Thanks for the very informative video Steve, I know its from a while ago but new to the myford and just managed to complete my upgrade but using a fly cutter set on my 4jaw chuck, the finish was very good and just needs a light rub down on my grannit stone with some 3000g paper, thanks again,
I feel a little stupid after watching how you lapped your QCTP and compound slide. When I did mine, I blued them up, then hand stoned and diamond lapped them. Your method was far easier. I wish I thought of it. There is one modification that I did which might be of use to you: to eliminate play between the QCTP and retaining stud, I bored the QCTP and pressed in a bronze bushing. This modification may not be applicable if you don't have much play, but there was 0.5mm with mine.
It seems an lot of work to enable 12mm tools use. I too would have had concerns about removing the 3mm from the face as I have now had two instances of the original slide face getting a very slight curve Around 1.5 thou. This curve was enough to make extra tightening of the toolpost neccessary to hold it firmly. I checked both the surface of the slide and the underneath of the toolpost with engineers blue on a surfacing plate (also checked with a DTI on the lathe itself) and found that only the slide surface wasn't true flat. I remedied this by taping 400 grit and then 600grit wet and dry paper to the surface plate and manually rubbing in several directions using WD 40 lube until I acheived true flat. ( again tested with DTI) After checking a spare slide I also found it had the same problem but to a slightly lesser extent. I could only assume that the many years use of the slide had distorted the face. My ML7 is an early one from the 195? 's and knowing it's owner history from new I would say it had lots of use.. It also had a milling attachment at one point but the Original owner sold that when he bought a Dore Westtbury Milling M/C, which I now also own..
Hi Steve. I have been thinking about a slightly different approach - just milling clearance around the outside of the compound, leaving a circular area of original surface the same width as the block of the QCTP. Obviously this would reduce the contact area between block and compound, but it would not weaken the bolt mounting point, and the milling would not need to be very accurate. Any thoughts?
LOL well done and nice and solid ...Plenty strong as long as you don't use a 36" cheater bar to lock down the tool post ! LOL I should do that to my lathe to help reduce chatter ! Thanks Steve !....Bob......
I am no expert but I would have thought that the best way of dealing with the bending moments generated by the cutting tool is to transfer the force onto the circumference of the bottom cavity of the topslide and for this to happen the securing bolt flange must be a very close fit in the topslide cavity. The resulting force will then be conteracted by the tool post holder contacting over a wide area. In anycase, I have always considered the topslide arrangement of any lathe a weak point in the design of the lathe and as much as possible the top slide should be totally removed and a solid tool post mounted onto the cross slide. I believe that there exist a design called ' Gibraltar ' tool post of which the Hemingway Kits have a casting. I have also seen an American master tool maker who made a solid tool post holder to replace the top slide on his Hardinge Precision lathe for this very reason.
Thanks. I only did this strengthening as I milled 3mm off the top of the compound slide so as to achieve centre height using larger shank tools. It was just to give piece of mind knowing the casting would be still solid and strong.using loctite 638 in this area completely fills the area where the flange goes also soaking into any porous areas of the casting. When cured it is basically a solid unit. Another thing I do with compound slides on any lathe is to always keep the gib locked if not using the slide movement. I have extra Allen bolts for this. Regards Steve
I agree with your concern about distributing moment forces to the compound. In my situation, I machined a steel stepped disc insert and used a class 10.9 stud. Steve's situation is a little different, it's a smaller lather & QCTP and he has sufficient thickness in his compound for reasonable use. In regards to your comment about eliminating the compound, I would disagree. It's a valuable asset to most machinists: e.g. short tappers, precise Z cuts, etc. If you only have one lathe, this is not something that should be removed, though their are some, like RobertZ, who did. I suspect that they either have other lathes or don't use their lathe often.
I saw you seal the 3 2BA screwholes, which you apparently no longer use. However, what was the Original function of the screws.Would appreciate your explanation.
Hi thanks for letting us know. I would have never known otherwise. It was puzzling me as I saw it has a pin to stop the bolt from spinning. Thanks.. Regards Steve
Hey Steve, did you have any problems after doing this mod? I’m looking at machining my slide to suit the quick change post but someone on. Facebook says they did it and it made the cross slide a bit notchy when moving it. I can see how it may warp the slide if the machining isn’t flat and when you tighten the post it would warp the slide but I thought I’d ask you if you’ve had any unforeseen problems since doing the mod? Thanks.
Hi Ian mine seems to be fine. I had confidence in doing mine as I have two compound slides. I have one with the Dixon quick change toolpost and one with the Aloris type toolpost. Regards Steve.
