Myford 4-slot vertical slide & vice

[flatlineParticipant @flatline]

Hi, I am thinking of adding the latest Myford vice & the larger 4-slot adjustable vertical slide. It is an expensive option & there is a case for sourcing a second-hand bench top vertical mill. However I have found that improving/renovating/upgrading my Super-7 to be a satisfactory and enjoyable route….

Does anyone have any positive/negative experience with these parts??

TIA 

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Years ago I bought a myford vertical slide second hand and the bracket isn’t square to the base.

[flatlineParticipant @flatline]

Was that the later 4-slot slide??

 

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

3 slot

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Beware the copies!!!!

[flatlineParticipant @flatline]

Agreed … I always buy direct from Myford👍

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I’d put the money towards a proper mill. More rigid, bigger clamping area, bigger travel, easier to set up, etc

I’m not sure how useful the longer 4 slot one will be as you run a greater risk of the bottom of the table hitting the bed so travel may not be any more than the 3 slot

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

At over 300 silly ones your well on your way to a machine that will do the job easier and quicker.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Another vote for putting the money into a real milling machine.

Milling slides on lathes are very limited in comparison with a real mill; nowhere near as rigid and they only provide a tiny work space.   Good work is possible, but slides take ages to set-up, and are then only able to take light cuts over short distances. Frustrating.  On a very good day I scored mine no better than ³⁄₁₀.

Slides were popular back when it was almost impossible for amateurs to own a real mill.  Today, we can, and should!  In many workshops I suspect a mill is more useful than a lathe.  Certainly wonderful to own both.

Not having enough room for a milling machine is the only good reason I can think of for owning a lathe slide.

Dave

 

[derek hall 1Participant @derekhall1]

I only use mine with a seperate spindle to cut clock wheel teeth.

Did try using it for milling one but it’s not very rigid and would advise the same as others, use the money towards a milling machine. It would be much more versatile and useful.

[flatlineParticipant @flatline]

I take onboard everyone’s comments – so what would you recommend for a bench-top vertical mill??

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Definitely a dovetail slide machine.

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Do you mean vertical axis Bernard?

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Round column mills have their limitations, but are a lot better than vertical slide, and tend to be cheaper. I had a Naerok for years, good substantial machine.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

yes vertical axis

[derek hall 1Participant @derekhall1]

I think many people on here use the Seig range of mills that seems very popular.

Cannot speak from experience as I have an Emco FB2.

A lot depends on what you want to use a mill for.

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

In addition to the points, the advocates of purchasing a mill, provided, both mill and lathe can be set up for different operations at the same time and without altering other settings.

SOD’s last comment really sums things up for nearly all hobby workshops, these days, I think.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

IME, a vertical slide is a lot less rigid that a proper mill, and has smaller travels in all three planes.

Having found thewir limitations, (Two different ones on different lathes), MANY years ago I bought a basic mill.

The round column can be a nuisance, but dovetail columns weren’t available them.

Now that would be my choice.  IMO, well worth any extra outlay for the benefits of a more rigid a machine capable of larger work.

Howard

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

To go for a mill you need 2 things ! The space and the money ! Not just the mill but ALL the other bits you will need to make it usable, many more shekels ! Someone mentioned £300 for a slide and vice, secondhand half this figure. Put a cutter in the chuck and your away – ideal, no but it gets you started. One only has to look at the number of times trouble with the motor or controller on small mills (and lathes )crop up on here. The cold damp sheds some of us have are not the place for electronics, though the radio keeps going.

If the first 2 criteria can be met go for a mill, the biggest you can fit and afford. Good Luck. Noel.

[john fletcher 1Participant @johnfletcher1]

I have a two Myford vertical slides, fixed and adjustable neither of them are very good at all. Any mill is better than a vertical slide in my opinion. I have a Naerok round column mill, folk mention loss of alignment when moving the head up down. In Model Engineering several years ago was a series of articles on how to overcome that problem, I followed the article and carried out the mods. One of those might be a better buy. John

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi, both my old Chester Champion and Waco Major mills are round column, and yes you can loose alignment if you need to lift or lower the head, but as John has said, there have been a few articles to overcome the situation, but I’ve rarely found this problem, as setting up your machine in the first place, to take into account of all operations, will in most cases, stop the need to move the head at all. One advantage of the round column is that the head can be swung round out of the way to give you a better view of setting up your work, and won’t hider dial gauges etc.

Regards Nick.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

To realign the head, after moving it up or down, on my round column Mill/Drill, taking Stan Bray’s advice, I use a cheap laser. Stan said “Over a distance of about ten feet, you should be within a thou”

And so it seems.

Cheap DIY shop laser on bracket fixed to head, Pencil line on surface about 10 feet away, and drill will re enter the hole it drilled before movement, so can’t be that bad.

Howard

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