I’ve bought a 7R [ Myford, not AJS ]

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I’ve bought a 7R [ Myford, not AJS ]

This topic has 58 replies, 17 voices, and was last updated 19 September 2014 at 16:29 by CotswoldsPhil.

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3 September 2014 at 11:12 #12342
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
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3 September 2014 at 11:12 #162555
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Collected an ML7-R yesterday, which has a few [hopefully minor] issues that I will describe in due course.

According to the Serial Number, it's the early version … but I don't know what the variations were … can anyone please advise?

There seems to be very little information available about this mongrel, but if I understand correctly; it's a Super7 Bed, Headstock, and Tailstock, with an ML7 Apron and Slides.

I will add to this thread as things progress, but would be very happy if others can contribute from experience. … Is it the "perfect compromise" ?

MichaelG.

.

Edit: for the benefit who may not know the AJS … here is a pretty picture.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 03/09/2014 11:23:55
3 September 2014 at 11:49 #162559
Stovepipe
Participant
@stovepipe
A handsome beast – I mean the motorcycle of course !

Dennis
3 September 2014 at 11:49 #162560
CotswoldsPhil
Participant
@cotswoldsphil
Hi Michael,

I've been researching Myfords a bit before buying an early Mk11 Super 7 (1973) to replace my ML7 (1965 vintage) mainly because when I was a nipper, my Uncle had one, and I watched him make fine I.C. engines on it, I need the higher spindle speeds for the small stuff I tend to make.

I'm sure you are aware of the lathes.co.uk site – here is an extract with a potted history from http://www.lathes.co.uk/myford/page2.html

I hope I've not broken any rules – the extract is duly acknowledged.

Myford ML7R
Introduced at more or less at the same time as the power cross feed Super 7, this is the lathe that confuses people new to the make. Although called an ML7 – and you would therefore expect it to be a development of, or directly related to, the original machine of that name – it was actually a non-power cross feed Super 7, but without a clutch and fitted with ML7 cross and top slides. It was designed to fit below the Super 7 in place of the ML7 and allowed a rationalisation of production around just one design of bed, headstock and tailstock. The lathe was eventually fitted with Super 7 cross and top slides, the ML7R name dropped and the "new" model renamed "Super 7 Sigma".

I look forward to your exploits; I've already replaced the annular contact bearings in my headstock with great success (they had been packed with grease) – story board in my album.

Regards

CotswoldsPhil – I'm also a Phil H (there appear to be a couple of Phil H's on the Forum)

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 04/09/2014 20:06:42

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 04/09/2014 20:10:02
3 September 2014 at 17:26 #162598
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
A quick tip for all those who are rushing out to buy a Myford …

I moved the lathe [no stand] up my drive, safely and comfortably; by removing the Tailstock, Compound Slide, and the Motor & Countershaft … then sliding it along on two of these hop-ups "bucket brigade" style.

[each hop-up was topped with a sheet of Stirling Board, to protect the Aluminium and allow the lathe to slide]

MichaelG.

Yes, I'm a wimp: I can't carry a Myford in my arms
3 September 2014 at 17:35 #162603
CotswoldsPhil
Participant
@cotswoldsphil
Hi Michael,

That's clever, I made an attachment to my sack truck to swap the ML7 and Super 7 around – more in the album. A couple of nuts and all was safe. By combining the two methods I think the hop-ups would have allowed me to load the sack truck unaided.
3 September 2014 at 20:05 #162624
Phil Whitley
Participant
@philwhitley94135
Aaah, the AJS 7R………………………I remember, I remember………………………….drifts away!
4 September 2014 at 08:10 #162650
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
When I viewed the lathe, prior to purchase, I noticed a few things … and probably missed several more:
- It was installed on a kitchen cabinet, with a plastic tray, and had obviously never been bolted down in the 20+ years that the seller had owned it … I took this as a sign of "light use".
- There are a few of the "inevitable" [why?] hacksaw-marks on the bed [if you must part-off with a hacksaw, at least have the decency to protect the bed with something sacrificial].
- The cross-slide and top-slide gibs were both much too tight … The seller said he preferred them that way … I will return to this in a future post
- The Leadscrew appears to be in excellent condition, and the seller said he had never done any screwcutting.
Overall; for a lathe that's probably 30+ years old it seems relatively unworn, and only slightly abused.