Hello Steve, I think your videos are brilliant, thank you ! I’m after a bit of advice, I want to do this modification but I only have a Chester lathe model B, it does have a vertical mill which could do the job if it could reach it ..... but the bed is out of its range. I realise that it’s a case of having the right tool to lift the job off the bed to the right height and secure it. Could you help me please .. cheers Rob
Hi Rob, I am not familiar with that lathe. I have had a look at it online but it would be impossible for me to say really. I don't know whether you have T-slots on the cross slide? If you have you maybe able to use a reasonable sized angle plate to make up a fixture for milling. I couldn't say not being next to the lathe. Regards Steve
Steve Jordan Thanks very much for getting back to me. yes it’s a normal arrangement T slots etc, the compound slide is a vice with a tool post on top. the saddle is much lower than normal in relation to the centre height. I’ll need to raise the job at least 150 mm to be in range of the vertical mill. The angle plate you used to mill the compound slide might work if I bolted 2 together, returning from vertical back to 180° at a greater height. A few machined plates or a box made for the purpose are what I’m searching for. I am considering welding some 1” box section into a cube shape then welding a piece of 25mm plate to it and clamping it to the saddle, milling it flat, then clamping the job to that. The question before I make this thing is, If there’s something like that already out there does it have a name. With your wealth of experience, I’m hoping you might have experienced this problem in some way.
Plus a greater variety of tools. I was always a bit frustrated with the Myford as one can only use very small shank tools before doing this. Now I can use the same sized tools as I do on the Chinese mini lathe and this seems right for such a good lathe.
@@SteveJordan Maybe the same problem we have with old Drummond lathes . The original tool post allowed for larger tools but is inconvenient to use , QCTP is very convenient but reduces the available tool height . I'll share this vid with the Drummond Myford FB group there's often a debate there about this problem and I think you have most of the answers here, thanks.
facebook.com/steve.jordan.3766952
Another excellent video Steve, I think your lapping method is ingenious, thanks for explaining the whole upgrade process so clearly.
Thanks for the very informative video Steve, I know its from a while ago but new to the myford and just managed to complete my upgrade but using a fly cutter set on my 4jaw chuck, the finish was very good and just needs a light rub down on my grannit stone with some 3000g paper, thanks again,
excellent video,steve,brilliant method of lapping....thank you for sharing.
Great job Steve, Always a pleasure to watch, great idea with the lapping, Thanks mate.
I feel a little stupid after watching how you lapped your QCTP and compound slide. When I did mine, I blued them up, then hand stoned and diamond lapped them. Your method was far easier. I wish I thought of it.
There is one modification that I did which might be of use to you: to eliminate play between the QCTP and retaining stud, I bored the QCTP and pressed in a bronze bushing. This modification may not be applicable if you don't have much play, but there was 0.5mm with mine.
did the same thing to my metalmaster lathe 2 years ago , this opened up quick change 16mm tooling.
It seems an lot of work to enable 12mm tools use. I too would have had concerns about removing the 3mm from the face as I have now had two instances of the original slide face getting a very slight curve Around 1.5 thou. This curve was enough to make extra tightening of the toolpost neccessary to hold it firmly. I checked both the surface of the slide and the underneath of the toolpost with engineers blue on a surfacing plate (also checked with a DTI on the lathe itself) and found that only the slide surface wasn't true flat. I remedied this by taping 400 grit and then 600grit wet and dry paper to the surface plate and manually rubbing in several directions using WD 40 lube until I acheived true flat. ( again tested with DTI) After checking a spare slide I also found it had the same problem but to a slightly lesser extent. I could only assume that the many years use of the slide had distorted the face. My ML7 is an early one from the 195? 's and knowing it's owner history from new I would say it had lots of use.. It also had a milling attachment at one point but the Original owner sold that when he bought a Dore Westtbury Milling M/C, which I now also own..
On my list of upgrades
Mate has a milling machine so farming the work to him
nice, I for one had never thought of this, its on the list!
Thanks Steve,
ATB,
Cliff
Hi Steve. I have been thinking about a slightly different approach - just milling clearance around the outside of the compound, leaving a circular area of original surface the same width as the block of the QCTP. Obviously this would reduce the contact area between block and compound, but it would not weaken the bolt mounting point, and the milling would not need to be very accurate. Any thoughts?
LOL well done and nice and solid ...Plenty strong as long as you don't use a 36" cheater bar to lock down the tool post ! LOL
I should do that to my lathe to help reduce chatter ! Thanks Steve !....Bob......
I am no expert but I would have thought that the best way of dealing with the bending moments generated by the cutting tool is to transfer the force onto the circumference of the bottom cavity of the topslide and for this to happen the securing bolt flange must be a very close fit in the topslide cavity. The resulting force will then be conteracted by the tool post holder contacting over a wide area. In anycase, I have always considered the topslide arrangement of any lathe a weak point in the design of the lathe and as much as possible the top slide should be totally removed and a solid tool post mounted onto the cross slide. I believe that there exist a design called ' Gibraltar ' tool post of which the Hemingway Kits have a casting. I have also seen an American master tool maker who made a solid tool post holder to replace the top slide on his Hardinge Precision lathe for this very reason.
