Colchester Student Mk1 Won’t Start

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

Posted by Donovan Kaardal on 16/07/2020 14:56:19:

Thanks Phil and Richard – everything seems to be working, except of course for the interrupt switches I removed. Which I'll now be putting back.

Just for historical purposes, I'll post a pic of the red button that was depressed on the contactor. Poking at it made it pop out, and after that everything worked.

Donovan

The red button is normally depressed by the Stop button fitted on the cover of the enclosure, it can be set to Man or Auto so make sure it is correctly positioned or it may stick again.

Emgee

[Richard Kirkman 1Participant @richardkirkman1]

Thanks Herman, there's always next summer for me. You're doing things properly, so well worth the time and effort!

I managed to get a coat of paint on the parts today

Also, very big news.

Traci has finally been to her lockup and got me the parts that I asked for! 6 months and a hell of a lot of pestering and she's finally done it. This past week has been like Christmas twice over! First with Brian and Ted's tools, now with Traci. I'm finally going to have an original hand wheel for the apron!

These are a few of the parts she's sending me. Some aren't in the picture too. The splash guard wall thing has definitely been changed significantly to make it work with how they rigged their lathe. The lathe was pretty much cannibalised, so I'm going to have a big job getting that pannel back into original shape. Possibly including welding and bending some other steel back onto it. I'll probably need a bit of help with measurements from Herman and or Phil. Also, there is the main on/ off switch, so I will try to use the new one if it is in better condition than my current one. Maybe swap the ball ends too.

Unfortunately, she was unable to get me the motor cover for the back of the lathe since we had a miscommunication and she thought I didn't want it, so her husband cut it up and used it for something else.

The yellow bearing housing seal is broken on my version, so hopefully, it'll seal with the new one. I'll also have access to both the shafts that are for the oil seals that I've been replacing, so I'll be able to pick the best parts to use.

She had a spare 3 jaw chuck and traveling steady and all sorts, I don't need them, but I just hope they don't go to scrap. I've sent her a link to Colchester spares, hopefully they'll give her more than scrap value so someone else can make use of the parts. Then again, if anyone reads this in the next few days and needs something specific, message me and I can ask her or something. I don't like the idea of these parts being scrapped.

She's also sending me the entire cross slide, which has a dicksons t2(maybe?) quick change tool post on. This is interesting since it's not a t-slot cross slide, so this must have been modified. Hopefully, I'll be able to make use of it. Although I was planning on getting a model 222 from ARC, this could be nicer. But there aren't any holders, so I'll need to find some, and I don't believe they're cheap.

So more progress to follow. Looks like I'll have a multi-coloured lathe for a while

[Phil WhitleyParticipant @philwhitley94135]

Nice plunder Richard, the toolpost is interesting as it appears to be dual inch/mm dials, and I would love to see how they have modded it to fit the QCTP! The splashback looks fairly intact, and they save the inevitable spray of oil and coolant up the wall! Don't worry about the tool holders, when you get your milling machine you will ba able to make some!

Phil

[Herman van der MerweParticipant @hermanvandermerwe76509]

Wow nice find! Mighty jealous now!

The back splash plate looks 100% intact to me. Shout if you need dimensions. Mine is on its third coat of primer so it is easy to measure.

Wish you could send those spares you do not want this way … dream on, dream on …

Edited By Herman van der Merwe on 19/07/2020 18:41:01

[Richard Kirkman 1Participant @richardkirkman1]

Honestly, it's been a lot of effort to get the parts. It's from the woman I initially bought the 4 jaw chuck from. Dealing with her to get to her husband. I've had to pester her for 6 months to get this far.

The backsplash seems alright but the headstock end looks to me like its been messed about with. Looks like it's been modified when compared to yours Herman.

I'd love to have sent you some spares, but I'm not sure how feasible that is, especially with you in South Africa.

Anyway the courier is booked, so all the parts should be here on Thursday. I'm looking forward to it.

I will also be interested to see how they've mounted the toolpost, as it definitely will have been modified.

I don't see a milling machine happening any time soon. All the dials on the machine were dual mm/thousandths so very useful. I think I'll keep mine original rather than mix and match the parts. I'm not sure they'd fit anyway.

[Richard Kirkman 1Participant @richardkirkman1]

Does anyone know if the earlier students had the boxed or the flat louvered motor cover?

It doesn't show which in my models manual, but in the manual for the 1.5 it shows a boxed one.

And does anyone know where I can see some pictures of the student covers?

[Herman van der MerweParticipant @hermanvandermerwe76509]

You should ask on the Colchester group on https://colchesterlathe.groups.io/g/main

[Richard Kirkman 1Participant @richardkirkman1]

Good idea, I should have tried there first!

[Tim StevensParticipant @timstevens64731]

There is the makings of a book in here – is anyone going to have a go … ?

Tim

[Richard Kirkman 1Participant @richardkirkman1]

I think we're more likely to get a Netflix deal, with lots of spin-off series such as The Coffee Filled Adventures of Herman and Sandkriek, and This Old Donovan…

[Herman van der MerweParticipant @hermanvandermerwe76509]

Posted by Richard Kirkman 1 on 20/07/2020 19:26:51:

I think we're more likely to get a Netflix deal, with lots of spin-off series such as The Coffee Filled Adventures of Herman and Sandkriek, and This Old Donovan…

I am in! I am busy compiling a video series on the lathe project named: "The tale of the ragged Student". And yes, there are lots of coffee involved

[Phil WhitleyParticipant @philwhitley94135]

Richard, re the motor cover, that one on mine is not original, it is actually the aluminium back of a very old freezer, complete with louvres, but it looks the part! The original sheet of ally was much bigger, but I cut it down to leave the right sizr with the louvres in it! some were boxed, and some were not, and the difference is the motor. It all depends which motor is fitted, yours is a LDC, mine is a Brook 2 speed, but on mine, the terminal box on the motor stuck out of the back of the lathe slightly, so mine would have originally had a boxed back cover, but I stripped the motor, and reassembled it with the stator reversed, so that the terminal box was on the inside of the lathe, and I was then able to fit the flat back cover.

