Lathe bed reconditioning query

The only alternative I've found is one in Poole - see

That's not any closer than Nottingham, though, and I don't know anything about their cost/quality.

However, I've also got an ML7 that could do with a regrind and I'm in the same region. I'd be interested to hear what you find - maybe we could share transport to make it a bit easier.

-adrian

My advice would be to stick with Myford, it is a Myford lathe and they know what they are doing. If you use other options you may always be left with the thought that Myford would have done a better job.

The idea that one can get a cheaper equivalent has resulted in real ironmongers and tool manufacturers either going out of business or selling cheap products instead.

A job well done, a well made tool, a nut, bolt or washer, well finished all give satisfaction.

Buy the best and you will never regret it.

Donald, South Uist

Is this any closer?

Unislide Grinding Company. Units 11/12 Aston Park Ind Est Aston Road Nuneaton Warks CV11 5EL

Brian Caddy

As found on Chris Heapy's site. I have spoken to this company on a few occasions, and they seem to know what they are talking about.

Wayne.....

Martin,

Try Curtis Machine tools Ardley Pits Near Colchester they have been reconditioning machine tools specifically Colchester lathes for years, your contact would be Doug or Rick, Doug was an old fella when I new them so may not be around anymore. A very good company who new thier business.

Martin P

I had my Colchester Master 2500 re-ground by Phil Goodall in Poole a few years back - eventually it turned out OK but I had to reject the first attempt - the gap piece obviously hadn't been scraped in before grinding, and had moved in grinding as it was not seating properly.

Phil has now sold the business and someone else is running it.

AWEM

Is that the one you mentioned in a thread on r.c.m a while back ? With turcite added ?

Like Martin, I've got enough thickness left in the bed to allow it to be ground without refitting the saddle, but it would be nice to put turcite inlays in place even so. Also, I think my saddle runs on the front shear of the front way and back shear of the back way : I think I've read that modifying it to run on the front and back shears of the front way only is helpful (as well as using a less worn surface).

-adrian

Adrian,

Yes, that's the one. The advantage of the Turcite on the saddle is that is brings it back to the original height relative to the bed casting, so you don't get problems aligning the feed shaft and screw. Otherwise the saddle would sit quite a bit lower (sum of material ground off bed and saddle) and the shafts would no longer line up.

AWEM

Modifying a Myford saddle to run on the front ways only is a retrograde step. Myford themselves modified the design of the saddle to run across the outer shears as the original design suffered from major wear problems on the inner sliding face of the saddle - basically it was much shorter than the outer sliding face and the saddle crabbed.

Many years ago I wrote an article in ME about modiying the saddl;e to run across the outer shears and some time later Myford did the same thing.

Adrian Godw>

snip

Thanks - I think I've found that in the ME index (vol 141, issue 3500) and will look it up. I felt under the saddle and thought that it was set up for the outer shears, but I'll have to take it off to be sure. The lathe is serial number K36775.

-adrian

I have just had my super 7 long bed reground and saddle refitted a

Myford ( Picked it up Friday) I am very pleased with the results, I am still reassembling the res of the machine but i am very pleased with the service i have recieve from Myford. Why send it some where else when the machine can go back to th original manufactures for rework. I believe the next batch is Jan or Feb

-- ivan

----------------------------------------------------------------------- ivanp's Profile:

I've had a look at your article, along with some others that describe another way to achieve the same result. What immediately struck me was that the problem it addressed (loose movement near the headstock, tightening toward the tailstock) is exactly what I was ascribing to bed wear. Most of the writers had made the same mistake.

So I've tried one of the alternative solutions (shim behind the rear shear) and it does, indeed, help a great deal. The bed would still look a lot better for a regrind, but the damage is mostly pitting rather than loss of height so isn't as important as I thought.

I'm not sure of the merits of the two possible solutions : milling a chunk off the saddle is a bit permanent, but it does have the advantage that the correction I need to make to the leadscrew position can be made by shimming (the saddle moves towards the operator) whereas if I shim the rear shear the saddle moves away and I have to shave a little off the leadscrew mounts. I also have to find a way of keeping the shim in place, which isn't so easy to do in a temporary manner.

-adrian

Hi Dick/all, Does anyone have links to these articles please or perhaps a copy they would be prepared to sell please? I as indicated am reconditioning my Super 7 and have the same thing. Saddle runs on front shear only. I have scraped the front shear parallel with the rear shear and now want to modify the saddle. I am assuming that i mill some from the saddle where it contacts back of front shear to allow me to pull saddle across onto rear shear. I also assume i will have to a strip to back of saddle to prevent alignment issues correct? Any help much appreciated Colin Heath