Rod,

This aspect of the Super 7 has puzzled me and caused frustration for years. It is part of the general quirkiness the Myford detail design. There are several things that can be done.

1. Stick to 10mm tooling – this is the simplest unless you have a lot of existing 12mm tools.
2. Modify your existing tool holders to be similar to the RDG ones (as the above link) if they are not too hard. The one from RDG may not be compatible with the genuine Dixon post as they state it only fits their tool post.
3. More drastically machine a step in the nose of the top slide – probably not advisable
4. 2 & 3 both stop the tool post being moved round more than a few degrees which would make it difficult to always get the correct tool alignment with the work.
5. Abandon the top slide and make a substantial distance piece to mount in its place on the cross slide of such a height that the Dixon tool holder can be lowered to the desired level. Something like the Gibraltar tool post from Hemmingway.
6. Buy a Colchester!

Edited By Eric Clark on 03/10/2012 15:54:54

Edited By Eric Clark on 03/10/2012 15:55:18

I agree – why make life difficult by using 1/2" tools? Surely, even if you have some 1/2" tools, a change to 10mm will be a much cheaper and easier option than mucking about buying new or modifying old toolholders ? Do you have some special need for 1/2" tools?

N

The bore of my Dickson type toolpost was considerably larger than the mounting stud.

What I did was to machine a top-hat washer that was a close fit in the toolblock bore and drilled to be a close sliding fit on the stud. The rim of the top hat was 1/32" thick (which rasied the toolblock up) and of such a diameter that the toolholder would not foul it when the block was rotated with the toolholder in the lowest position.

I did this, not particularly to raise the toolblock, but to try and prevent swarf getting between the toolblock and mounting surface of the topslide and scoring either or both.

Dave

The Emerald Isle

I had the same problem on my ML7 but on my Myford 254S there is more adjustment so. However as I recall RDG also sell a 12mm tipped tool with reduced shank.

i had the same problem and i had to machine off 1. 2 mm the bottom but my original ones are Genuine Myford holders have the letter W stamped on them and they work fine .

Kevin