Hi

As has been said – use oil not grease on this early version of the ML10. It is a plain bearing machine so be liberal with the oil application to headstock and countershaft. There is nothing wrong with this lathe – I had one for years and we spent many happy times together! It is a capable small lathe and should set you well on the path through this hobby or, as some wives might say, obsession – (not my wife of course!)

I note from your 'photo what looks like a tumbler reverse on the left. This was a useful modification I added to my ML10 – I think it was from one of Hemmingways kits.

I don't know if you are aware but there is a Yahoo group for Myford lathes – click HERE – and, in the "Files" section there is some information on the machine. You can, of course, ask here and you will receive (mostly!) useful information.

Oh yes. Another very worthwhile mod. is to add a leadscrew clutch. These are available ready to fit HERE  but I made mine quite easily.

Regards

Norman

Edited By NJH on 21/08/2012 15:01:14

Not very scientific aproach but I just give all moving parts a liberal squirt of oil now and then – not had any problems so far.

If you look on the second link by NJH, you will findall the oilers you need pluss the Wanner oil gun. The only thing wrong with that site is that although they have a good achive section, they forgot toput any informative labeling on the photos, which makes many of them useless, specially to the non Myford veiwer. Perhaps someone from that Myford site might see this, and do something about it, and create a bit of interest. Ian S C

I have an original myford oil gun, but the endcap had a crack in it and it leaked badly at the lid. I found tecalemit 2802 greaseguns on Ebay that were previously supplied with old british cars. These have a simple push-fit fitting in the end of the "piston tube" that delivers the grease – if this is pulled out and a pipe thread cut on the piston tube, a simple long nose nozzle could be turned up on the lathe with an o-ring fitted to help seal on the Myford oil nipples. The 2802 guns had a cast metal screw on lid that was more robust. I think there may be a leather seal inside the lid.

Might be a low cost way to get yourself an oilgun (once the grease is washed out) as they normally sell for about £5 which is a lot less than any used genuine myford gun.

Neil.

I use a good synthetic engine oil on my S7B lathe (10-40 or 5-40 depending on what I last used to fill my bikes!). I also have the original oil gun that came with the lathe but if you leave it standing upright on a shelf while full of oil then the next time you pick it up it is sitting in a puddle of oil. It's always done that despite the seals being replaced. It says Made in Switzerland on the base, so not everything Swiss-made is wonderful