Member postings for CotswoldsPhil

Hi John,

Here is a lasered cylinder's brass makers plate for my Minnie TE - still to be fitted. Depth is about 10 thou, difficult to see in the photo but is about scale and OK to take paint, but very crisp.

The input to the process was a vector graphic at 450dpi which was then used to drive a 10 watt laser etching machine, No masking, just 2 passes to achieve the depth, I've even got a cutting line. The smoke box and name plates were also done at the same time.

My understanding is that brass is difficult to process because it is so reflective. However, this was all done as an experiment when a company I work with was setting up a laser etching system. Recent information has revealed that masking the whole plate with a none reflective coating may be useful. I hope that the machine was not damaged in the process.

Regards

Phil

Edited By CotswoldsPhil on 07/03/2015 09:39:35

Hi Brian,

This is the dolly made many years ago when riveting Minnie's rear wheels. I also used a hollow punch to settle things down before trying to close the rivet.

Getting the length of the rivet is important for a correctly formed head, a little experimentation as Jason suggests will pay dividends. I made a little shear tool to crop the rivets to length once the correct length had been determined. (there are quite a few to cut!) I tried side cutters but then the rivets tend to fall over to one side.The length will vary depending on how good a fit the rivet is in the hole, first it will expand to fill the hole and then start to form a head.

The dolly can also be used on the smoke-box ring, when you get there, by repositioning the snap, that's what the slot is for at the other end.

Regards

Phil

The sound I heard could be be described as running a metal object against the teeth of a metal hair comb. Maybe 20 / 30 repetitive clicks.

Regards

Phil H

Hi Allan,

I've just taken a look at the mark on the mandrel and in my case (with new bearings) it's within the width of the slot in the collar.

Hi Lambton and Kwil

Come to think about it I heard a couple of rattles after replacing the bearings, plenty of oil! but since then, all quiet, apart from the ever present swish.

I tested the oiler before screwing in the rear castellated nut, and all appeared to work. I like the idea of the gravity oiler.

Regards

Phil H

Allan

From your first post......

The first thing is that all the elements on the shaft up to the 'spindle thrust shoulder' (5 in Fig 34) have to be squeezed together by the end rotating collar (4). To say you can do this with hand tightening is not practical. You need a spanner with two prongs on it to match the holes in the end collar. You can buy these from Myford but needs must and I made a crude one to do the job. Before you begin to tighten this up, loosen off the two castellated nuts sandwiching the bearings so the bearings are free to pick their own position inside the casting shell.

Once all the components are tight on the shaft you can now adjust the right hand side castellated nut to pull the front cone into the bronze bearing bush....

I replaced the bearings on my S7 last year, so from my experience of deciphering the instructions, I think you are over-tightening the split adjusting collar.  It should be hand tight only, no tools required to set the pre-load apart from an allen key to lock it in place. I believe the large split spacer is not there to set the pre-load, but to allow space for the pre-load and allow the outers to be clamped together to set the front cone bearing clearance, and for passage of oil!

Regards

Phil H

Edited By CotswoldsPhil on 20/02/2015 13:44:46

Hi Andrew,

What I can see in your photo of the rear of the saddle is one of the (3) laminated adjustment shims ( Pt No. 75/1304) used to set the working clearance of the Saddle Strip Rear - Pt No A2122. Same for the Saddle Front Strip but only 2 shims. These strips stop the saddle lifting.

The shims are asymmetric and stick out if put in the wrong way round, which can be a balancing act (don't ask). So this probably tells you the saddle has been off at some time.

Regards

Phil H

Hi Andrew and others if watching

Found the other related link

**LINK**

Regards

Phil H

Hi Andrew,

It should be ISO 68 for the ways and ISO 32 for everywhere else - no grease. My machine had Molyslip pumped into the headstock bearings - since replaced, see my album. The gib-strip is not tapered, just flat and adjusted with the grub screws on the front of the saddle.

Now then, it looks like a narrow guide machine, your first photo of the front shear and serial number confirms this, as well as the rifle shaped felt wiper.

The gap could be quite small if there is some wear on the guide at the back of the front shear. An ML7 I had, had gaps of 0.014 thou. and the Super 7 is 0.019 thou once adjusted. This is why I'm trying to establish what the gap might have been when the machines left the factory.

It is also possible that the narrow guide has been machined away and the rear shear brought into use without any visible adjustment packing. This would mean that the saddle has been brought forward which might cause misalignment of the lead-screw and half nuts.

So, can you twist the saddle? can you get a small (3 thou as a starting point) feeler in any of the gaps (front and rear shear) . For sure, the saddle should not be bearing on both front and rear shears.

See also this thread **LINK**

There is also another thread dealing with this which fro the moment I can't find

Regards

Phil H

Hi Michael, you beat me thanks.