Thanks. I only did this strengthening as I milled 3mm off the top of the compound slide so as to achieve centre height using larger shank tools. It was just to give piece of mind knowing the casting would be still solid and strong.using loctite 638 in this area completely fills the area where the flange goes also soaking into any porous areas of the casting. When cured it is basically a solid unit. Another thing I do with compound slides on any lathe is to always keep the gib locked if not using the slide movement. I have extra Allen bolts for this. Regards Steve
I agree with your concern about distributing moment forces to the compound. In my situation, I machined a steel stepped disc insert and used a class 10.9 stud. Steve's situation is a little different, it's a smaller lather & QCTP and he has sufficient thickness in his compound for reasonable use.
In regards to your comment about eliminating the compound, I would disagree. It's a valuable asset to most machinists: e.g. short tappers, precise Z cuts, etc. If you only have one lathe, this is not something that should be removed, though their are some, like RobertZ, who did. I suspect that they either have other lathes or don't use their lathe often.
If 10mm tools work ok on a standard top slide wouldn't 2mm been enough to remove to use 12mm tools, I guess you want the opinion of 1/2" as well?
To bad to had to alter the machine, progress marches on. Thought your milling attachment was the bees knees Ralph
Very good Steve. I wish you would keep your dog (s) quiet on your videos it makes my two bark
And now after all the lapping the post is 3.0001 mm lower. 😁
Excellent job :)
I saw you seal the 3 2BA screwholes, which you apparently no longer use. However, what was the Original function of the screws.Would appreciate your explanation.
They were meant to install the ratchet of a four way toolpost
Hi thanks for letting us know. I would have never known otherwise. It was puzzling me as I saw it has a pin to stop the bolt from spinning. Thanks.. Regards Steve
Hey Steve, did you have any problems after doing this mod? I’m looking at machining my slide to suit the quick change post but someone on. Facebook says they did it and it made the cross slide a bit notchy when moving it. I can see how it may warp the slide if the machining isn’t flat and when you tighten the post it would warp the slide but I thought I’d ask you if you’ve had any unforeseen problems since doing the mod? Thanks.
Hi Ian mine seems to be fine. I had confidence in doing mine as I have two compound slides. I have one with the Dixon quick change toolpost and one with the Aloris type toolpost. Regards Steve.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Watching in Alabama!
Hello Steve, I think your videos are brilliant, thank you !
I’m after a bit of advice, I want to do this modification but I only have a Chester lathe model B, it does have a vertical mill which could do the job if it could reach it ..... but the bed is out of its range. I realise that it’s a case of having the right tool to lift the job off the bed to the right height and secure it. Could you help me please .. cheers Rob
Hi Rob, I am not familiar with that lathe. I have had a look at it online but it would be impossible for me to say really. I don't know whether you have T-slots on the cross slide? If you have you maybe able to use a reasonable sized angle plate to make up a fixture for milling. I couldn't say not being next to the lathe. Regards Steve
Steve Jordan
Thanks very much for getting back to me. yes it’s a normal arrangement T slots etc, the compound slide is a vice with a tool post on top.
the saddle is much lower than normal in relation to the centre height. I’ll need to raise the job at least 150 mm to be in range of the vertical mill. The angle plate you used to mill the compound slide might work if I bolted 2 together, returning from vertical back to 180° at a greater height. A few machined plates or a box made for the purpose are what I’m searching for. I am considering welding some 1” box section into a cube shape then welding a piece of 25mm plate to it and clamping it to the saddle, milling it flat, then clamping the job to that. The question before I make this thing is, If there’s something like that already out there does it have a name. With your wealth of experience, I’m hoping you might have experienced this problem in some way.
So the advantage 12MM tools is greater tool stiffness? capable of greater DOC?
Plus a greater variety of tools. I was always a bit frustrated with the Myford as one can only use very small shank tools before doing this. Now I can use the same sized tools as I do on the Chinese mini lathe and this seems right for such a good lathe.
@@SteveJordan Maybe the same problem we have with old Drummond lathes . The original tool post allowed for larger tools but is inconvenient to use , QCTP is very convenient but reduces the available tool height . I'll share this vid with the Drummond Myford FB group there's often a debate there about this problem and I think you have most of the answers here, thanks.
What is rpm?
Revolutions per minute
When lapping I think it was 180 rpm or thereabouts.
@@SteveJordan Thanx
throw away your modified top slide buy a new one . Reduce the thickness of the tool shanks, or learn how to grind HSS tools.
That mod was a bad idea .
an incredibly stupid upgrade
Thank you, Madam.