This is just one of some 80 files about machining and metalworking and useful workshop subjects that can be read at: http://www.janellestudio.com/metal/index.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ Here are many users' experiences finding and/or making appropriate parts for the Atlas lathes (and sometimes Atlas mills and shapers). There are a few instances of modifications to the gears or other parts. Many Atlas models were sold by Sears under the Craftsman brand name, and in the United Kingdom as Acorn brand. There are some repair discussions about the nuts involved for threading half-nuts or split-nuts in the text file "Thread Dial and Half Nuts" Also, there are discussions in the text file "Atlas Repair or Fitting" as to how some parts may be repaired or made from scratch. And there are further discussions about Atlas or similar machines' bearings and spindle problems in the "Bearings and Bushings" file. LOOKING FOR ATLAS PARTS? New Atlas lathe, mill, and shaper parts are still available from Clausing. (ATLAS BOUGHT CLAUSING IN 1950, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND, and soon after adopted the more upscale Clausing name for the company.) Clausing personnel know a great deal about their old Atlas products and have the majority of spare parts still in stock. Some are original and some are more recently manufactured. And if not in stock (which is more likely in the case of some accessory products like collet closers), they can probably provide a copy of the specifications so you could make one. And in most cases, parts from Clausing are much cheaper than available elsewhere. It makes sense to support this company that so cares for its clients and ancient products -- it is a very rare company indeed. You need to get to know one of the good folks at Clausing Parts & Service Dept. For many years they were located in Goshen, IN. but recently returned to the original Atlas home area in Kalamazoo, MI. Phone: Parts or technical info for non-CNC machines (800)323-0972 FAX: (269)342-7888 E-mail: infox~xxclausingsc.com Website: http://www.clausing-industrial.com/partsService.asp Address: Clausing Service Center 1819 N. Pitcher Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007-1886. (The shipping/receiving is at 2019 N. Pitcher St). And their good copies of manuals and current price lists are must-haves. While some other dealers carry Atlas parts, they get theirs from Clausing and usually mark them up a lot. Note: Atlas originally put several Atlas Technical Bulletins for the 6, 9, 10, and 12 inch lathes (along with the Atlas horizontal mill) online. That information was recently removed from their site. Here's an archive.org link to a copy of the main Atlas bulletin page: ://www.atlas-pre ss.com/servicebulletins.htm [NOTE TO FILE: If this link disappears too, some of us have copies of the bulletins and can email them. But we also may not be around forever. The loss of the original site is typical of many good websites that for any number of reasons disappear. So when you find good stuff on the web, make it a habit of bookmarking the less important stuff, but saving a copy of the really valuable (to you) stuff on your home computer. And remember to make a backup copy in a safe place not on your computer. External hard drives and/or USB memory sticks are great for this.] If the machine was also sold by Sears under their Craftsman name, you may be able to look up parts on-line at the Sears site: http://www.searspartsdirect.com/partsdirect/index.action A quote from a discontinued Sears' site before the change to PartsDirect: >Most parts are sold as a quantity of one. In some instances a part description will include a quantity in parenthesis. The number inside of the parenthesis represents the total number of pieces to be ordered for that particular part. If verification is required for the number of parts to order, please call 1-800-252-1698 or email partsdirectx~xxcustomerservice.sears.com for further assistance.< Then there are other vendors that make new parts that may be modified or adapted to use on an Atlas. Or you can make parts like rests yourself. Used parts are often available from machinery dealers (see metalworking magazines' ads) or at on-line auctions. Particular caution must be used for internet transactions to be sure the part being sold is really the correct one for your machine. Often the vendor of a machine part knows little to nothing about what exactly he is selling. NOTE TO FILE: The first 2 messages are way out of date-order but will answer some of the basic questions by new owners of a 6" and help them to figure out which one they really have. There is much more information on 6" lathe model numbers at the start of the "Atlas 618 Gems" text file here. The identically featured versions of the Atlas 618 and the 6" Sears Craftsman 101 will share all parts and accessories. Caution must be taken in that there are spindle variations within the 618/101 lines. Some have bronze bearings, characterized by a split headstock casting sandwiching this bearing type. Those with no split have roller bearings. Some 618/101 had a spindle thread of 1" diameter and 8 threads per inch (1" X 8 TPI), while later production went to 1" X 10 TPI. Make sure you know which spindle thread you have before buying a chuck or accessory that threads onto the headstock spindle; thread gauges are inexpensive and can often be bought locally. The only (!) parts the Atlas-made 618/101 have in common with the AA-made 109 are the change gears. Generally the other 109 parts (NOT Atlas) are available from Sears or from machinery dealers parting out old 109s or even making replacement parts. If you got to this file directly from my HOME PAGE, return there by using your browser's back button. BUT if you came to this file as the result of a web search engine, see many additional files on my home page Machining and Metalworking at Home http://www.janellestudio.com/metal/index.html SAFETY WARNING BEWARE: DO NOT ASSUME that any subject matter or procedure or process is safe or correct or appropriate just because it was mentioned in a news/user group or was included in these files or on this site or on any other web site or was published in a magazine or book or video. Working with metals and machinery and chemicals and electrical equipment is inherently dangerous. Wear safety devices and clothing as appropriate. Remove watches, rings, and jewellery -- and secure or remove loose clothing -- before operating any machine. Read, understand and follow the latest operating procedures and safety instructions provided by the manufacturer of your machine or tool or product. If you do not have those most recent official instructions, acquire a copy through the manufacturer before operating or using their product. Where the company no longer exists, use the appropriate news or user group to locate an official copy. Be careful -- original instructions may not meet current safety standards. Updated safety information and operating instructions may also be available through a local club, a local professional in the trade, a local business, or an appropriate government agency. In every case, use your common sense before beginning or taking the next step; and do not proceed if you have any questions or doubts about any procedure, or the safety of any procedure. Follow all laws and codes, and employ certified or licenced professionals as required by those laws or codes. Hazardous tasks beyond your competence or expertise should also be contracted to professionals. Let's be really careful out there. (c) Copyright 2003 - 2016 Machining and Metalworking at Home The form of the collected work in this text file (including editing, additions, and notes) is copyrighted and this file is not to be reproduced by any means, including electronic, without written permission except for strictly personal use. ======================================================================== Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2003 05:12:02 -0800 (PST) From: helpx~xx4mtool.com Subject: Re: My Atlas 6" This is the more common Atlas, referred to by people on this list as an Atlas 618. This is also known as a Craftsman 101.___ lathe (6" size). The Sears 101.xxxxx numbers are the Atlas company ones, and the Sears 109.xxxxx numbers are the AA company ones. Regards, George O'Connoe georgex~xx4mtool.com ------- Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2003 15:45:27 -0000 From: "speedphoto300" Subject: Re: My Atlas 6" The later Atlas 10100 is also known as the 6 inch mark II or "square head", Sears sold this one as model 101.21200. The earlier, and more common, Atlas model 618 was made from 1937 to 1974, sold by Sears as 101.07301 (bronze spindle bearings), and 101.21400 (roller bearings). You'll see all of these discussed here. Joe ------- Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 20:16:59 -0400 From: "Mike Spring" Subject: Re: 0 Morse taper For all the AA109 owners, the following companies have MT0 accessories: Grand Tool Supply (201-342-6900 no web site that I know of) sells MT0 centers: carbon 008-200 $2, HSS 008-000 $5, carbide tipped 008-100 $9, in their fall 99 catalog ($50 minimum order or $10 handling charge). Campbell tools (800-878-8562 web site www.campbelltools.com) sells MT0 centers: carbon 0LC-C $6.25, HSS 0LC-HS $9.5, carbide tipped 0LC-CT $16.75. They also handle all the Sherline accessories which includes: MT0 centers live and dead, MT0 arbors to both 3/8 and 3/4 threads for mounting chucks as well as chucks with the 1/2-20 threads. The Sherline centers are shorter than the others, but still seem to work ok. Just be sure you get the MT0 part numbers (Sherline tailstock), they also carry MT1 stuff for the Sherline lathe headstock. Check out Sherline's web site, www.sherline.com - lots of helpful hints there as well as information on their various accessories. Taig tools sells some nice small 3 and 4 jaw chucks, but they are 3/4-16 threads and would need an adaptor or larger spindle. One of the group members, Nick Carter, is a Taig dealer and was very helpful to me. ------- Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2001 15:52:45 -0600 From: Bill Williams Subject: Re: #0 morse taper fnkbrinkx~xxwctc.net wrote: > Where can I get a # 0 morse taper dead center to fit the Craftsman > 109 Lathe? Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks. If you have a working lathe it is pretty easy to turn your own. The taper is .05205 per inch. Small end is .252. Big end is .3561. If you have an existing tool with the right taper things are even simpler. Set it up between centers then adjust the compound until an indicator doesn't wiggle much as you move transversely along the taper. Chuck up some CRS (Cold rolled steel here) or drill rod and make chips. It is easy enough that I find myself making all sorts of arbors and stuff that will just plop into the headstock taper - #3 MT of the 12 inch machines. Good luck! wms ------- Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 09:33:05 -0800 From: Frank Evan Perdicaro Subject: Thoughts on follower rest My Atlas 10" came to me with a steady rest. Once and while I have need for a follower rest, but I do not have one. Given that I have a mill it will be pretty easy to make a follower rest, so I'll probably do that some time. But I was thinking about the contact surface of the rest. My steady rest uses brass inserts to make a plain bearing contact. It should be easy to use rotary bearings instead. Yes, this will reduce the usable radius of the rest some. My thought for both the follower and steady rest is to make an insert that uses Rollerblade ABEC 5 bearings for direct contact to the workpiece. These bearings are small, high quality and easy to obtain. Each one can probably be used to apply 100 lbs pressure Used in pairs the will be more that adequate. For a follower rest I envision making up something like a knurl tool that has Rollerblade bearings where the knurl cutters would normally be. Can anybody see any problem using these semi-disposable bearings in this application? ------- Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 09:40:31 -0800 From: "Bob May" Subject: Re: Thoughts on follower rest There's a lot of bearings out there that can probably handle higher loads for less cost than those bearings although using a sealed bearing is a good idea. You may have to build a bit bigger to support a piece but you shouldn't have to limit yourself to something of smaller cap. than the brass bearing one you have now. Personally, I have always been supprised that no manufacturer that I have seen is making ball bearing rests. They all seem to be plain bearing ones. Bob May My new web space address is http://webu.wigloo.com/bobmay/ or http://nav.to/bobmay ------- Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 12:58:38 -0500 From: "ebower" Subject: Re: Thoughts on follower rest Frank, I have made steady rests and follower rest (special designed) in the past. The only problem you will have is the following: The steady rest is stationary. It does not move over the part being machined. Using either bearings or brass pads will only mark the part in an area that you are going to machine. If you use it on a finished surface then light polishing, using a scotchbrite type pad, will remove the brass deposited by the pads. No problem. The follower rest, however, moves over the part as the carriage is moved. The follower rest is to be reset each time you are cutting. The bearings are set parallel with the centerline. The will cause the bearing to rub the surface, e.g., burnishing a part. If for some reason that the bearing seizes up, then the part will be marked or bent. If you are cutting in a direction that the follower rest is already set for depth, then you run the chance that the part will be marked by the bearing. (I have seen problems in the past, where I used to work, that a seized bearing has ruined a part and the whole part had to be replaced). Just my .02 as I used to work as a tool designer for a company. I worked there for 25 years and had to work with the shop as a designer. Earl bower machine ------- Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2001 12:32:04 -0600 From: Jim Irwin Subject: Re: Thoughts on follower rest Rollerblade bearings may work fine. Just remember the main thrust vectors they are going to have to resist and design your follower rest accordingly. Best regards, Jim Irwin ------- From: help... Date: Wed Jul 25, 2001 9:15 am Subject: Source for atlas parts I am a recent subscriber to the list (wished I'd known about it earlier!), -but we have are a machine shop and manufacturing facility who use (3) 618 atlas lathes in our shop. We make or contract to be made (out of need) accessories for these lathes (as well as some other small lathes, as well as other things (sheet metal brakes and accessories for cutoff bandsaws). These Atlas suitable items include tool blocks for 3/8" (or 10mm) bits, boring bar holding blocks, 1"-10 threaded backplates, and a unique radiusing fixture, which as far as I know, no one else makes. We regularly offer for auction on eBay (user name forem), these and other items. You can view pictures of the same items there. We intend to soon offer more parts (plastic and brass gears to replace the original zamak ones, a cross slide table, and others) Overall, these lathes offer a lot for their value in the home or small shop. we do have an "under construction" website [www.4mtool.com) so don't expect too much from it, but I will timely answer questions posted to us (allow a couple of days). We have simple data sheets which we can email for those who so desire. I am sorry if this sounds like a solicitation, but it is a hobby which got out of hand. We also buy parts and even junkers for these units. Regards, George O'Connor ------- From: sleykin... Date: Wed Jul 25, 2001 8:39 pm Subject: Re: [atlas_craftsman] Source for atlas parts Welcome George! I have bought a few things from you on e-bay and am very satisfied. You do nice work and the saw feed attachment is like getting a whole new saw! I can't believe how much longer the blades last. I did change out the valve for a one way type that makes it even easier to use. Any chance of turning out some of those parts for the bigger atlas lathes? The ball turning tool looks like it would work great. I have a 12" now and I sold the 6" or I would have one of those radius fixtures already :) Sorry if this is a bit off topic (the bandsaw downfeed) but I have been so impressed with George's operation I couldn't resist. Glenn Neff Medford, OR ------- Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2001 19:15:45 -0000 From: "Horace Steven" Subject: Great Idea, I posted 2 photos to Photo file area... of my 10" steady rest, I had more but didn't want to use up all the space, I used 3% of the space with 2 photos. The steady was made from 1 3/4" thick alum I got as scrap! and milled on a milling machine using a rotary table. Talk about chips! buckets full! It works well, the fingers are 3/4" brass, I had intended to make a set of 3/8" ones also but never needed them so haven't. The small clamp pieces that lock the fingers are relieved so they touch only on each end, to clamp more firmly in the middle of the finger. The four 1/4" holes are where it was bolted down to the rotary table, during final milling of the interior bore and the outer shape. The hinge is milled from the solid, it could have been made more easily in several pieces, but I did it when I first started, not after I got tired and cut corners as I did at the end. It could be made from much thinner aluminum, 1" would be fine. The adjusting rods are 6" long carrige bolts, they are threaded full length, have round smooth heads that fit into a drilled hole and run on the 135deg drill point angle. They are held in place by a press fit bushing, the square shank area turned round to suit. Steve ------- Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2001 20:23:24 EDT From: catboat15x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Atlas lathe In a message dated 10/1/01, sleykinx~xxaol.com writes: > Fortunately with the flat ways on the Atlas lathes building a steady is > pretty simple. Nothing is really criticle on the steady rest as > you adjust the fingers to center the work anyway. When I had to face off the end of my boiler on my Atlas I made a temporary steady rest from plywood. Made an L shaped bracket and clamped the bottom of the L to the bed. Then used a headstock center to make a starting mark and find the center. A drilled hole and a coping saw finished the job. Greased the copper tube and wood steady rest and did the job. John Meacham High Desert of California, Palmdale, Littlerock. ------- Date: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 11:05:43 -0500 From: "R and J Sport" Subject: Re: Re: 109 bent spindle At the time I had my 109 I had a new spindle made by Largen Machine Co. in Creighton, NE. He made the spindle with my choice of thread for about $25.00 and it worked and ran true for 3 years till I sold the lathe. Jim at R and J ------- Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 01:48:55 -0000 From: "John Lawson" Subject: Spindle for small 6" lathe Noticed the discussion and remembered the last spindle I made for mine. Following the directions in "The Amateur's Lathe" by Sparey, I turned one between centers, but made the flange that backed the chuck a much larger diameter and had it bear against a flat bronze washer of flange diameter. As memory serves, I made it from a piece of 1" diameter drill rod. Mine had a 1/2"-20 thread on the nose, and I made the threads on the tight side. I finished the turned bearing surfaces with 1200 grit abrasive paper. I also did not make the 1/4" spindle bore or the 0 Morse taper socket. I made a shallow 1/4"-20 thread socket in the nose and made up a 60 degree tip with wrench flats for turning between centers. I never missed the through the spindle capability, and the spindle proved to be very strong compared to the original spindle. I did not attempt to harden the part, fearing warpage. Later, I mounted a rack and pinion carraige advance (made from an r and p from an old machine of some sort), and though the crank turned in the wrong direction, not having enough room in the apron to mount an intermediate gear, it improved the usefulness of the little machine and was in daily use until I was able to buy a slightly larger Atlas 6" lathe. ------- Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 02:13:33 -0700 From: "Patrick Lee Rooney" Subject: Vertical Mill Attachments for Atlas I am a new member to the group, but have owned my QC42 and MF Atlas machines for nearly 15 years. Shortly after acquiring them in the eighties, I rebuilt both with parts from Clausing. Prices were reasonable, and the machines have served me well up to this point. Unfortunately, both are once again in need of servicing. Parts are no longer reasonable, but I bought the needed gears anyway. The new gears are all steel, while all my NOS gears from the 80's are that crappy composite pot metal (not really sure what that stuff is). My concern is in the mating of gears composed of two dissimilar metals. Has anyone experienced a problem with this? I would like both machines to last another 15 years. Also, I noticed a Marvin Vertical Mill attachment for my MF recently in the local paper. Although the price is way beyond me ($1500), the prospect intrigues me. Has anyone outfitted their mill with a similar setup? I have modern CNC machines, so re-machining an existing product would not be a problem. Just wondered if someone in this group has already had success with a similar project. My Dad doesn't understand why I put money into "those poorly built machines". I can't really explain in myself. They just have that certain appeal. Thanks in advance, Pat ------- Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 06:20:40 -0500 From: "Charles Brumbelow" Subject: Re: Vertical Mill Attachments for Atlas One of the Village Press magazines ran an article about adding vertical milling capability to the Atlas MF. It was reprinted as "Economy Substitute for a Bridgeport" in Metalworking Book Three. This device was basically a head with spindle attached at right angles to a tube which passed through the top hole in the mill (the one above the spindle) and had a motor on the other end. The book is available from http://www.caboosehobbies.com at a discount or from the publisher at retail. Attached for you, Partick, is a file from eBay showing the Atlas MF with -- apparently -- the factory vertical milling attachment. It was powered from the spindle. Sorry the pictures are not larger. Charles ------- Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2001 16:16:15 -0700 From: S1 Subject: Re: Vertical Mill Attachments for Atlas If the teeth are the same they will mate up and work like they should. Wear-wise however, the softer gear will wear sooner. I own a 7X10 mini lathe, and it has steel 20 tooth gears that mate up with 80 tooth Plastic gears and they mesh just fine. Just keep them lubed with a lubricant which doesn't attract dust or grime; periodically clean the gears of any swarf or chips; and you ought to be fine. Gabe ------- Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 14:28:09 EDT From: