Member postings for Neil Greenaway

Hi Mick,

I am not so sure I understand you correctly - you require a pin 2.750 long with 0.350 OD at larger end - the few pins I have are this 0.350 OD at the larger end however they are longer hence the smaller end will be smaller than you need, and this can be turned down to a parallel OD and threaded for a retaining nut just as has been described?

Neil

Hi Mick.,

I have one at 0.350 x 3.150 if this is any use to you. I am away with work for a few days from tomorrow but you can let me know.

Neil

Hi Chris,

First and third angle projections are explained here:

**LINK**

Neil

Hi There,

Kwil - the shears measure between 0.496 at the headstock end (front shear) to 0.498 at the tailstock (front shear). The rear shears appear to be about 0.002" less towards the headstock.

Pierre - The info you kindly supplied is for a super 7 - mine is only an ML7, but perhaps the C suffix was also applied to an ML7 bed design change - this appears to have been around 1972ish and if I remember correctly this timing seems about right for changes that I read about in Ian Bradleys Myford manual.

John - I have a photo of the serial no in my album of the front shear, headstock end where the no is stamped, and it definately looks more like a "C"

Many thanks,

Neil

Hi All,

Just wondering if anybody here can cast light on something that I have never been able to get to the bottom of. I have a Myford ML7 and this was obtained by me through disposal of a business closure back in 2005. At the time I contacted Myford and the very helpful staff there in Nottingham advised me that lathe KSL108779C was obviously a long bed machine - they told me the date of manufacture (which I have now forgotten!!) however they were not able to advise what the C suffix denoted.

Can anybody cast light on the C suffix?

Many thanks,

Neil

Hi there,

A number of years ago we had a repair to do on broken connecting rods on a packaging machine. The ends were simply turned from mild steel bar and brazed on. The original tubing was oval in section and had broken during a "crash" caused by a cam follower collapsing. We used a length of ERW tubing and flattened from round to oval in a flypress with the depth stop set to give the right l x h dimensions. This worked quite well and might be OK for your purposes - hand blending with files to finish the profile.

Neil

I have an original myford oil gun, but the endcap had a crack in it and it leaked badly at the lid. I found tecalemit 2802 greaseguns on Ebay that were previously supplied with old british cars. These have a simple push-fit fitting in the end of the "piston tube" that delivers the grease - if this is pulled out and a pipe thread cut on the piston tube, a simple long nose nozzle could be turned up on the lathe with an o-ring fitted to help seal on the Myford oil nipples. The 2802 guns had a cast metal screw on lid that was more robust. I think there may be a leather seal inside the lid.

Might be a low cost way to get yourself an oilgun (once the grease is washed out) as they normally sell for about £5 which is a lot less than any used genuine myford gun.

Neil.

Hi Bob,

If you face off the end of a bar do you get a pip left in the centre - if so your tool is set low - the diameter of the pip being twice the distance that your tool is below centre.

Neil

Hi Bob,

I had a couple of different L5 manuals and I cannot remember them being that much help with carrying out fine adjustments. From memory on the lid of the headstock there are 6 or 8 cap head screws and I simply removed all of these and gently prized the lid off - you may have to cut the sealant to get it started to lift off. If you move the backgear lever into a central position it should release the spindle for free movement. At the right hand side of the headstock gearbox (ie the front end) you should see the bearing housing - should be a woven mesh filter on the top to strain the oil as it runs into the bearings. On the spindle just at the back of the taper roller bearings you will see a steel ring with about 4 holes radial round the OD - on my lathe these had been tightened with a hammer/punch - I managed to clean it up a bit and thats where the pin spanner came in - I tightened the nut until the bearings were tight to turn the spindle, and then backed it off a little bit at a time until the bearings were free but firm in running, and also smooth running too. I then refitted the lid - from memory I ran the lathe a short while under power but without sealant to make sure the bearings were OK. Then I sealed the lid up but didnt tighten the screws completely until 24 hours passed.

On the cross slide you should have a large chrome plated screw with a large pan type head - this screw head fit into a slot in the end of a tapered gib. advancing the screw into the cross slide tightens the gib, removing it slackens the gib. adjust it until the cross slide is moving smoothly but not too tight and not too slack.

