Member postings for Alan Culpitt

Many thanks to everyone for the input. I dont have the 4 way post so I'm just going to put the two existing grubscrews back in when I've cleaned up and replaced the tool post

Hello! Im in the process of rebuilding the top slide on my 1954 Myford ML7.

I have it in bits and the tool clamp stud is bent and very tired looking

I'm thinking the semicircular section taken out of the base of the stud

and the corresponding drilling out of the underside of the topslide

are incorrect It looks to me as though the pin that stops the tool post from turning has sheared through and never been replaced

From the otherside I could only get two of the three grubscrews out, half the head of one having broken off. Its now jammed in place

I have two questions

Is the body of the top slide salvageable? or is it too far gone

What are the grubscrews for? to ensure the tool post is perpendicular to the top of the topslide?

I took apart the cross slide. The feedscrew is bent at the outer end were the handle and micrometer dial attach, its out by about .020" New feedscrew? With the feedscrew taken out and screwed into the nut on the cross slide, there is a good deal of run out. Do I need a new feedscrew?

I think you can just make out here the difference between the micrometer scale and the end plate

Hello all and thanks for the replys.

Just to clarify the perpendicular movement of the cross slide is in the horizontal plane not up and down (that's a good point I haven't measured that yet!)

I tried undoing the handle then tightening the micrometer scale up a bit to take out the backlash but I think the cross slide feedscrew is bent as the scale is not parallel to the endplate and goes tight then loose and then tight again as you turn the handle. I don't think there are any fibre washers in the assembly either

I was trying a very basic turning operation on a piece of round bar. I wound the cross slide in until it touched the metal and then traversed the carriage right to left. I could see the cross slide moving back and forwards

Hello, I now have my 66 year old Myford ML7 level and the switch and motor are working very nicely thanks to the generous advice I've had here.

I've tried machining some round bar using new HSS 8mm tools with....mixed results.

I think the problem may be that the cross slide isn't tight. I put a dial indicator on it and it was giving .010" movement perpendicular to the lathe bed and .002" movement parallel to the lathe bed.

I've found the bit in the book about adjusting the gib strips and i guess that takes out the parallel movement, but I can't figure out how you adjust the perpendicular movement.

I'd me most obliged if someone could point me in the right direction

Everyone I'm really grateful (and a bit overwhelmed) by the number and length of responses. I'm going to try a test run unloaded on the motor and see what happens

I'm really obliged to everyone for the advice, I'm going to go for an NVR switch and a new MCB type C which will hopefully help, The insulation on the wiring looks to be modern plastic and its been in a dry garage so I'm not too worried there. All I have to do now is level the lathe, buy some new tooling and then perhaps I can start learning how to machine

Wow! Thank you all for the generous response,

Howard - I've ordered a drum switch from China (an original Dewhurst switch was a bit beyond the budget), how I wire it up I'll figure out when it comes. I don't quite understand why I'd want a machine running in reverse so not too worried about getting that bit to work. I'll definitely be adding the books to my Christmas List as finances allow. I haven't got much of a plan at the moment short of getting the lathe set up correctly. I'm into classic cars and plan to machine various drifts for putting them together and taking apart. I'll see where that leads

FrancesIOM & Not done it yet - It did trip on overcurrent rather than the RCD. I'm thinking that's a good thing right? I think the motor was slightly sticky ive turned it over by hand and it's running smoothly. Will a new switch help prevent the initial starting current problem or do I just a bigger circuit breaker?

Thanks again

Alan

Hello, I'm new to the forum. thanks for taking the time to read my question.

I want to try my hand at model engineering. In order to do that I need a lathe, I bought a Myford ML7 on eBay that used to belong to a bagpipe maker in Edinburgh. It's a bit tired and painted a nasty blue colour

It has a 13 amp plug on the wire to the hoover motor, nothing else. I read somewhere that it needs a proper switch in order not to damage the motor. I tried a while ago to run it and it seemed to work ok but I'm concerned that I'll damage the motor. Also I want something a bit more refined than thumping a 13amp plug into a socket to start the lathe I tried it again recently and it blew the circuit breaker for the garage, I think because I hadn't run the lathe for a while and the motor was a bit sticky.

It's a Hoover Motor type 2130 HAE, 1 phase 50 cycles, WDG (winding?) SP PH 3.6 Amps 1/2 HP 1425 RPM.

**LINK**

I know very little about electrics but I'm a reasonably competent mechanic.

If I can get it to start then I'll start worrying about levelling the lathe etc,

Thanks everyone, I've adjusted the cross slide and tightened the grub screw on the pulley. Now all I need is some SAE 30 Oil and a mini grease gun. (Maybe next month I've spent enough this month!)

Much obliged to everyone for the advice, chuck working, manual downloaded

Much obliged to everyone for the advice, chuck working, manual downloaded

Hello, I'm new here and just finding my way. I've just bought a Myford ML7 Lathe which was a great bargain, but I think it needs a bit of work.

It's serial no. is K43772 which I think makes it a 1959-1960 machine. So far I've noticed what I think may be 4 issues that need my attention

1. The Burnerd Model 30M 3 jaw chuck wont close and one of the jaws is out of alignment with the other 2
2. The belt pulley on the countershaft (I think its called the countershaft, its the one driven directly by the belt from the electric motor) has some backlash
3. In order to move the cross slide forwards (i.e. towards me when facing the lathe) I have to turn the handwheel almost 1 turn before it bites and actually moves the cross slide. It works fine backwards (to the back of the lathe)
4. The handwheel that moves the apron has backlash of about 1/16 of a turn

I'm thinking none of this are good or conducive to accurate machining.

My questions are

1. can I get hold of a parts diagram of the ML7?
2. Is there a book that can give me some idea of repair procedures for a Myford lathe, e.g. "if faced with excessive backlash on the apron handwheel then......"?

Thanks

Alan