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Myford lathe advice & mystery tool identification

RODDYJB

Aluminum
Joined
Jan 14, 2009
Location
BC CANADA
I've been asked to sell a Myford lathe for an estate, but I don't know much about them..
It looks fairly complete, there are a few more gears & tooling etc not pictured'
Is it a No. 7?
How much is it all worth? I'd like to help the estate get a good price...
It looks to be well maintained...
Thanks for any help & or advice...
Also, the last pic is the mystery tool...
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Do your research here. There are lots of variations.

Myford Lathes

I can see it does not have quick change threading, and there is a big dial on the right end of the tailstock. Check the spindle bore to see if it is 3/4 or 1 inch.

I suppose $1500 Canadian would be possible, more for the reputation than for the actual goodness of a Myford.

Mystery indeed, but it says Swiss Made. Is the top broken?

Larry
 
as always condition is important, as are accessories.
some things that would be good to know; is there any perceptible wear ridge in the ways near the headstock? (fingernail test is good), are there any other accessories beyond whats shown? any collets-closer, live centers, cutting tools, QCTP? what brand are the chucks, and what condition are they in? three top name brand chucks like Bucks or CVA of the right vintage, in like new condition for instance, could add 6-800 $ to the value easily.
 
Do your research here. There are lots of variations.

Myford Lathes

I can see it does not have quick change threading, and there is a big dial on the right end of the tailstock. Check the spindle bore to see if it is 3/4 or 1 inch.

More likely 5/8".

No opinion on value as I think they're really well made but too small and with soft beds. I'm not a fan.

PDW
 
More likely 5/8".

No opinion on value as I think they're really well made but too small and with soft beds. I'm not a fan.

PDW

Myford Super 7 Big Bore Lathe

Tony says the last Myford model improvement included a spindle with 1" bore instead of the 3/4" that was standard before. And "hardened beds were long an expensive option."

Back in the late 1970's, I bought some Myford things in London and adapted/used them on a Hardinge 7" lathe. They were very well made.

Larry
 
The key was just in the chuck trying to show all in pics.
The chucks are by Burnerd
There are lots of tooling cutters.
I don't notice any discernible backlash in any axis on the slide or elsewhere.
 
It's standard length bed ML7. Probably mid '60s to early '70s. Chucks are the original Pratt Burnerd ones sold by Myford for the lathes including a Griptru chuck mounted on the lathe. Prices have gone up since the original Myford company sold up, but the price you'll get will depend far more on local conditions/markets than on any other factor. keep an eye on ebay/craigslist/other sales fora to get a feel for what you could get. $1500-$2000 CAD seems more than reasonable from appearances.
 
I had one of those " Tri-leva " type " Myfords " in the maintenance shop I worked in. I rarely used it for turning, it was a bit under powered to be honest. It was ok for polishing etc.

Regards Tyrone.
 
Throw it on Craigslist. Ask $2500 - $3000. There's very little in the way of lathe offerings in B.C. right now so
there will be people looking for lathes...
 
That's an early 1960's ML7. 5/8" spindle bore, white metal bearings, no power cross, change wheels for long feed and threading. Locally, if bed not worn and spindle bearings in good condition tis about $2000. Don't know lower mainland market prices.

Not Myford's best lathe. If you want a small apartment lathe, get a late model hardened bed Super7. If you're not in an apartment, look for a 11" Standard Modern, or Sheldon. Basically same foot print and one heck of a lot better lathe.

Lucky7
 
Throw it on Craigslist. Ask $2500 - $3000. There's very little in the way of lathe offerings in B.C. right now so
there will be people looking for lathes...

Jesus yes. At LEAST $3K Canadian. More if you are not in a hurry. At $1500, I'd buy it in a heartbeat, swap out anything that came with it, that was better than what I already have for my Super7, and resell it for a tidy profit!
There are almost always folks looking for a decent Myford, and that one looks like it is in far better shape than most that hit the marketplace.

That is a Myford ML7. Recognizable in an instant, by: The oilers on the spindle, the conical cast dials for the feeds on the screws, the hollow spindle of the tailstock, and the arc of the adjuster screws slot on the compound slide. Among other spotting points.

Not of the newest design, as it has a cast Apron, without the power cross feed on it.

The spindle bore is 5/8 inch.

There is a serial number that will tell you the year made. Tailstock end of the bed, on the vertical face at the rear of the lathe. Should start with a K.
Myford ML7 Lathe

There is no "dial" at the end of the tailstock, that is the way the screw for the tailstock is held in place, as it allows a tool to be fed through the tailstock, a feature, I am told, is pretty popular with amateur makers of woodwind instruments and similar shaped objects. See the cutaway diagram in the link provided.

The Burnerd Grip-tru chucks, well... They got so expensive, that Myford (who was charging well over the odds for what they were selling) stopped buying them to provide with their lathes. Great small chucks. The replacement cost of that single chuck on the lathe is pretty close to the prices being suggested by the guys who live in places where the selection and supply are both far more abundant!

The lack of a Quick Change gear box, is hardly the disaster some make it out to be. Reality is that setting up a gear train to cut a thread is a quick and easy proposition, just a minute or three. Oh Woe! Wailly-Wailly! :)

There will be no 'ridge' to check for, as far as wear on the bed goes, as it is a flat bed with a flat mating surface on the carriage. If you cannot SEE wear, there is unlikely to be enough to worry anyone who is in the market for such a machine.

The top speed on the ML7 is slightly lower than that on a Super7, and the spindle is slightly less robust, but it is still a lathe capable of making someone a very happy owner!
My second lathe was an ML7, I regret selling it on, as I had both it, and a Super7 in my shop for a period of time, and it was very convenient to be able to switch from one machine to the other, without taking the parts out of the chuck at times. The gent I sold mine to was, as far as I know, very happy with it, and it was not nearly as nice as that one. Or as well tooled. I got $1800 for it, a friend delivered it via his RV, and I had given him a money back guarantee, too.

Can't help ya with the Swiss Made Mystery Tool. Sorry. :)
 
Further to last.

Clean up all the tools and tooling that comes with. Lay it out on a cardboard box or similar flat surface, and take a couple decent pictures of the whole lot, as well as closer pics of say, groups of the whole lot.

Is the bench included in the sale? Contents of the Drawers? A picture of the drawers open or part open, to show the storage space available.

Some well lit pictures of the lathe without all the junk piled up on it. Various views. No need to haul it to the car wash <shudder!>, but a wipe down with a rag to get the dust off, get rid of any parts or tooling that is laying on the bed, etc.

Clear up close pictures of anything unidentified would be helpful. Some stuff I see in the pictures is not part of the lathe. Best to get that stuff sorted, and not show stuff in the pictures that is not included.

Manuals, if they are around. Manuals can be got for free download at various places around the web, but if you have the paper copies, include them.

Where in BC? Someone may be interested just from this here. Or they may be close and willing to help. Might as well be open to both possibilities.
 
The bench is actually mine, I needed something to display the lathe on.
Will do some more pics of the lathe, wipe it down etc.
Have listed it locally on Craigslist Vancouver for $3450 CDN ($2575 USD) - Will see how it goes.
The drawers you see under my bench are out of a watchmaker's workbench I need to make room for in my rec/work room.
 
When I wiped it down I couldn't find a mark on it anywhere. It sure looks great to me!
Not a very scientific approach maybe...:scratchchin:
 








 
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