anthrhodesx~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Vertical Mill Attachments for Atlas In a message dated Fri, Charles Brumbelow writes: << Attached for you, Partick, is a file from eBay showing the Atlas MF with --apparently -- the factory vertical milling attachment. It was powered from the spindle. Sorry the pictures are not larger ... >> As you mentioned before my present quote one or more of the Village Press magazines published one or more atricles on vertical milling adapters for the Atlas Mill. As far as I'm aware Atlas/Clausing never offered one of their own. The Marvin unit that was mentioned dates back to the early 50s and is one of several attachments they offered for the Atlas Mill. The other significant ones are a dividing head, based on the Brown & Sharpe principles, and a 6" rotary table using the same dividing mechanism as the Marvin Dividing Head. I have the Marvin Rotary Table with only one of the three dividing plates, and a casting plus drawings to make a replica of the Marvin Vertical Milling Attachment. I do not have the Marvin Dividing Head but would very much like to acquire one (at a reasonable price!). << Also, I noticed a Marvin Vertical Mill attachment for my MF recently in the local paper. Although the price is way beyond me ($1500), the prospect intrigues me. >> Regarding $1500 for a vertical attachment for the Atlas Mill, that's way out of line, for a Marvin unit or any other. (I realize Patrick wasn't planning on paying that and it seems unlikely anyone else in this group would do so either.) The Marvin unit is *extremely* limited. It has a 3/8" bore and setscrew for holding end mills so tooling options are limited, and it does not have an adjustable quill. This means that all depth of cut adjustments are made through raising and lowering the knee. It also means that, while in theory you can swivel the "vertical spindle" axis off the vertical, the reality is it's virtually unusable in anything but axial alignment with the vertical motion of the knee. Additional to the above limitations, the distance between the bottom of the vertical spindle and the work table is *very* limited so that once you've installed any tooling there's almost no room for a work piece. I've thought about making a riser block to fit between the column casting and the head casting to provide additional vertical clearance (this is sometimes done on Bridgeport-pattern mills). At the same time the head could be set back so that end mills or other tooling mounted in the standard horizontal spindle would have more working room. I haven't done any actual design work on such a riser block but I have a spare column casting and two spare head castings so I can at some point take the required measurements for such a project. I hope the above information is useful to people considering adding vertical milling ability to the Atlas Mill. And if anybody has a Marvin Dividing Head you're willing to part with please contact me off list at Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 20:05:58 -0000 From: "John Lawson" Subject: Living in the Past? Because of the content of some eMail responses I have received, I'm certain that many of the forumites who are looking for parts are either living in the past or in a dream world all their own. One person intimated that Sobel Machinery charged way too much for parts and accesories. Since I have been looking for and buying parts from wherever I can find them, I know for certain that Dave Sobel charges very reasonable prices for Atlas parts. Recently, a friend died and I sold his Atlas lathe for his widow. All but one of the "machinists" who responded tot he ad were trying to cheat the widow out of the machine by running it down and telling half-truths. They were thrown out on their ear. One gentleman knew the value of the machine and bought it for three thousand dollars (it had almost every attachment and tooling device made for the lathe.) When you consider that Atlas lathes are no longer made, and that each lathe parted out has one of each part, you get the message that the prices charged are not out of line. The only current small shop lathe available new is the 10" Southbend. They now cost in excess of eight thousand dollars STRIPPED, plus shipping and sales tax. (Nobody complaining about prices ever mentions shipping and sales tax.) But, there will always be cheapskates looking for something for nothing. In light of these facts, Dave Sobel, Barry Aronson and others who sell used parts are well within the range of reasonable pricing. Unless some of you have secret sources of supply. If you do, please share them with us. As for robbing widows, one recent incident locally involved a "Home Shop Machinist" who DEALS in used stuff but does not actually USE it, bought (I should say bamboozled) a machine tool from a lady and turned around the next week and sold it for three times the price without doing anything to it. If you want to deal in used machinery, go to your city, county and state tax offices and obtain the proper licenses, keep books and pay your taxes. There is no such thing as a "hobby machinery dealer." It is a wise thing to inventory your shop equipment, listing the latest fair market values in case you die suddenly. Meanwhile, you might lend your fabulous expertise to HELPING the widows instead of standing by while they are cheated. Machine tools don't eat anything. Tell the lady she can keep the equipment for months or years until somebody who will appreciate it answers her ad. And, the next guy I hear bragging about cheating a little old lady... ------- Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2001 15:48:05 -0700 From: "Patrick Lee Rooney" Subject: RE: Re: Vertical Mill Attachments for Atlas Hey Paul: Somewhat reluctant to participate for fear I might mis-speak. However, I did want to point out that I did swing by to check out the mill attachments. Included in the deal was a "Marvin Slotting Attachment", which appeared to be chain driven from a sprocket installed on the spindle. The vertical mill attachment utilized collets, and several of those were also included. The whole package went for the asking price, which in these parts is the equivalent of a house payment. No way to really justify that expense. But still, I found the attachments unique and fascinating. The new owner has plans to commit the attachments to Acad R13 for windows :-( I can never get that format to convert properly. Thanks to Anthony and all for the feedback. I truly appreciate the experience of this group. Patrick ------- Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 12:15:35 -0000 From: "wburn2000" Subject: Steady rest [atlas_craftsman] For the group members that are interested in the split ring set up that the homemade stedy rest was made from ,the shipping weight is six pounds. Anyone interested in a set of these plates, please contact me off list. The price is $5.00 each plus S&H. Pictures of this setup is in the photos section of the Yahoo groups A/C page.Thanks Wayne(rice)Burner ------- From: David Beierl Date: Wed Jan 23, 2002 12:14 am Subject: Re: [atlas_craftsman] Do You Use Your Follower Rest? At 09:24 PM 1/22/2002, Jude Miller wrote: >I was curious what the feeling was here. Do those of you >with follower rests actually set them up and use them? >How often? How much compared to chuck only, tailstock, steady rest? I don't see what choice you have if you're working on something long and skinny, even though it's a horrible nuisance to reset the rest after every cut. If you did much of it I could see wanting one where you could push a button and have it magically take up the slack from the previous cut. I haven't needed it yet and I'm not looking forward to it either. I've used the fixed steady fairly often, it takes a lot of strain off the chuck and reduces chatter, also centers work for boring and so forth. It's a nuisance too, especially since the six-inch one doesn't fold open like the larger ones. david ------- Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 10:04:25 -0700 From: "Bob May" Subject: Re: I am in need of 6 gears Those things are kind of rare. You might want to consider making a whole set from Boston Gear gears by boring out the hubs of some compatible gears. Doing so can also do a gear so that you can do the metric threads also. Bob May http://nav.to/bobmay NEW! http://bobmay.astronomy.net ------- Date: Thu, 16 May 2002 17:27:52 -0500 From: "Fred & Liz Lusen" Subject: Re: miniature bearing suppliers Mark: Check out these two web sites also. http://www.reidtool.com/ http://www.smallparts.com/ Get both catalogs. They will do you whole bunches of good. Fred Lusen Coppell, Texas ------- Date: Fri, 17 May 2002 15:20:46 -0700 From: Frank Evan Perdicaro Subject: Milling attachment, and other things > I recently acquired a 12x24 Craftsman lathe. I am completely new to this thing and have many questions so you will be hearing a lot from me. After I learn how to use the lathe I hope to build some scale models. The two questions I have at this time are as follows. There is a milling attachment coming up at auction in the next couple of days. This is supposed to be in excellent condition. Question number one, Is this something I would likely have much use for? Question number two, What would be a fair price to pay for this? I realize that there are no absolutely correct answers to these, but I would appreciate as many opinions as possible. Thank You. < Occasionally I post this updated list of things you can buy from McMaster-Carr (and generally from MSC) that can be used to fix, upgrade, or equip the 10" and 12" Atlas lathes. A milling attachment is still available new. Parts List: McMaster-Carr part numbers for Atlas/Craftsman 10" Lathes Repair Parts: Bronze Bearing Assortment (45 pcs) 6388K13 $29.91 Babbit, lead base 8899K11 $13.73 Babbit, tin base 8900K11 $48.96 Twist Lock Belt, 60" by 1/2" 6173K47 $23.54 Oil caps, small 1231K1 $1.63 Oil caps, big 1231K5 $3.16 Oiler instead of big cap 1169K11 $9.31 Switch 7343K71 $2.84 Pulley, mult-step 6213K77 $12.70 Handwheels (tailstock, etc) too many to list Shim stock assortment 9301K2 $25.96 Acme Screw No slotted leadscrew available Tooling: Live Center, small 3229A21 $54.55 Live Center, big 3265A11 $207.58 Dead Center 3266A3 $40.66 MT Sleeve, 2/3 2976A25 $9.29 MT Sleeve, 1/2 2976A21 $7.12 MT Jacobs 3 adapter 2811A34 $14.11 MT 3 Albrecht 30075A46 $218.66 MT Drift 2 2796A12 $6.60 Cutters various Toolpost, Quick Change 31805A11 $216.34 Toolpost, wedge 3291A11 $17.63 Tool holder 3298A62 $91.25 Tool holder, thread 3310A12 $133.13 Tool holder, cutoff 3307A72 $96.25 Dogs, starting at 3283A12 $32.94 Milling attachment (Palmgren) 3199A2 $190.80 Tapping Collet 2MT, 1/4" 2731A46 $10.14 part numbers run up Tapping Collets 3MT, 5/8" 2731A57 $16.69 part numbers run up ------- Date: Sun, 26 May 2002 04:49:23 +0000 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: Gear info? [atlas_craftsman] latheplaya wrote: > Does anyone know the pitch info for 10F gears? I need a couple and > would like to try a cross with Boston Gear or something. I believe it is 16 pitch, 14.5 degree pressure angle. I also believe Boston Gear has drop-in replacement gears, complete with the double keyway. Jon ------- Date: Wed, 29 May 2002 18:05:07 +0000 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: Rocker for tool post panamint98 wrote: >I have a Atlas QC54 and found out I am missing the rocker for the tool >post. The lathe has a index tool holder but I would like to find the >rocker so I can use the tool post also. I think the part # is 9-41. If >anyone has a extra for sell or knows where to find one please let me know I have both the lantern toolpost and a QC