Your advice for selling an ML7

[Geoffrey HYDE FYNNParticipant @geoffreyhydefynn45631]

[Geoffrey HYDE FYNNParticipant @geoffreyhydefynn45631]

Hello.

I am giving in! I inherited an ML7 in good condition from my father but over the past two years I have used it only a couple of times. I last used a lathe in a practical way some 45+ years ago but it has been hard to try to regain the skills. I am therefore proposing to sell the machine and all accessories and tools. It will otherwise sit in the workshop gathering dust and occupying space

Some pictures can be found at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/134475546@N03/sets There are boxes more of tools… I will also try and post some pictures of steam engines made with the machine.

Can I have advice from members as to:

• Should I try to sell it all as a job lot or try to identify individual things for sale separately?
• Should I try to clean up the lubricant staining? (Any suggestions as to how?)
• What sort of price should I be putting on the whole lot if I go that way?
• Where should I best be advertising it?

It's in excellent running order and still turns out stuff accurately.

It was owned by my father from new in 1952/53.

I can help with transport over the medium distance (it is in South Herefordshire) and there is a specially made pallet for moving it.

Any advice will be gratefully received

Geoffrey HYDE FYNN

[Gordon TarlingParticipant @gordontarling37126]

My 2p worth –

1 – Selling as one lot will be much easier, but you'll probably realise less money overall than selling parts separately. If you do decide to split it, it's going to take a lot longer to sell and you may get left with some pieces that are difficult to sell or not sell at all.

2 – Try WD40 or light oil on a rag for the staining – others may have better suggestions.

3 – Take a look at lathes.co.uk and homeworkshop.org.uk to get an idea of that they sell for. I'd have thought around £1500 for the lot, but something is only worth what someone's willing to pay.

4 – Classifieds on this site, the aforementioned two websites or there's always 'the Bay'.

Gordon

[Geoffrey HYDE FYNNParticipant @geoffreyhydefynn45631]

Thanks for that very prompt reply, Gordon. I've now put some steam engines that Dad made using the lathe on the same link. Other than some clocks these are the only main pieces to survive. I will set to this evening and try the WD40. I'm also happy that you suggest The "one lot" approach as it will be much easier!!

Geoffrrey

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Hello Geoffrey,

You can also post a free ad in the magazines, the form is at the bottom of this page: http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/editorial/page.asp?p=250

If you change your mind and decide to have ago, you can do worse than seek advice on this forum!

Neil

 

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 06/07/2015 17:08:23

[Alex CollinsParticipant @alexcollins55045]

Hi Geoffrey.

You have a Mk1 ML7 there. 1952/53 adds up for it's age.
The accessories you have are not much beyond the standard set that came with the machine.

The Milling Slide may fetch £50 on it's own.
I have no idea what the doofah in the last picture is or does. (the 2 micrometer screws) Maybe sell that separately.
It looks like you have a 127 tooth gear. That may be worth selling separately but it's not worth much. ~£30 – £40.

Whats it worth ?
Tiered looking ML7's have gone for under £500 on the auction sites.
Yours has a lot of tooling and while it looks well used you suggest it's not worn.
I'd put a 'Job Lot' value somewhere between £700 and £1000 if it's not badly worn.
On Here is a great place to advertise.

[Geoffrey HYDE FYNNParticipant @geoffreyhydefynn45631]

Thanks for the reply Alex.

I was going to go for some price between yours and Gordon's. Having gone through the "Solds" on the various websites, suggested above, that would seem a reasonable starting point. I've cleaned it up somewhat and have gone through the boxes of tools. Once I have laid that lot out they amount to a reasonable quantity and certainly more that is on the extras invoice from 1956 that I have. Oh and it's certainly not worn.

The "Doofah" as far as I can tell is a means of holding a job (probably on the vertical slide) that needs accurate translation in two dimensions between one task and another. I suspect Dad used it for making clock parts or similar.

But as Gordon says: "…but something is only worth what someone's willing to pay…" and that's what it will go for.

But thanks for your help and advice it is always appreciated.

Geoffrey.

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

Actually a lightly to zero wear ML7 is a pretty rare beast. I would be inclined to sell it all together as well especially if ebay is involved even with measuring stuff etc.

A lot depends on how much work it has actually done really and only you can judge that but a few small steam engines and few odd bits and bobs would suggest it aught to be like new if it's been looked after. One very telling things on an ML7 is if there are any shims left under the bearing caps. Looks like there is but can't really be sure from the photo. They are terrible things – laminated. The general idea is that when the bearing show wear a layer is peeled off and then the bearings should be scraped to fit the spindle and keep it level with the bed to very fine limits. Great fun as the front and rear have to be worked together. With luck only the top ones have to be done. I did this with the phos bronze bearings Myford switched to. The first batch that had an insane scraping allowance on them, way more than it should be and both top and bottom had to be done. The shims Myford used are a pain because it's rather difficult to peel a single layer off.

Not sure what the X-Y stage shown in the last photo is for. Interesting way of making one. I'd guess it moves the round part around so might be used to centralise something or the other with rather limited travel.

If not worn at all it is easily worth the higher number mentioned subject to the fact that all even new lathes vary a bit. Getting that might prove difficult though. One simple way of testing the headstock bearings is to free the spindle from the belt and rotate by hand. There should be a bit of drag. As I understand it not much just a little. The Myford manuals may give a clue on that but it's the sort of thing that may vary out of the factory.

John

–

Edited By John W1 on 06/07/2015 23:33:22

[Geoffrey HYDE FYNNParticipant @geoffreyhydefynn45631]

Thanks to John W1.

I have checked your idea of next to no drag and it would appear to be exactly that. It doesn't spin freely on from a little impetus but neither does it need much effort to turn it. I suspect it was used for more than just a few "bits and Bobs" but my father was an professional user in that he was a Senior Experimental Officer with the Civil Service. If the theory boffins wanted something producing from their ideas then he was the chap to do it. His nickname amongst his apprentices was "Two Tenths" (of a thou…) But Dad also had a huge American lathe from Cincinnati to do all of the heavier stuff. That regrettably had to be broken up with hammers just to get it out of the workshop and away.

I will advertise the lot as a job lot on the various sites mentioned including the ME. I will let you know the result.

Thanks to you all for your help and ideas.

Geoffrey

[Geoffrey HYDE FYNNParticipant @geoffreyhydefynn45631]

Thanks also to Neil Wyatt.

I understand and am grateful for the offer of advice to continue using the lathe from the readers through the forum but a lack of skill is, to be truthful, not the only reason. My retirement seems to be so full of other matters that I guess that time is the other main issue!! To take an hour or two in the garden to read a book seems a rare luxury and so hours in the workshop would be exceptionally rare… ..and probably not understandable/acceptable in other quarters!!

But thank you for the idea!

Geoffrey

[Geoffrey HYDE FYNNParticipant @geoffreyhydefynn45631]

Thanks for your help.

To keep you updated, the lathe has just been taken away by its new owner.

I found some more bits to add to the lot including collets etc. The buyer was very happy at £1200. So am I.

I will now come up with loads of lathe type jobs!!!!

Thanks once again for your help.

Geoffrey

PS I now have his part finished clocks etc to lose.

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