Myford Super 7 Strip down...

[brozier]

Hiya,

If anyone is interested I have spent the last week stripping down and cleaning the saddle/cross slide of my much abused (not by me!) Super 7.

I've taken a few piccies on my website
homepage.ntlworld.com/bryan.rozier/myford_maintenance.html

Not as good as the article in this months MEW though!

I'll add some more pics of the topslide when I finish off this week.

I'd appreciate any thoughts/comments - I'm still new to this website lark...

Cheers
Bryan

[Myford Matt]

Nice work - every bit as useful as the MEW article.

Keep on posting!

Cheers

Matt

[Richmond]

Nice work

In the next installment of the article I will cover the trials and tribulations of the cross and topslides as well as the rest of the setting up.

Rgds
Keith

[teakfreak]

Can anyone tell me how to adjust the cross slide leadscrew on an ML7 to reduce backlash?

[brozier]

Hiya,

Depends where the backlash is! :-)

On my lathe there was very little play in the nut. If you look at the tope assembly in this pic:-



At the left hand end of the threaded part you can see there is a collar which is secured by a grub screw. You can get backlash if this collar is too loose.

To tighten you don't need to dismantle anything. Just get a hex key and slacken the grub screw by a couple of turns. Then use the hex key as a tommy bar and tighten up the collar.
Tighten the grub screw and bob's your uncle. The grub screw should have a brass pad that stops the threaded part being damaged if it's missing the thread will be a bit stiff!

If it is the nut that is worn you might try a replacement from Myfords as the leadscrew is much harder material than the nut.

Cheers
Bryan

[teakfreak]

Thanks for the advice, I'll have a go in the morning.

Roger

[baggo]

Roger,

Arc Euro ( no connection etc.) do a kit consisting of a ball bearing and two needle roller thrust races which fit between the leadscrew and the support bracket which gets rid of any backlash there:

www.arceurotrade.co.uk/projects/MYF001/index.html

I've fitted one to mine and it makes a big difference. Could also be fitted to vertical slides etc. with a big improvement.

It won't eliminate any backlash in the leadscrew/nut assembly though. As Bryan says, that needs a new nut.

John

[joegib]

brozier

In your write-up you wondered what the 3 grubscrews in the topslide tool mounting face were for. They're related to the Myford 4-tool turret arrangement. The turret comes with a separate ratchet wheel affair that is fitted over the tool post and secured to the topslide surface with 3 c/sunk screws using the screwholes normally occupied by the grubscrews. The turret body — which has a recess in the bottom to suit — fits over the ratchet wheel. The turret also has a sprung detent operating horizontally against the ratchet teeth, so providing angular indexing/locking for the turret.

In short, the grubscrews are no more than blanking screws for keeping out swarf where a turret is not in use.

[brozier]

joegib,

Thanks for illuminating the use of the grub screws. I would never have thought of that!

For those that are interested. I've finished the re-assembly and writeup. See the link above...



I'm pretty pleased with the results. I've learnt a lot about my lathe and it works much smoother now.

Cheers
Bryan

[ravensworth2674]

Baggo,
There seems to be some confusion between ML7's and Super7's in your comments.

Again, to my fading memory, there are at least 2 different feed screw assemblies.
Unquestionably, the fixed vertical slide and the Super 7 one are very different. Again, the ML7 slide and the Super 7 slide( mine's the ancient sight glass variety) will not interchange.
Could you please clarify as my thoughts are Hemingway for Super7 and ArcEuro for ML7?

Cheers

Norman

[baggo]

Hi Norman,

I mentioned the Arc Euro kits as Roger's (Teakfreak's) query was, I assume, referring to the ordinary ML7.

The Arc Euro kit only mentions the ordinary ML7 with a 1/4" diameter plain section on the handle end of the cross-slide leadscrew. Both my vertical slides (the fixed and the swivelling) also have a 1/4" diameter plain end on the leadscrews so in my case the same kit can be used on those as well. I have bought kits to fit to these but haven't got aroundtuit yet!

I've no experience of the Super 7 so possibly the spindles are a different diameter? They do look a bigger diameter in Bryan's photos. Even so, I would imagine the same mod could be carried out by just substituting the correct size bearings.

I've just had a look at Hemingway and I can only see a thrust race kit for fitting to the main leadscrew? Presumably that will fit both the 7 and the Super 7.

John

[ravensworth2674]

Hi John, Thank you for your comments. Clearly(hum) a grey area.
I have two Myfords- a 7 and a Super 7B but the provenance on both is unknown.
I know that Myfords changed the leadscrews- and I had to ask my mate today whether his ML7R had Super 7 speeds ie double pulleys. I was doing a thing using a undrilled faceplate and honing lathe tools with diamond paste on it- to replace the damage done to the gear box- before I got it.

I've had the 7's bed Blancharded- and was trying to save myself further Moonbeams in the Lesser Lunacy.

Cheers

Norman