This time last Sunday I was anticipating a fishing trip plus the start, and hopefully, completion of the camshaft for the Seal engine. Instead of that I have seen the Myford ML7, bought last year, moved into the main workshop and my beloved ML10 sold to George in nearby Dawlish Warren! I certainly didn't see that coming!
When attempting to sell the ML10 on eBay (as well as listed on my main website)I was very surprised my answer to a question raised by one bidder, has raised quite a few comments. All of which I am pleased to say have been supportive. Basically one of the potential bidders asked if I would "lash" the lathe to a pallet and send it by courier. My response was I wouldn't lash my lathe to anything! I also suggested that the person not bid on my item at all! Why we get so attached to a lump of metal I don't know, but the reason I decided to sell the ML10 to George, was solely on the fact that I thought he would look after her. We (or is it just I?)are a funny lot........
However, having spent the middle and end of the week a little under the weather, I eventually got around to listing the ML10. It sold after just a couple of days just going up the coast a few miles.
Today I spent time cleaning up the ML7 and painting some of its many parts. The cast iron lathe bed has been painted in Myford green and an inspection of the main lathe parts completed, with a shopping list of spares drawn up to order from Myfords tomorrow.
However I have changed my approach to the rebuild, whereby I am now going to replace only the obvious faulty items. Then reassemble the lathe and get it up and running, so I can discover the accuracy levels I can achieve with the lathe as it is.
I am prepared to send the lathe bed back to Myford for a regrind if it proves necessary, but since they only regrind in batches every few weeks (and of course the last one was 16th January), with the next one due in March, that will give me some time with the lathe before needing to make the decision to regrind or no.
One major advantage in having a quality British Myford lathe is the spares availability from Myford, which are considerable. Tomorrow should see me phoning a couple of companies advertising converters/inverters and new electric motors, because I will definitely be buying a new 3 phase motor and variable control system. I will also be buying a digital readout system and fitting it to the ML7.
Time, as ever, will tell.
About Mike Freeman
Hello, my name is Mike Freeman and I am a retired Chief Fire Officer from the United Kingdom with a keen interest in model engineering, silver caddy spoons and sea fishing. I live in the pretty fishing port of Brixham, South Devon, in the United Kingdom.
I am a sufferer of degenerative osteoarthritis, which impacts on the amount of time I can spend in the workshop, and is the reason why you will see seats and a stool in some of the photo's. I have only recently added the above sentence after a discussion with one of my Doctor's from the excellent pain clinic, based in Torbay. This does affect concentration one of the reasons why I double then re-double my measurements and set ups.
Before completing nearly 30 years of public service I and my wife Sandy, owned and ran, a small restaurant in Okehampton Devon. Prior to marriage I worked for my father in his various businesses, in the early days these were garages, which he bought in a run down state, then built them up before moving on, to start again.
I took every opportunity in those early days, to work in his workshop's
learning 'on the job' rather than as an apprentice. This, I suspect, is the reason why my building various model's in the early days, turned into model engineering, when funds allowed the required equipment to be bought.
My workshop comprises one half of a detached double garage. It has a
stud wall separating the two halves and unusually perhaps, its own
shower/toilet/washbasin compartment! (the true reason for buying the
bungalow - don't tell the wife!!!)
It is fully insulated with a ceiling and fluorescent lighting supplementing the one window. Several double electrical sockets are dotted around in
relevant positions.
Equipment consists of 2 lathes (1 Myford ML 10 and 1 Chinese variable
speed motor with etched glass DRO's), 1 milling machine (RF25 far East) floor standing pillar drill, Proxxon bandsaw, Warco bandsaw, 6" wire brush and polishing mop motor, 6" coarse and fine grinder, Proxxon mini drill, various benches and an engineers vice. I have just acquired a third lathe, a Myford ML7 which I am at present evaluating so I can decide which of the Myford's I will keep.
I have only just bought the Chinese lathe and had it fitted with DRO's prior to delivery. And what a bonus they are! So good in fact that I decided to buy another set for the Milling machine. Whilst my engineering experience can only be described as limited, I find the use of DRO's has affected my accuracy levels which have improved tremendously (although that's not saying much!) and would recommend their fitting to any model engineer.
Prior to retirement I built for my son's 17th birthday a Locost car. This
was a tremendous project and a great feeling when it passed its test. The book it was based on suggests it can be built for £250. Ours was nothing special in the sense of all new parts but still cost about £900 to build!
Good news Mike. If anyone missed your lathe then they could visit Myfordengineeringauction.com where there is always a good selection of Myford lathes on sale.