Myford ML4 Rebuild

I have a new piece of Kitchen Worktop in HPL (High Pressure Laminate) to mount the lathe on. It is about 40 mm thick. Originally the lathe was mounted on two soft wood blocks which were in turn mounted on a softwood plank baseboard. The cantilever bed of the lathe was bolted down with 5/16 bolts passing through the blocks and the base board.

I am at the point in the photo above when I need to decide how to mount the bed onto the new surface. It has been suggested that I use 'proper' machine mounting feet but I am unsure of the type I would use. I presume any such mounting would bolt through the table top and then have some sort of separate adjustment to 'tweak' the lathe bed straight/level etc.

I would appreciate any advice on the way forward from here please

Nige

Just bolt it down with 3 regular bolts, not 4. That type of bed is designed not to need levelling as it would take a lot of force to twist it with feet that close and on one solid foot.

Thanks Bazyle I had wondered how much twist you could really get with that sort of construction and an effectively 'light weight' lathe.

With the new base board fitted to the repainted stand I have started bolting things down. I have been locating the mounting for the motor and motor counter shaft getting it the right sort of distance from the business end of the lathe

Honda VFR 1200 Crosstourer in the back ground

Edited By Nige on 19/07/2017 19:32:02

A while ago I purchased a Thread Dial Indicator for the ML4. The saddle doesn't come ready drilled so it hgas been a process of checking the location then going through the fitting process.

TDI, bracket and fittings were purchased on eBay

This is where the bracket fits and to mark, drill and tap the holes I dismantled the saddle top from the apron.

Make sure the bracket doesn't rub the dovetail on the way

Mounted the saddle top on the pillar drill clamped up to a piece of angle iron which is the best I can do to ensure it is drilled vertically. Centre punch marks just about visible.

Tapping 4 BA. It was a blind hole which I started with a second cut tap and finished with a plug. WD40 as lubricant as so far it is all I have apart from clean engine oil in the oil can

Saddle top secured back on the apron and TDI fitted. Jobs a goodun

In dismantling the saddle I found that the 1/4/x 1/2 whit slot headed machine screws that fix it to the apron are a bit the worse for wear so I have some hex socket cap headed replacements on order.