Myford ML7 service in Devon

My late father has left a Myford ML7 lathe, which I would like to get serviced before I pass it on. Is there anybody in the Torbay area who can do this?

Whenyou say ' pass it on ' is this going to a friend / relation or are you looking to sell? If the intention is to sell, in my opinion it would be an unnecessary expense to get it serviced as this would prove quite costly ( even if you could find someone qualified to do it properly) and you would probably not recoup that cost in what you could sell it for.. Generally speaking, anyone buying a lathe like this will either be familiar enough with the type to be aware of it's condition, or if not, they would be wise to take advice from someone who does know (such as numerous past postings on this website) before parting with money.

Hope that's of help

I agree with Mike

If I was buying a Myford (and I have owned 2) I would want it as seen and suspect that recently serviced would just be an excuse to up the price, serviced can mean anything. More important to know how long your father had it and the sort of work he did. When it was last used is helpful. Myfords are eminently 'servicable' by reasonably competant users except for bed regrinding and I don't supposes you are going to that extreme. It will be interesting to know the age which can be determined from the serial number which will be stamped on the vertical shear at the tailstock end of the bed at the back on older lathes and the front on newer.

**LINK**

I would however clean it up by removing any swarf etc and wiping down the paintwork, finding and listing all the attachments and accessories and taking a number of pictures. People usually want to know what the condition of the bed is like below the chuck. Lots of dings, cuts and scratches are not a good sign. There is always some marking but in general it should be much the same as the rest of the bed.

To put it bluntly if it's in good nick servicing wont make much odds and if it's in poor nick it's going to need more than servicing to restore to good condition.

I hope this helps, and I hope your late father enjoyed his lathe.

regards Martin

Thank you for your advice. It will be sold at some point. My father had it for at least 10 years, but didn't use it much latterly. He bought it secondhand, and I have the original receipt (1948) from Myford. There are also manuals and bits and pieces. He was an aeromodeller, so would have used it to make engines.

Edited By Virginia Clarke on 12/09/2021 16:20:48

Edited By Virginia Clarke on 12/09/2021 16:27:58

I suggest you have a look on Ebay as a guide to the lathe is worth, and as others have said try and locate any attachments for the lathe. Also if there is a Model Engineer/ railway club in the area, contact the secretary as the members might offer help with identification of any accessories for the lathe. John

A lathe,"sold as seen" will arouse less suspicion than one with brightly shining new paint, unless the exact standard of refurbishment is clear.

For a retail price, for lathe, and accessories, consult adverts from dealers who advertise in the Model Engineering press.

List all the accessories, since they can greatly add to the value of the machine.

HTH

Howard

Edited By Howard Lewis on 12/09/2021 17:09:08

Double post

Edited By Howard Lewis on 12/09/2021 17:08:36

Don't worry about servicing as lathes don't need that at all unlike cars. However find some oil in the shed and paint anything shiny with it to keep rust at bay. Even an empty house in Devon let alone a garage or shed is not as dry as you might think and things will rust.
You are midway between the Plymouth and Newton Abbott clubs whom you can contact online. They probably have members local to you who can pop round to help you identify parts. They might also know of a club member who would be interested in buying the lathe.
Also all the other little tools that accumulate in a shed can rather mount up in value but are difficult to sell on ebay unless you are into that sort of thing and not costing your time. Dealers give peanuts for such stuff saying it is just scrap. The local club might make an offer for them to sell on at club meetings. While their offer might be small it does at least mean other fellow modellers are getting the benefit instead of some sly garage trader.

Thanks again for your advice. Can I assume, Bazyle, from the flag that you are a Devonian?

Edited By Virginia Clarke on 12/09/2021 19:48:00

Indeed, Virginia, but north Devon. Glad you recognised the flag