toolpost. I have only had the lantern post on my lathes twice since I got the the QC, and that is over a period of 15 years! The rocker tends to slip under load, and that will end up showering you with metal fragments. Not fun at all. You could make these parts pretty easily. The concave washer can be turned with a pointed tool and rotating the compound rest. The rocker can be made from a ring of 1/4" (roughly) steel, and then cut apart. You'll get at least 3 or 4 of them from one ring. Jon ------- Date: Thu, 30 May 2002 04:14:59 -0700 From: "shalgs" Subject: Re: Handy Tool Post Grinder > AtlasTV48x~xxaol.com wrote: > >I made a 1/2" ID by 5/8" OD bushing to mount a Dremel Flex shaft > >attachment in my Phase II boring bar holder. I works incredibly well > >for ID and OD grinding. I just used it to recondition my 3 jaw > >chuck which now repeats to less than .001. I stuck a picture on the > >home page below. Sorry about the rotation. My lathe isn't really > >mounted on the wall. > > Dave... > > > > http://hometown.aol.com/atlastv48/myhomepage/index.html Here is another method for mounting a tool post grinder. I bought a Dremel holder at a garage sale,ground some flats on the holder shaft.mounted it in my lantern tool post holder on my Craftsman 6". It can be moved for alignment. Posted in picture sect. under toolpost grinder. dave ------- Date: Fri, 31 May 2002 05:15:05 -0000 From: "mikehenryil" Subject: Re: Tailstock Oiler In atlas_craftsmanx~xxy..., Chabannes Rene N Contr ASC/YCD wrote: > I'm missing the oiler on top of the tailstock of my 12x54 Atlas > Craftsman lathe. The picture in my parts list isn't clear enough to > make one. It doesn't appear to be an oil fitting like others on the > lathe. Could someone provide a description of this item? I think that's just a little well intended as a container for grease to be applied manually to the TS center. There was a ball-headed, metal applicator stuck in the top. When turning between centers, you'd use the applicator to dab a little oil from the well onto the center-drilled hole in the workpiece. Mike, near Chicago ------- Date: Wed, 5 Jun 2002 12:09:26 EDT From: catboat15x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Tailstock Oiler In a message dated 5/30/2002, jwaggonerx~xxcaci.com writes: > What I was told was that it is an "oil cup" with a little dip stick > that holds oil for the dead center. OK let me figure this out, had a question about the oil fitting on the tailstock. I assumed the question was about the oil hole near the handwheel end which I answered. Now we are getting into the old question about the larger hole near the front of the tail stock. That hole is for "white lead" which was the common lube for dead centers in the "good old days" before lead was a forbidden material. There was a dipper in that hole and I don't know what it looked like, but was used to dab a bit of white lead on the dead center. (I use moly grease now, but in the old days I did use white lead from the bottom of paint cans. How dumb I was in those days, even smoked tobacco, used carbon tet for spotting clothes, had PCB containing oils in my ham radio gear etc etc.) Maybe that is why I look 76 at only 23 years of age. Or the other way around. John Meacham California High Desert 12 inch Atlas, Minimill, rusty file ------- Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 07:35:42 EDT From: tadici283x~xxcs.com Subject: Re: Busted Leadscrew Bracket In a message dated 6/27/2002, k13x~xxbellsouth.net writes: > The cause of the failure puzzles me. I didn't crash the lathe. When I > started taking the bracket off, it turned freely on the leadscrew, > but I noticed where it had a lot of wear against the collar on the > left hand side of the bracket. I wonder if a chip could have wedged > into a gap and caused the collar to sieze against the bracket? I'll > look at it a little harder tonight. Indeed this seems to be a weak point whether it was designed that way or not I do not know I had to replace mine also and so have others that I know with the same kind of lathe, I had repaired mine for a while but installed the new one after all, I, like many, dread the gears on the *Other* end of the leadscrew getting messed up and need replacing, the cost is frightening I am sure (lead screw Engage box tapered gears). Anyway to sum up I do not think that there needs to be a reason for the part to fail, at least not in my case and others who own the same lathe, so don't feel bad. Chris of Bradenton FLA. ------- Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 19:07:36 -0500 From: "Koepke, Kevin" Subject: RE: Busted Leadscrew Bracket I just received one of these from Clausing. The old one was zamak die cast. The new one looks like it may be 6063 aluminum. Very good quality and definitely stronger. I found out, while purchasing items from Clausing, that the item quoted is not always the item received. The 618 cross feed screw cover, which only cost $1.00 (I found out why it's so cheap), is made of sheet metal, like on the newer 6". It still fits, and serves its purpose, but had I know they replaced the original with a new part, I may not have purchased it. Another item is the 9-42A locknut w/handle for the tailstock. Its replacement looks nothing like any of the originals used on any of their lathes. I made my own out of copper/nickel. You might think this is a stickler for detail, but the replacement looked fragile. Kevin ------- Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2002 17:38:09 EST From: anthrhodesx~xxaol.com Subject: Change Gear Studs In a message dated Wed, 6 Nov 2002 21:41:19 EST, John Meacham writes: << Does anyone know if the orginal Sears Craftsman 101.041781 (that is the serial #) came with two or three change gear studs? I have two, and just ordered another stud, sleeve and spacer (I can get the nuts and washers at the local hardware) from Clausing. For some of the feeds you need to mount three change gears besides the one on the lead screw, and the lady at Clausing did not know if it came with two set ups for change gears although there is places for three on the banjo casting. Just curious as when I want to set up for really fine feed I need three gear combinations. >> John: It's my *strong* impression that any non-Quick Change Atlas built lathe of any size which was furnished with a 16/32 stud gear on the tumbler reverse was supplied with *only* two change gear stud assemblies. That's all you need for all the threading and feed setups listed on the chart that was supplied with the lathe. It's true that the MoLOaMT lists additional setups for odd threads, metric threads, and fine feeds. When required these lists specify that certain gears and the third stud assembly are *extra*. Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Date: Wed, 13 Nov 2002 18:54:20 -0600 From: "Clint D" Subject: Gave wrong email for Bowers [MAKER/SUPPLIER SOME 109 PARTS LIKE SPINDLE] Mike L I gave you a bad typo in Bowers email it is ebowersx~xxlcsys.net Clint ------- Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2002 22:38:17 -0000 From: "a6fac" Subject: Proposal Hello, guys, looking for advice, encouragement or discouragement. I am retired, and have been looking for some project to use over 40 years experience in manufacturing, procurement and engineering. Several months ago, I decided I really liked using and learning my Craftsman 109, and enjoy any involvement in the trade, totally different from my recently ended career. As a result, what really appeals to me is to become the premier source for parts and equipment in that area. To that end, I have negotiated deals with a local foundry, as well as long time suppliers for my businesses in machining, mill work and sheet metal. I have established a web site that will become active on January 1st and will expand to provide virtually every part, new and used, as well as improvements and tooling for the Craftsman and Atlas machines. I want to involve the group in a couple of ways. Obviously, you are a potential customer base. Secondly, some of you are, like myself, retired and looking for ways to supplement income. I want to give you a venue to sell parts you produce yourselves - a web exposure for pieces you make for these machines, or work related to them. I want to provide picture listings of equipment you want to sell and don't want to go the eBay route. This also provides you with a source of machines looking for new owners, good bargains you can hide on your credit card and hope the wife doesn't notice. I want the group to critique what I am going to offer. If Charlie buys a new toolholder I found from a source in Timbuktu, I want and expect him to tell everyone else it's a great deal, or to save their money, in which case it will disappear, right after Charlie gets his money back. The goal, for me, is not to build a "big business". Certainly, supple- menting a fixed retirement income with a little extra is an incentive. But there are some words that have to fit in: Honesty, Integrity, Fair Pricing, protection and guarantees for both buyer and seller. As brief as I could make it. Comments out of group to william.hardinx~xxverizon.net. As long as Jon doesn't object, you can tell me I'm an idiot in front of everyone else, also. Be critical in a constructive way. Thanks, Bill ------- Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2002 20:46:56 -0000 From: "ericgraham" Subject: Re: Steady rest In atlas_craftsmanx~xxy..., "Mike Bennett" wrote: > Hi, I have an Atlas 10 inch lathe. The steady rest that came with the lathe can handle up to I think 2 and 7/8ths inch diameter round stock. Did/does someone make a steady rest that can handle up to 6 inch OD material? I plan on making my own and I have some of the pieces. I just though I would ask. Regards, Mike Bennett www.mbrocketry.com Hi Mike: I'm in the process of making such a steady rest for my Southbend 9. I'd guess I have a few weeks to go before it is finished and then I can give you full details if you are interested. The basic design is simple, most parts made from 5/8 aluminum alloy plate (found on ebay). There is a 9" diam ring (6" hole) with three outward extensions. The extensions are augmented by screwing on a u-shaped bit of 5/8 plate and a 3/16" cover plate, so each extension becomes a socket for a 5/8 x 1 x 5" arm, the end of which has a roller bearing that touches the workpiece. The arms are driven in by threaded rods. I've used a mill drill and rotary table to make it, but it could be done with a jig saw. Good luck with yours, let me know how it turns out. Eric -------- Date: Thu, 21 Nov 2002 19:01:09 -0700 From: glenco2x~xxjuno.com Subject: Re: Digest Number 1195 Mike: I am making a steady rest for a 10 inch that will handle 6 inch diameter. I got the ring from Wayne Burner, on this list. He is a great guy. The ring is cheap. Cost more for shipping. Glen ------- Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2002 07:08:58 -0500 From: "Wayne" Subject: Re: Steady rest Mike: The rings and steady rest pictures are on the A/C groups (Yahoo Groups) page. Go to photos, then members projects, steady rest. The rings are a two piece held together with countersunk allen head cap screws. I found the center of the ring for the height of my head stock, then made a spacer that fit in between the ways, and drilled a hole through the spacer, in the middle so a clamping screw could hold it in place. The ring was milled with a flat on one side to sit on the spacer. I actually milled the flat first, then made the spacer. A matching hole was drilled in the ring. I TIG welded the two pieces together. I could send more pics if you like. The rings are $5.00, and you pay the shipping. I