New member Putney

Hello all - I have been registered before here as Putneyman, but that appears to have vanished! - Just about to collect an early ML10 - with the cast iron head stock bearings. Not expecting any issues, but are there any replacement options? Or is it steel spindle running in cast iron - no inner bearing between the 2.

Adam, if you want to keep using your old account you were Putney man with a space. You can get a new password sent if you can't remember the old one.

J

Adam,

If the ML10 follows general Myford practice, the bearings will be white metal within the cast iron carriers on the headstock.

Regards

Brian

PS. There is nothing wrong with using a steel spindle running in cast iron, the carbon content adds to the lubrication properties, but generally the spindles will be hardened in those arrangements. Southbend sold tens of thousands of their lathes in that configuration.

Adam,

The steel spindle in the early ML10 lathes runs in the cast iron of the headstock casting - no liners or bearings. Mine is a 1973 model and the spindle still runs perfectly with no play. I'm not sure what you would do if there was unacceptable wear - possibly boring out and fitting Oilite bearings which I had to do on my countershaft when I forgot to lubricate it. The countershaft also runs directly in cast iron.

Jim.

Edited By Jim Guthrie on 09/04/2018 17:12:42

Hello Jim,

New information for me thank you. I had expected a lined bearing. As I said regarding Southbend lathes and the clones [not including Boxford] steel in cast iron was the order of the day. It was always said that the bed of a Southbend would be worn out before the headstock bearings.

Regards

Brian

Brian,

I think I remember Myford getting a bit of flack when the lathe first came out because of the steel spindle running in the cast iron headstock being one of the cost cutting factors they had implemented to keep the cost of the lathe down. The lathe was just over £100 in 1973 when I got mine. I remember that the three jaw, four jaw and Jacobs chuck pretty well doubled that price. The motor was second hand and came from a dealer in North London, picked up when I was on business in London. The motor is still going strong.

I got a bit of a scare when I ran the countershaft bearing surface by forgetting to lubricate it. So I fitted large wick fed lubricators to the headstock to aviod the same thing happening to the spindle.

Jim.