# Myford carriage lock



## firebird (Jan 1, 2011)

Hi

This is a small mod that I have been meaning to get around to for years. The carriage lock on a myford is a bolt at the back which obviously requires a spanner to operate. I'm a b****r for putting stuff down anywhere but where its supposed to be. I spend ages walking up and down my shop trying to find stuff. I even bought an extra spanner but one of them has gone missing. Today I spent 20 minutes looking for the spanner so now was the time to make an effort. I've seen this mod carried out before but I thought I'd show you anyway. A few pictures should be enough to explain it all.

Firstly this is how it's normally done with said spanner.





Here's the new bits along side the original bolt.





And in use, not a spanner in sight Thm: Thm: Thm:




Cheers

Rich


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## don-tucker (Jan 1, 2011)

Something on my todo list.
Thanks Don


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## firebird (Jan 1, 2011)

Hi Don

Your welcome. The thread is 5/16 BSF.

Cheers

Rich


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## Xlmyford (Jan 1, 2011)

Hello.
I did this modification by using Hemingway Kits:
http://www.hemingwaykits.com/acatalog/Saddle_Lock_Handle___Myford_Lathes.html







The first thing I did to my S7
Cheers,Ralph


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## firebird (Jan 2, 2011)

Hi

very nice Ralph

For what it takes I don't know why I didn't do it years ago.

Cheers

Rich


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## cidrontmg (Jan 2, 2011)

My take on the theme.


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## firebird (Jan 3, 2011)

Hi

I must be the only one that never got round to doing it ;D ;D ;D

Olli, I noticed on your lathe there is another bolt a little further back on the carriage? what it for?

Cheers

Rich


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## arnoldb (Jan 3, 2011)

> I must be the only one that never got round to doing it


Oh no, you're not! - I'm still looking for the spanner each time I want to lock the carriage :big:
Fortunately, it's one of the only two Imperial spanners I own - and both are for the Myford, so they never go astray ;D

Well done Rich and everyone else :bow: - I've been meaning to do a similar mod; looks like it is about time!

Regards, Arnold


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## cidrontmg (Jan 3, 2011)

firebird  said:
			
		

> Hi
> 
> I must be the only one that never got round to doing it ;D ;D ;D
> 
> ...



Well, the hole was already there when I bought the lathe some 8 years ago (from England). This machine had evidently been in some (semi-)industrial environment. There was an original Myford lever action collet unit mounted on it, and a 3 jaw Griptru chuck was unused in its original carton box. And the lathe had also some weird lever-operated (copying?) apparatus on the carriage. The lever was fastened with a bolt on that hole.
BTW. I can´t much use that collet unit. All the collets that came with it are imperial, but I can only get metric materials here. The collets have very little range from open to closed, maybe 0.1 mm or less.


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## deverett (Jan 21, 2011)

Rich

Another use for that hole is to mount the Myford coolant system column.

Dave
The Emerald Isle


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