the mill (Elliott 181) is probably not far off that, it's a similar size and vintage. All I can find about the Chipmaster is it was "46% more than a similarly-specified but larger "Student" model" but that's not very helpful without knowing what a Student cost.

Made a request to Colchester for an archive retrieval......you never know.....just maybe?

 

[prepman]

I'm sure there are old catalogs with the prices in. My L5 was £567 & 10s in 1950 so about £20k now adjusting for inflation.

To get an indication of inflation a pint of mild beer in vault was 10d (shilling in best side) = ~4p in '65. How much is it now?
Average tradesman's pay around £650/yr (£13/wk) paid on a Thursday so it wouldn't all be spent in the pub Friday night...what are working men like eh?
BTW I heard 'somewhere' not only have we got the crown stamp back on pint pots, but we're getting our £sd back......it was all worth while after all? 'Light the blue touch paper and retire to a safe distance'

 

[Munkul]

6 years ago I signed a purchase order for a new M400 harrision. It was 13.5 ex works.

Wow thats extremely cheap even for 6 years ago!

 

[Hood]

Wow thats extremely cheap even for 6 years ago!

That is what I was thinking, I would have thought 3x that.

 

[addjunkie]

Wow thats extremely cheap even for 6 years ago!

The original quote was 12 ish, but by the time it was processed it had crept up a bit! It wasn't actually much more than an M300, bout 2 k.

 

[Munkul]

The original quote was 12 ish, but by the time it was processed it had crept up a bit! It wasn't actually much more than an M300, bout 2 k.

Wow. Theres a massive difference between an m300 and 400 in physical size and mass too, far bigger than the swing would suggest.

 

[fizzy]

I've not noticed anything on my Chipmaster to suggest half assed bodgery. I'll be very surprised if in sixty years people are still selling 7x14" Chinese lathes from "the twenties" and discussing how good they are on forums.

EXACTLY!
My Triumph was built in 1964.
Colchesters and Clausings are very popular in the USA as well. I doubt many Chinese machines will still be running after 50 years of hard use

 

[fizzy]

I have just bought a CVA lathe - one of the finest toolroom lathes ever built. It is lovely but is it that much better than my Triumph? Not really. I love both of them!

 

[addjunkie]

Harrison M300 Lathe 635mm

The M300 Centre lathe is a full-function lathe capable of the entire range of turning operations, at home in vocational training or educational establishments.

www.technologysupplies.co.uk

They you go, not sure how upto date this is. Sure the prices vary depending who you are and how many you buy.

 

[Munkul]

No idea what an m400 costs nowadays but an equivalent xyz or other Taiwanese good grade machine would be 25 to 30k

 

[minimutly]

I have just bought a CVA lathe - one of the finest toolroom lathes ever built. It is lovely but is it that much better than my Triumph? Not really. I love both of them!

That's "breaking all the rules"...

 

[prepman]

Harrison M300 Lathe 635mm

The M300 Centre lathe is a full-function lathe capable of the entire range of turning operations, at home in vocational training or educational establishments.

www.technologysupplies.co.uk

They you go, not sure how upto date this is. Sure the prices vary depending who you are and how many you buy.

Thinking about it....the machines that make the machines, have advanced so much that the production costs have effectively reduced?