Myfirst Myford Super 7 Mk1 Lathe - accessory identification

Hi Hakon, you managed to work out the riddle of the albums then!

Yes, you've got a nice little treasure there, with the better clutch and a late type gearbox. The significance of the late Mk 2 gearbox is that Brian Wood's book is written (in part) around this gearbox and his description of all the things you can do with it is extensive. I know it's an imperial lathe, but actually you can cut metric pitch threads on it just as effectively, and Brian's book covers this in detail. You do need a couple of extra gears to cut the basic metric threads, these are the 33 and 34 tooth gears referred to on this forum and also in Brian's book.

One minor anomaly concerns the style of the back gear and the tumbler gear levers. My lathe has screw knobs with a knurled edge, yours has the later style with spring loaded "pull" knobs. Here's a picture of mine - resplendent in its grubbiness!

You can also see the difference of the shape of the cover at the RHS of the QCGB; this is what identifies it as the older Mk 1 g'box which has some really basic differences though it serves the same purpose and gives the same range of ratios.

The headstock is undoubtedly the early one, the oil reservoir shows that; I'm not sure exactly when the new levers were introduced though I'd always assumed they came in new with the next design of headstock.

So thanks for the pictures, and good luck with your new toy. Enjoy!

Best rgds Simon

Hi Hakon,

You don't need 3 phase, your VFD should convert from single to 3 phase. But you will need a 3 phase motor. Lots of threads on the subject on this forum.

You can use hydraulic jack oil 32.

Good idea to dismantle the headstock assembly if its been standing for a while. Check the oil ways are not blocked. The front bearing oil window always leaked on mine. I had add an O rig to fix it.

Hugh

I found a quart of H 32 hydraulic oil at a local auto parts store. For those of you who missed it, I'm not in the UK, I'm in Iceland. I wonder if there is even another Super 7 here as the man I got it from worked on a steamer and bought it in England, most likely new and brought it back here.

I did find your book though Brian, on AbeBooks online and will order it along with probably Ian Bradley's book as well, if that is the one that is most comprehensive on the Super 7 and it's operation.

Simon, I didn't go the album route. My phone backs everything up on Google Photos so I found a site that creates an open, shareable link to the picture. If you use Google Photos, here's the instructions I went by: **LINK**

I lucked out on the gearbox then, and the lathe in general.

Hugh, I'll check out the motor threads on 3 phase. Curious as to the difference it makes.

Thanks again all for the feedback, I have plenty on my plate to keep me going.

Next step is to design a stand. I'm space restricted so I'm planning to mount it on a swing arm with legs that sit in notched plates in the floor for solid and consistent placement. I'd swing it to the wall and tilt it down for storage so it doesn't protrude into the workspace too much. I'll post pics of the idea, it's difficult to explain, but would be interested in hearing of things to avoid in the design.

Regards,
Hakon

Re your item No8.

I'm going to guess that the hook on which it hangs, should house item No.3 the catchplate, or a selection of slitting/circular saw blades.

What size is the hole in No.3, and is it as cast, or machined.

If still rough, I'm guessing it is an un-machined chuck backplate, for completing and fitting to the spindle nose.

1 1/8" 12tpi 55° (BSW) thread form.

I don't have the saw table, but I's suggest it's worth having, if you can pick it up from the vendor at minimal cost.

Bear in mind these were originally made many years ago, when milling machines and mechanical saws were far rarer in the home workshop, and all milling/precision-sawing would be completed on the lathe.

If you have neither, or they have another job on them, then I can see the saw may well prove useful.

Haklon, re your stand, before you construct it, I'd do a bit of research on the term "Levelling The Lathe"

This doesn't necessarily mean level with the earth's surface, rather making sure there is no twist in the bed, though being "level" in the spirit level sense is advantageous as well.

Essentially, the idea is, that in order to turn parallel, without tailstock support, the travel of the toolpost needs to be exactly parallel with the line of axis of the main spindle, for obvious reasons.

If the casting has moved over the years, or isn't bolted down correctly, then this could allow an unintentional twist along the axis of the bed. Maybe it was even bolted down unevenly in the past, and has taken on that slight set.

The Super 7 was intended to go on a rigid bench/stand such that, if the casting has twisted a bit since it was ground, then it is possible to correct that by differentially packing under the 4 mounting holes. Indeed the original Myford cabinets could add raising blocks which allow for this adjustment by using threaded tubular mounting feet (for want of a better term)

Looks like you've picked up a good and versatile machine there, well done.

Bill

It would be a shame to spend a long time making a folding bench, and then finding you couldn't get the lathe to turn parallel bars..

Edited By peak4 on 29/08/2018 01:25:05

Re Item 9, could it be the fence on the top right hand of the first photo on my original link from Tony's site.

Faceplates, and 4 jaw independent chucks are readily available in the UK second hand.

For the latter, I'd suggest a 6" one which has a direct fit onto the spindle, rather than via a backplate; lighter and less overhang.

A manual is available as a printed copy fairly easily, or is freely, if perhaps illegally, available as a pdf download

Yes it's more of a parts manual, rather than an operational one, but has essential information on how to set up the headstock bearings, and how to "Level" the lathe bed. I guess most of the content is also in Ian Bradley's book.

Re, the oil gun, which looks a bit like an old fashioned pump grease gun; yes it's for ISO20 oil, rather than grease, but you may well find it leaks when you apply to the oil nipples. Try adding a layer of paper towel, between the gun and the nipple. It acts a bit like a temporary gasket.

Bill

p.s. check out your private messages for a useful link.

