Myford lathe, Geo Thomas large cross slide dials

[PJPickard]

Has anyone here made these? I've been considering making it for years and years. I really don't like the standard friction dials, I can never manage to adjust them without moving the screw. I am also mulling the idea of a DRO for the machine...thus making this discussion moot! However the two come are very different costs!

[Chipswitheverything]

  I have made one of the designs that GHT schemed out and wrote up in Model Engineer mag ( and in the workshop books too, I think ). There are a number of variants of different sophistication.  I fitted it to the robust Myford topslide that I made a few years ago, ( and wrote up on this forum ), to the design by J Radford published also in ME mag, way back.
  The dial and locking work very well, and clamps without disturbing the setting. As I was lucky to have known Geo. H. Thomas in the past, and visited his superb workshop often, I can definitely say that the dials on his own Myford lathe, made to his pattern, worked beautifully.   Dave

[Charles Lamont]

I have not done the cross and top slides (yet), but I have done my two vertical slides as they had the horrid little fixed diecast dials. I modified the design a little to maximise the scale diameter while remaining clear of the slide face. They are a huge improvement. The slides do still get used occasionally, even though I now have a milling machine. Here is a bad photo:

[PJPickard]

Thanks guys...I think I might make the one for the cross slide. Charles I see you even did the square knurls like Geo. mentions and showed pics of, nice looking!

[Del_61]

Hi,

After struggling to use the super 7 friction set cross feed dial, I decided to dig out the article in the ME by GHT.

I proceeded to modify it as per the instructions by the "master", and other than the stressful part of machining the myford crossslide bracket - a non reversible process!, it was completed without any problems.

I also decided to buy a new feedscrew and nut as well which made the job easier.

Highly recommend the modification, and as with all GHT tooling it is well thought out and much easier to use.

There is a commercial kit available to convert but this is only for the myford ml7 as i understand it.

Regards

Derek

PS about to start building the "Gibraltar" tool post by that other giant of the ME world, the late great and also sadly missed, Tubal Cain aka T D Walshaw

[GWRdriver]

This is of interest (as if I don't have too many tool "mods" planned already), in which ME number may this article(s) be found?

[Del_61]

Sorry to take so long to reply.

GHT described the modification over 5 parts in the Model Engineer starting from November 1977. I think he also covered it in one of his workshop manual books that effectively contains all of his enhancements to the lathe and other bits in the workshop.

GHT was a giant in the ME world. It was said that he spent so much time making tools etc and was never able to complete a 5 inch gauge loco he was building - others might shed more light on that.

It covered both the Myford ML7 as well as the Myford Super 7. He then went on to show the modification over several iterations of the Super 7 cross slide.

One of the best upgrades to my dear old Myford Super 7  circa 1962/63

During my apprenticeship days in the mid1970's Tubal Cain (aka Tom Walshaw) and George Thomas really gave me an insight to engineering - and I still refer to their work today.

All the best

Derek

[GWRdriver]

Tubal Cain (aka Tom Walshaw) and George Thomas really gave me an insight to engineering - and I still refer to their work today.

As do I Derek.  Thanks very much for the article references, never mind the delay, . . . it's not as if I've been minding the clock and tapping my foot. 
I'll have a look at the articles tonight.

Cheers,
Harry

[Chipswitheverything]

Just to comment on the query, George Thomas was building a very accurate and beautiful model of an LNER A3 Pacific loco , in 3 1/2" gauge.  He started it very many years ago, as a young model engineer, using an LBSC design as the basis ( Heilen Lassie? ) , but soon found that the design was flawed by inaccuracies and mistakes, and then remade and continued work on the basis of designing components himself from works drawing information. Things like the inside eccentrics were made exactly as the prototype drawing, split for the axle and tongue and grooved to mate up...
 
 The tender was completed, but not painted, and shown at at least one of the Model Engineer exhibitions.  The loco chassis was pretty much completed , and was at the back of the bench in GHT's superb workshop for many years.  I think that the boiler may have been completed also, but I can't recall seeing it united with the frames. In the "Pillar Tool " book there are photos of the exquisite window frames for the cab being drilled and tapped.     GHT also had built a certain amount of the "Twin Sisters" tank loco, the complex version, after the series by J Austin-Walton came out in ME, around the post war years. In his opinion, it was the first design for a model loco that was properly engineered and accurate.

  Tool design , working methods and tool making were very much his abiding interest in the later period.  He was very aware that a model engineer could massively increase the scope of what was possible with the help of well designed tooling, that could be made by them in their own workshop, and which on the whole was not ( especially back then ) available for purchase. Nor were there too many existing good tooling designs and casting support , so in his considerable body of sound tool designs GHT built up a "suite" of essential tooling equipment that rectified this ommission.
 His explanations of the ways of making the tools are in themselves a primer for learning good machining procedure and new approaches.  Along with other projects like the Quorn grinder by Prof. Chaddock, and excellent tooling articles in Model Engineerby J. A Radford in New Zealand ( who GHT went to visit ..), it sort of set the hobby up on a very sound basis of procedure, for those interested in doing some toolmaking.   Dave

[KellisRJ]

Sorry to take so long to reply.

GHT described the modification over 5 parts in the Model Engineer starting from November 1977. I think he also covered it in one of his workshop manual books that effectively contains all of his enhancements to the lathe and other bits in the workshop.

GHT was a giant in the ME world. It was said that he spent so much time making tools etc and was never able to complete a 5 inch gauge loco he was building - others might shed more light on that.

It covered both the Myford ML7 as well as the Myford Super 7. He then went on to show the modification over several iterations of the Super 7 cross slide.

One of the best upgrades to my dear old Myford Super 7  circa 1962/63

During my apprenticeship days in the mid1970's Tubal Cain (aka Tom Walshaw) and George Thomas really gave me an insight to engineering - and I still refer to their work today.

All the best

Derek

The book is The Model Engineers Workshop Manual published posthumously but under his name, edited by William Bennett without a cover credit.

Ron

[KellisRJ]

Old thread, but one never knows who may see it. I came across The Model Engineers Workshop Manual researching the use of Vernier scales on cross slide dials. Being rather, and am still, new to the craft, it took me a while to figure out "GA" is General Assembly. 
Mr. Thomas provided several drawings. However to "save space and a considerable amount of drawing"  he also combined two different variations into the drawings. If anyone has redrawn these, I would be very thankful for a copy. Sometimes I just can't get my head going the right direction.

Ron