Setting a angle on the compound slide ML7

Atatched is a photo of the compound slide of my ML7, which I am only just learning to operate.... To set the top slide to an angle I loosened the two locking nuts and twisted the slide around to the disired angle, as depicted on the graduations and mark. However all it does is twist around the locking bolts, which as they are free to move along the tee slots and have lots of play in them means the setting is pretty meaningless.

I would expect that there should be some method to locate the pivot point, the photo shows central pivot holes however my arrangement doesn't have a central pivot bush,

I suspect that I have something missing, probably some sort of bush, or I am missing something in my method?

Thanks,

Woka

Hi Woka
I cant see from the top veiw . But i think it should rotate on that central boss if its upstanding It look as if it is leval to the table ? Ml7 users will let you know how to fit a new one
Nobby

Thanks for reply, I would have thought that aswell, however the central boss is not upstanding but at about half inch in diameter it is the same as the hole in the top slide, I suspect there is no space for a bush.

Cheers,

Woka

Woka,

Not sure - I have an S7, which has a different (and much better designed) construction, but it looks as if someone has chopped off the spigot. If you remove the cross-slide you wil probably find that the remains of the spigot can be removed. Then you should be able to make a replacement which has the upstanding part a close sliding fit in the hole in the topslide.

Even with your mutilated set-up, it should be perfectly possible to fix the topslide firmly in place with the two locking bolts to allow you to machine a spigot.

The more I look at it, the more I find it hard to imagine what the designer was thinking of the day he designed that POS system on the ML7. If funds permit, one day you should consider replacing it with an S7 cross slide/topslide.

(ducks below parapet)

David

Edited By David Littlewood on 03/10/2012 22:28:44

Hi Again
You may have to remove the X slide by windinig right back off . using a punch remove the shoulderd
Insert Then Turn up another one . And refit the new one so the !/2" is upstanding say about 3/8" 10 mm above the surface  A nice fit on the 1/2" dia would help when setting angle to the rquired angle Good luck  I have a s7 Mk 1 
Nobby

Edited By Nobby on 03/10/2012 22:37:47

Edited By Nobby on 03/10/2012 22:39:40

To offer a constructive practical suggestion rather than deride the lathe or its' designers -

If you put the top slide plate on the mill and pick up the central hole, you could bore a counterbore around it the same dia as the ring around the post in the carriage. A locating ring could then be turned up from some scrap steel tube or bar to closely fit both counterbores in slide and carriage and clear the post. In use the ring would sit in the carriage groove at all times the top slide was in place and act as a pivot pin.

Hope this idea helps.

JD

The ML7 crosslide hase a 0.750" hole for a pivot pin which is itself attached to the topslide by a 0.500" press fitted section.

The 0.500" must only protrude into the lower half of the topslide or else it will impede the leadscrew, becaus it is directly below it.

Your photograph looks as though the pivot may have become loose from the topslide and been pushed into the crosslide, or else someone has cut it off!

You are are correct, have just returned from garage, suddenly having the thought that I wasn't looking for a bush but a spigot that attached to the top slide, so removed the cross slide and tapped the centre with a hammer / punch to see if it moved, it did. The was sufficient room to knock it out. I then tapped it back into the top slide. Was too easy to tap into the top slide which is why it fell out, but will work for now.

My lathe experience consists (apart from wiring the thing up) the manufacture of a mandrel which I then used to fit replacement bushes to the counter shaft, looking forward to making a replacement pivot for the top slide now.............

Thanks everyone.

Woka

Dont know for sure but

If pivot pin is .5 " one end and .75" other..it looks like it has "sunk" maybe to leave saddle flush for other use...

get hold of pin and try to pull back up to provide the register required...look for locking screw or some such..[I would have made pivot retract or removeable and lockable in place]..if pin cut down..consider replacing pin tight in compond slide sliding fit in saddle..thus captive and ready when needed.

Have a look here **LINK** might be useful.

As already said, should be a central spigot to locate the compound slide on the cross slide, if yous is loose maybe loctite will assist providing its not too loose where the location would be affected. Might help as a temp measure in any case

John

Woka, if you'v got it up, and its a bit loose, perhaps a drop of loctite will hold it so that it does'nt drop down again. Ian S C

Jeff,

Thanks for the unwarranted sarcasm; I did in fact offer constructive suggestions, to which most of the rest of the discussion has only added refinements (except yours, which was frankly rather eccentric). The criticism of the design is perfectly valid and a relevant addition to the discussion. What's your problem?

David

I think perhaps WokaUK that the above has solved your problem. However, you may find the following interesting, Someone has refurbished an ML7 and shows pictures of the machine is various stages. One shows the cross slide without the top slide and clearly shows that the spigot in the hole in the cross slide is below its surface, as is yours.

If you still need help, perhaps the owner of the website (Mike) may be able to help.

The photographs can be seen here

Harold

hi everyone nick here i was wondering if anyone would know of any ml7 long cross slides for sale

Nick, please use the wanted adds down the right hand side of the page