DRO kit 600-82948 from Newall on 1969 Myford Super 7

[Olaf KundrusParticipant @olafkundrus84366]

[Olaf KundrusParticipant @olafkundrus84366]

Today I got the 600-82948 DRO kit from Newall for my 1969 super 7. I have a rough idea how to install the kit to my lathe from looking on some photos I found on the net and forums. If some one has the same kit installed to his super 7 maybe you can send me some more photos and give me some advise how to install the kit and for what to look out.

Thanks Olaf

[SpringbokParticipant @springbok]

Hi Olaf did the supplier not give you a decent instruction book along with the kit. OK all you Myford people on this forum pitch in and help him

Bob

[CabengParticipant @cabeng]

Olaf:

I bought and installed a Newall DRO last year, about October 2011. Different kit as mine was a long bed machine, and I had specific requirements for the diplay mounting arrangements, but the installation of the scales should be exactly the same.

There are some photographs of the original installation of a Newall onto an S7 in one of my albums – not exactly the same as the Newall arrangement, but the photographs show the installation on which Newall based their design.

I have some photographs of the more recent installation, I'll upload them later today, and I also have some Newall piccies as well. I won't upload these as they are strictly speaking Newall copyright, but if you send me a PM I'll send them to you direct. Between them, they should make things clear.

A few points:

Make sure you have the correct scale and guard for the cross slide – Newall sent me the wrong one! They insisted it was correct, but it definitely was not right – too short for a long cross slide machine, would probably have suited an ML7.

The right hand side of the cross slide has to have I think 3 holes drilled and tapped into it, for which the cross slide needs to be removed. It can be done with the slide in situ, remove the tailstock and wind the saddle to the end of the bed for access, but you'll still have to make up an extended drill and extended tap wrench to gain sufficient reach.

When installing the cross slide scale guard, ensure that it sits slightly below the top surface of the cross slide to avoid interfering with anything that might get bolted to the tee slots.

I think (it was only 7 or 8 months ago, but I can't remember – it is said that short term memory goes first!) that the guard for the bed scale is pre-drilled at the same centres as the taper turning attachement holes in the bed. You'd better hope so, as drilling for the bed scale guard is awkward if the lathe is installed backing onto a wall – my S7 was like that when I did the original installation. Definitely a tricky job with the lathe installed backing up to a wall – difficult to position accurately whilst effectively standing on your head, and some drilling machines won't get in there – the larger of my two Makita battery drills was too long, fortunately I had a shorter one that would just do it.

The support brackets for the scales are really easy to use, all should become obvious if you have a dummy run with them. But do take some trouble to get the scales and reading heads properly and accurately aligned so that the head runs freely on the scale and doesn't impose any side loading on it – it'll be ok if it's free at both ends of it's travel, but do check carefully as the scales don't like being bent.

Also, take some time to think about where you mount the display, and how you run the cables to it. Avoid leaving them just hanging loose in the mud, blood and swarf, they would get very messy as time goes by. And you don't want them somewhere you can drop chucks, faceplates, vertical slides etc. on them – replacing a cable means replacing the reading head, and that's not cheap.

Funnily enough, replacement scales are relatively cheap – I damaged one of about a metre length installed on my milling machine, it was only GBP80 to replace it, I had expected much more, and it arrived within a couple of days. On the upside, I now have a very good supply of precision 5mm diameter steel balls!

Other than that, installation is straightforward. Any questions, send a PM.

[JonParticipant @jon]

Thats the best by far DRO install i have ever seen on a Myford Cabeng. Every other up to now has been, no i wont say it but not good. The only downside is gib strip tension and loosing the length where tailstock butts up to cross slide.

Pretty similar to my magnetic setup 2 yrs ago but the scale dont have to protrude and get knocked or caught up with swarf.

On previous lathe was going to very similar with those chinese scales which would have to overhang the rear in same way. It needs bracing for left to right and vertical bracing as well. It would be inevitable catching something when least aware.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

There are a couple of pics of Newell gear on Myfords in this album as well including one inside the topslide.

J

Edited By JasonB on 24/05/2012 20:46:38

[CabengParticipant @cabeng]

Jon: thanks for the comment, most kind of you!

The scale guards are cut away at the bottom to allow access to the gib screws, which are lower than the Microsyn scale, so no access problems.

Loss of saddle travel to the tailstock – yes, I too was concerned about that when I did the original installation, but it's never been a problem over the years that I've had the Newall.

The original guard does bump into the tailstock (actually quite convenient for pushing the tailstock to the right!) but does unfortunately knock the c**p out of the paintwork on the tailstock. To stop this happening on the nice new blue one I fitted a bump stop to the saddle – new photograph added to the album.

The protrusion at the rear of the cross slide has never been a problem, other than occassionally knocking over oil guns parked behind the machine! The original guard on the S7 is steel angle, so solid and substantial – the Newall guard is a light extruded aluminium thing, not so substantial. Time will tell whether or not it stands up for itself.

Oh yes, another point for Olaf – you might have to file away some metal from the underside of the cross slide scale support to allow it to pass over the oil nipple for the front shear.

And you'll loose the clamping device at the back of the saddle. One solution is an excellent clamp that can be seen in the S7 album, at the front of the saddle. This is so good and convenient that it won't be long before I make another one for the new machine.

[Olaf KundrusParticipant @olafkundrus84366]

Thank you all for the help and info!

Cabeng PM send

[CabengParticipant @cabeng]

Newall photographs sent to you directly, unfortunately they add up to about 5Mb… sorry about that!

Another apology – there isn't a photograph of the saddle clamp in the S7 album. Well, there wasn't, but there is now, I've just uploaded one.

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