MichaelG.

< To be continued >
4 September 2014 at 08:24 #162651
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
I've already replaced the annular contact bearings in my headstock with great success (they had been packed with grease) – story board in my album.

Regards

CotswoldsPhil

___________

.

Thanks for the story board, Phil

Very informative … I'm sure it will prove useful.

MichaelG.
4 September 2014 at 09:48 #162659
Brian Wood
Participant
@brianwood45127
Hello Michael,

I have owned an ML7R for about 12 years, second ownership in my case.

Another improvement over the ML7 is the 3/4 inch diameter ACME leadscrew.

Mine was factory fitted with the gearbox from new, I have in my ownershio added the clutch [well worthwhile] , a long X slide and the Ken Willson taper roller bearing modification to the spindle [ again both very worthwhile additions]

It has given me excellent service

Regards Brian
4 September 2014 at 10:27 #162662
Mike
Participant
@mike89748
I bought a new 7-R (lathe, not bike) some time in the 1970s and kept it for around 20 years. Even after I had "replaced" it with a Super 7 I couldn't bear to sell it. The daftest thing I ever did was part with it when I got married and moved to Scotland in the mid-1990s. I have just found a photo of it, and I can read the serial number – KR135164. Before I parted with it I painted it blue, so that it looked better when I used it in some magazine illustrations. Just wonder if anyone out there is its proud owner today…
4 September 2014 at 10:57 #162665
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Brian and Mike

Thanks for the comments

… all sounds very encouraging.

MichaelG.
4 September 2014 at 11:07 #162667
Anthony Kendall
Participant
@anthonykendall53479
Posted by Mike on 04/09/2014 10:27:36:

I bought a new 7-R (lathe, not bike) some time in the 1970s and kept it for around 20 years. Even after I had "replaced" it with a Super 7 I couldn't bear to sell it. The daftest thing I ever did was part with it when I got married and moved to Scotland in the mid-1990s. I have just found a photo of it, and I can read the serial number – KR135164. Before I parted with it I painted it blue, so that it looked better when I used it in some magazine illustrations. Just wonder if anyone out there is its proud owner today…

Regret I do not have it, but you give the impression you thought it was superior to the Super 7. I just wondered why.

Edited By Anthony Kendall on 04/09/2014 11:12:52
5 September 2014 at 08:25 #162722
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
A quick question:

Myford's 1031 Collets [the ones that fit the 2MT in the spindle] are generally known as Myford patent Collets, and were listed as such.

Could some kind soul please tell me the patent number ?

MichaelG.
5 September 2014 at 10:33 #162732
Mike
Participant
@mike89748
Hi Kendall,

The 7R wasn't superior to the Super 7 – it was just that selling it would have been like parting with an old friend. The Super 7 I bought had all the bells and whistles – power cross-feed and a load of other extras. After buying it, the 7R spent most of its time as a light milling machine, fitted with a long cross slide and an Amolco milling attachment. Both machines were about equal in accuracy.
6 September 2014 at 22:27 #162868
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
I mentioned that the cross-slide was set very tight …

I had tried to loosen the screws with the Seller's badly fitting hex-key, but couldn't move them; so I just detached the feed-screw for transport and waited 'til I got it home.

After cleaning out the brass swarf from the sockets, and using a proper 2.5mm Allen Key, the screws all came out, and the slide was removed.

Shock, Horror … Look at the gib strip.

I can only assume that the end screw has been wound-in all the way, whilst the slide was overhanging the rear.

.

More "Tales of the Unexpected" to follow.

MichaelG.
7 September 2014 at 20:52 #162967
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Moving to the other end of the cross-slide …

The handle has obviously suffered some impact, or sustained pressure

When I removed the handle; it became obvious that the 1/4" BSF thread was very badly bent. The micrometer dial is in a pretty poor state, so I just unscrewed that over the bend !!

