Colchester Student Mk2 lathe general questions

Hi all.

I signed up to this great forum a while ago but my first posts have been tonight.

I have a Colchester Student Mk2 lathe that will need a full tear down and rebuild along with sourcing several parts that are missing.

I know it would be cheaper to buy one in better condition but the journey of restoring it is half the fun for me.

Question 1:
From everything I have read the serial number should be stamped on the tail stock end of the bed where I have circled red in the photo, however even after scraping the paint there is no number here. I am guessing I am looking in the wrong place. Could somebody tell me where I should be looking please?

Question 2:
in the attached image you will see the cover is missing from the left hand side. What is this cover called please and can you please recommend some different places I might be able to source one.

Question 3:

Looking online I have found several places I can get the manual and have it posted. I really don’t mind paying for one but would prefer it digital. Can somebody advise me of where I might be able to get a digital copy of a Colchester Student Mk2 lathe manual/parts catalogue and any other literature besides what is available online at lathes.co.uk

I plan on doing a full documented rebuild of this lathe along with videos of how I do things and any help will be accredited as deserved. I am not doing this as a business it is for a lathe for me to keep.

Thank you for any help given,
Gareth

Thanks to a private message from Mark I found the serial number under a thick layer of grime.

FC2/72536

So from **LINK** it looks like its a 1970 model.

Edited By Gareth T on 13/12/2016 12:24:52

Hi Gareth, my machine is no. FC2/76259, so probably one of the very last Mk. 2s to be made. The manual refers to the guard as being a Belt & Change Gear Guard. Regards, Alain

Thank you, yes yours is a very late one.

Millhill Supplies say the have lots of Colchester spares, the cover you are missing I am sure was made of fibreglass so if you can't find one it should be possible to make one especially if someone could loan you one to use as a pattern.

Mike

4mm mdf sheet, sme P38 body filler for the fillets, and a covering of 250gsm woven glass cloth and West 105 epoxy resin will make a good cover.

Good day Gents, reviving and old thread...

Why is it that the manuals are not freely available on the internet? Everybody are selling the manuals on ebay, and I doubt they have the copy right licenses to do so??

I'm looking at purchasing a Colchester Student MK2, and would like to have a gander at the manual to learn more about the machine, but can't seem to find a free copy anywhere...

Anybody here maybe able to help?

Thanks

Regardt

I'm not well up on Colchester lathes but there is a free pdf copy of the Colchester Student Instruction and spare parts manual on Vintage Machinery.org - here. It also covers the Dominion lathe, apparently, though I haven't read it through.

John

Thanks John, yes, I've found this one... It's for the MK1 lathe... I'm specifically looking for the MK2 (square head) student.

Marcus I have a copy if you private message me I can email you it.

Alain

Thanks Alain... PM sent

Hello guys,

I’m looking also for the cover from the left hand side that Gareth is missing too.

Any news or helps ?

BR

Michael

Good afternoon to all participants of this forum. I'm glad there is such a forum. About three years ago I also acquired this miracle. I want to share photos.

Товарищи, может кто поможет мне с размерами двух недостающих частей машины.

Edited By Nizam Quliyev on 16/04/2021 09:29:31

Comrades, can anyone help me with the dimensions of the two missing parts of the "car".

Edited By KWIL on 16/04/2021 10:22:50

There is a Colchester Lathe User Group here;

https://colchesterlathe.groups.io/g/main

II've not used it but do use the Boxford equivelent. It can take a while to get used to the format and is quite slow moving (If the Boxford one is anything to go by) probably becuase the content is very niche but for the same reason, because it is so niche, most technical questions do ultimately get answered. The Boxford group has all the manuals to download (if you can find them!) and I suspect the Colchester one may have the same.