Phil

[Richard Kirkman 1Participant @richardkirkman1]

Posted by Herman van der Merwe on 20/07/2020 20:41:27:

I am in! I am busy compiling a video series on the lathe project named: "The tale of the ragged Student". And yes, there are lots of coffee involved

I hope there will be some traumatic reenactments of the brutish butchers' affairs!

Phil, so the two-speed motors stuck out and needed boxed ones, but the LDC motors didn't so they put flat ones on?

Anyway, the Colchester spares person says that their replacement cover, which comes from a master(which will almost definitely be exactly the same) will cost £35 which I am very surprised about

Then the kick in the teeth is plus vat and postage, and postage is £20 so a total of £66 for a motor cover. Not as bad as I was expecting, but definitely not cheap.

[Herman van der MerweParticipant @hermanvandermerwe76509]

Posted by Richard Kirkman 1 on 21/07/2020 10:53:19:

Then the kick in the teeth is plus vat and postage, and postage is £20 so a total of £66 for a motor cover. Not as bad as I was expecting, but definitely not cheap.

Now is the time to pull out your student card and ask for student discount!

[john fletcher 1Participant @johnfletcher1]

Hello Phil, Herman and Richard. Richard have you a pump on your lathe, as there is I think a very small 3ph motor at Brian's, he says about 100 mm in diameter. I'm going to see him in the morning and have a look, I'll report back later. Also a micro wave with the internals and door removed make a good shield with louvers and a fan as well. John

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

£66 for a Colchester part, it must be the cheapest ever.

[Richard Kirkman 1Participant @richardkirkman1]

Somehow I very much doubt that they will do a student discount. However, It would be much cheaper for me to arrange my own courier. I was still expecting the part to cost a lot more than that.

Yes John I do have a coolant pump in my lathe. And the household microwave just died…

[Herman van der MerweParticipant @hermanvandermerwe76509]

I found this in a YouTube video today.

[Richard Kirkman 1Participant @richardkirkman1]

That doesn't look like an original cover to me? Whatever does the job though

The spare parts were not collected on Tuesday, so they are delayed. They still haven't been collected, and they won't really give me a specific time, which makes arranging Traci a nightmare. They said that they should be collected today, but with a timeslot of 9am-6pm who knows what will happen. Then if they're not collected today, who knows when it'll be. Feels like it's a lot more complicated than it needs to be. If only they had collected when they said they would.

So that's a bummer, no parts, they should have been here today. It would have been nice. Plus Tufnell's aren't delivering on Saturdays currently, due to corona. So even if they are collected today, it'll be Monday when they arrive. I'm very doubtful that it's going to be collected today, but only time will tell

[Richard Kirkman 1Participant @richardkirkman1]

Little update

Tuffnells failed to collect 3 times, so I've had a week wasted. I've canceled and rebooked with UPS, which should be collected on Monday then delivered on Tuesday.

Not quite as cheap, another £20 and I could have just had a pallet!

I've been busy making some wooden signs for my aunt, and working on a kitchen knife and a hunting knife.

However, the brass plate has arrived, so I'll be able to make my new labels soon enough. I think I'll heat treat the knives first

[Richard Kirkman 1Participant @richardkirkman1]

PROGRESS!!

I heat treated the knives as expected, had some warps so had some fixing to do.

So I had an hour or two spare while the knives were tempering in the mini oven.

First one went a little squiffy when I tried to make it deeper

Funilly enough, I currently only have 2 E's, so I had to do this by overlaying the other ones.

I have some more letters on order, but they're backordered for a few more weeks, so I thought I'd have a go.

Ready to be fitted tomorrow. I'm very pleased so far. They look much better than F. and R. written in marker pen

I may try to deepen the O and the R a little.

[Herman van der MerweParticipant @hermanvandermerwe76509]

Did you charcoal your fingers in the oven? No mittens?

[Richard Kirkman 1Participant @richardkirkman1]

Unfortunately my hands were covered in dirt from hand sanding. Not sure there's really a way around it. If only someone made a garment that fitted around my fingers, thumbs and palms!

[Herman van der MerweParticipant @hermanvandermerwe76509]

Yeah, those garments sure would be handy!

Edited By Herman van der Merwe on 27/07/2020 10:03:45

[Richard Kirkman 1Participant @richardkirkman1]

So this is what the switch originally looked like. Nice and rough with beautifully handwritten F and R

First step was to take it out and off

It was held on by 2 countersunk screws, which were going through non countersunk holes.

So I countersunk the holes so the screws are now flush, cosmetic improvements only today.

Then I laid out the new labels and marked where I wanted them to go. I did one hole for each, drilled and tapped, then marked the other hole from there so they both lined up. This worked well

Then I had 4 long m3 screws to cut down. They didn't interfere with anything inside, but it made screwing them in and out much quicker

The F and the R mostly rubbed off with a bit of acetone. But It will be fully repainted one day!

Then at last I put it all back together

I'm very happy with how they came out. Not original, but much more fitting than permanent marker!

I did end up deepening the O and the R from forward, so it blended a bit better. A minute difference that you wouldn't notice unless I told you.

The parts were successfully collected from Traci today, so I will hopefully receive them tomorrow!

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