Breaking My Roundhead Into Sections??

Good afternoon guys,well its fixing to be September and I am looking forward to the fall weather/temps.I have a 60's something 13" Colchester round head lathe that I would like to just break it down into sections for a cleaning and paint to help fight Mr.Rust.I have rebuilt several woodworking machines and couple Atlas 12" lathes but nothing of this caliber,that is what kinda puts the fear in me.All I want to do is remove the spindle head from the bed,remove the tailstock and the carriage from the bed.Give all a good cleaning and some paint then put it all back together in sections.I do have a manual but its for a flat head lathe and not the round so I guess its kinda close to what I have.But I see or think that I need to take apart the QCGB to remove the lead screw and the feed shaft and that box looks like it has a million parts.I have been looking on Utube for some directions but its mainly people selling their lathes so nothing on how to take it apart.I have remove the lathe from the cabinet so its finish and looking good.Now I need to come up with a game plan to figure out how to break the lathe down into sections but try to keep it together as much as possible with out having to deal with small shims,tiny springs,etc.Guys I bet I am not the first here to do this so I am hoping that you will share your adventures and what you have learned and maybe a good manual or manuels,Utubes,links or links to some good threads.Thanks guys,I hope that by the time I get started my home computer will be up and running so that I can post some pics with my questions-----kroll

Hi Kroll the lead screw and the feed shaft separate at QCGB so that won't have to pulled down Take a look at Brian Carols post Colchester Master cross-feed problem you'll find that helpful in the removal of the shafts and saddle

I don't have either a machine or a manual to look at. But I'll mention that on some machines, although the QCGB and lead screw are separable, you still have to remove the QCGB before you can remove the headstock because you can't get a wrench on some of the headstock bolts until you do. Plus as I understand it, the reason for removing the headstock in the first place was so that you could repaint the bed. For which you would certainly want to also remove the gear box. However, you shouldn't have to disassemble the gear box in order to remove it. On most machines, the reverse would be true. You would never get the box apart without first removing it from the bed.

Thanks guys for the replys,I just haven't been able to find much out there on servicing this lathe.The manuals that I have found the pics are terrible I just can't make them out.Parts list that I found just is not clear so that a person can make out those very small parts.Robert that's what I can't figure out is how to get to the bolts on the front to remove the spindle head.The gear box is built in,its part of the lathe bed.The one manual that I printed does show how all the parts line up but just not clear enough to make it out.Kiwi,thanks going to do some research----kroll

OK. Then without a manual, I'm afraid that I haven't a clue. The only three manuals I or we have are for the Colchester Student and Bantam, and the Clausing-Colchester Series 8000. Which is most like your machine? And besides the apparently round top of the headstock, what else is different?

Also, do you have a different manual from the three in Downloads (there were two duplicates under different names that I deleted)? If so, would you mind uploading it?

Well I be dip,it is over in the download section.13"Colchester Gear Head lathe its the one that Brian sent to me,Robert model number is MCH NOF3 53656 one of the other members said that is a 1966.I think that my problem is my printer cause in the download section its better than the manual that I do have.Anyway I should have my home computer working next couple of days so I will post some pictures than.Thanks guys

Have you looked on Keith Ruker's Site Vintage Machinery.org their is a good manual on there Sorry Idon't know how to remove the spindil head

Well, I'll be dipped, too. I thought that I had searched Loose Files for all of the common badge names. Must have missed Colchester. Also found a Chipmaster 5x20 manual. I moved both of them into the Colchester Lathe sub-folder.

Guys I talk with one of the member here(Colchester Lathe Man) who is local and owns/runs company called Tools Inc.He told me that Tools Inc sold my lathe to Davis High School in 1965,which the PO that I purchase it from lives in Austin so this lathe has been around the block.Frank aka Colchester Lathe man told me that he has parts for my lathe and he also sent me a manual for my lathe.I feel so much better now thanks to the help of the membership,thanks to Robert for the download section here and Frank over at Tools Inc.Now if fall will be on time this year I can get started---LOL-----kroll