Myford lathe

[packrat]

I hope the seller is not looking at this page about how much the Myford lathes are going for in the UK..I found out its a ML7 and made in 1952..
No gear box.

 

[goldstar31]

I hope the seller is not looking at this page about how much the Myford lathes are going for in the UK..I found out its a ML7 and made in 1952..
No gear box.

!952--- £25 complete with faceplate, centres and a 3 jaw SC Chuck.
I couldn't even afford one on hire purchase. In 1950 I recall leaving the RAF and getting 9 shillings a day, gross and that was top pay compared to my clerks who were on 5 shillings and my top lad had 6. There were only two of us conscripts on what is now known as the RAF Museum at Hendon who were paid so much.

From my 3 guineas( £3 3 shillings), I paid income tax and the new National Health Insurance.
I hate to tell you how much I spent today for part of the Christmas lunch but I spent 3 times my NCO's weekly wage going to my son's house only 2 miles away in a taxi.

 

[skyline1]

I quite agree Norm, when this new outfit took over Myford there was much ado about keeping it as a going concern, still manufacturing lathes, even new models.

But the truth was they were simply asset strippers, they bought Myford to gain the name but no new lathes were produced as far as I'm aware just the remains of Myford's stock of new machines sold off and a few machines "Reconditioned" whatever that means (probably put together from spares)

Spares and accessory prices went through the roof, inluding things like feedscrew nuts which were designed to be a cheap throwaway replaceable item (they are only made of diecast MAZAK or similar)

A good strategy in my mind, when they wear out (which they do, sometimes quite quickly) you just replace them cheaply and easily.

But not any more at these exorbitant prices (if you can get them at all)

I have an elderly ML7 (1956 IIRC) which has done sterling service for myself and I suspect several previous owners, it's a fine machine.

I am seriously considering changing it for something else however as like a classic car maintaining it has become prohibitive due to price and scarcity of spares.

I have several makes under consideration including some Chinese ones.

Say what you like about Chinese machines, but you do get a lot of lathe for your money, Some of the higher end ones are very good indeed and for the £3000 price tag of a "reconditioned" Myford
I could get a very well equipped and accurate Chinese one.

Best Regards Mark

 

[goldstar31]

I am seriously considering changing it for something else however as like a classic car maintaining it has become prohibitive due to price and scarcity of spares.

I have several makes under consideration including some Chinese ones.

Say what you like about Chinese machines, but you do get a lot of lathe for your money, Some of the higher end ones are very good indeed and for the £3000 price tag of a "reconditioned" Myford
I could get a very well equipped and accurate Chinese one.

Best Regards Mark

Humm well?????

Talking about Classic cars? Well, yesterday in the midst of the Christmas hullabaloo, my son produced a set of wishbones which were galvanised and then double powder coated for a Lotus Elise Special Edition which he is 'doing up' He had to move the Mercedes 230 SLK out and back to my garage. This lovely old girl is still immaculate and heading for vintage status. it was my late wife's from new. One of the fa,ily cherished plates is on it. An original Northumberland X or a Durham UP. I forget she's on a battery charger and is tucked under a cover! He wants a 'Deux Chevaux' a French cuddie hander to keep in his barn in the Dordogne.

Well you did say!!!

Lathes? I picked up a SiegC4 2007 for £350 which can't be bad and stuck a vertical mill drill( new) on the thing.
I bought Myford Super7B years ago for £600. It had been run on mahogany dust- well that was in the gear box.
Had it slideways ground for £250 with the Turcited rebuild of saddle thrown in. The rest of the restoration- was little me. Again, I picked up a ML10 with a load of goodies for £600. Not cheap but it had steadies and a Cleeve swing tool holder and --- things.

Now I've got all broody for a multi purpose lathe as the source of the Murad Bormilathe has dried up. An old desire as I was sort of attached to- or it was attached to me- the RAF Antarctic Flight.
Well, I got the bits for my Quorn complete for £100 and then went to get a better motor and found a fabricated Stent fastened to it. It changed hands for £100. Not bad. I got another silly urge and came back home with Clarkson for £100 and got a electro-magnetic chuck as a parting gift.

But having said all that, it is not where real bargains are to had. I'd been talked out of a Spanish villa for £450 which was the price of a basic Mini( well £497) and my wife was talked out of a cottage for £148 and a bhutt and bein in the Cairngorms for half of it completely free from the Government and the other half at a very low rate of interest. I wouldn't dream of telling you how much I finally made on the Spanish place and- oh yes- I went back and bought another place in Spain for the price of a new Volvo Estate car-- and I did buy a Scottish place against so called good advice.

I don't have them anymore but my four little grand kids university fees are paid-- when I'll be dead and gone.

So who cares about whether my lathes go on the scrap heap when my day comes? What is raised will only go in Inheritance Tax and solicitors fees.

You've got to look beyond the next day

Regards

Norman

 

[packrat]

I was able to get the Myford, now I need to bring it inside and start to clean it up, looks like it has not been used for a few years
and is very dirty. It looks like it is in good shape for 1951 lathe, more later. packrat

 

[goldstar31]

What splendid news!

I look forward to read what you are doing with it.

The oil for the spindle is SAE 32 grade hydraulic oil- nothing else.

Norman

 

[skyline1]

packrat . Yes mine was in a similar state when I got it. There are plenty of nooks and crannies for the gunge to accumulate on a Myford. The well where the backgears and spindle are was completely full on mine. I suggest you strip it down completely to the bed so you can ***** what bits are worn and clean it up at the same time.

