Myford ML7 regrind

[leofbyrne]

I have been quoted £525 + VAT by Myford. My machine was used by a camera repairer - ! - and then me. Would it be better to get new bearings or a regrind? I make bows for violin, viola and cello so light use, but I also make my own jigs and tools.

 

[Against_The_Grain]

Unless it’s been very heavily used or abused I doubt you will need a regrind.

Do you actually need new bearings or a regrind, or are you trying to fix something that isn’t broke? It’s very easy to start messing with things when it isn’t necessary.

 

[Jamesc]

As above, My super 7 came from a college and has an unkown history. The crosslide gets tight towards the ends of travel so definately some wear there. However I am producing parts to a high telerance and am unlikely to need a regrind before I am out.

 

[dickm]

And if it gets tight an ends of travel, some judicious use of a scraper will cure that, even if the result isn't optically flat.

 

[highwood122]

i had mine done 20 years ago took 2.5 hours £100 the person that did it retired.

 

[leofbyrne]

I think you may well be right. It works pretty well, and I , too, produce accurate work. It doesn't like heavy cuts in steel, but that may be operator error. I make violin bows so my work is mainly very small.

 

[Against_The_Grain]

It doesn't like heavy cuts in steel, but that may be operator error.

It's an ML7, it's far better than a hobby lathe but it's still not rigid enough or powerful enough for heavy work in steel. I suspect 0.5mm/0.020" depth of cut to be around the maximum before you start straining it.

 

[J-G]

It's an ML7, it's far better than a hobby lathe but it's still not rigid enough or powerful enough for heavy work in steel. I suspect 0.5mm/0.020" depth of cut to be around the maximum before you start straining it.

That may well be the case when cutting En8 but I take much larger cuts in En1a - certainly in excess of 2mm. Even 1mm in 303 Stainless.

 

[TFrench]

From your initial question - regrind or bearings - are you talking about the bed or the spindle? No bearings to replace on the bed, which I think is what everyone is assuming your asking about...

I personally think myfords are hideously overpriced - they're better than a chinese mini lathe, but for the money a tooled up myford with a gearbox sets you back you could have a very nice industrial/toolroom lathe. I know they're lightweight enough to put in a shed etc and people don't want the hassle of 3 phase inverters and moving big stuff around but still...

 

[Fergie 307]

From your initial question - regrind or bearings - are you talking about the bed or the spindle? No bearings to replace on the bed, which I think is what everyone is assuming your asking about...

I personally think myfords are hideously overpriced - they're better than a chinese mini lathe, but for the money a tooled up myford with a gearbox sets you back you could have a very nice industrial/toolroom lathe. I know they're lightweight enough to put in a shed etc and people don't want the hassle of 3 phase inverters and moving big stuff around but still...

I have an old Myford 4. It's a nice old machine, but very flexible. ML7 not a lot better from the few I have used. The bed is too narrow and not rigid enough to take heavy cuts. You can produce accurate work, but it is slow going. And I agree they command ridiculous prices for what they are. You don't have to go mad size wise to get something much better, some of the small Boxfords spring to mind. Yes there are a lot of accessories and so on available for the Myfords, but they are as stupidly priced as the lathes themselves. If you have room then a Colchester, Harrison or similar is definitely the way to go. Much better value for money, and superior in every way. I still use the Myford, but nowadays mostly for plastic and other light work. Everything else goes straight on the Harrison, a 1961 L5A.