Kia Ora from the bottom of the world. Tool hoarder & enthusiast.

[gimme72Participant @gimme72]

1. Kia Ora (hello) from New Zealand everyone. I have enjoyed dipping in and out the forum recently to see many questions asked and answered by you knowledgeable folks. I thought it was time I stop lurking and joined in.

My name is Simon and I am a tool acquirer. My 2 car garage workshop is full to bursting with machines, and tools and materials, and I love it. I have no money and no life. Just stuff 🙂 Not bragging, just sharing for those that might be interested, of similarly afflicted. Current hoarding includes: a new to me Myford super 7 (1968-71) – I have many questions about this beauty as I begin to get familiar with it. Namely I think it is a metric version but I don’t know how to actually tell, so any pointers would be appreciated please. I also have a little used Atlas 10f lathe (very nice but slightly scary), a 7×14 mini lathe (also nice and very useable for smaller work (both about to get sold to pay for the Myford), a new ish global WBM30L bench top mill, and many, many other machines that turn useful pieces of metal into much smaller, less useful pieces of metal. Some untidy workshop pics for context

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Wow. Nicely organised back of the bench. I can still see the floor so you have a long way to go before it is considered full.

[DMRParticipant @dmr]

Hi Simon,

Need some better pictures of your Myford lathe if you want info. It has not got its proper top belt guard. 1968-71 would put it in the range of serial numbers SK86340 to SK SK99558.

Good luck with it anyway. Dennis

[gimme72Participant @gimme72]

Thanks Dennis and sorry I realised I hadnt actually provided any photos of the Myford Super 7… hopefully these help:

[gimme72Participant @gimme72]

lol thanks, I cant get to the tool wall anymore as the floor is also full now…. need to sell some junk!

 

[densleighParticipant @densleigh]

Hi Simon,

 

Another welcome to you.

 

You say the bottom of the world –  so would that be Bluff or maybe a little further north -Invercargil?

Home of the World record Indian M/cycle?

Regards   John

[gimme72Participant @gimme72]

Thanks John. A little further north – Wellington. Bottom of the world compared to Britain:)

[densleighParticipant @densleigh]

You have the whole of South Island below you, so are only 1/2 way to bottom of NZ.

N. Island is quite a bit warmer than UK at almost anytime of year anyway

 

I assume the sea fountain in the harbour is still working – all of NZ is wonderful.

Hope to get there again later in the year

[DMRParticipant @dmr]

OK, it’s a Myford and not the thing sitting in the corner of your earlier photo. Serial number on the back says it has never been reground which is a good start but a photo somewhat further away of the whole machine would be a next ask.

As it is now 3am where you are, you must be expecting some feedback about your workshop collection which is impressive.

Dennis

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Welcome to the Forum as a poster.

From the Serial number, someone will be able to tell you when your Super 7 was built. (Nice to have a gearbox!)

And I thought that I was a hoarder!

Howard

[gimme72Participant @gimme72]

@densleigh

Yes the harbour fountain is still going strong 😉

Thank you, I think NZ is pretty wonderful as well… it has it’s challenges being so far from everywhere else, but there are positives to that as well (flight times not being one unfortunately).

Simon

[gimme72Participant @gimme72]

@howardlewis46836

Thank you, nice to be here. I have looked up when it was made (1968-71 I believe). I just don’t know how to tell if its a metric version or not?

I am not experienced with thread cutting on a lathe, but would like to teach myself, and to that end knowing if its metric (or not) would be helpful. I think I will ultimately fit a DRO for general operations so it won’t be a big deal… at least as far as I am aware, but I came here to learn from others so please feel free to correct or guide me on this. Will pop up some better photos of the lathe shortly.

Cheers Simon

[gimme72Participant @gimme72]

Some (hopefully) better pics of the Myford (I have begun to strip it down for a deep clean and so I can see how everything works – please excuse the mess). I will do a another post with some recent workshop close up’s for those interested, including the Atlas 10F and my mill that was lurking in the background of my earlier pics. The clutter and mess is worse than usual as I recently brought 3 new machines and 2 heavy lifting tables along with several cartons of tools and materials and 2 multi drawer cabinets full of parts and accessories for the machines, general hardware and model train making in particular, so its Tetris chaos right now.

 

[gimme72Participant @gimme72]

Random workshop Machines for those interested. Can anyone help me identify what the green ‘toolholder’ looking accessory is in the last picture please?

