Colchester student feed issue

Hi All

I have just joined the forum as I recently bought a Mk1 (1953/54) Imperial Colchester Student. This will probably be the first of many basic question posts!

I have replaced the motor and added a VFD but I am having trouble engaging the sliding/surfacing feed, it will go into sliding feed only moving away from the chuck and when engaged in surfacing it just clicks and feels like something is worn or misaligned.

Does anyone have a diagram of this type of apron? I can only find the later plunger type.

The other issue I have is that the levers on top that change the gears seem to easily drop out of engagement, even under no load, is there something I can adjust to fix that?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Simon

http://manuals.chudov.com/Clausing/Colchester-Student-Lathe-Manual.pdf

download this!

There is a ball and spring clutch in the feed drive shaft which clicks loudly if the feed is jammed. can you post up some pics of the machine. I also have a mk1 roundhead student.

Phil, East Yorks.

Hi Simon welcome to the forum. Where are you, it helps if you give your locality as people local to you know what is available etc. What are your interests there are many people on here from bikers to steam enthusiasts and countless others.

David

Hi

I am in London in the UK, I got a diagram from the Colchester spares company and have now stripped the apt and the 2 feed shafts, it wasn't too mucky but the feed half nut is very worn. Just to be clear, should the feedshaft, the one with the keyway in it be turning all the time the motor is running? Anything I should look out for in the apron that would stop the power cross fed? I will post some pics in due course. Thanks

The feed shaft will only rotate if the gearbox is set

the only one that doesn’t matter is the metric/imperial selector

and forward /reverse lever needs to be set to one or the other

but the feed shaft will /should always rotate if the above is done

Sorry just reread your post it will only run when the main spindle is turning

motor turning no...it may have a clutch

Edited By Ian Parkin on 03/09/2019 09:10:39

Yes when the chuck is turning

if the forward /reverse traverse lever is set

if the gearbox is set the lift up handle one

if the abcd levers are set

then the feed shaft should turn

set the imperial/metric lever and the lead screw should also turn

Do you have a gearbox for screwcutting?

Edited By Ian Parkin on 03/09/2019 11:53:43

Don't know the machine, but in simple terms, I would expect to find:

1) A lever, or levers, which allow the rotational speed of the chuck to be altered.

The VFD almost makes this redundant for most work

2) A Lever with three positions,

One where the feed shaft rotates in the same direction as the chuck,

The Middle one where the feed shaft does not rotate, and

The Third one, where the feed shaft rotates in the opposite direction to the chuck.

This will decide whether the Saddle moves towards, or away from the Chuck when the feed, or the half nuts are engaged.

Another lever will allow the drive to be directed to the Feed shaft, or to the Leadscrew. WHEN the lever, above (1), is not in the middle location.

4) If you have a lever or levers with positions, A, B, C and D; these should alter the speed at which the Feed shaft or Leadscrew moves relative to the chuck.

NONE of these levers should be moved when the chuck is rotating. You may need to rock the chuck to and fro, by hand, to ensure full engagement.

You ought to contact Tony Griffiths at Lathes UK (Contact him through the Lathes UK website) to see if he has a manual, or if you can download one, for your machine.

You are in London, so there should be a Model Engineering Society within a reasonable distance of you.

Go and Join it! There will almost certainly be a member who is prepared to come and help you become familiar with your machine.

That may prevent you damaging either the machine, yourself, or both!.

Howard

The new WiFi keyboard and mouse have developed auto send, it seems!

Edited By Howard Lewis on 04/09/2019 16:36:46

Edited By Howard Lewis on 04/09/2019 16:38:43