ML7 how much space needed?

I've bought a dis-assembled ML7 with a stand and gearbox.

How much space will I need to operate the lathe and access the covers at the headstock end.

I cannot measure at present as its stored away.

Any information much appreciated.

David

I only use an ML7 at the club so I can't give you exact measurements but the capability to open the guards fully is in my opinion an absolute minimum and the ability to look as close to directly onto the left hand side of the gear trains etc is very useful.

The club one is too close to the wall now (we were given another lathe and had to fit it in) and as a result can be a right PITA to use for some jobs.

I would leave at least two feet (24" ) clear if you have the space. This allows you more than enough room to open the covers and fiddle about with the change gears, to feed a two foot length of stock into the machine from the change gear cover end when required, use a "bonker" for knocking out morse tapers (I use a piece of brass rod for this), use a cleaning brush to push swarf out of the chuck end of the mandrel (the other way and you drop swarf all over the change gears!). It also allows you just enough room to get round for access to the motor and its pulleys (assuming you are slim enough !!

Edited By Bizibilder on 02/02/2020 14:56:27

This is my S7. It's tucked into a corner with the big mill on the left and in a gap at the end of the bench on the right (orange handled screwdriver). The front of the swarf tray is 60 cm from the back wall, the gap between the mill and the wall with the shelves is 150 cm. It's just about convenient to work on but I wouldn't want any less space.

You need to get the tailstock off the end of the bed easily if necessary. And at the left end you need at least a foot clear of the end of the spindle, and more if possible. Having things overlapping is ok if really desperate for space.

Edited By old mart on 02/02/2020 16:43:26

Thanks for the kind replies, time to start scheming the workshop (shed) layout!

Regards

Dave J

More important to have space at the headstock end if possible. All the exciting stuff like gear-changing etc, happens at the headstock, and it's easier to do if there's room to get at it. Also, it's often handy to pass long stock through the spindle, for example to thread the end of a pipe, or maybe to avoid wasteful cutting. If the headstock is cramped into a corner, you can't.

Dave

I have seen a ML7 used across the corner of a small vestibule.

But I would allow a couple of feet at the Headstock end, and another foot at the Tailstock end, just to be on the safe side. You may want to remove the Tailstock, at some time!

And a couple of feet leaves plenty of room to open the gear cover to alter changewheels, or for long barstock to hang out of the mandrel.

Howard

Edited By Howard Lewis on 03/02/2020 14:20:08

any ideas on the weight of a ml7? ta

Although, with the offset motor, they are unwieldy, two men can carry one. Position the Tailstock and Saddle so that both ends are about the same weight.

RDG Tools could probably quote the weight, and it may be on the lathes UK website, on the Myford pages.

Howard

This is mine. Depends on how much space you have. I was limited.

Steve.

Thanks Howard

ML7 manual gives the weight as:

Lathe+motor 2001bs

Lathe+motor+stand 320ibs

Add 16ibs for QC gear box

Ian

Edited By ian j on 07/02/2020 21:46:10

Edited By ian j on 07/02/2020 21:46:53

It makes life a lot easier if you remove the motor, tailstock, cross slide and chuck before lifting and only takes a few minutes. One grub screw, IIRC , allows the whole motor mounting platform to slide off, easier than fiddling the four motor mount bolts and nuts.

Note that a standard ML7 does not need room to swing the change gear guard open like an S7 as the guard slips completely off rather than hinges. So you need maybe four inches of space there to let the guard come out over the gears and off. And a hole in the shed wall if long jobs need accommodating, which given the small spindle bore and availability of fixed steadies, is not often.

Edited By Hopper on 07/02/2020 22:16:36

How much space does one require to manipulate a drawbar through the spindle? Length and possibly plus space for bumping the drawbar to free the taper? Cramped working conditions is never a good situation.  Awkward to remove a drawbar from the bed end, but possible, I suppose?

Edited By not done it yet on 07/02/2020 23:37:06

Not something I remember ever doing. I hold milling cutters in the three jaw chuck and if I were to get a collet holder I would get the kind mounted on a faceplate-type flange. Likewise, live centre I usually hold in chuck and turn true in situ, using drive dog against chuck jaw for the job. Boring head? Maybe. But could be held in the chuck by parallel shank. Clear access is certainly the ideal, but if needs must...

In truth, while the mighty Drummond is hemmed in at that end, my ML7 is still mounted on a "temporary" bench on 4-inch castor wheels so not a problem. Just move it to where the job clears etc. And it still seems to turn dead nuts parallel regardless. So much for all that bed twisting and alignment and bolting down the bench etc. It's only recently I took out the "temporary" wooden raising blocks under the bed feet and substituted steel. No noticeable difference in lathe performance.