It's actually a lot easier than you think but you do need plenty of space and some plastic containers for all the many bits.

goldstar31. Interesting bit of info Norman I use 20/40 engine oil on mine seems to work fine but perhaps I should change.

Best Regards Mark

 

[goldstar31]

goldstar31. Interesting bit of info Norman I use 20/40 engine oil on mine seems to work fine but perhaps I should change.

Best Regards Mark

Thanks Mark!

The 'story' is thus:-
That normal oils damage the lead indium bearings.
That came from the original Myford Manufacturers in Nottingham.

Continuing the 'story', Myford specified Nuto 32 oil. Now this from Myford was EXPENSIVE.
So being a bt of a skinflint, I went in to my normal oil wholesale supplier and asked politely.
They thumbed their merry way through heaps of information and said, what you want is the ordinary hydraulic oil used by the millions of buckets on car jacks and most anything that isn't a motor car.

There you have it- or not?

I use it

Norman

 

[skyline1]

Thanks Norman handy to know, 32 grade hydraulic oil it is from now on

As you say there is plenty of it about.

We had 3000 Gallons of the stuff where I used to work in a big hydraulic press, until an expansion joint failed and it dumped the whole lot on the factory floor in about 30 seconds flat

But I digress I might start a thread on it it's quite a tale ( a very messy one too)

Best Regards Mark

 

[SmithDoor]

I have South Bend lathe 9N. A well tool South Bend 9N on can go over $3,000 in good shape.
1) I look tooling that come with lathe. This is most cost.
2) The Myford has gap there very few South Bend with a gap.
3) look at Ware on bed way (this hard part for most to do if you need to scrap the bed ways . Scaping is not hard to do just sound hard)
4) spindle can be chrome and ground were do crank shafts.

Dave

There is a Myford lathe for sale close where I live it a 7"x 22" with tooling, but he is asking about $1300.00 for it
are Myfords worth that much.? I am in the Western USA..

 

[goldstar31]

3) look at Ware on bed way (this hard part for most to do if you need to scrap the bed ways . Sc(r)aping is not hard to do just sound hard)


Dave

But to do this on a 1951 Myford Ml7, one has to understand that it is built on the 'Narrow Guide Principle' as my old sight glass Super 7B is.
But it CAN be changed.- as mine is

I might just walk away

 

[accelo]

Anytime one acquires, a new to them, lathe I recommend pulling the carriage.
I personally would do this task before purchase.
Will give you an idea of the wear and on the Myford you can clean and lube the ways.
I still haven't figured out why there are no oil ports on the cross slide.
One can only slap some oil on the ways and hope for the best. Same for the carriage.
One of the few things I dislike about my Myford.
The other is there is only 5/8" between the tool post base and the lathe center-line.
Only smallish tooling can be used in a quick change holder.
In time one learns to work around the limitations because of the many things I like about the Myford.
Like being married.
Rick

 

[goldstar31]

I still haven't figured out why there are no oil ports on the cross slide.
One can only slap some oil on the ways and hope for the best. Same for the carriage.

Rick

I would get one that has

 

[packrat]

quote by goldstar31" What splendid news!" Thanks for the encouragement, nobody ever says that over here..

Buy the way where is the serial # on the thing.? so I can date it.
What threads did Myford use on the ML7 is it all british Standard Fine Threads {BSF} ?
Her is a photo of lathe right after I got it home in the truck..

 

[SmithDoor]

If remember the Myford has flat bed ways. Simple some one with surface grinder. The South Bend is V-ways hard to some grind the ways and they cost more.

Dave

But to do this on a 1951 Myford Ml7, one has to understand that it is built on the 'Narrow Guide Principle' as my old sight glass Super 7B is.
But it CAN be changed.- as mine is

I might just walk away

 

[goldstar31]

quote by goldstar31" What splendid news!" Thanks for the encouragement, nobody ever says that over here..

Buy the way where is the serial # on the thing.? so I can date it.
What threads did Myford use on the ML7 is it all british Standard Fine Threads {BSF} ?
Her is a photo of lathe right after I got it home in the truck..

Actually § You will find BA( British Association), BSF and BSW and the nose is a 'bastard' 55 degree Whitworth form.

My suggestion is that you get( from the Internet) the ML7 Myford handbook. which has all parts listed.
Beware if you lift some parts there are laminated shims.

As for gratuitous comments, I've both rebuilt ML7's and Blancharded them and swopped them from the narrow guide to the wide bed which was what Myford was using before it went into liquidation.

 

[goldstar31]

Further thoughts.

What other 'goodies' came with it?

From my poor sight , you have the long saddle which if you follow George Thomas, you can have a rear inverted parting tool which will revolutionise parting off.
Again, you can make better dials if you follow Thomas. The Chinese metal ones on the ML7 can really be bettered. I have even adjustable ones on the lowly ML10.

And the '10' is quite different to ALL the other Myfords.
and I have a Sieg and a rather unusual MJ-189 which is a Unimatt 4 clone.

 

[skyline1]

Serial no is on the rear bed shear at the tailstock end

 

[bluejets]

I have several makes under consideration including some Chinese ones.

Say what you like about Chinese machines, but you do get a lot of lathe for your money, Some of the higher end ones are very good indeed and for the £3000 price tag of a "reconditioned" Myford
I could get a very well equipped and accurate Chinese one.

Best Regards Mark

In our experience, lathes which come from Taiwan appear to be better finish even though they may look the same as those from China.

 

[goldstar31]

Taiwan and HongKong both are part of the Republic of China. The Chinese will make damned sure that people are aware of the facts.

As for finish of lathes are you referring to paintwork or actual quality of engineering.

A set of countries all separated by a common language?

Norman