Bunkerbarge

That reminds me of an incident at college about 30 years ago now when I was using a very large Colchester lathe for a machine shop excercise.

I left the machine to go to the stores and when I returned I saw another lad at the machine. When I told him I hadn't finished he apologised and let me back on the machine. What I didn't realise and what he had forgotten was that he was going to change the chuck and he had removed the nuts at the back of the backplate. This chuck would have been a good 18 inches in diameter and well beyond my abilities to lift it.

When I started the machine it got up to speed and the chuck left the backplate and, still spinning landed on the bed. I actually managed to shoulder it into the base of the lathe before it eventually came to rest.

In hindsight I should have just got out of the way but you just act in instinct in these situations. I ended up very badly shook up but a cup of tea and a fag later and I was back on the lathe again with a renewed sense of respect and a better awareness of safety aspects of lathe work!!

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“Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack, Butting through the Channel in the mad March days"