[David SeniorParticipant @davidsenior29320]

It’s a tailstock, usually goes with a dividing head or rotary table.

Dave

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Hi Gimme 72!

You should be able to tell if the Myford is Imperial from the hand wheels.

The various threads used on the lathe are almost certain to be BSW, BSF or BA.

If Imperial, the Cross and Top Slide hand wheels will have 100 graduations, each representing a “thou” (0.001″) So ten rotations will move the slides by 1″.

The Leadscrew will be almost certainly be 8 tpi, so if set up to cut a 8 tpi thread, with the half nuts engaged, eight revolutions of the chuck will move the saddle one inch”

It would worth you buying a copy of Martin Cleeve’s book “Screwcutting in the lathe” (No.3 in the Workshop Practice Series)

Unless you know what you are doing, be wary of stripping a machine. It is too easy to change a anan accurate, useable machine into something requiring a lot of work to return to being a precision machine tool.

“If it ain’t broke; don”t fix it”

The green Tailstock , can be used to align itself and the Dividing Head, or Rotary Table, on the bed of the milling machine. If you want to know how, just PM me.

Howard

[DMRParticipant @dmr]

Simon,

Do you have an S7 manual that is readily available on-line? The metric thread cutting table inside the belt cover needs different parts to what you show; all the gearing and bracket before the gearbox has to come off. You also have an ML8 so what other parts do you have with that and what loose cogs do you have?

Dennis

[gimme72Participant @gimme72]

@davidsenior29320

Thanks Dave!.. I had guessed something like that but I was unsure

[gimme72Participant @gimme72]

@howardlewis46836

Thank you again Howard. Good advice – I was going to stick to cleaning and re oiling in the main, and try not to mess with anything impacting gibs or spindles etc. The clutch is a bit ‘sticky’ though so I was considering looking at that… but I am wary of making this worse or introducing new problems as you said. I might wait till I put a few more hours on it and get a feel for what’s working and whats not. Thanks also for the guidance and on the green tail stock. I have 3 dividing plates but nothing else to go with it unfortunately so I will follow up on your offer when I have sorted the basic operations. Thanks again

 

Cheers Simon

[gimme72Participant @gimme72]

@dmr

Hi Dennis. I haven’t tried to find a manual as yet, but I will look into it – good suggestion thanks. Apologies but I dont follow on the “all the gearing and bracket before the gearbox has to come off. You also have an ML8” comment… an ML8 appears to be a wood turning lathe? I don’t have any loose gears with the super 7 other than those installed. I do have a QCTP, a back post for cutting off, a huge solid fixed post (which I am not sure is for the myford at all) a 4 jaw chuck, a drill chuck, live centre, multiple dead centres )and one that looks like a bi plane I have yet to identify). A large faceplate and a small drive plate… and a couple of angle plates…is that what you were asking?

Cheers Simon

[DMRParticipant @dmr]

Sorry Simon, Finger trouble. It is some version of an ML7 though it looks somewhat odd. PM me if you have a problem locating an S7 manual.

On the ML7 (or whatever), what lurks under the cover at the left hand end? You may find some gearwheels.

The large tool post you mention may be a Gibraltar Tool Post. Have a look at http://www.Hemingwaykits.com

Dennis

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

If you think your place is untidy, you should see mine !

On second thoughts, perhaps not !

When I need to find something it,s a case of remembering where I last dropped it.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

You will find a Rear Toolpost, (Withe tool mounted inverted) better for parting off than using it on the front toolpost.  The swarf tends to fall away rather than clog the cut.

I try to add lubricant, either by a gravity drip feed of soluble oil, or brush applied lubricating oil, my HSS parting tool.

Try to keep the tool “stick our” to the minimum to just make the centre of the work, so that it is as rigid as possible.

HTH

Howard

[DMRParticipant @dmr]

Simon, I believe you have sent me two messages via model eng website. Both came in as “Notifications” which I don’t understand (Not Messages). Anyway the earlier (sent) one I read but the second one flashed up and immediately disappeared and I cannot get either of them back. If you want a response from me then I need an e-mail address.

Regards, Dennis

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Following on from Howard’ remarks, one of the earlier photos shows the leadscrew handwheel with 125 graduations, so the normal 8tpi leadscrew. (1 division = 0.001″)

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