Myford ML7

Good evening all I am now the proud owner of a myford ml7 which has the original tool post.

i am looking for suggestions to what tooling I need and size please, any particular makes etc to make my learning a little easier thanks Andy.

Personally, (and I am very much a novice and not doing best practise), I use thin brass shims to bring whatever tool I'm using up to the correct height (I also use an ML7). For some of the more commonly used tools I keep meaning to machine a correct size shim but I never get around to it!

I use a combination of HSS tools (so literally lumps of steel that I grind to shape on a bench grinder) and carbide tipped tools. What sort of things do you plan to make? Where are you in the world?

As with everything, positively every person who replies will have different opinions! Techniques vary, some people swear by HSS and don't touch carbide, some people can't understand why people still persist with HSS. I use both because I feel they have different strengths.

It's a lot easier to learn this stuff with someone there to help, if you haven't already, when lockdown is over, I highly recommend joining a model engineering society or similar, I have learned so much from those eager to share their skills.

Thanks Jon for the reply, I would lime to make small motorcycle parts and have a little experience from my youth many moons ago.

i am also looking to reduce the speed of the power feed as I am struggling to get a good finish on any pieces

So it sounds like you need to change the gears under the cover on the left hand side. Did you get any with it? If not you may need to invest in some to allow you to select the speed you need.

I've only recently started screw cutting on the lathe so I've been messing about with the change gears quite a lot lately!

To be honest for most small pieces the power feed isn't needed.

Myford do a replacement tumbler gear that reduces the standard feed speed by some fairly significant percentage or other. I've got one, and it's been great.

The slowest feed you can set up with the gears (did you get the change gears with it?) is quicker than I use on other lathes but with a radius on an HSS tool, a good finish is certainly possible. I always recommend a Diamond tool holder, or other home made tangential tool holder. Easy to sharpen, you can have several tool bits with different radii for it, and adjustable enough so you don't have to find the perfect shim. Look it up on Eccentric Engineering web site.

Hi Andy. Does your ML7 have a quick change gearbox fitted.

Steve

The slowest setup you can get without the fine feed tumbler is 20, 65/25, 70/20, 75.

This works well enough for most jobs.

On My ML7 I just got a 12V Wiper Motor (15 quid ebay) and use that with a variable power supply. Using around 3-4V gives a good finish on Mild steel.

Hi Andy,

I got rid of my Dickson QCTP and made my own Norman patent one ! Much better and cheaper than buying a multitude of expensive tool holders.

This is mine, I also made a rear one as well.

I have some drawings for a Myford sized one if you want a copy.