A photo for anyone who ever claimed a Myford wasn’t a “Proper Industrial Lathe”

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Posted by Pete. on 03/03/2023 15:12:34:

Some highly opinionated views from someone who I've never seen upload a single photo of anything they've done in their workshop in the entire time I've been on this forum, where do such strong opinions come from?

Who are you talking about?

Tony

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

When I worked as an instrument mechanic, my firm had three lathes, a watchmakers lathe, an ML7 and a new Super 7 longbed. They spanned the sizes of things that we needed to make perfectly. They were never intended for heavy production use, leave that to the DSG's and capstans. Our Super 7 would chuck things up to 0.0005" in its new Pratt chuck, and the nearest thing to large scale work it ever did was about 200 small steel pins held in the lever operated collet chuck. The only thing against Myfords today is that they command a high price, and not all of them are worth it.

[Andy AshParticipant @andyash24902]

Posted by JA on 03/03/2023 14:45:38:

Posted by Andy Ash on 03/03/2023 14:21:37:

In the old days the Myford was a fairly economical machine. If need be, you could buy one and cut it in half if you needed to. In that form you could bolt some other stuff to it, and -voila- You've got yourself a special machine for hob throbbing nibbly widgets.

And you could machine cordite with it since it could be quickly replaced without spending too much money if the stuff caught fire.

JA

I'd probably give that a miss myself, but it takes all sorts I suppose!

[JellyParticipant @jelly]

Posted by Andy Ash on 03/03/2023 18:34:22:

Posted by JA on 03/03/2023 14:45:38:

Posted by Andy Ash on 03/03/2023 14:21:37:

In the old days the Myford was a fairly economical machine. If need be, you could buy one and cut it in half if you needed to. In that form you could bolt some other stuff to it, and -voila- You've got yourself a special machine for hob throbbing nibbly widgets.

And you could machine cordite with it since it could be quickly replaced without spending too much money if the stuff caught fire.

JA

I'd probably give that a miss myself, but it takes all sorts I suppose!

My limited experiences working with explosive and other "energetic" materials, some significantly less stable than cordite have all been singularly dull.

But a remarkable amount of effort has to be put into making and keeping the experience an uneventful one.

[Pete.Participant @pete-2]

Posted by Tony Pratt 1 on 03/03/2023 17:15:22:

Posted by Pete. on 03/03/2023 15:12:34:

Some highly opinionated views from someone who I've never seen upload a single photo of anything they've done in their workshop in the entire time I've been on this forum, where do such strong opinions come from?

Who are you talking about?

Tony

Just someone who seems to spend an inordinate amount of time picking pedantic fault with anything and everything for the enjoyment of winding people up, the devil makes work for idle hands, very idle hands.

[Dave WoottonParticipant @davewootton]

Does it really matter what class that a Myford is put in? I'm very grateful for the fact I had an ML7 and it was capable of doing all the machining work on a Rob Roy and Simplex, as many many model engineers have proved over the years. Machines in industry are generally bought for a specific class of work, you wouldn't turn a rough steel blank on a Pultra, or make a 14 BA bolt on a Swift with a 8 foot chuck so the whole argument seems a little pointless to me. Perhaps the best lathe is one you can afford to own and is in your workshop, anyhow I'm off to the workshop to make something on my possibly non industrial machines.

[derek hall 1Participant @derekhall1]

At last Mr Dave Wootton has posted a sensible (in my opinion!) answer to the question about the Myford being an industrial lathe…..

I mean who cares if the Myford is or isn't an industrial lathe, it's a tool? I have worked on loads of lathes in the past some of them huge for turning ships propellor shafts etc, my Myford suits me for the work I currently use it for…

Regards to all

Derek

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Everyone concerned about industrial disease

There's panic on the switchboard, tongues in knots

Some come out in sympathy, some come out in spots

Some blame the management, some the employees

Everybody knows it's the industrial disease

[BazParticipant @baz89810]

Pete if is me you are referring to I will pm you loads of pics of what I have done.

Dave Wootton totally agree with everything you said, couldn’t have put it better myself.

