Myford ML10 - Disengaging the Autofeed

Hello All.

Thanks for a great forum, hope to learn a lot here.

I've just bought a second hand ML10 to start learning with and have what I think is a really stupid question that I would appreciate help with.

As I state above, when the autofeed lever is engaged the autofeed works correctly and the carriage moves strongly. However, when I release the autofeed lever the carriage still continues to move. The carriage can be reversed manually but then starts going forward again.

Is this correct and I have to dismantle the autofeed gears each time, or am I doing something wrong?

Thanks in advance for any advice

Hello Jack,

I don't know the answer but bumping this for you will hopefully find an owner who does know. Welcome to the forum by the way, there is all manner of knowledge here to be tapped.

Regards Brian

Welcome to the forum Jack. There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers!

What you're describing isn't right, but I'm not familiar with the ML10. However, I think traverse is engaged by a Lead-nut lever that causes a pair of half-nuts to engage and disengage with the lead-screw. Sounds like the half-nuts aren't quite disengaging, which could be a simple adjustment. The ML10 Manual is online here if you need one. Unfortunately I can't see anything in it about half-nut adjustment, and possibly the lathe uses another system. I expect an ML10 owner will be along shortly.

Dave

There's an adjustment grubscrew in (IIRC) the lower halfnut, but I thought that sets how closely the halfnuts go together, not how far they go apart. I sold my Speed 10 5 years ago so I can't readily check - but clearly the whole engagement assembly is worth looking at, and it's basically simple and well-made. 

If you find impacted swarf in the halfnut threads, picking it out may reveal a pristine condition underneath - it did on mine, but I was suffering from the opposite condition, where it wouldn't properly engage.

Edited By Mick B1 on 12/10/2020 09:23:32

Hi Jack, a bit of a guess, but is the autofeed lever a bit on the loose side, allowing it to drop a little way under its own weightwhen released? This could re-engage the half-nuts very lightly, giving rise to the effect you see.

I don’t have an ML10 but I think the half nuts are operated in the same way as other Myfords. It sounds as though at least one of the half nuts is not clearing the leadscrew properly. I would check the cam slots in the lever are not damaged or worn and that the pegs in each half nut are not bent or loose, the half nut gib should be adjusted to allow free movement of the half nuts without any shake. Check the leadscrew is not bent and if you have the dog clutch it should be a good fit on the leadscrew and not allow it to sag.

Mike

Hi Jack,

I remember my recently deceased friend having a similar problem with his ML10 some years ago. Unlike other Myford lathes, the ML10 saddle handwheel does not engage with a separate rack to move the carriage. Instead It is permanently engaged with the leadscrew. Incidentally, not a great arrangement because the gearing is too high to allow fine manual feed. In an ideal world when the leadscrew rotates the handwheel should rotate but the saddle should remain stationary. This Is a delicate balance which relies on the carriage friction being greater than that in the handwheel mechanism. If the carriage is very free to move (gibs set loosely?) and/or the handwheel is stiff, the carriage will move. My friend made some adjustments which from memory largely solved the problem. However to be completely safe he also fitted the optional leadscrew clutch. This also provided the big benefit of being able to use the optional leadscrew handwheel to move the carriage without having to disconnect the change gears.

Regards

Mike

I am not an ML10 owner so may be completely wrong, but, my understanding is that there are 2 levers to engage the self act. One is the conventional half nut engagement lever on the apron and the other is at the headstock end to engage drive to the leadscrew via a sliding sleeve over the split leadscrew with a slot which engages with a stud on the business end of the leadscrew.

So, the question is which lever is the OP using to engage the self act. If it is the sliding sleeve lever and the sleeve is not free to slide then the symptoms described will result. The solution may be as simple as a squirt of oil down the sliding sleeve.

As I said I don't own and have never operated a ML10 so I may be talking rubbish, if so be gentle with me I'm only trying to help.

Jim

Edited By Jim Nic on 12/10/2020 09:45:08

Edited By Jim Nic on 12/10/2020 09:45:44

The lever with the sliding dog on the lead screw was an optional extra, although they did provide the mounting and cut a groove in the leadscrew so you knew where to saw.

Hello Jack,

As a previous ML10 owner (though it was a long time ago mind!) I would think your problem is either a half nut with some swarf or dirt build up as previously suggested or being minutely engaged by the half nut not being adjusted properly. Either would be just enough to cause the carriage to move forwards once the nut is disengaged but not neccessarily enough to stop the carriage being moved back by the handwheel.

With the lathe stopped have you tried moving the cariage forwards manually with the nut disengaged? - you might find any 'restriction' to be minimal but a thorough inspection and clean of the half nut would not go amiss and should be your first port of call

Ramon (Tug)

Edited By Ramon Wilson on 12/10/2020 10:54:59

Buy the Leadscrew clutch mod. also fit the pointer and scaled drum at the end of the leadscrew. Setting of the saddle is easy, come to the work face and set the drum to a, 'Zero' on the drum and then advance the top slide to the face of the work till the tool touches.

Re. the half nuts, there is an adjustment screw on the bottom half nut that sets the closure of the half nut onto the leadscrew, this is a very small allan key.

I suggest removing the front part of the carriage, two screws on the top. dismantle the engagement lever and clean all the parts. The nut on the pivot is a Nylock nut so can be set quite firm for ease of movement Grease all parts with graphite grease and re-assemble ensuring the half nut with adjusting screw is at the bottom.

After many yeasr of ownership and use of the ML10 I have not experienced the problem describeb.

Guys, I'm overwhelmed. I wondered if I might get a reply on my problem and I got 10 in a day. Thanks so much for the help. Lots of technical stuff mentioned above as well as "check it and see if its adjusted right", so I'll start going through the various options and see. I just looked up the clutch arrangement and that seems to be a mod that would help. Don't see a price anywhere, but broke the bank buying the lathe so it might have to wait. lol

Wonderful support for a complete noob, so thanks again to everyone and I'll post an update to help anyone else who might have the same problem

Seeking or giving Help is one of the reasons for the Forum.

We all had to learn from zero, once. Still learning, and not very good, Athough have never been a professional machinist, I first touched a lathe and milling machine in 1958!

Hopefully, you will find a solution tom the problem, and add to your store of knowledge of the machine.

Posting how you fixed it will be useful to others.

Good luck!

Howard

Jack

On my ML10 the leadscrew will continue to rotate when the dog clutch is disengaged, but can be stopped by hand if needed. It does not have the power to take a cut with the saddle - to do this needs the dog clutch engaged.

One tip - with the dog clutch engaged and saddle disengaged you can still move the saddle automatically by holding the saddle move handle. Useful when making short cuts.

John

Is it just a coincidence that for the first time I see a ML10 clutch kit on ebay tonight? Incredibly expensive for what it is seems like someone who knows what is involved shoud do an article for MEW using <£10 in materials.