…and it won’t be another CNC article…

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Just a little preview "teaser" for an article I am working on which hopefully will appear in MEW before too long. I acquired the Cowells lathe shown in the pic below for a very decent price on Ebay recently (well, decent compared with what you pay for a good one!) & am in the process of restoring it to rather better health.

The next pic shows the saddle and slides after the application of a bit of TLC.

Regards,

Tony

Edited By Tony Jeffree on 28/02/2012 09:12:14

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

A Cowells rises from the dead

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

A stepper motor would fit purfect on that slide

John S.

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by John Stevenson on 28/02/2012 09:14:03:

A stepper motor would fit purfect on that slide

John S.

True! Well, maybe I should reconsider…

Regards,

Tony

[John CoatesParticipant @johncoates48577]

I shall look forward to this Tony as I have a lathe of 1947 vintage requiring a refurb

I hope your article is both informative (telling me how to do it) and inspirational (to motivate me to get on and do it)

John

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by John Coates on 28/02/2012 11:44:22:

I shall look forward to this Tony as I have a lathe of 1947 vintage requiring a refurb

I hope your article is both informative (telling me how to do it) and inspirational (to motivate me to get on and do it)

John

John –

I will give it my best shot

Actually, nothing I have had to do to it so far has been particularly taxing – it's a simple machine after all – just lots of elbow-grease to get it clean and tidy. Just in the process of fixing the drive system – the original motor was shot (and dangerously so) so mine will get the VFD/3-phase motor treatment.

Regards,

Tony

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Yes Tony and I'm sure you will find it useful.

I have a little 8mm watchmakers lathe with a compound rest, adjustable micrometer dials and collets from 0.4 to 4.8mm x 0.2mm steps. I don't use it that often but when one has something small to do it's just the thing. I could do with smaller fingers ( and better eyesight) though!

Regards

Norman

[Ken JohnstonParticipant @kenjohnston10955]

My word, how do you achieve that refurbished finish. I think I should be told.

I could then apply it to my 1951 ML7 and the 60s mill.

On second thoughts, it would make a excellent article in it's own right. I don't recall anything like that.

It makes me envious when I see a photo of something that looks as if it's just out of the boxwhe it is perhaps of the 70's.

Regards,

Ken.

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by Ken Johnston on 28/02/2012 12:56:55:

My word, how do you achieve that refurbished finish. I think I should be told.

I could then apply it to my 1951 ML7 and the 60s mill.

On second thoughts, it would make a excellent article in it's own right. I don't recall anything like that.

It makes me envious when I see a photo of something that looks as if it's just out of the boxwhe it is perhaps of the 70's.

Regards,

Ken.

There's no big secret – just lots of elbow grease & judicious use of oil, white spirit (or paraffin if you prefer), Scotchbrite pads and abrasives. What I have discovered with this project is that a machine can look cosmetically apalling (as this one did) and yet once the cr@p has been removed it starts to look like a decent machine in no time at all.

It has been very satisfying to return it to (almost) its former glory – removing metal from the ways isn't a good plan, so without a full regrind I did get left with a bit of rust staining on the bed, and my paint job probably isn't up to the standard of the original, but it looks way better than it did.

Regards,

Tony

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Looks nice and worth the effort!

Totally irrelevant comment, but other ex-South Wales members will understand: Why did the Cowells adverts have a picture of Stan Stennet in them?

Neil

Edited By Stub Mandrel on 28/02/2012 19:53:33

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Its coming on…remarkably, after a complete strip down and re-assemble, there were no bits left over…apart from the leadscrew, nut & handwheel that have yet to be fitted

Next stage is to sort out a new motor & speed controller & stick the whole lot on a new base.

Edited By Tony Jeffree on 28/02/2012 22:43:58

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

No need to write the bloody article, you have done it and diddled yourself out of 18s and 7d to boot.

John S.

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by John Stevenson on 28/02/2012 22:45:48:

No need to write the bloody article, you have done it and diddled yourself out of 18s and 7d to boot.

John S.

There's plenty more where that came from – this one will run & run

Regards,

Tony

[Tony JeffreeParticipant @tonyjeffree56510]

Posted by Graham Meek on 29/02/2012 21:35:38:

Hi Tony,

I had one of these lathes in the long distant past, it was bought as a set of fully machined castings and parts which after painting was a self assembly job. The machine was at that time marketed by B Perris, I think the address was somewhere in Norfolk, memory tells me he died suddenly, but I may be wrong as I was about 18 at that time and I shall be three score years in a few months.

The lathe was very well engineered the parts went together like a dream and I had a few trouble free years use out of it before being subsequently used as a trade-in on a S/H Myford S7.

I do not think the cost of the kit was no more than £28 incuding postage, but again the little grey cells might be difficient.

Gray,

Hi Gray –

I knew of the connection between Perris and Cowells (the current Cowells is basically a development of the Perris) but I hadn't realised that the Perris was sold as a kit. Its a shame that you didn't hang on to it when you bought the S7 – you should see the (silly) money these things fetch on the 'bay these days!

Regards,

Tony

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