Fitting QCTP to Colchester Student Lathe

I have just purchased a very good Colchester QCTP with 4 toolholders from Fleabay. Intention is to fit it to my Colchester Student 6" lathe which currently has a 4-way tool post. Dismantled the 4 way toolpost to find that it revolves on a 44mmx4mm pillar which appears to be as one with the topslide casting. The threaded and splined post you can see in the photograph is removable by undoing a locking bolt of some form underneath the topslide. I unfortunately thought the whole assembly would come of as one.

The QCTP came with a 'T' slot mounting and bolt. What would you advise. machining off the 44x44mm pillar and just using a bolt without the 'T' slot fixing. or machining off the pillar and maching a 'T' slot in the topslide (not sure there is enough depth for this option till fully dismantled. This latter option would cause issues with the DRO components so may well be a no goer. The more I think about it option one would appear to be the best. What are your views.

Many Thanks,

Colin

I did the same on my old student to fit a piston type tool post

I cut off the pillar and drilled and tapped for the right size stud (16mm IIRC)

worked well for 5 years then I bought a newer student with the newer style topslide

Ian

The Bantam comes with a large T slot,as you may be aware. Didn't know the Student had this type of tollholder.

I don't have a DRO on my Bantam although I bought the components last year. I've been thinking about fitting scales to the saddle and cross slide but couldn't see how to justify one on the top slide. Do you have a fancy display unit that can account for the angle of the topslide or do you simply use it to measure linear movement regardless of the angle - and do you find that useful? My display which I bought in China for peanuts is really intended for use with milling and CMM machines and doesn't have any specific lathe functions.

For the moment I am making do with a butchered digital caliper on the tailstock but there are times I wish I had saddle and cross slide scales.

Murray

Ian,

Did you hacksaw the main chunk off and then mill down the face of the topslide, or did you flycut it. I am highly unlikely to get rid of this lathe as have lots of bits for it.

Murray,

I've not used it a lot since it was fitted, but it is set up to work in conjunction with the scale on the bed of the lathe. I think it can be set up for an angled top slide but that would be beyond me. I have glass scales on the bed and cross-slide and magnetic on the top-slide. My ML7 has same scales on bed and cross-slide but none on top-slide.

Rgds,

Colin

there is an alternative topslide with a T slot available if you can find one, there was one on ebay a couple of months ago, but I missed it.It was one of the options most often fitted to the gap bed models, but coulld be had on the straight bed as an option, they are about.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lathe-compound-slide-believed-Colchester-student-master-/191230244950?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item2c8635f856

Yes I just bandsawed it off and then cleaned up the face on the mill

i seem to remember making a loose stud with a square head which fitted in the remaking hole.

my newt student has a t slot available to mount a tool post or whatever

ian

My Dickson toolpost has a ground circular recess on the bottom plus the centre hole is larger than the stud, if yours is similar why not saw part of the cast column off and then machine the remaining 6mm or so to suit the recess in the bottom of the Dickson holder.this would give a firm reliable location spigot.

Nigel,

The toolpost does have a recess. How do you suggest I machine the spigot. Obviously I cannot do it on the Colchester, not sure whether the topslide would fit on faceplate of ML7. I could possibly fix it to the rotary table and do on Milling machine. I have not used the rotary table as yet, so this would be a first.

Thanks,

Colin

Do you have a fancy display unit that can account for the angle of the topslide or do you simply use it to measure linear movement regardless of the angle - and do you find that useful? My display which I bought in China for peanuts is really intended for use with milling and CMM machines and doesn't have any specific lathe functions.

DMSGDT

Just for reference, I just received a spare whole cross slide with QCTP attached. Looks like it's just been chopped off and flattened, then a bolt has been used to secure it. However, the actual slide has not been tapped.