Moving from M Type to ML7

I have owned and used a 1946 Myford M Type for some years. It's the only lathe I have ever used.

I recently bought a Myford ML7 with a view to upgrade. I was assuming the ML7 would be everything my M Type has been, and more, and better.

I was therefore a little perplexed when I realised there was no obvious way of halting the carriage drive at a pre-determined point, as I can with my M Type. I had naively thought that this was a fundamental function of a screw cutting lathe, having got used to using this function to easily machine a neat shoulder on a piece without having to worry about the tool crashing in to the chuck.

Am I missing something obvious, or is this function completely absent on the ML7? Is there another workaround? Should I keep my M Type?

Regards, Rob.

It's not a feature on the ML7 or Super 7

Roy

There have been several designs for feed trips for the 7-series.

Neil

eg one rather elaborate solution by J A Radford. His Improvements & Accessories for your Lathe is worth reading for any Myford 7 owner.

The Myford doesn't even come with a saddle stop as standard, in my view an essential feature.

I have an M Type and wouldn't swap it for a modern Myford as they seem a little flexible and not as sturdy. I have done a few mods to my M Type, quick change toolpost, tumbler reverse, saddle lock on front, saddle handle direction change to standard direction and a forward and reverse switching for motor with interlock. The only thing I would change would be a No 2 Morse taper in the tailstock now. It turns parrallel to within a thou over about 6 inch. The only lathe I would like would be a Harrison but I don't have the space for the one I would like.

David

Indeed it is strange that such a useful feature is absent from virtually all lathes apart from the old Drummond design. And when mentioning a saddle stop that few lathes apart from the Boxford/SouthBend ever have the slipping clutch to prevent disaster when a numpty uses a saddle stop.
Then few industrial lathes have the quick cross slide retract of the Holbrook.

However the simplest remedy is to add an electrical switch linked to your NVR relay.

I would agree with David George one of my great regrets is that I had a very decent Drummond M type which I sold when I was left a ML7-R in a friends will. The ML7-R was a great lathe but for some reason I never got to enjoy using it as much as the M-type. I wish that I had kept it as well as the ML7-R and carried out some of the mods that David has outlined above.

Nothing wrong with either machine but the Drummond just felt right to use, obviously just a personal view.

Dave

One day I would like get another, just got to live long enough!

I enjoyed a Drummond B 1920 for many years only the second owner.I own a small bore Myford and a large bore Myford

and I do miss the cut off on the drummond and think it was an ommision on Myfords part as they continued making the remaining Drummond lathes.When I advertised the Drummond for sale I got no takers and had to scrap a perfectley good lathe for 20GBP.

Frank

Thanks for replies.

It sounds like the answer is; find room for both lathes!

Rob.

You'll never regret hanging onto an M series

It's a lot of lathe in a small space, which is why the MOD used them

Use it for roughing out work if its knackered and the ML7 to finish off

simples

Edited By Ady1 on 14/11/2021 13:29:21