Two Myfords

This topic has 8 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 17 April 2021 at 05:38 by Hopper.

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16 April 2021 at 07:34 #539966
Compulsive purchaser
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@compulsivepurchaser
I have had a mid 60’s Super7 for many years which I have used for tinkering with. When I bought it I believe I was told it was ex factory as it was three phase, quick change gearbox, with full stand, splashback, suds pump, collet chuck, Tripan toolpost and lever operated tailstock. As such the bed has significant wear at the headstock end.

I also have a very basic ML7 from early 60’s which was one owner and hardly used, however is extremely tatty as was left in a damp shed for three decades and requires a full restoration.

It has entered my head that I could potentially swap the beds over and make one good lathe using all the super 7 parts fitted to the ML7 bed. Is this a feasible idea, I have searched the internet and it looks like it could be done, but half of me thinks it would be a shame to start swapping bits over.
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16 April 2021 at 07:34 #14227
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16 April 2021 at 07:44 #539968
Hopper
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@hopper
Seems a shame to ruin one lathe to fix another.

You might be better off to get the Super 7 bed reground here **LINK** and then tidy up the ML7 and sell it to more than recover your costs.

Or if the Super 7 is the pre-1972 narrow guide version, it might be possible to salvage the bed as is by doing the wide guide conversion.

For a Super 7 I would spend the money on the regrind.

Edited By Hopper on 16/04/2021 07:58:55
16 April 2021 at 10:00 #539989
Martin Kyte
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@martinkyte99762
It may pay you to at least enquire what sort of deal Myford's would do you on a part exchange refirbished machine using your 2 machines as feedstock. You are planning to spend time and money on what ever you do.

I 'upgraded' from a super 7 without gearbox to a reconditioned 7 with gearbox and power cross feed and the price started to get quite reasonable once all the bits I didn't need were taken into acccount. No harm in asking is there.

regards Martin
16 April 2021 at 12:14 #540030
peak4
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@peak4
We don't know where you live, or even which country, but if you're in driving distance of Halifax Yorkshire, then these folk may also be worth contacting re. a bed and saddle re-grind.
https://www.jamesgarsideandsonltd.co.uk/

I've never used them, and the service doesn't show on their web site, but they do come recommended on other groups.

Bill
16 April 2021 at 18:14 #540090
Howard Lewis
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@howardlewis46836
How deep is the rust?

If parts are badly pitted, you are looking at a bed regrind..

If the rust has stopped as surface rust, wire wool and possibly some mild chemical action, such one of the rust products incorporating phosphoric acid might suffice.

You are not looking at a mirror finish. The actual area of the surface left after removing the obvious rust will be far far far greater than that lost to pitting. You could even argue that the pits constitute a reservoir for oil.

It may not look pretty, but will work very much as intended.

What is much more important is wear.

A pitted unworn surface is far better than a shiny worn one.

Howard
16 April 2021 at 19:12 #540094
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@compulsivepurchaser
Thanks for advice.

The Super 7 is in good order cosmetically, just very worn at the front of the bed.

The ML7 bed is in good condition with no rust issues as was covered in oil, however the chrome has completely disintegrated off all the handles, and most of the moving parts are seized. I rescued it from it’s damp shed as a potential restoration project some time ago,

I think it would be a shame to break them up as swap bits around, I will look into getting the super7 reground.
Can the cross slide take a re- grind as well as the bed?
16 April 2021 at 22:06 #540114
peak4
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@peak4
Posted by Twf on 16/04/2021 19:12:10:

……………………

Can the cross slide take a re- grind as well as the bed?

Yes, the firm I mentioned above certainly do them, so I've no doubt others will too.

Bill
17 April 2021 at 05:38 #540131
Hopper
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@hopper
It is usual to regrind the surface of the saddle that runs on the bed so you have two new mating surfaces. The vertical guiding surface will need attention too, as they wear and allow the saddle to kick around at an angle. The best way to do this on your pre-1972 narrow guide model is to do the simplest wide-guide conversion. Attaching a strip of 1/2" wide gauge plate about 1/16" thick to the longer rear vertical surface of the saddle will then utilise the unworn rear vertical bed shear for guiding. Or you could get the orignal narrow guide surface reground along with the rest.

See MEW issue 287 has an article explaining the simplest way to do the wide guide conversion, not requiring a milling machine like the other methods used previously by Radford and others.
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