have made two of these, one for my 12" A/C, and one for my 10" Atlas. I no longer have the 12" or the steady, and now have an original steady for the 10", and will save the home made one for larger projects like you have in mind. Let me know if you are interested. Thanks, Wayne(rice)Burner Member of the VJMC ------- Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2002 05:18:19 -0500 From: "Wayne" Subject: Re: Hello from new member, need part info. John, Try this www.atlas-lathes.com Clausing has parts for our A/C lathes, I have bought new brass nuts from them, but I am going to try the nut repair trick that I have heard mentioned a few times on the list. I have tried a repair for a damaged gear that worked quite well. Take a thin brass strip as wide or wider than the gear itself and feed it through two gears of good shape mounted on the "harp or banjo" and hand feed the brass ribbon so you end up with a zig zag pattern that you can wrap around the damaged gear, fill with JB Weld, or similar type of epoxy, and hand file to fit after drying. Slick and cheap (cheap is good). Wayne(rice)Burner (bottom feeder) I am going to my local recycling yard today with a load of aluminum cans and some scrap copper, amd I'll be looking there for some brass or aluminum round stock to play with. ------- Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2002 10:20:38 -0800 From: Frank Evan Perdicaro Subject: A few thoughts on big steady On my long-term list of things to do is to make a larger steady rest. I too was going to start with plate aluminum, since good scrap is available locally (IMS in Irvine, and Schor in Placentia) in 5/8, 3/4 and 1" thickness. For contact with the turning stock I was thinking about using a pair of Rollerblade wheel bearings. For positioning of the arms, I was thinking about making threaded jaws, sort of like the inverse of a 4-jaw chuck jaw. If you had a LONG Acme tap, you could drill and tap a deep hole in a pair of jaws, then saw the pair apart right down the tapped hole. (Use a 10" table saw with a thin-cut carbide tipped wood blade, or perhaps one of the 7" Tenryu aluminum cut blades.) As far as cutting the thick aluminum into odd shapes goes, rough cut with woodworking saws, then make a scaled/shifted pattern of plywood so a wood router can be used to finish the edges. Use a 1/2" multi-flute endmill in a wood router, and take fine climb cuts. (Wear two layers of protection: plugs and muffs, glasses and a shield, full coverage clothing and leather welding gear.) All of this would be pretty easy in 5/8 6061 T6. ------- Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 00:04:20 -0600 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: Lathe cleaning David Booth wrote: >At the risk of showing my ignorance, I'm going to ask - Is Zamak >a trademark name for what I am used to calling "pot metal"? Close. It is an alloy of Zinc, Aluminum, Magnesium and Copper. there are several Zamak alloys, and they are most certainly NOT the only Zinc alloys out there. There must be hundreds of registered alloys. I'm also not sure Zamak is similar to the "pot metal" that carburetors and other things are (were) made of. It is stronger than most of those metals, and Atlas states in their manual that is is twice as strong as cast iron. Jon ------- Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 05:39:44 -0500 From: David Beierl Subject: Re: Lathe cleaning Zinc-Aluminum-Magnesium-Kupfer (Copper) -- die-casting metal. Produces parts with excellent detail and dimensional accuracy. Zamak #3 is the most widely used die-casting material in US. Part cost is low in production quantities because machining not generally required and molds last forever. http://www.netmarketingservice.com/TechnicalReview/ ------- Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 14:45:41 -0500 From: "S or J" Subject: Re: Lathe cleaning [Zamak and Other Zinc Alloys] The alloy used by Atlas on some of their gears is far from what I would term pot metal. Some of the gears on my very old and hard-used 618 have definitely got some wear but will likely last for many more years before replacement. I have another example of a device produced during WWII that unfortunately used a particularly bad variety of zinc alloy for some of its precision parts. Fortunately this is not one of our toys, but a fairly complex sock knitting machine that the government issued for free (along with a fair quantity of yarn) to anyone who would knit so many pairs of socks for the government war effort. This device was acquired by my wife as part of her collection of sewing machines and other fabric devices. While most of it is intact and works, some mystery zinc alloy attachments have undergone a terrible transformation under the effect of time and normal household humidity. The heavy zinc parts are twisted and cracking, and flaking off big cornflake-sized chunks. A check on the web shows that these problems are common and not from any abuse of these castings. One of my projects (someday, I guess, sigh) is to machine or cast replace- ments. There is just enough left to measure and draw a pattern. So if you have a project to make something that you would really like to keep around for a long while, exercise caution and start with known-good alloys. Steve in Thunder Bay, Ontario ------- Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 11:54:54 -0800 From: "Bob May" Subject: Re: Lathe cleaning FWIW, most of the handles and other trim on cars used to be pot metal castiongs which got chromed so that they would last. If you see what is a cast part and it's chromed, it is probably pot metal underneath. In the late '60s, the car companies started using plastic instead of pot metal and they pretty much haven't looked back at pot metal since. Bob May http://nav.to/bobmay NEW! http://bobmay.astronomy.net ------- Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 16:35:09 -0500 From: "David Booth" Subject: Re: Re: Lathe cleaning [Zamak and Other Zinc Alloys] I have an RCA Loudspeaker in my antique radio collection which has the same problem. I've talked with many people (i.e. museum curators and fellow radio collectors) about this, and the general consensus of opinion is that the only thing to be done is stabilize the item by placing it in a controlled environment. The people at the Smithsonian Institution told me they experimented with various exterior coatings, with little or no success. Several people I spoke to said they have tried coating the inside of the casting (where it won't show) with clear epoxy, but of course that doesn't stop the exterior spalling. ------- Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 19:26:58 -0600 (CST) From: dswrx~xxwebtv.net Subject: Re: Re: Lathe cleaning [Zamak and Other Zinc Alloys] I have read... (model railroader magazine, i think) that when parts are cast, the purity of the alloy will affect the longevity of the casting. I have model locomotives made of this alloy (zamak) that are now 49 years old, and still as solid as the day they were made. I also have items cast with this same alloy that are mostly oxides and crumbling. This occurred in the range of 3 to 5 years after they were cast. (estimated) The parts on my 1955 Craftsman/Atlas are still in good shape. Leo (pearland, tx) ------- Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2002 00:13:59 EST From: LouD31M066x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Re: Lathe cleaning [Zamak and Other Zinc Alloys] Prewar die castings for Lionel Electric Trains had same problem. Postwar trains do not have the problem. Pot metal alloy apparently was whatever went into the pot and with passage of time bad effects show up. Louis ------- Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2002 12:01:53 -0500 From: "piggy" Subject: Re: Thanks for help on 101.07301 and new question For the info of lathe owners here, I will soon have the capability to make compound and cross slide nuts to fit existing screws. I can make nuts for screws as small as 1/2 10 acme and instead of tapping them with a pre- made tap I can thread them on my lathe to fit a slightly worn screw which results in no backlash which I like. In the near future I will also be making acme screws to fit if I have an example to copy. The need to do this came from my wanting to fix my atlas lathe and not wanting to spend the money for a new nut or nut/screw combo, so I learned to make a bit for internal acme threads of that small size. I will try soon to do a small write up on how to make the bit for those that want to try it, the first three bits I made did not work well but they worked. My 4th was a charm as it works fine. It is kinda tedious to thread that small hole lol. don ------- Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 15:39:45 EST From: anthrhodesx~xxaol.com Subject: Re: METRIC Sun, 1 Dec 2002, Guillermo Contreras asked about metric gearboxes. I've quoted the various messages below. First point, I'd never heard of an Atlas metric gearbox. Having read the description it's apparent that, with the 9-position lever locked in one position, the gearbox is being used strictly as a range selector. This means that if you have the change gears set up to cut 3 mm pitch when the 5-position lever is in the "A" position, if you move to the "B" position it will cut 1.5 mm, "C" will cut .75 mm, "D" will cut .375 mm, and "E" will cut .175 mm. presuming that your lathe is equiped with longitudinal and cross power feeds they will be affected in the same way. Regarding which one position to engage with the right lever, it will be #1, for 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128 TPI. In this position the gearbox has a 1:1 ratio after the range selection has been made with the left lever. So you will still have to change out change gears but with a metric lead screw you will be able to get a precise metric pitch instead of the approximations generated by the gear trains Atlas provides for use with an inch-based lead screw. By the way, what pitch is your new metric lead screw. I hadn't thought carefully about this prior to this discussion. There's a fair likelihood you chose 3 mm, better would be 2.5 mm, it works out better for the dividing and multiplying processes necessary to gear for other pitches. You've remarked on metric gearboxes having been available from South Bend and Boxford. In fact SB has a photo of such a gearbox in "How to Run a Lathe", and at one point I had access to a Boxford equivalent of that book which showed exploded views of the inch and metric gearboxes. This was very instructive to me, it made it clear to me that inch gear boxed use a dividing process to select between different pitches whereas metric gearboxes use a multiplying process. In an inch gearbox, after going through the range dividing process on the left lever, the right selector drives from a single constant range to the cone gears to select the fine ratio (16, 18, 20, or whatever). On the metric gearbox the cone of gears receives its drive directly from the range selector and the drive is from the cone to the output shaft through the gears in the selector lever. Because of these diferences an inch gearbox will never make a satisfacory metric gearbox except for the range selector function. And in addition to operating in the reverse mode of that which is appropriate to selection of metric pitches, or rather because of it, the gears in the cone are not correct for selection of metric pitches. I haven't thought that out carefully yet so I can't tell you what the appropriate gears would be. If you're determined to go for broke on the metric gearbox idea your best bet would be to find an SB or Boxford, as you've already tried to do, or to get the Modeltec articles on building a gearbox for the 6" lathe and re-engineer the design by scaling it up to fit the 12" and reversing the drive sequence of the right end of the mechanism so the drive ran from the cone gears to the output shaft. Regarding the threading dial, on their metric gearbox SB uses one with 4 different gear ratios, you should do a little research on that subject. Even if you use a single ratio threading dial, firstly you need to get a gear that will mesh correctly with your metric lead screw, though I'm not certain of the number of teeth it should have (maybe 20 or 40 for a 2.5 mm lead screw, maybe 24 or 48 for 3 mm, but as I said, I'm not sure). Then, as was suggested by another respondent, it's likely that if you always close the split nuts on the same mark you will probably pick up your thread correctly. For fine threads this might involve a rather long wait so you should do some research to determine what other marks are suitable for various pitches. This is getting a bit long now so I think I'll stop. I hope this has been useful information. If it generates more questions please ask, I'll try to be helpful. Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Date: Sun, 1 Dec 2002 23:43:30 +0100 From: "Guillermo Contreras" Subject: Re: METRIC Jean Claude: Thx for the info. I do have this supplement but I hate to have to reverse the spindle direction to come back to the starting point to make the next pass... For most of my jobs, I have managed to get by up to now but I have a job coming in that requires some 150 M30 threads! As for the metric QCGB, I do not agree; Atlas did offer these and they look exactly like the imp. boxes only that one of the selectors is in a "fixed" position (right selector but do not know in which pos.); Atlas even offer the feed selector chart plate, lead screw and nut assembly but at a price! I know that South Bend and Boxford also offered similar boxes but my quest for the past 5 years has not been successful. I did find a South Bend/Boxford metric box on ebay but was eventually out bid! ------- Date: Sun, 01 Dec 2002 19:14:02 -0600 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: METRIC I don't think you need to change the gearbox. It should have all the ratios you need. The leadscrew has to be changed, of course, and also the threading dial. I'm not sure what number of teeth would be best for the gear on the threading dial, since it is not based on the 8 TPI leadscrew for inch threading. You'd need to make up a new index plate for the QC gearbox that is marked in mm/thread rather than threads/inch. Jon ------- Date: Sun, 01 Dec 2002 19:18:32 -0600 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: METRIC You don't need to back up due to the gearbox, you need this due to the non-metric leadscrew pitch. If you put a metric leadscrew in there, you will no longer need to back up the lathe, as long as you get the threading dial figured out, too. Even mm pitches seem pretty simple, but some of the coarser threads might need you to engage only at certain positions of the threading dial. I suspect it very likely is the SAME gearbox, just with a different plate and a bolt somewhere to lock one of the handles. Jon ------- Date: Mon, 02 Dec 2002 03:17:12 -0000 From: "David J Hatzenbuhler" Subject: Re: METRIC If you have the metric leadscrew and half nuts you are most of the way there. Whether the gears are Module or Diamatral Pitch is largely irrelevant. The number of teeth in a ratio is what matters. The pitch of the leadscrew determines which thread system is the standard setup. Right now the lathe should cut metric threads but without the proper gear chart it is unknown what pitches will result from what gear lever combinations. The threading dial will still need the proper metric worm gear to mesh with your metric leadscrew. You shouldn't have to reverse the spindle with the metric leadscrew unless you can't get the right gear for the threading dial. You will need a revised gear chart. You may have to do a little math and make up your own gear chart especially if the metric leadscrew is an orphan part.... :-O Atlas/Clausing may have the gear chart plaques and the threading dial gear. I found and have since lost a description of how to use the 127/100 transposing gears to give accurate Metric leads with the Imperial leadscrew. The 127/100 gives you threads per cm so setting the gearbox for 5tpi would give you 5 threads per cm or .5 threads per mm. ------- Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 07:24:50 -0500 From: Chabannes Rene N Contr ASC/YCD Subject: RE: Re: METRIC Unless you have a long thread engagement or must be accurate over a lengthy span, using the right gears to approximate a metric thread should be adequate. Many foreign machines sold in this country over the years are really metric that approximate approximate english threads. I don't know how long a thread engagement it takes before you run into trouble. You'd run into trouble making a long feed screw for a mill, for example. We had three HES lathes and never had trouble with one diameter engagements. This could also be an issue if you need maximun strength. Rene N. Chabannes (Titan) ASC/YC - Production Operations C-17 SPO, WPAFB, OH 937-255-1042 (DSN 785-1042) ------- Date: Mon, 2 Dec 2002 22:45:09 +0100 From: "Guillermo Contreras" Subject: Re: Re: METRIC Anthony & co., pls continue. I have enjoyed all responses and this is how far I have gotten: - Atlas 3996. Well pointed out. The "metric" Atlas was in fact sold under refs. 3965 & 3975 the dif being in the bed length. - Lead screw pitch. 3/4 o.d. 2mm pitch (strange combination of inch/mm) courtesy of Clausing. Original replacements were still available several years ago. - Using the 127T conversion gear would not solve the problem entirely as I would still not be able to disengage the nuts. Back to square one though still cutting metric! - Though simple in concept, and wild, changing the lead screw/nut assembly whilst keeping the imp gear box might be a solution though I doubt it! - Gear type is irrelevant to the final displacement of the carriage once the nuts are engaged though I would opt for module 1.5 for the sake of smoothness and low noise. - I now have the break down of the gear box and it is the far right plunger assembly (p#10-1586 though this ref # does not show clearly) that remains fixed with a pin (p#568-036). I have not had the chance to study the breakdown but there seems to be more gears on the left hand cluster (5 Vs. 1). There is only 1 gear chart selection (p#130-071). This would conclusively show that, indeed, there was a specific metric lathe model. - Threading dial. Though extensive (and omitting the diagram that I made, though I could send it to those interested for further study) I will quote on a reply that I sent recently to a fellow ME in the UK regarding metric threading dials. This is my conclusion of several years of search and is a simplified version of a text found in some long forgotten (read lost) text book, not for the faint hearted! "...In principal, the procedure to follow is the same as you would using a lathe with an imp lead screw and its dial the only dif being that you need a cluster of gears as no one single gear will cover all the thread ranges and depending on the threading dial design, for some pitches you will not be able to find a match. Enclosed you will find the basic idea of what's involved and this should be adapted to your particular lathe thus no dim are given. You should keep in mind that using any graduation represents 1/8 of a turn, using the numbered graduations represents 1/4 using any opposite 2 represents 1/2 and using any single numbered mark represents a full turn. Calculating the combination of dial graduation / gear to use is somewhat of a trail and error exercise until you find the correct combination but once you have found these its a simple thing to make a chart for future use. First we must understand that the base pitch is the distance that the carriage will travel in mm when the lead screw has been engaged and this is the figure that we will be working with; taking this into account you can use the following formula Bp= Zt x Lsp x Dg Bp= Base pitch Zt= # teeth in gear Lsp= Lead screw pitch in mm Dg= dial graduation used i.e. 1/4, 1/2 or 1. Tp= pitch of thread to cut in mm Once you have have the Bp you plug into the following Bp / Tp = whole number If of the result of the above is a whole number, that is the correct combination of gear and dial gage setting to use. Sounds complicated but once you have made your chart it should be a piece of cake!!! Example: Tp to be cut: M3 Gear selected: Z14 Lsp= 6 Dg= 1/8 14 x 6 x 1/8= 10.5 ; 10.5 / 3= 3.5 So if we were to select any mark on the dial to engage our lead screw it would not work as the net result is not a whole number. Lets try using a dif mark on the dial keeping the rest of the details unchanged, say using only the numbered marks (1,2,3,4,): 14 x 6 x 1/4 = 21 ; 21 / 3 = 7 So, if we were to engage the lead screw on any numbered mark of the dial, the threading tool would enter the thread correctly...." I have never heard from this chap since and I presume he is also a bit puzzled and working on it. By the way, he does have the metric gear box (Boxford). Iam still looking for the owner of that elusive "metric Atlas" and it seems that I am far from finding him. Did Atlas/Clausing ever sell any metric units??? ... nice to see that this topic has stirred up such a response and I hope that the above will continue it. Rgds ------- Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2002 05:42:28 -0700 From: "Mike Bennett" Subject: Re: Steady rest Wayne, I think I may have ground what I was looking for. This one has a six inch ID and is reasonable priced. Now I just have to find someone with a mill here local to help finish the base. Thanks for your help. http://www.statecollegecentral.com/metallathe/MLA-9.html Regards, Mike Bennett ------- Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2002 11:10:13 -0500 From: "Bill Hardin" Subject: Website Hello, Group Most of you know that I am struggling to get a website up to support users of the Atlas and Craftsman lathes. A retirement hobby, if you will. Learning a new skill, like HTML, after Social Security, is in the "old dog, new tricks" category. In any case, my schedule is to be fully operational by January 1st. In the meantime, I invite you to watch me stumble by logging on occasionally www.homeshopsupply.com There is a place to comment and suggest, and there is a pretty picture of the nicest 109.20630 I've seen. I hope this will become a valued resource for many of you. Thanks, Bill ------- Date: Wed, 11 Dec 2002 13:44:14 EST From: anthrhodesx~xxaol.com Subject: Re: An Atlas Timeline: Richard Stines In a message dated Tue, 10 Dec 2002 23:22:45 -0000, Art Volz in Metal_Shapersx~xxyahoogroups.com writes: << Click on the URL to see an interesting historical timeline constructed by Richard Stines on Atlas Press and Clausing-International: http://members.aol.com/plalbrecht2/atlashistory.htm >> Very interesting. One *major* omission is no mention of the Atlas 12" lathe. It would be very interesting if dates of production of specific model numbers of Atlas and Craftsman machines (as well as the other brands mentioned) could be inserted into the time line. A list of standard equipment and specs per model could also be added, maybe as clickable links. And dates when certain accessories and attachments were available. My primary interest is in the Atlas and Atlas-built Craftsman equipment but the information would also be good for the other product lines held by the