Myford saddle clamp

[tomhorse]

Hi, can anyone tell me how the Myford saddle clamp is supposed to work?
It's never been much cop at locking saddle and I recently bought the ratchet locking lever from Hemingways and now it doesn't even attempt to lock the saddle.
I've spoken to someone that should know and he seems to think that it's the eccentric that pushes against the bed, whereas others think the 'pad' actually clamps the bed between it (the pad)and the saddle. having measured things up the bottom of the way is higher than the bottom of the saddle so it cannot clamp it unless the pad has a step on it , which it dosen't, and as the eccentric sits in a hole the same size it cannot turn to push against the bed.
Is it likely that the original pad has a step and what I have is someone bodge?
or is the pad flat and I have serious wear somewhere? perhaps there is something very simple I have missed in my slightly hungover state.
happy new year TH

 

[Charles Lamont]

The pad is clamp. It should work. I would first make very sure there is no grunge or shims preventing it from working, and then machine a step on the pad to provide the necessary relief.

 

[tomhorse]

Thanks Charles, That's pretty much what I thought. There is no gunge as it's all been stripped and cleaned. The back strip has been shimmed correctly and there is no way the pad will clamp onto the bed without a step on it. I posted this query as myfords website show a flat pad, which is what I have.
I'll get that step machined sometime this year.
TH