Thank you guys. I will look up the spark test and try it out

In the collection of lathe tools I inherited there are some that are clearly marked HSS. The photo below shows tools of a steel that look identical to the marked ones. Is it safe to assume they are HSS and is there a way I can tell please? They are sized from 3/16" to 3/8".

I have been sorting through a mass of lathe tools and discovered these. Can anyone shed any light on what these might have been used for.

They have these annotations on them.

Robbo and Neil: Thanks guys I did grind some more top rake into it. I don't know if it came with the lathe originally, I suspect they might have been bought afterwards though it is from a Myford set of tools, photo below. I wonder if they are carbon steel as I am having to regrind that tool quite often. I suspect it may have been overheated in a previous life as I am very careful with grinding only taking light cuts and cooling in water after every pass. I do have another collection of tools which are definitely HSS (second photo) but I think you are right Neil, a ready ground set would get me started, thanks for that tip

and the other 'set'.

Any comments on this second set, which would be good for what sort of cut would be welcomed please

Thanks Clive. I think a QCT is a priority on the shopping list

I have been using the set of Myford lathe tools that came with the lathe. The tools have a curve machined into the bottom face which fits into a matching curve in a tool 'holder' that sits underneath. The cutting tip height is adjusted by sliding the around the curve tool in the holder which changes the angle of THE WHOLE TOOL tipping the front up or down to get the height right.

Now, in another thread where I was having problems cutting it was suggested that my tool geometry might not be correct. I had checked that the tool had rake, not a lot but some, in all the right directions but i was getting really 'manky' ragged cuts even with oil to help the cut. I thought it might be down to the steel a black mild steel bolt (BS 4933 DIN 603/555). I changed to a piece of EN1A but although the results improved a little it was still very ragged. Then I took a close look at the tool in its cutting position and was suprised to find that allthough I had ground it with a little positive top rake the act of tipping it forward to get the cutting height right had was effectively presenting the tool with negative rake.

The answer was to grind the tool with a lot more positive rake such that with the tool tipped forward to get the height right it was still presenting with negative rake. This improved the finish on both bits of steel quite a lot. I now understand the negative comments I have seen occasionaly about these 'rocking boat' Myford tools.

Sorry the photo is upside down could a mod fix this please but I think you can see the positive rake effect.

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 30/07/2017 22:06:43

So, one question answered today. The middle notch on the tumblr revers is a 'neutral' position and disengages drive to the lead screw and then engaging the half nuts locks the carriage Original problem solved Thanks everyone.

Some photos would be good if you have any Peter 😀

Thanks Dave: no access to the lathe at the moment but been thinking how to disengage drive to the leadscrew; tumblr reverse has a mid position of three and hoping I'm going to find that is a 'neutral' 😊

Andrew: Very likely there will be something wrong with the tool geometry😊 I'm starting pretty much again from scratch here and forgotten most of the little I learned, another trip to YouTube planned for today 😀

Hopper: Thank you for the advice. I have been through the gib tightening process a little earlier in this project but not tried cutting at that time. I had noticed a difference in tightness depending on carriage position and had at that point settled on it being tight at the right hand end in favour of something looser on the left. Your idea for saddle locking is good, thank you, and I'll find out how the ML7 does it.

Thank you again everybody👍

Dave. The ML4 is a smaller Myford than the 7. It  doesn't have a saddle lock that I know of!

Edited By Nige on 29/07/2017 21:34:56

After stripping the carriage on the ML4 to fit the TDI I reassembled it and today went to adjust the gib strips. I first adjusted the gib on the saddle untill there was no play in it and the carriage moved smoothly. Then adjusted the cross slide the same. Having put the compound slide back and mounted a tool I went to face off a piece of scrap.

Problem is that as I tried to take the cut the tool no metal came off. It didnt matter how big a cut I tried to take. I couldn't work out what was going on until I put my hand on the compound slide handle and realised the whole saddle was moving away from the work piece!!! Although there is no play in the saddle I can push it up and down the bed with light pressure from one finger!!!

