Lucky you!

It's a desirable replacement for the standard screw feed – quicker, more sensitive action for drilling with the ability to retract rapidly.

I think they are advertised for silly money, not sure if they actually sell for it, I have seen a dealer in the south west advertising one for over a year now and he hasn’t sold it.

The lever action is excellent for drilling lots of holes quickly with no particular need for depth accuracy. A conventional tailstock provides good accuracy but slows drilling down if you're in a rush. Nice to have both.

Of the two, I prefer conventional because most of the drilling in my workshop is done on milling machine or pillar drill, and for most purposes they do a better job faster. Lathe drilling is still important, but – for what I do – a lever action tailstock isn't a big deal. It depends – others love 'em.

In the past, Myfords were often put on repetition work where accessories such as adjustable depth stops, lever tailstocks, and tailstock turret tool-holders are the bees knees. Although there must be lots of exceptions, I suspect most of us rarely do repetition work.

Order a copy of L.H.Sparey's "The Amateur's Lathe" : he describes and explains most Myford-era lathe work brilliantly.

Dave

LHS was a convert to the advantages of the lever feed tailstock: "A few months after obtaining my ML.7 lathe I fitted this attachment … since when – if may coin a phrase – I have used no other." (from A Man and His Lathe).

He also points out the advantage of easier self-feeding when using taps and dies and the easier use of reamers (where feed and withdrawal should be rapid).

TEE Publishing may still have copies of this excellent little book.

Is this it here?…

**LINK**

I love my lever attachment, with one reservation. The handle sticks out a long way and catches me when I'm walking past in my cramped workshop. I've taken to removing the handle when not using it.

George

The other advantage of a lever action tailstock is it gives you a more sensitive "feel" when drilling small holes so you don't end up putting too much pressure on those small drill bits. It also allows a quicker and more sensitive "pecking" motion when withdrawing the drill momentarily to clear swarf from the flutes. Doing the same by winding the tailstock handwheel is cumbersome by comparison. The lever action is more like using a drill press laid down horizontal. Quick, easy and sensitive. Well worth having.

So, what does one do to use a tailstock centre with a lever-action set-up? Is there a cunning way to apply carefully adjusted preload to a centre so it neither burns out nor is loose? And to lock it in that position as quickly and easily as the standard handwheel and thread set-up? Or does one have to remove the lever set-up and put the handwheel back in place? Or do you just apply the pressure with the lever and rely on the tailstock barrel lock to hold it in place under load?

Good question! Lever-action is great for drilling, but what about everything else? My feeling is screw versus lever is another horses-for-courses question:

IF (lots of drilling) THEN lever ELSE screw

Dave

I'm thinking of having five bob each way and making a lever action "sensitive" attachment that fits into the MT2 taper in the existing tailstock, using a nice Jacobs 3/8" chuck I have kicking around. Handy for drilling small and medium holes then easily popped out to make way for a centre or bigger chuck.

Myford call them a sensitive drilling attachment but I think I will make mine a bit bigger for general use.