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, well I've seen all sorts of things that were not intended for industry used in industrial situations, but they do the job and probably cost less than an industrial dedicated one. As for mass production, not all is done on a 24/7 52 weeks a year basis. In my odd job from years ago, the weeks leading up to the annual shutdown, I very often got the job of making up two new roller conveyors for a palletizing machine. OK, it was done in-between other jobs, but didn't involve a lathe of milling machine, but about 160 long tubes and 160 short tubes had to be cut, de-burred and bearings fitted into each end, plus 240 8mm rods had to be cut and de-burred, half of which had to be shorter than the other half, and every rod had to have a 3/32" hole drilled in from the same distance each end. Once all the rollers and rods were made up, the long rollers had to be assembled between two chains and the short rollers had three chains, the third chain being between the short rollers. There was then four shafts and sprocket sets for each set to be made up for each conveyor. Other guys had other things to make/get ready, so things like the power saw, bench drills etc. were in high demand for those relatively short periods. I've had similar in my other jobs, where a small batch of same things had to be made every so often.

Regards Nick.

[JellyParticipant @jelly]

Posted by Pete. on 04/03/2023 02:34:04:

Posted by Tony Pratt 1 on 03/03/2023 17:15:22:

Posted by Pete. on 03/03/2023 15:12:34:

Some highly opinionated views from someone who I've never seen upload a single photo of anything they've done in their workshop in the entire time I've been on this forum, where do such strong opinions come from?

Who are you talking about?

Tony

Just someone who seems to spend an inordinate amount of time picking pedantic fault with anything and everything for the enjoyment of winding people up, the devil makes work for idle hands, very idle hands.

This was not exactly the light-hearted direction I had hoped the thread would take when posting it (with my tongue lodged firmly in cheek).

It might be more constructive to contact the member you have in mind via PM with your concerns, rather than dropping acerbic comments out there that could apply to dozens of participants (myself included) and leaving everyone to wonder if you're judging them for being "idle".

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Well-said, Sir

MichaelG.

[Graham MeekParticipant @grahammeek88282]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 04/03/2023 17:30:33:

Well-said, Sir

MichaelG.

Ditto,

I could see where this post was likely to go when I made my post above.

Other hobby machines have been used in industry, yet they do not seem to attract the same amount of flack as Myford's do.

My first Myford S7 purchased second or third hand form N Mole & Co, and totally reconditioned by me. Is till working in a local engineering firm 40 years later.

Regards

Gray,

[KWILParticipant @kwil]

My Myford Super 7 has been used at home for some limited run production jobs, my ML7 sits under its cover [now unused] in original condition, bought new condition around 60 years ago, my M300 again as new does eveything I need that the Myfords do not do. What more can I wish for?

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Continuing to stir the pot, does anyone think this is an industrial tool? They're widely used in manufacturing…

Dave

[mgnbukParticipant @mgnbuk]

Continuing to stir the pot, does anyone think this is an industrial tool? They're widely used in manufacturing…

I don't think so – doesn't appear to be well-used enough to be an industrial teaspoon. More like a domestic market item IMO.

Nigel B

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Is it a Myford teaspoon?

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Ady1 on 05/03/2023 14:46:46:

Is it a Myford teaspoon?

.

Only when listed on ebay

MichaelG.

[V8EngParticipant @v8eng]

Well it’s obviously not an industrial variant, they usually came with a wear resistant thick brown coating.

Edited By V8Eng on 05/03/2023 15:34:00

[JellyParticipant @jelly]

Posted by mgnbuk on 05/03/2023 14:26:59:

Continuing to stir the pot, does anyone think this is an industrial tool? They're widely used in manufacturing…

I don't think so – doesn't appear to be well-used enough to be an industrial teaspoon. More like a domestic market item IMO.

Nigel B

It doesn't have the obligatory crust of sugar and instant coffee either.

Might be a commercial teaspoon as used in drawing and sales offices, but you need to handle it to feel for that "just stamped no deburring" minimum viable quality feel to the handle to differentiate it from a domestic model.

[HOWARDTParticipant @howardt]

Not from a production shop floor, most likely a development shop as they are the only ones with enough time to wash it, production stirrers are usually brown in colour.

[Clive IndiaParticipant @cliveindia]

Posted by Pete. on 03/03/2023 15:12:34:

Some highly opinionated views from someone who I've never seen upload a single photo of anything they've done in their workshop in the entire time I've been on this forum, where do such strong opinions come from?

No longer valid – he has posted a picture

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, I don't know about the teaspoon, but this knife has definitely been used in industry, so don't know if you can call it an industrial tool.

Regards Nick.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

As an apprentice Visited by a draughtsman in my lunch break, whilst doing a homework job, he was almost sick when he saw my white bread sandwich a grey colour due to metal particles and suds ! Ah well ! Noel

[Graham MeekParticipant @grahammeek88282]

Sorry to dampen the theories, but did the Spoon and Knife not start their days in INDUSTRY??????????????

Regards

Gray,

[Author]

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