Hi Andrew, This photo of the back of the saddle from the chuck end indicates the gap(s) I'm interested in. Both sides of the saddle.

Note this only applies for narrow-guide Super 7 machines before S No. SK1088913

Anyone else willing to provide the measurements would be most appreciated.

It might be interesting to have some ML7 gaps as well.

Regards

Phil H

Muzzer, It was a small french car (still in production) where a electronic dashboard repair (the odometer was faulty) required to get it through the MOT was more than the value of the car. Otherwise, it was sill good for its shopping trolley job.

So in effect, the electronic failure fits into your category of MOT failure.

Regards

Phil H

Hi Ady1,

I would agree that the lack of electronics is a good thing IMO with less to go (expensively) wrong. Similar to modern cars which become uneconomical to repair (electronically) long before the full embedded value can be realised.

Regards

Phi H

Morning Neil...

Lest this descend further into jest, I am giving consideration to repeating the 1940's ME competition to design the 'perfect' hobby engineers' lathe.

That's were the ML7 came from then

Phil H

Hi Colin,

I think we would all agree, there are very few silly questions. Coming up with different solutions keeps the grey matter working.

One way may be to arrange a clamp as a stop and a 3 mm drill as a gauge. Once the first cut is complete, move the slide until you can just interpose a 3 mm drill, complete the second cut. Remove the drill, reposition clamp, make 3rd cut, interpose drill, move slide up to the stop, voila positioned at next cut. Repeat as many times as necessary. There may be a small accumulated error but probably less that marking out and trying to position using Mk1 Eyeball. You could reduce the error by using 3, 6, 9 and possibly 12mm drills, instead of moving the stop each time.

Regards

Phil H

Hi Neil

If the main cover was closed you would see ML7R not Super 7 badging

For the avoidance of doubt here is an original ML7; this one has the optional clutch.

Note the very different headstock, but I agree, there is no badging to tell you what it is other than a Myford.

The B suffix indicates a Gearbox is fitted !  So you could have an ML7RB.

Regards

Phil H

Edited By CotswoldsPhil on 02/02/2015 15:32:20

Hi Andrew,

Like you I took the best part of a year searching for a good Super 7 at sensible money.

I'm sure the non-Myford members will allow us to continue...for a bit.

Here is a link to the Serial number page on lathes.co.uk - a mine of information.
**LINK**

The change to wide guide ie. the saddle uses both shears, not just the front shear with a narrow guide surface on the rear of the front shear happened at serial number SK1088913 <> August 72

If your machine is before the switch...the gaps I'm interested are the gap(s) (left and right) between the the back of the saddle and the vertical face of the rear shear. I'd expect it to be around 0.5 mm or 0.020 inch in old money.

Neil - Should I start a new thread?

Neil - Are non-Myford owners being tested - the last 2 editions of MEW had ML7 and Super 7 confused?

Regards

Phil H

Edited By CotswoldsPhil on 02/02/2015 11:01:05

Robbo,

Thanks for the confirmation, the numbers are indeed etched on the holders, I was able to go on the web and find similar items I have in my possession.

I will try the holders from A&R when they next have some, but it looks like there may be a queue.

Regards

Phil H

Hi Andrew,

Looks clean and cared for. Is it a later wide guide model? 1973 onwards, or narrow guide similar to the ML7. Mine is just before the changeover and I have been doing some experimentation making it into wide guide without any machining. I ask because if it is narrow guide I would be interested to know (once you get it installed) what the gap measures between the rear shear and the saddle (both ends).

Small point, the manual shown in the photo is for a ML7R - there are a few differences.

Michael, how are you getting on with your ML7R?

Regards

Phil H

I was making this attachment when the article about using a boring head as a ball-turner was published.

It works very well once you get your head around setting it up and grinding a knife tool on the end of a 3/8 HSS toolbit.

I made the adapter for the George Thomas type boring head made many moons ago.

Setting up is made a lot easier with the QCTH.

Getting the cutting tool geometry is a bit tricky

The finished ball for the handle of the ball-turner attachment! The finish is straight from the tool.

Regards

Phil H

Edited By CotswoldsPhil on 30/01/2015 10:14:21

Hi Michael,

This Forum is indeed a mine of information...

Thanks for identifying the supplier, the QCTH appear nicely made and all work well, so I will look to get some holders from A&R when they next advertise a batch.

Regards

Phil H

Thanks Norman, I think A&R are the way to go with all the positive feedback.

Korby...My holders bottom on the Super 7 top-slide, but I only use 8mm tooling so is not a problem. The QCTH block would have to be quite a bit bigger to allow the holder to pass the edge of the top-slide.

Can anyone identify the supplier from the photo of the box above, I'm just curious...

Regards

Phil

Edited By CotswoldsPhil on 27/01/2015 11:07:37