corporation. This could be the start of some serious industrial archaeology. ------- Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 03:01:55 -0000 From: "jdmichael2001 " Subject: Re: Want to buy steady rest for 12" Atlas Michael: You might check the website at: http://www.statecollegecentral.com/metallathe/ where there is a casting kit for a steady rest. I've not bought anything from him (yet) but I've heard his products well spoken of, and on the phone he's personable and knowledgeable. Jan ------- Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 10:42:58 -0500 From: "Bill Hardin" Subject: RE: Craftsman Label >>> Hello, Does anyone have a good digital photo of the Craftsman label that appears below the headstock on the bed (109.20630)? I would like to make a replacment decal. The photo needs to be as square as possible to the front of the decal to get the proper shape, size and color. Also is the label the same on the Atlas Craftsman lathes? <<< I am having a number of those made, if you can hang on awhile. I also have a current label from another Craftsman product, if you are not a purist. Bill Hardin www.homeshopsupply.com Craftsman & Atlas Lathe Support ------- Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 22:20:32 -0000 From: "Ernest Lear" Subject: Re: Craftsman Label Get in contact with me direct at Ernestx~xxelear2.fsnet.co.uk. as I have product replacement decals 2" & 1" dia. for my lathe that I'm now restoring. And I'm can provide all that you will need. Regards Ernest ------- Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 18:03:51 EST From: HUNLEY31x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Lead screw keyway > Why does the keyway extend the entire length of my lead screw? > (A/C 101.07403) Does this help the half nut engagement? There is a bevel gear mounted on the back of the carriage apron that has a matching keyway. This gear is always engaged with the lead screw. This is the reason you can use the cross feed without engaging the half nuts. I think... Hank ------- Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 00:55:50 -0600 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: Lead screw keyway John Glowacki wrote: > Why does the keyway extend the entire length of my lead screw? > (A/C 101.07403) Does this help the half nut engagement? No, it drives the power cross-feed on "F" model lathes. The leadscrew on "D" model lathes without power crossfeed normally do not have the keyway. Jon ------- Date: Fri, 27 Dec 2002 09:42:51 -0500 From: Ronald Thibault Subject: Re: Re: Back to the TH42 lathe part 2.. sorry >I see people referring to TH42 lathes a lot. What exactly is a TH42? Mike: The "T" means Timken bearings. "H" horizontal countershaft (the more typical); there were also "V" vertical (countershaft 4 step pulley above spindle), and the Under Drive setup with the motor and countershaft in the cabinet below the lathe. I do not know if there was a special designation for it. "42" is the length of the bed (total) in inches, in this case 42 would be 24" between centers once the head and tailstock are installed. The other common length was 54" or 36" between centers. Ron Thibault Warrenville, SC USA http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/t/h/thib9564/ ------- Date: Sat, 28 Dec 2002 17:27:29 -0000 From: "Derf " Subject: Re: Atlas vs. Craftsman 6" The major difference between the Atlas and Craftsman lathes is the little nameplates. The Craftsman "roller" bearings are Timken. The "dividing head" is the indexed bull gear. Cheers, Derf ------- Date: Sat, 28 Dec 2002 18:46:11 -0000 From: "mrb37211 " Subject: Change Gears I finally dug around until I found that the change gears for the Atlas 6x18 are 24 pitch, 14.5 degree pressure angle. What are the pitch and pressure angle for the other lathes Aatlas made? I'm particularly interested in those for the latest 10F's -- the ones for which a QC gearbox could be obtained. Thanks, Charles ------- Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 00:14:18 EST From: anthrhodesx~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Change Gears Atlas-built 9", 10", & 12" lathes use 16 DP 14.5 degree pressure angle gears. I think there may be two different bores for the lead screw depending on when the lathe was built. Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 11:35:18 -0000 From: "Robert Weersing " Subject: Re: Change Gears Hello Anthony: The 9", 10", 12" Were all the same EXCEPT the early 9" had a thinner hub. You could use the later model gears on an early 9" by turning the hub down until it was the same thickness as the rim. This mod is published by Clausing. Bob TH42 Atlas "F" 1024 Atlas "D" 618 Atlas U.S. Burke Millrite ------- Date: Sun, 29 Dec 2002 17:26:12 +0100 From: "Latheworks" Subject: Re: indexing bull gear Just in case anybody is interested, Clausing no longer supply the bull gear indexed as it was in the past i.e. 60holes; the new bull gears are supplied with 4 sets of 3 holes on a PCD... I found out when I replaced mine but was not told when I placed my order! ------- Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2002 00:52:49 EST From: n8as1x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Gear Pitch add 2 to the number of teeth of any gear & divide the gear diameter into that no. to ascertain the pitch (diametral)........no. teeth + 2 / d. = pitch ... best wishes. docn8as ------- Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 14:46:44 -0000 From: "Horace Steven " Subject: Re: T - Cross Slide [KIT ADAPTED TO ATLAS] wrote: > I am currently starting to machine the casting of the T slotted > cross slide sold by http://www.sc-c.com/metallathe/ for my 12" Atlas. > Has anybody completed this project? I bought a kit from MLA and machined it for a 10" lathe, same dimensions as the 12". I found there was a lot of extra metal in the castings, had to cut off a lot of metal to get it to the dimensions. I had sold my lathe before I finished the kit, so I sold the kit to a guy I met on Chaski's board (I think). He ended up adapting it to a South Bend lathe, or was planning to, I never heard from him after I sent the finished kit to him. I had to buy the T-slot cutter, cost about $25 IIRC. Did the job on my Van Norman 12, not too hard, had to figgure out how to clamp it up for some of the cuts. Off-Set the L-bracket in my new 12X36 HF lathe in a 4-jaw to machine the dovetail in the bottom, that was tricky to get dialed in true. Let me know if you have any questions, I have a few pictures somewhere I could send. Steve ------- Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 18:06:37 -0000 From: "Gary " Subject: Simpson Supremacy Brand Just found this group while researching my lathe, it is a model 109 20603. I posted some pics in a new album of the lathe, chucks, model plate and name decal. It would appear that these lathes appeared under a number of different brands although I have been unable to get any info at all on the Simpson Supremacy Brand. My suspicion is that it was for Canada only, possibly sold through Simpson Sears here. Would be interested in any info anyone else has on this brand. I obtained the lathe for $200. Canadian and it works fairly well if you don't overload it. As you can see from the photos I have the four jaw chuck and faceplate that seem to be the right fit for it. I bought a 4" three jaw chuck from Busy Bee tools but it really is too heavy in comparison to the four jaw. I had a spare three jaw from my unimat so I made a mounting plate for the 109 and have used it. ------- Date: Tue, 31 Dec 2002 13:57:19 -0500 From: "Bill Hardin" Subject: RE: Simpson Supremacy Brand Gary, The 109.20630 was made by Double A Engineering. The files section of this group has AADOCS, which will include a manual for the lathe. Bill Hardin www.homeshopsupply.com Craftsman & Atlas Lathe Support ------- Date: Thu, 09 Jan 2003 21:19:56 -0500 From: Ronald Thibault Subject: Re: Phase II toolpost mod > About a year ago I got that PhaseII for my 10F and it works > well. But I have never liked the mount. It moves around too much > on the compound. Overtightening things on the compound cause the > compound to break. So I was thinking of milling the base of the > unit to have a sliding fit in the compound slot. All that would > be required is a slight ridge -- say 1mm -- to locate the unit. > Has anybody made this mod? If so, how does it work? Frank: Make a ring to fit over the bottom of the shaft, that acts as a spacer to fill in the area of the compound slot. Like the bottom of the rocker toolpost. Ron Thibault Warrenville, SC USA http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/t/h/thib9564/ ------- Date: Sat, 11 Jan 2003 05:00:38 -0500 From: "wayne" Subject: Re: Re: mill arrived The Sears web site for parts etc. is : www3.sears.com All you should need is the model #. like 10107403 Wayne Burner ------- Date: Thu, 16 Jan 2003 22:39:59 EST From: anthrhodesx~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Change Gear for Atlas Gary Roth writes: << I have a need for a replacement 96 tooth change gear for an Atlas 10D. This item is not available from Clausing and I haven't seen anything on eBay. Anybody have one they would like to part with? Or if a Craftsman compatible part is available, the part number and URL link please. >> You're probably not going to have a lot of luck finding an original Atlas part. 96 tooth change gears were dropped from the specifications when they added th 16/32 stud gear in place of the 32 only. This was more than 50 years ago. Presuming your primary interest is the functionality of the 96 tooth gear, your best bet is to check with Boston Gear or Browning for a 96 tooth 16 DP 14-1/2 deg. Pressure Angle change gear. Measure the width, bore, and keyways and have the information available when you contact them. Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 03:17:32 -0000 From: "brewerpaul " Subject: 6"Atlas: what setscrew do I need? Sorry, I don't know all the correct terminology... Inside the headstock of my 6" Atlas, there is a cluster of pulleys on the spindle. To the right of this there is a large gear which can be disengaged from the pulleys by pulling out a pin on the side of the gear (BTW-- why would you ever want to do this?). Lately, this pin has been working itself out once in a while so that the pulleys are still spinning but the spindle and work are standing still. I noticed a threaded hole in the groove of one of the pulleys and figured there was a setscrew down there which would lock the pin in place. (The hole is right above the pin). However, there IS no setscrew in there. What size screw do I need? I'd hate to have to buy some monster assortment of setscrews just to find the ONE I need...Thanks in advance. Paul ------- Date: Sat, 18 Jan 2003 22:23:50 EST From: LouD31M066x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: 6"Atlas: what setscrew do I need? 8-32x3/16 headless set screw cup point from owner's manual pulley is unengaged when in back gear (slow hi torque mode) Louis ------- Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 11:09:46 -0000 From: "tomin130 " Subject: Re: 6"Atlas: what setscrew do I need? Paul: One thing you should know. The hole in the pulley missing the set screw is for oil only. The only function of the screw is to plug the hole. It is not for locking the pulley to the spindle shaft. Most likely the reason the locking pin is disengaging is that the mating hole in the pulley has been worn over time, possibly by the pin not being fully seated. It's also possible that the ball and spring retaining the pin in the gear are missing. Also, you may find, as I did on my 10" Atlas, that there is a second mating hole in