# What Is Original Colour For A Colchester Dominion?



## Techie1961

I have a Colchester 13x36 Dominion lathe and would like to clean it up since it is pretty sad looking right now. It was painted grey but a lot of that has flaked off. Under the grey is a light green that is a bit of a creamy colour and under the light green on the upper, it is a dark green. I have heard about them being two-toned but the dark green under the light seems to me that it was all one colour.

But then I was thinking as I looked at the rests that I have. One has the darker green under the light green but the steady rest is light green only. Maybe they painted them completely in dark green and then did a secondary paint on them to get the two-tone.

Anybody have any input on this? In this photo, the headstock shows the light green which is over the dark green.


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## hermetic

Hi Techie, I have seen them in both colours, but the light green seems to be the most common over here. your steady is original colour, but as you say, they were available two tone, "to special order".
Phil


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## Techie1961

Thanks Phil, so two-tone wasn't the norm but rather the special option. Did you have any involvement with them in the past being across the pong and all?


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## pdentrem

Our Colchester Student is also a light green. At least what is left of the paint.
Pierre


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## hermetic

I own a Colchester student Mk1, in dark green, same as yours, but shorter bed, and i think the dominion is larger centre height. mine is 6-1/2". mine also has the early mk1 apron with two slots and a sliding lever to select the sliding and surfacing power feeds. yours is the later mk1-1/2 with the later single knob safety apron. they are good machines!
Phil


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## Techie1961

This is a photo of the machine in all its glory. I think it's a mk1 though I don't have a clue as to its age. Center height is 6.5" for 13" x 36".


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## hermetic

Yes, it is the Mk1, identical to mine with a longer bed. It is a Master, the Dominion was 12x36, the student 6" x 24" (though most were actually 6-1/2") the master 6-1/2" x 36. You will find all this info and more at www.lathes.co.uk/colchester   Mine is a straight bed model with the large handwheel on the left of the apron. They are fine machines, many thousands made and sold all over the world. There should be a round badge on the Tailstock end of the bed which says "The world turns on Colchester Lathes"  Also look for a transfer on the front of the bed which says "Induction hardened bed" . If you look on top of the bed front rail at the tailstock end you will find a serial number, which you can use to find out the year  using this chart.
http://www.lathes.co.uk/colchester/page34.html
Good luck, post up more pics as you do it up!
Phil.


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## hermetic

Just to add, if you go to lathes.co.uk, you will see the later "safety" apron which has the single control knob, and this designates machines slightly later than yours and mine as the Mk1.5 although I don't think it was officially called that in the catalogues. I would put yours about early 1960's as it has the same black and red ball handles as mine, which is 
mc no, 2/39248 colchester student 1961.
Phil


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## hermetic

Have you got a manual for it, I can send you a .pdf one if you Haven't.


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## Kroll

Check this out


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## hermetic

Superb restoration, looks better than new!, I do hope he makes swarf with it! Thanks for posting it up. I am trying to post pics of mine up, I will do it eventually!
Phil


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## hermetic

Incidentally guys, I found a pic of my Student with the end cover off, it is the light green under there!


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## Kroll

Gilles was the guy that repair my tumbler arm which I posted Youtube of the repairs in my restoration project.I was told that is the original colour but an industrial grade.Just wanted to give 1961 some inspiration


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## f350ca

Seams they came in a variety of colours.  My Student was more of a blue green.



From what I gathered the Dominion designation was for units destined for Canada and maybe the US. All the fasteners were UNF or UNC rather than Whitworth.

Greg


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## Techie1961

Thanks for all of the great information guys. Phil, my lathe has a badge on it that says "Dominion" and 13x36 and I believe it's original. I am going to get the information of it as you mentioned and look it up. Thanks for the offer on the manual and I do have one. It says student though.

That restoration is gorgeous! I had seen it before but it still makes me drool every time I see it. What an amazing job he did on the paint and polish and the VFD is such a nice touch.

That's a nice Student Greg. I am hoping to put a DRO on mine eventually and never thought about it on the compound slide as well.


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## Techie1961

So I picked up some Tremclad dark green and white and mixed up what I think will do the job. It was odd how tough it is to match up to faded paint.


