New member and Myford ML10 restoration

[steamden]

Hello everyone i own a Myford ML1O which i am currently restoring,i plan to take it all apart and clean and repaint it. I am having some difficulties with removing the parts but it's coming along. Does anybody in the forum have a manual of all the parts or knows where i could get them?
Thanks

[super7b]

Try this site, lots of info and he has manuals.


http://www.lathes.co.uk/myfordml10/

Lawrence

[super7b]

This may also be useful:


http://myford.co.uk/acatalog/Myford_ML10.html



Lawrence

[steamden]

Thanks for the links. I sent a email to both of them hope to get a reply. There are so many small parts and when taking everything apart you forget how it all goes back together, the manual will make everything easier.

[SteveM]

There are so many small parts and when taking everything apart you forget how it all goes back together...

Take pictures, lots of pictures. And then take more pictures. If you're not sure, take another picture.

With digital photography there's no excuse for not having enough pictures.

Wrap the body of the camera in saran wrap so you don't get grease on it (that's what I do with the TV remote when I'm watching TV in the shop).

Steve

[steamden]

Thanks for the tips. I managed to get everything off the body of the lathe and now i plan to start cleaning the pieces. I have some questions since i am a bit new to this. What will be the best way to remove the rust and also how do i paint it? Do i need to remove the paint that is already there or do i paint on top of it?

Thanks,
Den

[steamden]

Here is a picture of the progress so far.

[Harold_V]

What will be the best way to remove the rust

There's a few ways you can approach rust, but the first thing you must do is come to terms with the idea that rust isn't something that is a surface coating. What it represents is a portion of the machine that has been forever destroyed. If you want to remove the color, you can do that by hand working, or by chemical alteration (phosphoric acid, for example), but understand that rust penetrates about the same amount that it has grown above the surface, so in essence, it can't really be "removed". To do that, you must grind the surfaces until they clean up. That would be a true restoration. That is not to say that you can't restore the machine to operating condition without grinding---but don't expect it to perform to the same level of standards as it may have had at some point in its life. It will still be capable of making chips---but it may or may not be capable of making good (tight tolerance) parts.
This is not to discourage you in any way---but it's useful information for you to have, so you have reasonable expectations from the effort you expend.

and also how do i paint it? Do i need to remove the paint that is already there or do i paint on top of it?

I am not a professional painter, so my advice, here, may not be valid, but my opinion would be to sand and fill the existing paint, then paint again, without removing the base paint. Do that only if the base paint is sound, however. The reason I state what I do is that is was common practice for machine tool builders to fill castings, so they would finish nicely. If you remove all of the paint, you'll also most likely remove the filler. The end result won't be nearly as nice as if you didn't. However, if the original finish is cracked and is shedding, it would then be wise to remove all of it and refinish, so it is sound when you're finished. That would be better than leaving the original finish, only to have pieces flake off after you've repainted.

Don't know that I've helped any, but you have the views of at least one other person, right or wrong.

Harold

[spro]

Sometimes a person cannot excactly advise. Let me work back a situation or two. I entirely stripped a Bridgeport mill. I didn't want to but once begun with a scaler, the surfaces were so entirely different and I knew the filler area was above the surface and would look like a patch under the skin of the overcoat. The base would pop off so easily it was difficult to know where to stop. Your situation is more different in that European machinery is often laquer paint base compatible. Chemical strippers and cleaners work different on that than another filler mated up to it. Something compatible to both as a cleaner and a primer is in order.
I can only say that many have seen the final overcoat change while drying. The line separation and weeping of one of two bases reacting to the overcoat differently.

[refinery mike]

From what i can see your lathe looks to be in pretty good shape. With care it will end up being more accurate than you are, at least at first. Then when you can master perfection, trade up to a perfect machine. Machinists tend to be supper perfectionists. Perfection is their job. your lathe will clean up to be a fine small machine. take care in the restoration and i am sure you will be pleased with the results.
As far as paint, I would carefully mask any machined surfaces and plug any machined holes, or journals with wooden dowels. and then glass bead blast the metal clean. (not any machined surfaces) You may need to use filler in bad areas, and then use sandable primer until you get the smoothness you desire before painting. also use the search button at the top right of the page to search subjects like rust removal at this site. there is a whole lot on the subject here. Good luck and remember we want pictures of your projects as it comes along.

[steamden]

Thanks for the great tips everyone! The lathe way is actually really smooth no bents or dents in it, i just need to get some of that surface rust off of it without damaging it. Would i use sandpaper on that or is their something specific? I will post pictures of the Apron parts tomorrow as i removed them for cleaning.

[GlennW]

I would spray it with WD-40 or something similar and scrub it with some fine steel wool, not sandpaper.

I looked at it and immediately thought that it needed grinding to be done properly. That would not be a beginners project though as there would also need to be other mating parts ground and fit, and probably a bit of scraping as well to get it nice and true.