I had bought the lathe and learned a lot by trial and error, but also found books like The Amateurs Lathe and using the small lathe very helpful.

Hope this helps,

Neil

Hi There,

On my Harrison L5 I once experienced really ppor surface finish all of a sudden - the locking ring nut had vibrated loose at the back of the taper roller bearing at the front og the headstock and left excessive play - I made up a C-ring pin spanner and adjusted the locking ring nut and never had a problem after this. I had to remove the lid from the headstock of course and resealed the lid upon refitting with hylomar.

Hope this might help.

Neil

Hi There,

BOC have had major supply issues for acetylene due to a serious fire in theyre bottling plant in UK/Ireland. I know that they have recently restarted but are not filling all sizes - some of my work suppliers are only getting medium size bottles so far, however it appears that eventually they will get all sizes back up and running in theyre bottling plant - it will just take a while!

I recently bought an argon bottle that a local supplier fills with argoshield type gas for MIG - the refills will be about £35. I previouslky used CO2 and notice a huge improvement with the argon/CO2 mix.

Neil

Hi Windy,

My enerpac hand pump goes to 10000psi700 bar and with the 10T ram fitted will generate 10T force max. I have made a set of bending dies for bending flat bar, and it makes bending 50x12mm black steel bar really easy - also the force required is only about 1.5T for this size. I have a hydraulic pipe bender that can bend up to 2"nb pipe and this used a 12T ram/combined hand pump unit. I believe these tubela pipe benders can bend up to 3" pipe with the right formers.

Neil.

Hi There,

I have used a cleaning agent called "decon 75" for cleaning lab equipment in work and this is described as being suitable for cleaning in the nuclear industry, and perhaps this is another version of the "Micro" product clive mentions.

Neil

Hi There,

As a child we used to have a caravan that was fitted with a foot operated pump for the sink unit in the kitchen area - I think it was a diaphram pump probably made by whale and was quite effective - was self priming from the water barrel outside and with gentle pumping you could carefully control the water flow.

This could be a simple alternative if they are still available and if you wanted to look into it. I used a windscreen washer pump for a number of years on my power hacksaw with the original car reservoir fitted under the saw frame for recirculating the coolant - worked ok for years until it sat dry for a while and gummed up - but it was obtained from a breakers yard anyway so easily replaced.

Neil

Hi There,

I have a 9" L5 and the specified oils were all old grade names - a local supplier narrowed it down to Shell Tellus 68 which is an ISO 68 grade hydraulic oil - local engineering or motor supplies hsould be able to supply a similar oil.

Neil

Hi There,

Would composite panels be an option for you? They would be very low maintenance, come complete with inbuilt insulation. You would need access to screw the fixings onto cladding rails, however this could perhaps be completed as one large panel prior to erection of the inaccessible wall?

The composite panels are available in a wide range of colours and finishes and are relatively easy to work with.

Many thanks,

Neil.

Hi,

On the Myford pages on www.lathes.co.uk it is noted that "it is wise to bear in mind that the maximum recommended speed of the original white-metal bearing spindle is 1000 r.p.m", however the author also notes having seen many lathes run above this speed - I suppose good lubrication and careful adjustment of the bearings is important.

I have an ML7 which I fitted with a 3ph 1400rpm motor and have only run it on the normal speed range, however I have it in mind to open up the max frequency on the inverter to 100hz - for short running periods speeds using up to 100hz are acceptable providing cooling is adequate. I am considering setting the normal frequency to 60hz as per the USA myford spec to give a slightly higher speed range. If you used a 2800rpm motor on an inverter you could safely run it at 25hz to provide the normal speed range, however motor cooling would need careful attention, and perhaps an auxiliary fan.

Thanks,

Neil.

Hi Michael,

1-7/8" is the standard size for 35 to 640 rpm however they did supply a larger 2-1/2" pulley for 47 to 870rpm with a 50hz motor.

If you need a manual with the info in it I might be able to email you one.

thanks,

Neil