Posted by not done it yet on 07/02/2020 23:35:12:
Posted by Hopper on 07/02/2020 22:11:03:
… Note that a standard ML7 does not need room to swing the change gear guard open like an S7 as the guard slips completely off rather than hinges. So you need maybe four inches of space there to let the guard come out over the gears and off.
How much space does one require to manipulate a drawbar through the spindle? Length and possibly plus space for bumping the drawbar to free the taper? Cramped working conditions is never a good situation. Awkward to remove a drawbar from the bed end, but possible, I suppose?
Edited By not done it yet on 07/02/2020 23:37:06
Not something I remember ever doing. I hold milling cutters in the three jaw chuck and if I were to get a collet holder I would get the kind mounted on a faceplate-type flange. Likewise, live centre I usually hold in chuck and turn true in situ, using drive dog against chuck jaw for the job. Boring head? Maybe. But could be held in the chuck by parallel shank. Clear access is certainly the ideal, but if needs must…
In truth, while the mighty Drummond is hemmed in at that end, my ML7 is still mounted on a "temporary" bench on 4-inch castor wheels so not a problem. Just move it to where the job clears etc. And it still seems to turn dead nuts parallel regardless. So much for all that bed twisting and alignment and bolting down the bench etc. It's only recently I took out the "temporary" wooden raising blocks under the bed feet and substituted steel. No noticeable difference in lathe performance.