Edited By peak4 on 29/08/2018 02:07:34

Hakon,

I have two of the tool boats on the shelf and I haven't used them in years. Because the tool height setting is lost every time you change a tool, they are the slowest and fiddliest tool mounting I have ever come across. I ended up with a dedicated set of shims for each tool, until I bought a Dickson quick-release toolpost with changeable toolholders.

George

Hakon, if you intend to tilt the lathe down for storage, bear in mind that the gearbox has oil in it and is not sealed. Too much tilt will result in the oil running out of the gearbox.

Daveb

Which way do you plan to tilt it? From the long edge against the wall? Or from the end? With the height of the countershaft drive unit, neither way would seem to save much room? And you lose the usual storage space for tooling and accessories and other things in the area directly beneath the lathe.

Peak4: You are right about Item 3. It should be the catch plate as 3 isn't in any of the saw kits. It has threads but seems unmachined in other aspects. I'll have a closer look.

I haven't had a chance to put in any real design work on the stand, it's just been simmering on a back burner since I got it and I spice it occasionally with tid-bits of information I get mostly from you gentlemen.
Good tip with the oil gun though, thx. Also good point with minimizing chuck overhang. Any link to the used ads for chucks and the like? I found some from ads here on this site but no 6" 4-jaw to be seen there.

Dave: I knew the headstock oil reservoir will leak when tilted but I wasn't aware the gearbox was a factor. I'd tilted it to try out the angle and nothing came out of the box, so perhaps it is very low. Does it use the H32 oil or some other? I was under the impression only two lubricants were being used in the whole lathe.

Hopper: Yes, long edge against the wall. It's about 63cm level from the back of the motor to the QCGB handle tip but down to 42cm with the front of the headstock gear cover almost vertical. I don't know how many degrees that is. Anyone have a cad model of the Super 7?

I'd considered I'd lose the under lathe storage space, but I can find other places for those things.

Thanks all!

I planned to use a hefty L-iron as the base and shim the lathe level on that but leave the L-Iron decoupled from one end of the foot bases to remove any torque along the X axis.

Re the Oil Gun.

If you use it, you are unlikely to rust, or anything else in the neigbourhood.

My advice would be to buy a Reilang. Relatively costly, but good and works in almost any positioin, and best of all, it doesn't leak!

You have HOURS of enjoyment and fun ahead of you, making all sorts of things, models, tools, and often for friends ("Can you just? Shouldn't take you long" Famous last words!)

Howard

All I do with those danged Myford oil nipples is leave them screwed in finger tight. When I want to oil the lathe, I screw them out and shove the standard tapered brass fitting on the end of a cheap oil can flexible spout into the threaded hole, hard, and pump away. It seems to seal just fine and oil comes out the edges of the carriage so pressure is good. No leaky PITA oil gun involved.

Hi everyone, apologies for maybe posting in the wrong place, newbie I have come across a similar looking machine definitely “refurbished” by the paint colour! - looks like a mk I clutch and mk II gearbox, am I right? What should I offer on account of the tooling and accessories included? (see photos 4 jaw chuck on the bed) also the c spanner is conspicuous by its absence and no oil gun either but I do see the drive dog, took me a few attempts. How do I even assess whether it’s in good condition without resorting to taking things to pieces to have a look?

Thanks

patrick

Good idea Hopper, leaving the oil nipple screwed in finger tight

You have both got nice machines!

1Pots

Possibly the blue is because the machine is a later model.

But definitely ensure that the lathe is "levelled" to take twist out of the bed. (The method is related by Ian Bradley in his "Amateurs Workshop" and in his Myford Series 7 Manual"

As part of getting to know the machine, it might be worth making a couple of accessories which will prove useful. A centre Height gauge will aid setting tools correctly, and mandrel handle. Helps when screwcutting up to shoulder, or tapping a blind hole. (Saves hitting the end and damaging /breaking the tool! )

Don't bother with the Myford oil gun. My experienbce was that it put oil everywhere except through where I wanted it. The saving in oil and cleaning up paid for the Reilang opil gun; which is REALLY good.

Howard

Cheers Howard Lewis, so in your opinion it is far from refurbished and more of the ‘unused’ variety? That paintwork is in tip top condition for mid fifties if my guesstimate is right - as for having it, it isn’t mine yet but I’m going to look at it next week. I was wondering what I could check apart from spindle runout and/or running noise while I’m there?

Thanks

Thanks for the advice re tooling as well.

Yes it is a MK 1 clutch. The gearbox not sure about but here are 2 pics of mine . It is a Super 7B around 1977 from memory.

If you look in my albums, there are a lot of pics of the Super 7

Steve.

1Pots.

The Serial number will define the year, if not the date, of manufacture.

Over the years, Myford changed the paint colours, which prompted my comment.

My ML7 was grey, dating from the 1950s , later machines were painted something approximating to "Industrial Green", and later ones became "Turquoise".

A fellow club member has an Myford demonstration Connisseur and this and the stand are "Turqoise"

But a machine can be painted any colour that an owner chooses, once in their possession (Have even sen one painted purple! )

The Serial number on the bed is the defining factor, although if enough parts have been changed by various owners, you could finish up with a "Coat of many colours".

Lathes UK website may help in finding the year of manufacture.

Howard   Fat fingers strike again

Edited By Howard Lewis on 08/02/2021 14:58:49

Hakon, I'm glad you have found the boat. Now I want you to take it to the shore and send it out to sea, the further the better.

I inherited one with my Myford lathe. Not only does it alter the cutting geometry as it rocks back and forth (which isn't much of an issue) but it means you have to set the tool tip height every time you change tools. Every time, which is a BIG issue.

I suggest that you give each tool its own set of shims and keep them together, and get rid of the boat. I did, and I'm much happier now.

George B.