hi all

hi

just joined as i have just got myself a myford super 7b. have been an engineer for over 26 years, and have made various cosmetic parts for my firearms which i shoot at bisley. recently it has been a struggle to get on the one manual lathe we have at work so decided to get my own one. i want to put the super 7 in my loft room but just too heavy to manouvre it up there what is the best/easiest way to strip it down to be as light as possible.

atb

jay

Hello Jason,

Remove the tailstock, motor and rear mountings for it. Take off the topslide as a complete component.

Move the saddle down to the far end of the bed and lock it in place with the clamp to the bed. Close the 1/2 nuts onto the leadscrew for good measure.

You will need help with the next bit. A suitable length ladder with a stout board up the centre will be a suitable 'slipway' to pull it up into the loft space with a decent rope round the headstock end. Make sure vulnerable handles are well protected in bubble wrap and haul the carcass up into the loft, with someone at the ladder bottom propping it up with a hefty lump of timber fitted onto the ladder rungs as you go.

That will secure it in stages while you take deep breaths and tidy the bundle of rope building up around your feet.

I assume you have floor space all ready to receive it up there

Regards

Brian

Welcome Jay

I think Brian has given some good advice here and I would just add - get some help to avoid a situation where you get it stuck half in and half out. The other important consideration is have you assessed the strength / load bearing capacity of the floor in your loft? The manual shows the weight of a S7 as 245 lb or 365 lb if it is on a stand. That may be OK but many loft spaces, particularly on more recent houses, are not designed to carry heavy weights ( other than the roof!) It would be a shame to go to all the effort of getting it up there only to find that it automatically relocates itself to the bedroom!

Norman

hi brian

thanks, that sounds like a good plan. yes loft is boarded out completely and a space cleared for the lathe. the myford stand is going to be a squeeze through the hatch, but a bit more manageable. have noticed when moving saddle towards tailstock end, that it becomes very tight. is this normal and can it be adjusted, as there is a bit of play in the saddle at the other end.

atb

jay

Jay

| "when moving saddle towards tailstock end, that it becomes very tight. is this normal "

This is likely to indicate wear to the bed.

N

Brian has told you the best way to lighten the lathe for moving it about.

I question the wisdom of siting it in a loft room. Is there no other more suitable location?

If you go ahead lifting it into the loft ensure that no-one is below it for any reason as it will still be very heavy and could inflict severe injuries if it falls onto a "bottom dog".

Eric

find an alternative to the loft to many possible problems

Although 250lbs is not light it is only two fat blokes standing together, or 12 buckets of water if you want to test the floor beforehand.
I'd be more worried about the wobbliness and vibration even in my old house that was strong enough to house a 200 gallon water tank (that's about a ton). In my chalet bungalow I wouldn't want a non-mini lathe upstairs though I believe quite a few notable engineers contributing to ME have run bedroom workshops.
On the other hand a loft is much more wam and secure than a garden shed.

yes good point the loft is more secure than a garden building but access is more awkward than just popping outside in to the workshop also there is no natural light at all in the loft

thanks guys. after picking up the s7 im in two minds now as to having it in the loft. i do have a fabricated garage which if i get rid of all the wifes crap, will have plenty of room. just worried about the damp factor as it does get damp in there through the wet months.

atb

jay

The other problem not really addressed is the one of transmitted noise into the ceiling below; you might find your activities up there rather unwelcome, even to the point of stealing the ladder and leaving you trapped!

Seriously, operating with an open hatch to the warm house below with moisture loaded air will bring with it many difficulties of condensation in the colder attic. Metal is very good at attracting that sort of unwanted problem and rusting will be a severe risk. Tramping swarf downstairs will also earn displeasure.

Brian

Hi Jay,

I ran a smaller Myford (speed 10 ) and a Myford VMB mill in the loft for a number of years before moving everything outside to a purpose built wooden workshop.

While it did work it was far from ideal and I would never do it again. The noise seems to be amplified in the rooms underneath and it can be downright antisocial to others in the house. As has been mentioned I also had a problem with bad condensation at certain times of year, a problem that was cured when I moved the machines outside in my insulated workshop.

We all have to decide these things for ourselves, but my advice would be to leave the loft to the household junk and the spiders and move the lathe outside.

Doug

Jay

The problem of condensation in workshops crops up frequently here. I've found that the precautions I've taken have been pretty successful. I don't really want to re-open that debate but, if you have a look at this thread that will give you a starter!

Norman

Have a look at my thread re. heating etc.

**LINK**

George

Get your bed reground before you take it up there and please spare a thought for the old fellow whose going to get it down one day. One day you might be fit to drop!!!

Bob D

By 'eck Bazyle, 250lbs is a pair of nine-stone weaklings where I come from!

Neil

(196lbs on his own...)

thanks guys for the advise. it is going in the garage where its a lot easier to install. what price would a bed regrind cost, and who does this. also what is the precedure, as cant even start to imagine postage cost on this. i am in the process of stripping it down now and have stripped the saddle off, lots of gunk to clean out of the half nuts etc.

atb

jay

Hello Jay,

May I suggest a piece of one and a half thick kitchen work-top .

about 4ft long as a load spreader if the lathe has to be mounted other than on a solid floor.

John Parslow.

Hi again Jay

Prior to their demise Myford used to offer a regrind service on their lathes but I don't think that Myford/RDG do so now. When Myford closed a couple of ex Myford employees, Darren and Peter, set up to do servicing on Myford lathes. Back in 2009 Bob ( Springbok) ,on a thread here entitled "Lathe Bedway Regrinds", posted that this pair were able to organise bed regrinds.

Might be worth a try - there have been positive reports of work the pair have carried out for other posters here.

If you do contact them do please let us know the result.

The contact information is:-

Daren and Peter
07790364189
[email protected]

Regards

Norman

thanks norman, have emailed them and await response.

atb

jay