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## hermetic

That looks near enough to me! You cannot match a faded colour because the fading will not be even all over the machine. I have just checked my manual, and it says "Colchester 6 x 24" Student and 12 x 24" Dominion"  I think maybe the Dominion is the gap bed model because it will turn 12" in the gap. This has always confused me a bit!! If you look at the above restoration video, that one is badged  "Dominion 13" but it is apparently NOT a gap bed.  It does say on lathes.co.uk that most students were badged 6" but were actually built to the 6.5" standard. I will measure mine when I am next at the shop. I am still confused though it appears all Dominions are either 12" or 13", which has to be max diameter! According to the manual, the 6" Student will turn 12" diameter (Obviously) and the gap bed model will turn 18" in the gap If rated at "12" you would have thought that the centre height was 12" and it would turn 24" diameter. I am confused!!
Phil


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## Steve_Cole

I have Colchester dominion triumph (there were dominion models of both student and triumph) - (mine's 15x48). The dominion models had no gap and imperial only threading gear boxes. The sizing on the dominion refers to the maximum diameter that could be turned (USA convention), whereas the standard gap bed models were described by the centre height (UK convention). 

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


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## hermetic

Thanks Steve, I can feel the fog clearing!!! I have a roundhead Student Mk1 6" straight bed, with english and metric screwcutting. The fact that the Dominion comes in 12" and 13" will be down to very early models being 6" centre height, and later, mine included (I think) being 6.5" CH.  Thanks for your post, I have "advanced a tech level"
Phil.


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## f350ca

Through another one at you, my gap bed Student was badged Dominion.

Greg


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## hermetic

F350ca, you are just saying that to wind me up!;-) What does it say on the door in the middle (coolant access door)
Phil


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## Techie1961

Mine is a Dominion Gap Bed that is marked as a 13x36. I don't know its origin but it is wired for 575v 3p. This is a shot of the bed and serial number. I was trying to find the link to identify the machine but can't. Please repost.


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## Steve_Cole

With the triumph dominion identification is easy, is says so on the plate with the threads and feed selector information. See http://www.lathes.co.uk/colchester/page9.html 

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## Steve_Cole

From lathes.co.UK


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## f350ca

hermetic said:


> F350ca, you are just saying that to wind me up!;-) What does it say on the door in the middle (coolant access door)
> Phil


Don't have the lathe anymore Phil. From pictures I have it says Colchester Student on middle door, but I know it said Dominion somewhere, probably on the feed chart. When I went to pick it up I took a tap to rethread what I thought would be a Whitworth hole for the lift ring for a standard eye. To my surprise the tap spun in. After I found Dominion was the name for units for Canada and possibly US with all standard threads rather than Whitworth.

Greg


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## Techie1961

These are some photos from today of my lathe.


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## Kroll

I also agree that is a perfect match,and a fantastic color.Whats the game plan????


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## Techie1961

Kroll said:


> I also agree that is a perfect match,and a fantastic color.Whats the game plan????



Thanks Kroll, I'm not really sure. For starters, I'm going to do the pieces that come off the lathe easily such as tailstock, rests, gear cover, some handles and wheels, etc. If it starts to go well, I will likely paint the rest of it until I can do a proper restore on it. It's one of those things that are needed so taking it out of commission for a while won't be easy.


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## FOMOGO

> It's one of those things that are needed so taking it out of commission for a while won't be easy.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If you hang around here long it probably won't be an issue, as you will have at least one more lathe before you know it, and can then do a total rehab on this one. Mike


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## Techie1961

Yeah Fomogo, I've experienced that phenomenon before but with my John Deere tractors and another web site. I have four now. Haha.

It looks like my lathe and I share the same birth year. I looked up the serial number at http://www.lathes.co.uk/colchester/page34.html and it seems to say 1961. The SN for it is 38347 or 3/38347 to be more specific. Did I read it correctly?


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## Kiwi

If you pull the back panel that covers the motor off you may well see the original  color unfaded before an older car was painted it was given a cut and polish so the colors were matched my Master is the same as the steady also


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## wa5cab

My take from multiple sources is that "Dominion" meant it was intended for export and that size convention would be US (swing or diameter).


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## hermetic

Hi wa5cab, yes I agree, it is looking like that is the case!
Phil


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## hermetic

Yes, I also see 3   38347, which is 1961, mine is 2 -39248, also 1961! perhaps the 2 is the  earlier apron/saddle?


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## Swissmat

Hey guys, I realize this thread is quite old but I wanted to say hi and join the party .. This is my new to me Student - Dominion
	

		
			
		

		
	




We'll see how she looks after a good cleanup and then decide further steps . ways are mint, headstock is quiet and the brake still works a charm ..


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