Mk1 super 7 problems

[Charles EnglandParticipant @charlesengland35519]

Hi all,

I have just brought my first lathe, thanks to you all for so many helpful postings on this forum it has been a mine of information and has greatly helped with my choice.

I now have my new lathe – an early Myford super 7 – and it has a few problems, not unexpected with an old machine.

1. general dirt and lack of lubrication means all the slides are very stiff, this I can fix!

2. the top slide gib strip is bent, myford.co.uk doesn't list the spare part, are there any other sources for these, or do i need to get one made?

3. the headstock oiler is the early drip feed type with the sight glass however the needle valve is missing, again, myford don't sell this as a spare!

so, are there any other sources for these parts that anyone is aware of?

I recon I could make the needle valve if someone would be kind enough to measure theirs and post a drawing…

Thanks all

Charles

[Charles EnglandParticipant @charlesengland35519]

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

Hello Charles,

I can't help you with the oiler, but there was an article in MEW a little while ago which described a refined needle design that I'm sure you could readily make.

Someone else on the Forum will I hope give you the MEW issue number.

The bent gib strip is easy enough to straighten with a nylon faced hammer over two softish fulcrum points, tap and measure until the strip is straight. Myford themselves in their overhauls did just that so that bent strips were reused.

Regards

Brian

[wendy jacksonParticipant @wendyjackson]

Hi parts for myfords turn up on ebay most weeks.i am sure I have seen oilers for sale on the site.michael

[Mike BondarczukParticipant @mikebondarczuk27171]

Hi Charles,

Bits and pieces are always turning up on eBay and if careful they are generally a good buy. Apart from the main Myford website you could always try myford-lathes.com or lathespares.co.uk and I have no connection with them apart from being a very satisfied customer.

Mike

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Hallo Charles,

Congratulations, there is a nice lathe waiting in there for you with a little patience and care. I have the same lathe and mine was in quite a state when first acquired. It's still not perfect and there are things I intend to attend to over time. However, it does most of what I ask of it well. You just need to learn it's 'ways' and make the necessary allowances. When you start off with a quality machine (even if it's been run down) you have a good quality foundation to work back towards.

I've just re-filled the oil reservoir on mine, so I don't really want to just pull the needle out (the sight glass window will flood with oil) but I will do so on the next "top-up" if the information is still required. I don't recall the MEW article mentioned but if you still need the measurements, then PM me and I will check before I top-up next time (I do it fairly often).

As Brian say's, it is possible to straighten a gib strip (I've done it on another machine) or to simply make a new one if required. When you clean the lathe, it's worth removing the saddle & cross-slide if you feel confident enough to do so. Otherwise for a "simple" saddle clean – remove the felt wiper and pump oll into the ways, running the saddle up and down whilst doing so. It won't remove embedded swarf but will push out a suprising amount of muck. Afterwards replace the felt with a new one (or at least wash it out in petrol). It's not a perfect clean but OK for an interim job if you want to play with the lathe a bit before you do too much to it (which I'd advise). It does help to understand what works 'well enough' (and what needs attention) before you get stuck in.

Anyway – enjoy your "new" lathe!

Regards,

IanT

[Charles EnglandParticipant @charlesengland35519]

Thanks for the replies gents,

straitening the gib strip is an appealing idea, i had assumed that they had to be perfectly smooth on the mating face, and thus once bent would never be quite right. But, if that is the Myford approved procedure as you suggest then I will definitely give it a go.

The saddle and cross slide are off, the felt wiper came out in little crumbly black pieces, so a new one is on order.

the saddle traverse needed two hands when i picked the lathe up, so something had to be done before starting to use it!

if someone could identify the article Brian mentions that would be much appreciated

Charles

[Gray62Participant @gray62]

Hi Charles, the article on the drip feed oiler is in MEW219

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

 

 

 

Charles,

I think there is some confusion over the type of oiler to which you are referring, and most of the comments above refer to the "glass bowl" drip feeds which can be fitted to any machine, and not the S7 specific type you are talking about.

Coincidentally, my oiler ran dry today so I took out the needle and took a pic and made a dimensioned sketch, which are below. I am assuming that the brass inserts pressed into the cast iron headstock are still there.

In the photo you can see a shiny ring on the taper where the normal seating is when "off".

Phil –

Moderators Note The thread shown should be 26tpi and not 20tpi as shown

 

Edited By Robbo on 27/01/2015 19:38:03

Edited By JasonB on 28/01/2015 10:03:21

[Charles EnglandParticipant @charlesengland35519]

Phil,

That's exactly what I needed, many thanks!

the brass tube is still there and the treads are intact, a short bolt has been fitted to blank the hole.

looks like I have a little project when I get my lathe back together.

Charles

[Jon GibbsParticipant @jongibbs59756]

That looks a very useful diagram but are you sure about the TPI?

1/4" BSF rings true for Myford fixings but wouldn't that be 26 TPI rather than 20?

HTH

Jon

[IanTParticipant @iant]

Well done Phil – that's the one – and your comment about "glass bowls" does explain why I couldn't remember seeing anything about one of these in MEW!

Regards,

IanT

[HughEParticipant @hughe]

Welcome Charles. I inherted similar Myford from my fartherwhen he moved to NZ. The oil resevoir always leaked i cured this by unscrewing the bezel cleaning the face which a bit rough and added an O ring, never leaked since.As mentioned prevoiusly I removed the tailstock and saddle assembly and thoroughly cleaned them of any build up of crud. Next clean the bed paying special attention to the running surfaces on the underside.

