Myford Super 7 gib screws

This is giving me brain ache now.

The screws I need are the same as yours, but I need four not three and my lathe is not power cross feed.

I didn't think Myford were into making random changes on a whim, but maybe they were.

Hi Ivy.

I have been following this post w.r.t. your gib screw problems on your Super 7.

Myford (the Beeston, Nottingham version) were not into making 'random' changes. I served my engineering apprenticeship there (68-74) and any changes to their products were very carefully controlled and recorded.

I feel that I can say with some certainty, that your counterbored holes are definitely non-standard, as to produce 4 counterbored holes are 4 extra machining operations, which is additional cost.

In addition to this, Myford policy was to use as many 'common' parts between all their machines as possible to benefit from the economies of mass production. So the ML7 and S7 saddles were probably the same part at that time your lathe was manufactured, so you probably have the correct gib screws as per original design intent.

With respect to your problem, it looks like it may be an owners modification. May I suggest that you undertake a detailed survey of your gib strip and the saddle holes. With this information you can design a set of bespoke gib screws to suit your saddle.

It seems as this may be the only way out for you.

I hope this helps

Alan

Edited By Alan Donovan on 17/03/2022 12:10:59

Possibly a previous owner could not get, or did not want to pay for, the correct long Myford screws so drilled out the outer thread, tapped the inner part of the hole and used common-a-garden shorter grub screws from his local bolt supplier.

Alan, serving your time at Myford in that era would have been an interesting experience. That was about the end of the great industrial era when such things could be done. I was in the UK a few years later and you could not get an engineering job to save your life. Everything had shut down by 1980. Shame.

Edited By Hopper on 17/03/2022 12:16:40

Alan, thanks for coming into the discussion.

What you say about Myford (Beeston) not making random changes is what I have always thought and must respect your experience.

I think the counter bores must be a later modification by a previous owner. Although I can't imagine why.

Anyway I have ordered some 1/4 BSF studding to hold everything in place temporarily and then I can make something more satisfactory.

Thanks again all.

Doesn't surprise me at all. After a hobby machine tool has been round the sun a good few times, it becomes ever more likely that it will have been improved, mended or bodged by a previous owner.

Not unlikely because chaps with workshops have the wherewithal and interest in modifiying their tools, not necessarily wisely! Could be this change was someone making use of shorter screws that happened to be available rather than pay or wait for the factory items, or did it to fit an accessory, or thought he knew better than Myford.

Possibly the lathe is a 'bitsa', assembled in whole or part from cannibalised machines: these vary from first-class good-as-new refurbishments to dreadful hack jobs, all paint and polish, where the rebuilder is more conman than mechanic. What's done to get machine tools back in working order may not be to the manufacturer's original standard. (Better or worse.)

I wouldn't worry if the lathe is otherwise in good condition and works OK. Odd screws are just part of it's history.

Dave

SillyOldDuffer,

The lathe came to me in a semi dismantled state and a few fasteners were lost, these gib screws are the only specialised screws missing, everything else is normal industry standard.

It came from a commercial workshop but is in otherwise very good order bar the paint. In fact at todays prices for Myford parts and accessories (that discussion is for another day) I did very well here.