Some photos and data on My Myford Super 7 Lathe

The Super 7 was produced in 1953 as an improved version of the original Myford ML7 lathe. There were several updates, the obvious being the re-designed headstock, the longer cross slide and the increased diameter leadscrew. There are some images of my own example on this page, these are linked to larger images, but be aware some of these are ~1Mb each.

The image below shows the Super 7 lathe as it was when I got it. At this time I had not mounted it on a stand. It is just resting on the bench and not usable like this - but a lot easier to access. The adjustable spanner is a metric one (it claims to be 250mm) so clearly it could not be used on this lathe, which is Imperial.

My Myford Super 7 - Click to zoom in

Like the ML7 these lathes were very well made and still are being made in 2005 - that is for over 50 years. The major change is in the area of the headstock which has been extensively re-designed.

Super 7	ML7

Spot the Difference

A key change that is not visible is in the spindle bearings - the ML7 used a pair of parallel plain white metal bearings, the Super 7 uses a bronze conical bearing at the chuck end and a pair of ballrace bearings at the drive end. This makes adjusting for lateral wear very easy and the bronze bearing also allows much higher spindle speeds, up to 2100 rpm, to be used. The distinctive drip feed oilers of the ML7 have been replaced by a wick fed by a small reservoir that can be seen in the picture just below the "D" of Myford.

The same arrangement with back gears (a set of gears that can be engaged to reduce the speed and increase the torque of the spindle rotation) was used but improved with a toggle lever to engage and disengage the spindle from the drive pulley. It is shown below, note how rusty the pulleys are - it does not matter at all but I do intend to clean them up sometime.

Super 7 backgears

There are several other improvements to the specification. The cross-slide has 5 T-slots, the original metal tumbler reverse gears of the ML7 were replaced by fibre ones and the tailstock has a longer feed.

Super 7 Gears	ML7 Gears	Super 7 Cross Slide	ML7 Cross Slide

Super 7 vs ML7

The Clutch

A particularly useful addition to the ML7 was a clutch, this allowed the motor to run without drive to the spindle and for the spindle drive to be taken up gradually. This really helps when using a single phase motor. This optional extra for the ML7 was provided as standard with the Super 7 and makes an enormous difference to the ergonomics of the machine.

All images (c) Mike Willis 2005