old colchester student toolpost question

hi all , its been an age since ive posted, but im back for advice! is anyone familliar with the 4 postion toolpost these use, not the quick change type! mine doesn't index, and has a nut on the top which needs nipping up. the correct handle is on, the internal parts are there, theres 2 indent plungers one is free but the one that is connected to the toolpost base doesn't move. is this wrong? i cant find a parts drawing for this on the web and have never took one to bits.... also, the t nut that tightens the toolpost clamped, should it be a tight fit in the slot, or would one with an 1/8 of an inch of play be acceptable :eek:
heres me hoping for some guidance! cheers kev

or, would anyone have any drawings of this type of toolpost(its not very well illustrated in the mc handbook) or has anyone had this problem and taken any ppics when they mended it?

willowkevin Wrote:
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Contact Colchester, they will fax or email drawings of components to you. They were very helpful when I needed some drawings of the toolpost on the Bantam.
Paul

thanks paul!, i'll give them a ring, but ive been meddling this aft, and seem to have sorted the indexing out!! but now ive a more simple question :D how does the toolpost lock down ? mine has a hex nut that i need to loosen and nip up with a spanner, now 25 odd years back as an apprentice i remember using a student an am sure the top part of the post had a half nound nut on top, also i notice a verticle hole running verticaly, parallel with the locking stud, could a pin hold this in place so when the locking lever is used to unlock and index the post round the locking nut is loosened?
oh and it looks like the t nut has been made(wrongly) as to allow the indexing to work ive (mis)used an old slip block as a shim..... for now anyway

hmmm colchester say they dont make that toolpost! pratts may have done tho... hey ho hum

There is a good diagram in the Student 1800 manual. If you haven't found a copy by Monday then let me have your real email and I'll send you a scan of that page.

oh dear, neither the 1800 or the old online student manual show my toolpost! after speaking to the service bloke at colchester, i believe my topslide(compound) is the type for the american market, and am wondering now if its an after market one,at least one from another lathe.... so the next question is to do with the underside of the toolpost! mine has a grid machined on the bottom and the threaded tube that runs from the bottom to top also is machined the same. has anyone seen this on a student before? there was a bloke in my town(york) who had an old student at home but he died last year so that avenue is closed to me now unfortunatly, i posted a similar question on the colchester user forum (yahoo groups) but have had no answers there.... i'll fettle it tho! eventually

wrote:
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I still have the 4-way block from my MkII student, that just has four indexing holes in the bottom. I really can't remember how the rest of it was arranged, I modified in in an irreversible manner to accept a Dickson post. If anyone can make good use of the block itself, it's available for collection FOC.
Tim