Myford Speed 10 overhaul

[jon hill 3Participant @jonhill3]

[jon hill 3Participant @jonhill3]

Hi

Having recently come into the possession of a of a 40yr old Speed 10 I now find myself looking at the maintenance and overhaul of said machine.

My first thoughts are to dismantle the saddle and cross-slide. So on that note are there any issues with the alignment and registration, do I need to mark anything up to aid re-assembly?

Jon

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by jon hill 3 on 10/08/2020 12:46:18:

Hi

Having recently come into the possession of a of a 40yr old Speed 10 I now find myself looking at the maintenance and overhaul of said machine.

My first thoughts are to dismantle the saddle and cross-slide. So on that note are there any issues with the alignment and registration, do I need to mark anything up to aid re-assembly?

Jon

My advice is don't – not yet.

No problem giving the old lady a surface clean, but ill-considered dismantling of machines is always dodgy. Too easy for beginners to get the wrong end of the stick and introduce new problems.

I suggest using the lathe for a while to see how it behaves. Reason being nothing highlights issues like cutting metal! If the machine turns and faces straight with good finish, she's probably in good order. Clean and lube. If it cuts tapers or barrel shapes, time to look at gib adjustments and, if that doesn't work – sinister problems like a worn bed. If the finish is bad, worn bearings, half-nuts, lead-screw, or bent lead-screw, dicky motor etc.

Jumping in at the deep end can make diagnosis far more difficult because of another nasty possibility – that the machine was deranged by a new owner utterly convinced he was doing a bl**dy good job!

In the early stages there's a lot to learn. Faults are as likely due to the operator than the machine. Poor choice of materials (get some EN1A-Pb; don't assume scrap metal is OK), wrong cutter, wrong speed and depth of cut, wrong tool-height etc etc. A little practice should reduce these. Then – if the machine is still misbehaving – look methodically for things to fix, don't do a full tear down. Danger signs needing urgent attention: hot bearings suggest oil blockages or seize damage, electric tingles, damaged wiring, magic smoke, hot motor, faulty controls, nasty noises and jambs. Check all the controls before applying power.

Lathes aren't as "don't touch" as a Rolex Watch, but they have their subtleties. Quite a few lathe problems – like backlash – can be tolerated, because 'fixing' them just increases wear and tear. Using the lathe in anger is the best way of learning what needs attention and what doesn't – yet. It doesn't take long to get a feel for trouble.

Consider a new driver buying his first car. Should he start by stripping it down completely and ignorantly eyeballing the parts or should he do the usual basic checks and take it for a test drive?

Give the lathe a run, ask questions about the results, and then think what to do next. The forum is excellent at issues, please provide photos if you can. Not so good with 'What should I do about this lathe which might have been broken by me?' Especially if it turns out the owner doesn't have the tools needed to assess a lathe! DTI, micrometer, etc.

With luck the lathe is in good order already.

Dave

[jon hill 3Participant @jonhill3]

Thanks Dave

By the way how do I post pictures, can I upload from my pc?

Also oiling and greasing; any recommended lubes? I think I am right in saying headstock needs greasing and the pulley bearings oiling?

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Dave's dead right – don't just ride into town a-shoot'n'. Put it to work under careful observation to find its limits, and if they're not what you think they ought to be, investigate.

I ran a Speed 10 for 15 years and there are plenty of others on here who know them just as well. Oh, and I lubricated mine like you say – LM3 moly grease for headstock bearings (only did that 2 or 3 times) and SAE30 mower oil (or sometimes 3-in-1 when I ran out) for slides and gears. Gawd knows if that was right or not, but it worked for me. 

Edited By Mick B1 on 10/08/2020 16:27:17

[David George 1Participant @davidgeorge1]

If you are not sure of reassembling take a picture especialy for any wiring and you can have a piece of card which you can make a hole and label any screws etc.

David

[MeunierParticipant @meunier]

I copied how-to-do-it for posting pics, follow this link –

https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=103028
DaveD

[jon hill 3Participant @jonhill3]

Thanks Meunier

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