Wanted Coronet/early Record bed bars

[okeydokey]

Ive just acquired a basket case (ok a box) pretending to be a green Coronet lathe it must be a no 1 or 2 not a 3 as its not got an adjustable headstock bearing.
Ive sorted some issues with the head and tailstocks the problem is it came without the round bed bars - it came with two wrong diameter sized short hollow bars (bits of pipe really) that I will see if I can use to assemble to see what it looks like. Some bed bar fixing brackets are also missing.
Does anyone have some bars that they no longer need and wish to sell or would you kindly measure your bars so I can try and buy some metal pipe/tube from a scrap yard. I have been told the No 3 bars are 1.5" diameter but the no 2 or 3 might be different
thank you

 

[Sideways]

I had a blue Record CL2 with the adjustable bronze bearing. 20 years old or more I'm sure. Sold it on after a couple of years, but the bed bars were 4' long, solid and very heavy. 1 1/2" sounds about right.
The steel was a chrome steel or heavy chrome finished. It was very resistant to rust and spills and as mentioned below, smooth and hard for easy adjustment.
Equivalent size and quality steel won't be cheap. It's not just bright drawn bar. Lighter weight tubes won't be as good at damping vibration.
I wouldn't like to ask what 8'of 1.5" ground silver steel costs these days !

 

[Argus]

I can confirm that my No: 3 (1980s vintage) have bars that are precisely 1 1/2 inches diameter. My recollection is that the smaller lathe-bars were the same. The clamp arrangement that secures the head/tail-stocks is exactly that.... clamps, so have some lee-way when it comes to fit.

Why not contact Record and ask them?

You may consider whittling a couple of pieces wood at 1 1/2 diameter and offering it up to your head-stock clamps to check the fit.

Very thick iron pipe may do the trick, but it needs to be straight along the length and not prone to flexing when you're turning.
The original bars are very smooth, so adjusting the head/tail stock distances on rough pipes may become difficult.

Good luck.

 

[rogxwhit]

Lots of companies retail metals including steel tube and bar in imperial sizes - just do a google / look on ebay.

 

[Phill05]

You should be looking for Bright bar in imperial sizes.

 

[Jameshow]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/19382669...ar=494054230489&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
Stainless??

 

[okeydokey]

Thanks you for your answers
My local scrap yard didn't have what I needed so have emailed a steel supplier to see what they can offer time will tell
I also need a banjo with locking lever and toolrest for my Record/Coronet 2 bar lathe if anyone has one I am interested.
regards

 

[Fergie 307]

Thanks you for your answers
My local scrap yard didn't have what I needed so have emailed a steel supplier to see what they can offer time will tell
I also need a banjo with locking lever and toolrest for my Record/Coronet 2 bar lathe if anyone has one I am interested.
regards

Cold Drawn or CDS tube would do the job, if you can find it in the correct size and with a decent wall thickness. It is seamless, no welded joint. Tends to be pretty accurately sized and stronger than a solid bar, probably a good deal cheaper too. Comes in stainless as well, if you fancy that.

 

[okeydokey]

Thanks .... they suggested
We can supply 1”/1/2 “ dia Bright finish bar grade EN8
2 No cut to 48 “ long
Price £79.50 + vat
I have asked them if they can supply your suggestion to see whats what.
I think some of the Record Power Lathes did have hollow tubes at one time

 

[Phill05]

Forget the tube, the bright EN8 is what you need and that is a good price, I saw a friend have a dig in on a long turning and the tube bent and made the dig in worse he came away needing a change of underwear, but no plasters.

 

[Fergie 307]

Be interesting to know what your friends tube was. Given the correct wall thickness a cold drawn tube is much stronger than a solid bar of the same material, and much lighter. Of course in this application the extra weight of the solid bar would probably be an advantage, and that is certainly a very good price.

 

[Fergie 307]

Out of interest what are they charging for delivery, that's often the killer as they are going to be a fair old weight. I would be interested to know who the supplier is as the more I think about it that is a very good price for EN8, might have to get on to them myself.

 

[Fergie 307]

The old Harrison lathes have holes in the cabinet under the bed the idea being that you pass bars or tubes through to lift it with slings. To avoid damage and clear the various bits that stick out you have to sling onto the bars maybe 9 inches out from the sides of the cabinet, and use spreaders on the slings. A mate wanted a hand to move his, very similar to mine but the long bed version, roughly 3/4 ton. I went round with my engine crane to help him out. He already had some 1 inch diameter steel bars, which we both thought would be up to the job. Once you started to lift it we were both surprised to see a distinct bow in the bars as the weight came on, they returned straight once you let the load off, but still disconcerting. A quick run home and I fetched the tubes I had used in mine, 25mm OD CDS with a 3mm wall. Didn't budge at all. It really is remarkably strong stuff.

 

[okeydokey]

Thank you all for the helpful info but before that expense Ive been thinking and just decided to see if I can get a banjo/locking lever first and then go for the bars as without the banjo the bar purchase is a waste of money.
cheers

 

[okeydokey]

just came across this old listing
sold it as is to someone who has access to the bars