myford super 7 motor problem

Thanks Bear, yes m8 i'm from Scotland, i actually lived in Luton (berry park) for a few years, my son was born in dunstable hospital near Luton. I worked in most of the factories down there including the dreaded peanut factory

I added a photo of me trying out my personal helicopter, dangerious stuf!

Hi Hugh!

When you have sorted the overheating problems, may I suggest ensuring that the lathe is level?

Forgive me if you already know the following!

Personally I don't worry about Headstock to Tailstock, (only important if you have a coolant system and need the coolant to flow back to the drain to tank) but am paranoid about levelling the bed so that it is without twist. (You won't turn true and parallel if there is any twist. Myford beds are not terribly strong in torsion)

The bed needs to be level, from front to back at both Headstock and Tailstock ends. I used a precision level on mine, and found that even a slight increase in torque on one of the holding down fixings would affect the leveI. It just needs the patience to keep going round and round until the level reads the same at both ends of the bed, or until your turned piece, (as per the Myford book) is the same size at both ends.

Some people advocate siting the level on the Cross slide, I have always used the bed.

You make your choice!

The other thing, if you intend to turn between centres, is to ensure that the Tailstock is in line with the Headstock. (If you want to taper turn, you offset the tailstockacross the bed, but it needs to be realigned afterwords to turn parallel between centres).

Ideally you use an Alignment Bar, but at £40+ new are a tad expensive.

You might be able to make your own, by clocking true in the 4 jaw, a piece of the largest diameter silver steel that you fit through the mandrel, and centre drilling it. Reverse and repeat, and you have a slender alignment bar, to fit between centres. Being slender do not overload the end load, or it will deflect, and give a higher reading in the middle than at the ends when you clock from end to end to check/adjust tailstock alignment with the headstock.

Howard

Hi Howard

I need to turn precision shafts for a project i'm intending to build so i will spend the time needed to get the lathe working as best possible. The trouble with wooden floors is that wood shrinks, twists, splits, cracks and swells. I done wood turning for about 7 years so i know wood isnt the best thing for under the lathe but it will have to do until next summer when i intend cutting a hole through it and making a concret base for the lathe.

I'll try and get it best i can, i'm not in any rush i'm still focusing on the parts list for the project i intend to build when everythings running properly.

A tool height gauge is a most useful accessory. Saves a lot of time!

If I could figure out how to copy the image from my main folder to here, I'd insert it for you to see.

Total failure so far, sorry to say.

It is only a circular base with a vertical pillar with a horizontal blade attached, to which the tip of the tool is set.

Having relieved the base except for the outer 1/8 - 3/16", with the pillar held in the chuck; a light facing cut to just clean up, ensures that the mounting face and pillar are square to each other.

It sits on the top of the Cross Slide, and has two blades, because I made a four way indexing back tool post and and fitted it to my lathe (No longer having a Myford, mine is a bit larger , but the principle is the same).

By the look of it, you are doing all the right things to cure the problem.

Keep at it!

Howard

I just added a picture of 1 similar to the one i used to have, its not exactly the same but very similar, its an easy wee project and shouldnt take long to make out of scrap metal

I tried to load a picture but it didn't go in yet either

Hugh,

Looking at your pictures, you have a lot of good tooling there. You should be well set up.

One suggestion, with winter approaching, would be to put insulation between the uprights of the shop, and to put wooden cladding on top to hold it place.

My 10 year old shop has 19mm T & G outer cladding on 50mm framing, with 12mm ply on the inner face, with glass fibre in between. It is 10'9" x 6'9" external, and so is compact (some say congested!). Roof is same construction (12mm /50mm +G/F/12mm,) with two layers of felt.

The floor is 3/4 ply on 8" x 2" bearers,with chip board and plastic mats on the central aisle.

Very cosy; the 2Kw thermostat controlled fan heater, runs for about 10% of the time , even in the depths of an East Anglian winter.

I originally asked for hardboard lining, but was told "That will warp". When I said "3mm ply" the response was "No, you'll need 6mm". In the end I got 12, "Because I know you'll hang things on it"

And I did. No windows, just lots of shelves to maximise storage and security.

Rust was unknown until the strange weather conditions of this summer, and then only very very light.

Hope that this is some help to you, or to anyone else.

Howard

Hi Howard

I have had rust problems in the past so i invested in a dehumidifier so i leave that running to get rid of condensation, the myford lathe cover came with the lathe also so the condensation usually lyes on the inside of that instead of going for the cold metal, the mistake i made with the smaller shed was not letting enough air through it and mould set in big time. I will insulate the shed at some point (when i save some more pennies up) because it will save me putting the heater on to heat it up and save electrisity running the dehumidifier.

Hi Guys

Tom devoted some time and set the clutch, belts and alignment of things and the lathe is running as it should now! (thanks Tom!) I would like to thank you guys for your input on this as well on this, so thank you all for your input!

hugh