Myford help required please

[Ian Skeldon 2Participant @ianskeldon2]

[Ian Skeldon 2Participant @ianskeldon2]

I have recently become the owner of a Myford ML7 Lathe. After initial checking of things I was completely astonished to see no detectable run out of the spindle, either laterally or longitudinaly, I even checked that my clock was still working ok. Pleased to also see that it has a Lenze inverter and a 3ph motor fitted, old fashioned tool post but it looks very functional, no serious wear on the bad as the carriage seems smooth from chuck to tailstock and no rust.

I haven't run up the spindle yet as there appears to be no oil in the two oil feeders. The lather has been standing for a few years now.

So please can I ask, what oil should go into the oil drip feeders?

I have never heard of Lenze, but a quick check shows that it seems to offer variable speed control and direction control via switches, is it any good.

Lastly, as I already have a Chester DB10, I might decide to sell the Myford what would be a reasonable price to ask for such a lathe?

Thanks,

Ian

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I think the manual calls for Esso Nuto H32, but that is now obsolete. Any 32 grade hydraulic oil will do, if you find a local firm who do hydraulics and nip round with a suitable container they will probably part with a small quantity for beer tokens.

[David Standing 1Participant @davidstanding1]

Myford originally recommended Esso Nuto H32. Any ISO VG 32 equivalent will be fine.

Without detailed clear photographs, a valuation is impossible, as condition can range from as new to boat anchor, and one man's 'as new' is another man's 'worn out'.

Edit – snap, was typing as Duncan posted.

 

 

 

Edited By David Standing 1 on 17/09/2017 19:45:08

[David Standing 1Participant @davidstanding1]

And Esso Nuto H32 isn't obsolete, but Esso is now owned by Mobil Exxon, and today's version is Mobil Nuto H32.

[Ian Skeldon 2Participant @ianskeldon2]

Thank you Duncan and David.

I will track some down from somewhere.

David I see what you mean, it's been used there is some fading and chips on the paint, but no play at all in the spindle and the carriage doesn't get stiff as it travels the bed, all the gearing has good teeth and they do look to be as new with grease evident but not plastered. It has a 3 jaw bernerd UK chuck and also a four jaw independant same make, no face plate? but it has a Myford vertical milling attachment and a few cutting tools and a plastic cover. I may even keep it, but I don't use the Chester a lot so it might become a dust gathering ornament

[David Standing 1Participant @davidstanding1]

Ian

You're welcome.

Nuto H32 is freely available in 1 litre or above quantities on eBay.

 

 

 

Edited By David Standing 1 on 17/09/2017 20:01:30

[Martin DowingParticipant @martindowing58466]

My 3 pennies here, I also own ML7,

1. Spindle.

It may look nice but you should grab bar of steel, 10 inches long in 3 jaw wiggle it with youur hand using reasonable strenght while measuring runout on the side of register (close to bearing). It shouldn't wiggle more than a thou, preferably half of thou or less, but if it does, your bearings need either scraping or replacing and then (possibly) scraping.

2. Carriage/bedways

Make sure that screws adjusting gib strips have not been *slackened* by a seller. If they were, then some more serious job need to be done on machine.

3. Oiling.

Invest in drip feed oilers, if machine doesn't have them installed, and while doing so stirr clear of RDG oilers as they do not work (and are annoying yoke, which costed me few days of piddling and making certain component by myself and modifying another one at the end to rectify that).

4. Motorising.

3 phase motor does a really good job in eliminating chatter. Make sure you got it working.

Install it on rubber pad (NBR rubber, oil resistant) and install small shock absorber assembly, replacing original metal strip connecting motor holding plate with rest of machine. It doesn't cost too much of effort but get rid of most of vibrations.

[Ian Skeldon 2Participant @ianskeldon2]

Hi Martin,

Good points,

1, Yep checked it over with a piece of 18mm ms bar in the chuck, no play to be found, lathe moves before dial moves. Interestingly I can't see how the bearings can be tightened or adjusted to take up any play (unless just tightening the cap head screws is the way to do that?).

2, No the gibs appear to be adjusted just right, the carriage moves freely with a slight tightening as it travels towards the tailstock, but not very much.

3, It does already have the Myford drip feeders in place, they're empty which is not surprising, previous owner layed it all up when he knew he wouldn't be using it anymore that was a few years ago.