I'm guessing this is far too loose?

Do I just tighten the saddle gib strip to introduce more friction ?

Thank you Jon, the NEAT CUTTING stuff from eBay looks good

A while ago I purchased a Thread Dial Indicator for the ML4. The saddle doesn't come ready drilled so it hgas been a process of checking the location then going through the fitting process.

TDI, bracket and fittings were purchased on eBay

This is where the bracket fits and to mark, drill and tap the holes I dismantled the saddle top from the apron.

Make sure the bracket doesn't rub the dovetail on the way

Mounted the saddle top on the pillar drill clamped up to a piece of angle iron which is the best I can do to ensure it is drilled vertically. Centre punch marks just about visible.

Tapping 4 BA. It was a blind hole which I started with a second cut tap and finished with a plug. WD40 as lubricant as so far it is all I have apart from clean engine oil in the oil can

Saddle top secured back on the apron and TDI fitted. Jobs a goodun

In dismantling the saddle I found that the 1/4/x 1/2 whit slot headed machine screws that fix it to the apron are a bit the worse for wear so I have some hex socket cap headed replacements on order.

Welcome George. I cant help you with your machine question but undoubtedly others can and will. Im relatively new here myself and this is a great community, plenty of people willing to help

Does anybody have any experience, good or bad with these cutting fluids please.

MAXCUT No.5 Chlorine Free Neat Tapping & Cutting Fluid

from Arc Eurotrade and

Multispec Cutting & Tapping Fluid (Ref: MT5)

from Chronos.

Thanks guys.

Mark: Thanks for confirming the mandrel not being hardened. I didn't bore the full length of the taper just cleaned up the first 1 or 2 mill of the opening.

Hopper: I have cleaned up any burr left, thanks for the suggestion.

Howard: Hi again mate. I have two morse tapers I can rely on and will try that as the final process.

Steve: Thank you. A finishing MT2 reamer is next on the list of purchases. The ML4 has a No1 MT in the tailstock but I am not having the problem with that one at the moment so that will get looked at later

Thanks for the ongoing advice guys especially on alternatives for Engineers blue. Much closer inspection of the mouth of the mandrel confirmed some raised edges so I went searching among the tools that came with the lathe. There is what appears to be a complete set of Myford lathe tools of the what I will call curved bed design. A shoe with a curve in it that mates with a curve in the tool and provides the height adjustment. Having found a tool that looked like it would do the job I could see the faces needed touching up. I have a brand new never been used (don't ask) Axminster grinder with a white wheel. I had to find a piece of wood to mount that on and then clamp it to the work bench. Tool touched up and mounted only to find that it was just too deep to fit into the hole. Hunt for a different tool, find nice thin boring bar (see photo), grind a bit off that to make it fit, set it up in the compound slide to take a fine(ish) taper cut. This was the very first cut on this lathe and the first cut for me on a metalworking lathe for me in about 40 years, a big moment for me. The result can also be seen in the photo 😊

Trying the reference bar in the mandrel afterwards the wobble is gone though I didn't clock it (too excited to have acheived something) and it still doesn't feel quite right. Next job is to get some marking 'stuff' onto the taper on the bar and see what is going on inside before deciding on my next course of action.

The tool did remove metal from the mandrel though I was only taking the lightest of cuts so unsure as to whether it was 'cut' off or rubbed off. Should I expect the mandrel to have been hardened after it had been machined in the factory?

Mike, thank you, that would make sense. I just didn't imagine that as a process a small(ish) chuck would go through.

Today I finally got the ML4 bed, motor and countershaft permanently bolted down to the new top and got the motor and the drive belts refitted. Wired up the new Start/Stop switch and new cable to the motor all tested and run 😀.

Also started on cleaning up the 4 jaw chuck. Cleaning the face up has shown up what I believe must be machining marks. They are all curved the same way but I can't fathom why they should be such a large radius!

Thanks Howard😀 I knew I was going to need some Engineers Blue before long; that's another item for the ever growing shopping list!