I couldn't straighten the bent thread sufficiently for it to pass through the bearing plate, so ended up filing the threads on the "interfering" side. Once the feed-screw was safely removed, I managed to straighten and re-thread the damaged portion … not perfect, but good enough to use whilst I'm fixing some of the other problems.

MichaelG.
9 September 2014 at 08:22 #163111
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by Michael Gilligan on 06/09/2014 22:27:25:

After cleaning out the brass swarf from the sockets, and using a proper 2.5mm Allen Key …

.

I need a bit of help please … by way of historical advice:

The ML7-R uses ML7 [not Super 7] slides, and mine has the standard cross-slide. The casting is numbered 1308 CH3 and it has a total of eight gib-adjusting screws [two of which are intended as "locks"].

But …
- Those screws are all M5 thread, and fit the tapped holes very nicely.
- The tapped holes are definitely M5
- I feel certain that the casting has not ben re-tapped.
The current Myford website spares list seems to indicate that ML7 slides all use 2BA screws, and only shows M5 for the Super 7.

Now; this doesn't matter, because what I have is what I've got … but I do like to understand.

So, can anyone tell me? …

Did some ML7 lathes use M5 gib screws, and/or is the ML7-R special in this regard ?

Thanks

MichaelG.
10 September 2014 at 10:34 #163249
Brian Wood
Participant
@brianwood45127
Hello Michael,

I have had a few minutes today checking what I can to answer your historical question. My ML7R came with the standard X slide which I have replaced with a long version [well worth doing I believe—it was bought new from Myford Beeston more than 10 years ago]

The old slide has gib screws that are 4.84 mm diameter [two samples] and the threaded holes happily accept new M5 cap screws over the full threaded length. Those screws are 4.91 mm diameter, again two samples were tested. When the gib screws and M5 screws were compared for pitch matching against a good light I could see no difference at all.

I tried a 2 BA tap [diameter 4.76 mm] which felt sloppy in the threaded hole and then began to bind after about 6 mm insertion. I didn't take it beyond that point.

So, on balance I would say that the ML7R X slide came with M5 gib screws from new.

Out of interest if you know the sequence of serial numbers, my lathe bed is stamped KR 151488 and the casting identity for my short X slide is 73—1308—CH2

I hope all that is useful background for you

Regards

Brian
10 September 2014 at 10:55 #163252
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Brian,

Many thanks for this … much appreciated.

MichaelG.

.

Edit:

For the benefit of anyone else who may be interested; here is the source of my concern

ML7 spares

ML7-R spares

Super 7 spares

On each page, the gib screws are at the bottom of the list.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 10/09/2014 11:19:53
10 September 2014 at 12:24 #163257
Mike
Participant
@mike89748
Perhaps I am airing my ignorance here, but something in my old codger's dodgy memory suggests that most threads on my ML7R were BSF, so were the cross slide gib screws 3/16 BSF…….?
10 September 2014 at 12:49 #163260
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by Mike on 10/09/2014 12:24:34:

Perhaps I am airing my ignorance here, but something in my old codger's dodgy memory suggests that most threads on my ML7R were BSF, so were the cross slide gib screws 3/16 BSF…….?

.

Mike,

Thanks for the thought, [and yes, most of the threads are BSF] but:

No … So far as I am aware, the only options for the gib screws are 2BA or M5

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 10/09/2014 12:51:20
10 September 2014 at 13:02 #163261
CotswoldsPhil
Participant
@cotswoldsphil
Hi Michael,

I've just looked at my original manual for my 1965 vintage ML7 – carriage assembly – C20 Hex Lock nut 2BA. I also know that the cotter retaining screw in the tailstock is 2 BA.

Also the 3 holes in the topslide where the 4 way toolpost indexer fits are 2BA

Myford seemed to like 2BA

Regards

Phil H
10 September 2014 at 13:31 #163262
Neil Wyatt
Moderator
@neilwyatt
Perhaps they bought in a VERY big bag of 2BA fixings at some point, and economics dictated a change when the bag finally ran dry?

Neil
10 September 2014 at 14:10 #163266
CotswoldsPhil
Participant
@cotswoldsphil
ouch!

Phil H
Author

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