A few things in life have kicked me off track for getting this machine put back together; gall bladder removal, and crazy work schedule, along with taking care of some things at the family farm.
Since I found my Colchester Triumph 15x48 in 2015, I became aware of its biggest sibling, the Mascot, and the various versions of it. I wanted to find one and casually looked even though I didn't have room for it until I moved into my new place in 2020. Anyways, I caught an auction back in December just as it was closing and scrambled to get registered and bidding on a very nice one but just couldn't get myself to play hardball with the other two that were battling it out. It was better off that I didn't just because I ended up in the hospital for a few days when I should have been 6 hrs away picking up the machine, if I had won it. Did some heavier searching and found one a bit too far from home, but F-it. Go for what you want in life.
Made a deal with the seller and on good faith but in the sake of needing the cash and space, I turned around and sold my 15x48 and delivered it last weekend to a friend of a friend.
Delivering the Triumph and a pic of it in place at the buyer's garage / shop.
The GF is always down for a road trip if we can make it an adventure. So we got a hotel right on the lake and did some bar hopping the night we got up there, and then turned back south to snag the machine
.
Also, a few years ago I had found a "Student" gap bed, 12x36 for my dad. It was in rough shape, sitting in a leaking container and after weighing it recently I realized that I actually paid less than scrap for it so hey... But oof, rough little bugger. I never bothered getting it running and my dad was too busy to mess with it either. Well, grandfather passed away so my dad ended up with a similar size Jet and a mill drill so he's content for his basement shop needs. I've decided that instead of doing everything big and small on the 15x48, I'll have the near smallest of the round head series Colchester lathes (smallest was the Chipmaster) and I'll now have the largest of the series too, in the fancy export model too.
Cleaning up the poor neglected student. Mostly just flash rust, mildew, and chipping paint. No pitting or anything found so far and everything has freed up except the matrix clutch linkages but its just a matter of time.
So now its getting the shop rearranged, getting these machines fired up, and then back at the Cinci. I am relocating the Bridgeport in the shop space too. Ohh well. Cool toys are cool.
Oh, and he sold me a bandsaw for a fair price too. Dude had a ton of stuff.
So here is the new machine, leaving the yard on Sunday morning before the 510 mile drive home.
Ohh, so for Clarification, its a 1965 Colchester Clausing (import sale from England) Mascot but sold as the C17 Mammoth in the USA.
Its an 8 HP, 16 speed, 17" swing over the bed but 9-1/2" removable gap that allows a 29" swing. 78" between centers but the later machines were sold as 80" because if you overhang the tailstock a touch, it will still clamp and give you well over 80". Has a 3-1/8" through spindle bore and is an L2 taper. 5MT in the nose bore and 4MT in the tailstock. Has a telescoping and reposition able factory taper attachment and it also came with a Colchester branded tool post grinder. The bed ways do sadly look like it has seen some time with the grinder. I am hoping they aren't too bad though. I haven't really gotten a good chance to look it over yet.
The yellow strap was a suggestion of the seller for the "sake of the local guys who think they are DOT" It wasn't doing a damn thing.
Hauled it all 560 miles home without any issue or anything moving.
Unloading it might be a challenge. T190 skid is not rated for the 5k lbs the machine paperwork says it weighs. Hoping the T190 and the X331mini can lift together. Might be a good
moment.
