From the ground up!

"More broken or damaged teeth found. This is sitting on the screw thread and is attached to the saddle. Hopefully using the correct terminology here. Should I be worried?"

John M, not 100% sure but that looks like the drive gear that connects to the rack ? not the lead screw ? Difficult to be completely sure but it looks to me as though it should clean up and work OK.

Looking at the bed, again it really needs to be hands on inspection but it appears to be badly corroded at the back ? After rust removal you may need to consider re-grinding, if this is the case look at local engine boring grinding services - they usually have a machine capable of grinding engine blocks and cylinder heads. They are limited to grinding the top surface only but it gives you a head start, a pal in my village had a Super 7 done - work out very well after some handwork to finish.

Good luck with the re-build John

Hi, by my reckoning, it is 12 T.P.I.

Regards Nick.

I have been helping a friend to get, what we believe to be, a ML2, operational. At least it was in better condition than John Milton 2's barn find!

It has a bolt on Headstock, 3 1/2" Centre Height, 15" Centres, but the Mandrel thread is 7/8 x 9 tpi (which is the standard 7/8 BSW) instead of the later 7/8 x 12 tpi. So maybe it is a hybrid with an early Mandrel grafted onto a later machine?

I have just made an adaptor, which will allow the ML7 standard 1 1/8 x 12 tpi ) chucks to fitted to the 7/8 x 9 tpi Mandrel.

Any thoughts, anyone?

But, more power to your elbow, John. You will have a great deal of satisfaction when it is refurbished and up and running, as a useable machine.

Howard

John,

Yes , a very helpful view. Taking 0.34" for four threads, I agree with Nick that it's 12 tpi. Scaling the view from that, I get very close to 1 1/8" for the register diameter. The thread diameter should be a little less than that to give a slightly slack fit. This allows the register to align screw-on accessories accurately. The register should be a very accurate 1.125" with no lumps or bumps or burrs.

The lathe was conceived and built in inches-and-fractions, so taking measurements in millimetres (usually a practice to be encouraged) doesn't provide very much help.

George

Thank you your description is the correct one JohnF of course. Lots to learn here but I am as enthusiastic as a 50+ dabbler can possibly be. Never too old to learn some new tricks.

I have two 'virtual' labels in front of me to stick on my barn find Lathe and no one is committing YET to either it being an ML2 or ML4 I mean come on guys the suspense is killing me here. I don't think this is going to matter in the big scheme of things but we do all like to know these little details. If only for the e.. auction listing.

One more slidey along vicey thing (technical description) to clean up before the sorry looking Lathe bed gets the clean up treatment. Paint is now ready to go with a good metal primer too. Decided to go the paint can route (exactly the way I resprayed my good old Mini out on the street back in the day, don't chuckle it looked very good.

I found what looked like Myford Blue but decided to go with my own scheme. I'm sure everyone will hate it but there you go. I would have already sprayed it if it was 20 years ago, then stripped it and all the grease and then re-painted it. but today I am doing a good job on the prep work and more patient. Must be my age or experience cleaning a big mess from rushing things in the past I guess.

BTW these digital calipers I'm using are £3.00 a set!! Not sure how good but ! I thought I better get five as I saw someone make a DRO for a drill. Buy now sort out the mess later is my motto.

Without breaking rules I can send seller details to anyone interested. I think they go for £10 - £20 a set normally.

Edited By John Milton 2 on 04/04/2019 15:22:43

I had an ML2 that my father passed on to me when he bought his Super 7 in 1973 and that had a 3 1/8" centre height. Your photos shows one or two other differences from mine, the Oilers are not original they would have been a flip top type about 10mm high as fitted also my ML2 did not have a cover for the change wheels and the headstock was bolted to the bed with bolts that were visible, I can't see them in your photos. Dad bought his in around 1935/6 and I do remember the serial number was L277. Another difference is the top slide on mine was only attached to the cross slide with one bolt (a very poor arrangement) and originally had pulleys for flat belt drive. The colour of mine was a very dark blue bordering on green but I have always wondered if that was just the paint darkening over the years with ingrained oil and dirt.

Hope this helps a bit.

Phil

You've posted a picture of the spindle thrust ball bearing, and I presume it was recessed into the headstock casting (=shrouded) so you couldn't see it before dismantling. It would also have bronze bearings set into the cast iron headstock. That would make it an ML4 without a doubt, since you have obviously decided that it isn't an ML1 or ML3.

If it was an ML2 it would have the spindle running directly in the cast iron headstock without bronze inserts, and there would be no separate thrust bearing. Ironically, this 'economy' arrangement has a better reputation for reliability.

My money's still on it being an ML4.

George

All this talk got me to go look at the ML i recently inherited from my father. I always thought it was a ML1 but now I am not so sure.

It is a single piece headstock/bed casting with tumbler 'fingers'. It has bronze split bearings and strangely is 3 1/4 " from bed to centre height.

If I remember right the spindle is MT1 as is the tailstock.

Anyone heard of a 3 1/4"?

Adrian

Thanks for all the replies I will try to work it all out tomorrow. I just found some timber running down the middle of the length of the Lathe. I presume this is as standard. 

Edited By John Milton 2 on 04/04/2019 23:44:01

The Lathe bed does not look worn to me. Will get some decent photos in the cold light of day.

I have the same timber on my one too, so I guess it is standard.

Thanks for confirming Adrian.

No wood on either of the two I have had, or any of the others I have seen. I think it's just a clever way of stopping swarf from dropping down where it's difficult to clean out. I wish I'd thought of that!

The gap in the middle serves no useful purpose except saving weight, and if memory serves, the ML10 had a bed without a gap.

George

I think the timber is Brizilian Mahogany. Scraped an inch of oil off of the top yesterday. Will have to highlight it in some way.

Is the wood there to perhaps dampen vibration (as in tuning fork effect) in the lathe bed.

Ian S C

Possibly, I'm thinking that as George said and as they are hollow it would save filling the Lathe with swarf.

I would make sure the timber insert doesn’t get wet, when wet it can swell and apply considerable force, if it can split stone then it might manage cast iron too.

Mike