4, I will have to look into doing that, the motor seems to be mounted to the original mounting plate, no rubber anywhere.

I came by this lathe through knowing the previous owner who was an engineer all his life, he looked after everything he owned and would spend money whenever he thought it would bring about an improvement. The lathe was left wrapped up in his workshop until his widow decided that now was the right time to let it go. I initially thought I would just sell it on, but it is so nice, not like new or painted up, but in such good working condition that I am tempted to keep it.

Once again thanks for the help.

[Ian Skeldon 2Participant @ianskeldon2]

Posted by David Standing 1 on 17/09/2017 20:00:43:

Ian

You're welcome.

Nuto H32 is freely available in 1 litre or above quantities on eBay.

Thanks again David, will have it by the end of the week

Edited By David Standing 1 on 17/09/2017 20:01:30

[David JuppParticipant @davidjupp51506]

Lenze inverters are very good quality kit. Exact features available vary from model to model – I've used a couple of different models in projects, from the basic to those including positioning capability.

[Swarf, Mostly!Participant @swarfmostly]

Hi there, Ian,

I buy my H32 from my local agricultural engineers, in 4½ litre plastic flagons. (The ML7 lubrication system is rightly termed 'total loss'!)

H32 is the same stuff that farmers use in the hydraulic gizmos they bolt on to the back end of their tractors and farmers don't believe in paying over the odds for anything, they can't afford to! So your local agricultural engineers' price, pro rata, ought easily to beat the ebay price for ½ litre tins plus carriage.

Try a browse through your Yellow Pages and go face-to-face if there's an AE locally.

Best regards,

Swarf, Mostly!

Edited By Swarf, Mostly! on 17/09/2017 21:23:30

[RobboParticipant @robbo]

Ian,

Headstock bearing adjustment – there are shims between the bearing caps and the headstock. There is a "pack" of shims each side, and layers of shim can be peeled off (with some difficulty I used to find) to tighten the bearing.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Don't mess with those headstock bearings if they are not broken. Best left well alone once bedded in and working well, as yours sound to be.

[Matt de HoestParticipant @mattdehoest99598]

I have an ML7 – they are beautiful things. Myford (not the original myford) sell appropirate oils online – https://www.myford.co.uk/acatalog/Myford_Genuine_Oil_and_Machine_Paint.html.

I paid 1300 for mine in good condition, with the optional clutch, rack operated tail stock, thread dial, 3 ph and inverter and accessories (face plates etc). Seen them go for 1800 or more in this condition though. 2000+ if the quick change gearbox is fitted. Quite a few come up on ebay and lathes.co.uk for comparison.

Lovely to work with – bit of a pain changing the gear train everytime you want to change feed but no probs if you like to tinker. Guess thats why the quickchange gearbox is so sought after.

Cheers

Matt

[Martin DowingParticipant @martindowing58466]

Lack of s/c gearbox in my ML7 and associated time consuming setting up gears is a main reason why screwcutting is a last resort approach used by me and I would use die whenever possible, particularly with an odd job.

However once I *really* need to make some screw, often outside scope of gearbox selection or just a long thread screw or a screw with some great precision requirement, then a *lack of* s/c gearbox is a real advantage.

Gearbox gives you very limited selection of pitches and arbitrary accuracy indeed.

Few fine pitches are easy enough to swap without gearbox anyway.

I would find it really nice to be able to use fine pitches in normal turning idependently of s/c setup, eg setting up s/c *without* distubing normal turning setup would be wonderful.

Such modifications of ML 7 do exist but I never got a hold of project, how it is best achieved and would appreciate very much reference to one.

Martin

[Ian Skeldon 2Participant @ianskeldon2]

Wow thanks again, I managed to track down a John Deer dealer nearby and got the H32 for a very reasonable price.

Looking over the machine it is indeed very nice, everything seems so logical and sensible although I wouldn't consider screw cutting with it (or any other lathe just yet, my skills in that area are very jaded). I won't be touching the spindle bearings at all as they seem to be doing just fine as they are. I haven't changed the motor mounting system yet but might add rubber as suggested earlier. The Lenze controller is incredible for it's size, very neat and so useful. Love the burnerd chucks too, very smooth, shame they won't go onto the Chester. Took me a while to get the drip feed set up right, but looking good now.

I won't be adding a clutch assembly or anything like that, I am not sure that I will be keeping it yet.

Thanks again,

Ian

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