My “new” Super 7.

[KibiParticipant @kibi]

Installing my newly acquired Myford Super 7.

[KibiParticipant @kibi]

I had been using an Axminster "Import" lathe for a few years. Although it had its limitations, I was pleased with it.

Earlier this year a friend telephoned to tell my that he knew of an early Super 7 that was being sold for a fiercely reasonable price. I was told by another person that I knew of that they had known this particular machine for about 30 years and could tell me that I was in good condition and had been treated well. The price was so good that I didn't need to go and see it first, I just had to get there the next day with the money.

I got it home safe and sound.

I did come with the cabinet a healthy range of accessories.

There were no levelling blocks, so I had to make up a set of those first.

Then I levelled the cabinet before offering up the machine to it's mounting position.

In the meantime, I had stripped the rotted electrics out and I had also sold my Axminster mini lathe.
As my luck goes, a friend had an urgent need to modify a long stainless rod. The Super 7 could handle the job, but with no motor it was going to be difficult to get the rod to turn round and round.
I did manage to come up with a plan though.

My friend would operate the drill and I operated the lathe. Job done.

Now for the electrics. I already had a very nice Invertek drive lying around. I had got it cheap because it was missing its cover and was faulty. There was no 5V present at the terminals due to a broken trace on the PCB.
Also, given that my workshop runs off batteries and solar power, I was after high energy efficiency.
So I purchased a three phase metric motor and a 19mm ID pulley to suit.

I then proceeded to wire up a cabinet with the electrical and control wiring.

Then wire it all up and perform tests. I rewired the original drum switch to interface with the Invetek drive via it's control terminals.

Right, with all that working well, I've mounted the cabinet on the wall.

Finally, it's all set up and doing jobs. The original drum switch performs the appropriate functions that it used to. The variable speed control box it magnetically attached to the cabinet.

A great deal of setting up and adjustments continue to be done following installation. It is a much nicer machine to use than the mini lathe and I'll get a great many years of use out of it.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Well done Warwick! I dream of being offered good tools like that. Never happens.

Neat job on the wiring, you must be well pleased with your bargain and the progress you're making.

One query for the experts: is lifting a Myford as shown the best way? You never know, I might get lucky and want to move one!

Dave

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Once on the stand, the lathe itself needs to be levelled. Headstock to Tailstock is less important, (Unless you intend to use a continuous supply of coolant) What is important is to remove any twist from the bed. Otherwise turned work will have a taper. In my experience, the Series 7 bed is susceptible to twist.

"The Myford Series 7 Manual" (pages 41 and 42) details one method of doing this. Pages 27 and 28 of "The Amateur's Workshop", by Ian Bradley repeats this method. This is to turn down a piece of bar in the centre area, and then to clean up the bar at both ends, WITHOUT changing the Cross Slide setting, (ideally lock it). When both ends of the bar are the same diameter, there should be no twist in the bed. The adjustment is to adjust the height of the feet, by shimming, or by adjusting nuts above and below the feet, until twist has been eliminated.

Alternatively, you can use a SENSITIVE Spirit level, for this. Depending upon your choice, you can either check the level across the bed at Headstock and Tailstock ends, by placing the Level on the Bed; or on the Crosss Slide, and then move the Saddle from one one end of the bed to the other. Keep adjusting until you obtain the same reading at both ends.

You will find that even changing the torque applied to the holding down nuts, will affect the results quite markedly.

An extra half flat will make quite a difference.

When the bed is free from twist, the Lathe should turn parallel.

Howard

[KibiParticipant @kibi]

Hello Howard

That makes perfect sense to me. The reason why I made my own leveling blocks is because the machine didn't have any and was bolted directly to the cabinet when I went to collect it.
I included screws on the feet of the cabinet too to get that level (builders spirit level accuracy) due to my floor being a bit uneven. In my view, the more stable the cabinet the more chance I have of getting the twist out of the bed.

I did follow, to a large extent, what you have suggested including spending quite some time aligning the tailstock.

A more recent project revealed a <0.02mm end to end difference on a 500mm long bar turned between centres, light cuts with a good insert. I am reasonably pleased with this result. This does allow some room for improvement though.

Mr. Keith Rucker recently leveled his LeBlond with a proper engineers level a few months ago, I'd like to employ his method in addition to the method that you have suggested once I have rebuilt the workshop and the lathe is not going to be moved again for quite some time.

[joeyParticipant @joey]

Nice job Kibi.

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

Never hoist using the tailstock. The bed is slotted between the shears and it gives a better support. With a motor mounted the lathe is back heavy, so watch it does not rotate.

[NigeParticipant @nige81730]

Nice job Kibi, nice lathe too

[Niels AbildgaardParticipant @nielsabildgaard33719]

Tender loving care and nice paint do not make a real lathe out of a Myford.

Concrete or granite do.

I owned a third of a Myford fifty years ago and was not impressed comparing to the ones we used at work.

It was the only thing available at that time.

Ten years ago it was time to get a lathe for retirement and a A model Boxford came my way very cheap and freshly painted.

Same story:

Lousy surfaces and lot of noises.

It was put on a block of granite and that changed it immensely..

A canadian did it with concrete under a Myford and was just as astonished.

Can those who designed the My-/Boxford baked beans tin plate cabinets have been incompetent overpaid ignorants?

To me it has been proved beyond reasonable doubt but try it Yourself

Better Boxford:

http://i.imgur.com/UL2l90I.jpg

[img]http://i.imgur.com/UL2l90I.jpg[/img]

And improved Myford.

http://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/showthread.php?t=15300&page=5

Edited By Niels Abildgaard on 19/07/2017 19:58:10

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by Niels Abildgaard on 19/07/2017 19:55:30:

Tender loving care and nice paint do not make a real lathe out of a Myford.

Even the chameleon colouring of this one?

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