This is how Myford should supply their machines - Making a carriage lock lever for a Myford Super 7.

[@RustyInventions-wz6ir]

Very nice work sir. I have replaced mine as well with a lever bolt. Works great.

[@opticalmechanic]

Nice. I’m still happy with mine and I use it all the time. Much easier than fiddling around with a spanner.

[@TheKnacklersWorkshop]

Nicely done... I like that you have added the stops...

[@opticalmechanic]

I remembered that the Hardinge I used to operate had a similar set up so I thought it would be a good idea. They’re a bit bulky though so I may reduce them down a bit. The lever is quite long too so I may shorten it too.

[@philiphartley8823]

The spanner will need to be one of the old British standard BSW / BSF range to be an exact fit. Still available but they are sized according to the bolt size not the hex. Another anomoly is that eons ago in an effort to save material BSW and BSF hex sizes were reduced, so to get a spanner to fit an 1/2 inch bolt it needed to be a 7/16 spanner.Confusing aint it. Most of the threads on the myfords, especially older models were British standard Fine (BSF) apart from the Gib screws which were usually 2BA.

[@caroleast9636]

Whitworth threads and spanner sizes aren’t so confusing when you were brought up with them. There’s got to be some benefits of being ancient 👍 Sure, I use a lot of metric now, mainly because they’re so common.

[@stejac51]

Mmmm ... the reason you cannot find a socket or spanner to fit that bolt head is because your looking in the wrong place ... the bolt head is sized '1/4 Whitworth' and is 13.4mm across flats (A/F) .... yes its a throwback size and I am amazed Myford didn't update it with the recent (?) lathe update redesign ... but there you go ... it is what it is ... Cheers.

[@georgeclements2742]

Nice job. My old Super 7 has the carriage lock at the rear. While I understand your wish to avoid the need to use spanners, I think that I will settle for brazing a T handle to an old Whitworth/BSF socket to obviate crowding the cross slide and possibly obstructing the topslide. Thanks for the instructive and interesting videos.

[@maple5793]

Sensitive hand on the feed wheels. it's evident that you used to operate a Hardinge. Well done.

[@Steviegtr52]

Nice video. My Super7B has the carriage lock at the rear of the Carriage. I guess with the new model they moved it to the front. Regards. Steve.

[@HM-Projects]

Shiny, it looks like a standard accessory that was factory made. Nicely done. I ended up replacing mine with a horizontal L shaped extension that doubles up as gibs on the front of the carriage as well. It reduces the vertical movement and anything along the X axis.

[@tazmeadows2925]

5/16 bsf whitworth spanner

[@ade63dug]

Hi mate , I have not checked in for a while . I did a similar thing on my lathe . That Myford is a thing of beauty , Nice improvement . Cheers Ade.

[@opticalmechanic]

Ah thanks Ade!

[@anthonylister6864]

You should have got the correct size BSF spanner in the tool kit that came with the lathe?

[@opticalmechanic]

No I didn’t get a spanner with the machine unfortunately but I prefer to not have to use spanners if I can help it.

[@impetus444]

The carriage lock on my (chinese) lathe is a convenient 14mm bolt, but it is obscured by the DRO mag strip. It drives me mad trying to put the wrench on the bolt when I can't see it! I am going to make this for my lathe. Thanks for the idea. Subscribed.

[@allengentz7572]

Hi I own an earlier Super7, What is the object on the cross slide. The one with a rod protruding from it.

[@opticalmechanic]

That’s the reader / encoder for the digital readout.

[@jerrypeal653]

Nice lathe

[@jbmillard]

The wrench size is probably 17/32".

[@opticalmechanic]

You’re probably right. I could have raided my Dad’s spanners and probably would have found something to fit but I had already got it in my head to make a lever for it.

[@Paul-FrancisB]

Its an attractive solution, the correct spanner is 5/16BSF which is identical to 1/4 WW (which sits on my carriage). It is worth getting hold of a set of Whitworth spanners which are interchangeable with BSF as its not the only one you will come across.

[@jbmillard]

​@@opticalmechanic I like what you did. I agree that if it's hard to use, it won't be used.

[@swarfy5377]

The correct spanner is the 5/16 BSF one supplied by Myford as standard with the lathe.

[@markloving11]

Very noice indeed