Mk1 Super 7 - What colours ?

Hi - Hope someone can help out here.

I am restoring / rebuilding a Super 7 recent ebay purchase. It's a MK1 with the oil dripper and sight glass, 1958 model or thereabouts going from the serial number.

I'm getting to the stage of repainting - Obviously the main colour is Myford Grey but when I purchased it a previous owner had painted the gap between the bed rails a horrendous shade of pale yellow, and had picked out the raised "Myford" and "Super 7" in the same disgusting yellow.

Is this correct or should it be red or should it all be grey ?

Also, the brackets that mount the cross slide and top slide handles, should they be grey or black ?

Cheers - Dave.

Don't know about your specific model, but the yellow you describe was standard trim on some models. But it's your lathe so paint it red if that's what you like. I agree with you: it looks better.

Top and cross slide brackets were usually black. Satin black looks best. Covers up casting roughness. Thread chaser dial body was also black.

Hi, I believe that the grey paint code is RAL 7100

Martin

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The creamy yellow colour was standard for the inside of the bed and lettering, and the early Super 7s had the crossslide and topside brackets painted in the same grey as the rest of the machine. Lots of useful info and pictures at www.lathes.co.uk

When I restored my ML7 I went for deep red down the centre, which I thought looked the business. Also went for the same red on my late model green Super7 when I restored that. I'm not a fan of the yellow personally and if you plan to keep it, go for whatever you like I say.

I have a 1958 Super 7, sight glass headstock, cone clutch. The inside of the bed and lettering is a cream colour.

Thanks everyone.

Yes, red it's going to be - I just thought that grey and custard yellow was such an odd combination surely the factory wouldn't have turned them out like that originally ? Maybe the paint guy was colourblind.

Lotus green & yellow, now that's a good combination, but dark grey and yellow - Nah.

Satin black for the slide brackets - that's good - thanks.

Dave.

Actually that's more like it - Hmmmm. Might have to give this some thought before I buy the paint....

Dave.

Nottingham Myford used to turn up at shows with Sevens in a variety of non-standard colours.

When I repainted my grey 1960s Super Seven I opted for the much more tasteful green - mutton dressed up as lamb!

I have had the lathe for since 89 and it came out of an industrial environment. So I assume that it has never been painted, particularly as the grey is in a terrible state, flaking off the belt guards etc. The year of manufacture was confirmed by the then Australian agent who contacted Myford. In addition the Serial number is a about 120 higher than the S/N of where the cone clutch was introduced. Will add a picture in the morning.

In the 60s/70s Myfords got a touch of flower power and produced some lathes in interesting colours. I particularly admired the bright orange. Hippies with lathes, whatever next? Daveb.

I don't know real hippies very much into make and mend, in the spirit of the Whole Earth Catalogue.

Neil

The photos show the colours. I know it needs general painting. The Super 7 on the Headstock Belt cover was also picked out in cream, but all that paint has flaked off.

Dont see it makes much difference what colour a machine is as long as it works !

Should I now get my tin hat ??

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Welcome to my hat Bill !

Yes,I think many of these machines are bought more to be looked than used,or perhaps the restoration is an end in itself. I suppose it,s a case of "Whatever turns you on " Would make no difference to me if the machine was black with pink dots,or yellow with green stripes.

My Chinese lathe is painted khaki and red unusual ? maybe,but it helps it to blend in well with the general state of the workshop,and when I cut a few lumps out of myself. Also helps it to keep a low profile.

My mill is painted cream,a bit "Showy " I think,but then "Live and let live" I say,if it,s happy and works,who am I to argue.

When they,re all covered in swarf,who cares what colour they are ?

Think we might need to get another tin hat,I can see the flak coming !!

Why do I always manage to stir the pot ? I never mean to [hand -on- heart ]

Thanks all once again. Grey & Red it is going to be.

It's not going to be a show piece, it's only brush painted, but after having hand scraped the bed, bought a new "wide" saddle & apron, converting to metric, putting a 3 phase motor on etc etc - I thought as I will probably be spending many hours in front of it in the future it might as well be easy on the eye, which it certainly wasn't before.

The stomach churning yellow would have seriously affected the accuracy of the machined parts.

Dave.

Dave, I have exactly the same model. In the family since new . Grey and cream, not custard yellow. When I cleaned mine up I used plain white instead of the cream. Its a lot easier to find parts that fall into the bed with light colour. Whilst you have it apart paint the toothed gear on the spindle and mark off the teeth to help with gear cutting etc in the future. I think this was a GT idea.

Hugh

Thanks Hugh - the tip about painting & marking the spindle gear sounds useful - Ta. I shall look into it.

Since I have stripped and inspected my ebay purchase I think my P.O. has assembled my S7 from a pile of various well worn S7 and ML7 parts, slapped on a coat of regular grey house paint, plus the custard yellow, and whacked it on ebay. When I stripped the paint down from all the parts, some were grey, some were green and some parts blue. Also several bolts / screws very loose, some bolts too long for their holes in the castings.

Anyway I now have the bed & saddle together in a homemade steel tray on a concrete bench and it's looking much better. Many hours of tedious graft has got the bed scraped as flat as I can get without a full size proper surface plate (I used a piece of 12mm thick plate float glass instead - not ideal but the best under the circumstances). I also bought a late wide bed saddle with virtually no wear marks to go on it, the original was well worn. Vertical bed ways jig sanded parallell to the rear untouched vertical.

Cross slide and top slide turned out to be ML7 not super 7 so I have bought S7 replacements Will scrape and check them before fitment,

Early MK1 drum clutch unit appears to be seized and as there's no new parts available I have bought a complete used MK 2 clutch assembly instead to future proof the machine.

Shows the dangers of buying unseen online, however I'm getting there one step at a time. Glad I had a previous ML3 to tinker with over the last few years.

I know I could have gone for a brand new far eastern generic lathe for what I've spent but -

Will I still be able to buy spares for it in 5 - 10 years time?

Co2 / miles / green credentials ?

No challenge or learning or personal satisfaction in it's refurbishment.

No history

No UK pride.

Dave.

Edited By Dave Whipp on 01/12/2018 00:28:40