For cleaning I found the accumulation of suds oil on the surfaces was best done with warm water and detergent. Dry thoroughly use WD40 to remove any moisture wipe dry then oil with correct grade of slideway oil.

Replace felt wipers on the saddle. get a copy of the Myford book I think by Ian Bradley

Good luck

[Nigel McBurney 1Participant @nigelmcburney1]

I have found that aerosol carburettor/solvent cleaners are very god for removing old soluble oil stains on paintwork and machined surfaces,just take the precaution of trying the cleaner on paintwork on the inside of a cover just in case the solvent chosen damages the paint,the cleaner I used did not affect colchester or myford paint. Google Home and Workshop Machinery,they are currently listing some brand new Myford spares supplied before the factory closed.

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Have you tried contacting Myford with an enquiry for a new Top Slide Gib Strip? You might get a surprise and I do not just mean the price!

Making a new one is not a huge job, depends upon your skill and other equipment available perhaps someone nearby could help you.

Edited By KWIL on 28/01/2015 09:40:10

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Jon,

You are correct, it should of course be 26 tpi. I did the sizes first in pencil but they didn't show up on the scan, so went over them in ink, and missed off the "tail" on the six.

Too late for me to edit on this site, so maybe a Mod can put a line in the post pointing out the error.

Hopefully Charles would exercise our usual caution, and check the thread of the bolt which is blanking off the hole before cutting!

Phil

Edited By Robbo on 28/01/2015 10:05:22

[Charles EnglandParticipant @charlesengland35519]

I have straightened out the gib strip as suggested, it seems flat against the lathe bed so hopefully that problem is solved. Just Waiting for the postman to bring me some slide oil before putting it back together.

I have a tin of ‘gunk’ engine degreaser to hand, that and scotchbrite seems to be bringing the machined surfaces up a treat.

Have connected the motor to the mains today, adding a zero volt release start-stop switch whilst I was at it, good news, motor is smooth and quite, bad news clutch dose not engage, another thing to take apart, clean and oil before I can make a start on an oiler needle.
thankfully a search of this forum has turned up a diagram and description of this part so hopefully I won’t have too much trouble here…

[Charles EnglandParticipant @charlesengland35519]

And yes, 26tpi – noted

[Charles EnglandParticipant @charlesengland35519]

Hi All,

made my first part on my 'new' lathe tonight, so thought i would share it with you all:

unfortunately it dosen't quite seal the drip feed, I suspect that the taper is not quite correct… a problem for another evening.

Thanks again

Charles

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Charles,

It is not apparent from my photo, and although I intended to mention it I seem to have forgotten – the plain part of the needle has a ground finish, which probably gives better sealing. And there is less chance of ovality with the light pressure used when finishing.

Is it possible to check that the seating is not damaged/dirty?

Phil

[Charles EnglandParticipant @charlesengland35519]

I will definitely try to clean / inspect the seat as a first step, then 'colour in' the pin with a marker pen and see if I get a witness mark in about the right place, then either adjust the needle, or, make a long, thin needle and lap the seat in with some grinding paste.

My needle seems to go a long way in before it seats, only 1-2 turns of thread left above the brass part, is this normal?

Charles

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Charles,

Can't see the thread when needle screwed in, as the spring is compressed round it. Can see about three coils of the spring, say 2.5mm.

Have you tried taking the spring off and screwing the needle down.?

I think mine is now joining in and leaking in sympathy!

Phil

[DMRParticipant @dmr]

Charles,

At the risk of teaching my grandmother about eggs, etc……………….And as you are supposedly a beginner at this hobby……………….

You need to have made your new Control Screw (its proper Myford name) in the lathe all in one go so that it is absolutely concentric. Taper, rod, thread and then knob/knurl without taking the raw material out of the chuck. If you cannot machine screwcut the thread with what you have, then you must at least use a die holder, probably with assistance from the tailstock to hold it true to the work. Otherwise your taper will never be true to the brass insert, no matter how much you polish or fiddle with it.

I am confused with your comment about the amount of screw you can see (1-2 turns above the brass part). With the top dust cover in place on my machine I have ~3.4mm between the top of the dust cover front (its a casting so is variable) and the underside of the knob on the screw. You shouldn't be able to see the brass part as the top cover hides it, even if you have not got the spring. The spring itself fits loosly inside the top cover, bearing between the top of the brass insert and the underside of the knob. It is quite a weak spring, just acting as anti vibration. If you do as I do, just letting a few drops in now and then, when I use the machine, then the tap stays shut, so you don't really need the spring anyway.

How have you turned the new part if "the clutch does not engage". It was quite normal on this clutch to lock the clutch engaged, as some found it difficult to set up and keep set up (I never had troubles there), and wound the adjusting screw in to lock it "engaged". I would have thought you had parts missing (like the screw) if you could not engage, so your machine is permanently without drive. Search this site for the early clutch problems. Note that if you take the clutch apart, the shaft must be removed towards the tailstock as pre the instructions that you say you have.

Anyway you have one of the first 9500 or so S7's there, and the drip feed oiler mandrel principle was far superior to the later ones, provided no muck got past that Control Screw!

I have sent you a PM.

Dennis.

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