# Looking for Owners of Zay7045FG or similar Models



## Ageless (Jan 16, 2010)

Hello All;
I have just set up a new Zay7045FG/1 Milling machine and have some questions about its operation.
Hopefully some individuals on this site have this machine and can answer some questions.

The first two are:

How does one tighten up a R8 collet on the machine as there is no locking lever?

How does one get the machine to run counter clockwise during milling?

Thank you in advance :bow:

Al


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## deere_x475guy (Jan 16, 2010)

Ageless if memory serves me correctly you put it in the lowest gear setting and then tighten the drawbar. This is the way I did mine for the 4 years I owed it.

To run in reverse mine had a rotary switch type setup. 
Does yours look like this?


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## Ageless (Jan 17, 2010)

Hello Deere;
My model is the latest series, it is basically is the same except for the transmission which is now on the right side not in the front
as with you old machine. Thank you for the tip on setting tyhe transmission into the lowest setting to assist in locking in the collet.

Here is a picture of my machine the guard and power feed are not installed in this picture.


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## Noitoen (Jan 17, 2010)

I have a Optimum F45 that looks very similar. I use the lowest gear to tighten my draw bar and a copper mallet to tap the draw bar to remove the cone. Use to do that with a nylon hammer but it was very difficult because the nylon absorbes the energy. The spindle rotation, I have a 3 phase, 2 speed motor with a separate start/stop control and speed/direction switch. I can invert the machine on the "fly", useful when I'm tapping.


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## lathe nut (Jan 17, 2010)

Ageless, I have the ZAY 7032G, I put both levers in Low gear to tighten or remove the collet tension, mine has a froward reverse switch, good looking machine you all have there, Lathe Nut


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## BobWarfield (Jan 17, 2010)

Yep, low gear. You can also buy a spanner to hold the spindle up top, but I seldom use mine.

Here's another thought:

I've gone totally over to solid holders and quit using R8 collets. I use either a collet chuck or endmill holder. If you do that, you can use a Butterfly Impact Wrench from Harbor Freight and tool changes are a snap. No gear change or hammer tapping needed.

Cheers,

BW


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## ariz (Jan 17, 2010)

to hold the spindle (mine is MT3) I built a spanner

the spindle (with an homemade bolt in it) :





and the homemade spanner:





but also the suggestions that were given here are right, you may easily do in that way

BTW, I see that nobody (and me too) has the protection guard installed
I suspect that it is the first mod of every milling machine owner


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## Ageless (Jan 17, 2010)

Great information and I love the pictires that people have posted, my new machine was shipped with a plastic cup type of cover to cover the exposed spline. I am not sure if previous models have this the the new series does.


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