Adjust Colchester headstock

[Screwdriver]

My advice from thirty years of being machine rebuilder.

Level bed for twist
Remove suspect gap piece and clean all faces. Seating accuracy can be affected by corrosion and being refitted on a machine with twisted bed.
Align gap with dti preferably with clock on fixture running on tailstock ways if still good
Check headstock to toolpath using test bar( I have one you can borrow)
Check headstock to tailstock ways which should have less wear as you want headstock aligned not cockled to a worn bed
Minor adjustments to headstock if necessary
Set tailstock to mandrel test bar and perform between centres machining test
but accept it’s a elderly machine and hand finishing will be necessary occasionally

Ignore what I’ve said and listen to shed tinkerer or a youtuber

Out of interest, what sort of costs are (or were) involved? Can older, worn machines be brought back into useable condition cost effectively?

 

[Shox Dr]

Out of interest, what sort of costs are (or were) involved? Can older, worn machines be brought back into useable condition cost effectively?

without doubt. All the stress have aged out, a regrind brings the best out of them

my m300 had 70thou of wear just in front of the chuck, from diong the same job on brake discs. The rest of the lathe was fine. Had the lot reground for 800quid. Lathe was £540. Fitted a DRO, lick of paint, it’s better than a new m300 at 25k

 

[pressbrake1]

Out of interest, what sort of costs are (or were) involved? Can older, worn machines be brought back into useable condition cost effectively?

Very much so
As long as spindle bearings are good and leadscrew is good.
Case example a mastiff in vgc from a dealer is £15000
A dogged one £500 and full rebuild £5000
Or bed regrind £800 and do the fitting yourself and have a excellent machine that aren’t available new

 

[pressbrake1]

without doubt. All the stress have aged out, a regrind brings the best out of them

my m300 had 70thou of wear just in front of the chuck, from diong the same job on brake discs. The rest of the lathe was fine. Had the lot reground for 800quid. Lathe was £540. Fitted a DRO, lick of paint, it’s better than a new m300 at 25k

Indeed as new Harrison or Colchester is chinesium