the pulley, 180 degrees from the one that lines up with the oil hole. This one, if it is there on the 6", is probably not worn. I assume that what you say is a 6" Atlas really is an Atlas. Flat bed ways, roller bearing headstock, 1" diameter spindle nose. If it is, I am a bit surprised you didn't ask about the function of the other two gears on the shaft behind the spindle. Unless, of course, yours are missing. These are the back gears that Louis referred to. When using the back gears, the locking pin is pulled out from the pulley, and the spindle serves as an axle for the pulley to drive through the back gears. This is why the hole is provided in the pulley for oil. Get a copy of the parts list, price list, set-up and tear- down/assembly instructions directly from the Clausing Service Center, (574)533-0371. $5.00 plus postage and the cost of the phone call. Worth its weight in gold. Tom ------- Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 10:48:53 -0800 From: "Bob May" Subject: Re: 6"Atlas: what setscrew do I need? That pin is one of two that have to get moved to get the backgears going. I assume that the one that you are having problems with is the one that spins about with the spindle. That one, on my machine, has a thumbnut on it to keep it in place. When it is in, you are in direct drive and when it is out and the hub is held in place by a pin on the side of the headstock towards you from the spindle (it will go towards the left to engage the hub) which takes the force of the gearing to drive the spindle at a lower speed. Don't pull that front pin out all the way as you will then need to pull the screw on the front and get the spring and ball back into place again! Bob May http://nav.to/bobmay NEW! http://bobmay.astronomy.net ------- Date: Sun, 19 Jan 2003 16:53:40 EST From: anthrhodesx~xxaol.com Subject: 6" Atlas Back Gear (Was Re: 6"Atlas: what setscrew do I need?) The description below appears to apply to the AA lathe also known as the 109. First point to be made, a 109 is NOT an Atlas, it was built by AA Somethingorother. I know they are both called Craftsman by Sears but they were made by different manufacturers. The only significant parts that are interchangable between the AA and the Atlas are the change gears, this being more or less a coincidence. While all lathes are similar in principal, the details can be substantially different. An AA is an AA and an Atlas is an Atlas, and never the twain shall meet! On the Atlas-built 6" there is a pin which locks the bull gear to the cone pulley for direct drive. These are the higher 8 speeds. When you wish to run the spindle at a slower speed you pull the pin in the bull gear far enough that you can freely move the bull gear independently of the cone gear. Then you swing a lever behind the spindle which rotates the shaft on which the back gear assembly revolves. Because the back gear shaft is mounted to the headstock via eccentric journals, when the lever is rotated towards the operator it moves the axis of the back gear assembly towards the spindle and thus engages with the bull gear and the small gear at the left end of the cone pulley. The drive in back gear is form the countershaft through the belt to the cone pulley, then through the small gear at the left of the cone pulley to the large gear on the back gear assembly, then along the back gear quill to the small gear at the right end of the back gear assembly, then across to the bull gear which is keyed to the spindle, thus driving the spindle at a reduced rate relative to that of the cone pulley. Is that clear? Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Date: Mon, 20 Jan 2003 02:45:05 -0000 From: "too_many_tools " Subject: Atlas Mill Variations I recently purchased an Atlas horizontal mill. It is a model MF with the serial number 002996. Upon researching the web and Usenet, I am unable to find a source that discusses the variations of this mill. The literature that I have seen indicates the models MFC, MIC, MHC, MFB, MIA, MIA-G, MFA, MFA-G, MHA, MHA-G, MI, MI-G, MF(the one I have), MF-G, MH, MH-G exist. Can anyone point me to somewhere that discusses this subject? I am also looking for a source of parts too. (Isn't everyone? ;<) ) Unfortunately, this mill has a broken countershaft hanger that needs fixing or replacement. Finally, I am looking for information that indicates what accessories were shipped with the mill and what other accessories might be available? Thanks in advance for any assistance you might be able to offer. Too_Many_Tools ------- Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 23:46:34 -0000 From: "cmtwork " Subject: How do you add calibrated handwheel markings to Atlas lathe? What is the best way to add calibrated markings (0.001, 0.005 and 0.010") to the Atlas style handwheels (all wheels except tailstock)? Is there an aftermarket setup available or is it a do it yourself project? Any links to further data would be great. Pictures of finished setups would help also. Craig ------- Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 18:46:48 -0600 From: Ronald R Brandenburg Subject: Re: How do you add calibrated handwheel markings to Atlas lathe? Well, just off the top of my head I'd say the first thing to do would be to determine how far the piece moves in a single revolution of the hand wheel, i.e. the number of threads per inch. Take this number and divide it into 360 to get the number of degrees it moves per unit of travel. Set the hand wheel or collar, should you want to be able to zero it, and using a rotary table, or a dividing head, and the edge of an end mill make small cuts. Longer cuts every 5th one. My cross feed moves 0.1 per revolution. So, take 360° divided by 100 to get 3.6° per 0.001. This, of course, works with the radius so for every 0.001 you take off the radius that's 0.002 off the diameter so if you want a direct read take the amount of travel, double it, and divide that into 360 to get half-thousands. This gives you a direct reading or for every 0.001 you dial in you are removing 0.001 from your work. Simple really, when you think about it. Ron ------- Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 20:18:15 -0500 From: Ronald Thibault Subject: Re: How do you add calibrated handwheel markings to Atlas lathe? Craig: I made a new dial for my first lathe, using a paper dial strip. I have a short article on my web site (address below). Ron Thibault Warrenville, SC USA http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/t/h/thib9564/ ------- Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 22:25:28 -0600 From: Rodent Subject: Re: How do you add calibrated handwheel markings to Atlas lathe? I think he means how do you actually make the marks -- ie scribing the lines on the handwheel. You need a way to hold and index the handwheel or whatever, and a way to scribe the line. This could be done on a lathe or a mill with a rotary table. On say a 12" Atlas with the indexing holes on the bull gear, you could mount the handwheel to a taper inserted in the spindle, sharpen a tool to cut a fine line, then use the longitudinal feed to scribe the line. Rotate the spindle the appropriate number of index holes and scribe the next line. A set of number stamps would be used mark the values. ------- Date: Tue, 21 Jan 2003 22:44:21 -0600 From: "jerdal" Subject: Re: How do you add calibrated handwheel markings to Atlas lathe? > I think he means how do you actually make the marks -- ie scribing > the lines on the handwheel. Sharpen a tool to cut a > fine line, then use the longitudinal feed to scribe the line. Ron's method involves a paper strip that goes around something of larger diameter, like the chuck or faceplate. You divide the strip up with the required number of lines (plus one) and wrap it around. A pointer, and a means of holding the spindle complete the tooling. You position at a line, then cut the mark, repeating as needed. A means to vary the movement for 0.001, 0.005 and 0.010 marks is handy, use a carriage stop and blocks since you will be moving the carriage to cut. An hss threading tool is good, don't use carbide, as you will be reversing out of the cut. If you insist on retracting the tool, you likely won't cut the marks all the same. Since you are working at a smaller diameter, the positional accuracy of the scribing can be better than the line positioning accuracy in thousandths (although the positioning accuracy in degrees is the same plus the user error). I have done it several times, and it works well. Read his blurb for more details. Jerrold ------- Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 04:44:25 -0000 From: "timharvey99 " Subject: Re: How do you add calibrated handwheel markings to Atlas lathe? I was inspired by Ron's excellent website, so I went ahead and made some dials, too. His suggestion to use a printer to make the graduations is perfect. I did a few things differently, but hey, that's half the fun of it. I used a 45-degree diagonal cut where the scale ends meet as they wrap, and also made that the point where I drilled the clamp screw hole. If you are right-handed, on a 200-increment wheel, put the break at 150 or so. If you make graduations on both sides of the scale (above and below the numbers, see the crossfeed one), you can just skim some tiny cuts off the dial O.D. when you are turning it to size, trying the scale until the graduations line up. Glue the scale on and wrap rubber bands to hold it. So why not do the tailstock? That's actually what got me going on this stuff, since the original scale is so pathetic. It was easy. Note that the numbers should get bigger backwards, i.e., right to left. One full revolution advances the quill .100", so a 0-to-100 scale is appropriate. I chose to go 0-to-200 on the crossfeed because I'm mentally lazy, but take your pick. I put photos of these two dials in the Photos section under Member Projects. The pointers are just sharpened and bent welding rod pounded into slightly smaller drilled holes. Making these dials was not a lot of work, and bang-for-buck, made a huge difference in user satisfaction. I highly recommend it. ------- Date: Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:31:38 EST From: catboat15x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Calibrated hand wheels I added larger dials to my old 6 inch Atlas (purchased when Atlas went out of business sale. Then sold in a weak moment, Damn!) I made larger dials of aluminum with yellow plastic pipe rings with the calibrations. I made the calibrations by using a CAD program to print out a strip with the lines and numbers then adjusting the scale of the print out to exactly fit around my new ring. Then when it was done put several coats of varnish over the paper. Lasted for several years (till I sold the lathe). Put new calibrations on cross, compound and even the right end of the lead screw. Also added the "poor mans" power cross feed. This was a drum on both the free end of the lead screw and the cross feed. A cord ran from the drum to a pulley on the bench to the drum on the cross feed screw. Kept a chunk of strong (apparently in-extensible, like first year physics problems) cord and when I needed a smooth cross feed to face locomotive wheels, I just took a few turns of the cord around both drums, put the change gears in fine feed mode and let the cord turn the cross feed drum by the drum on the lead screw. There is always a way to do a job! The right way, the wrong way and then my way. Now looking at my 12 inch to add better dials still thinking since my eye balls are about the same age as the rest of my worn out, creaky and tired body. John Meacham High Desert of California, Palmdale, Littlerock. ------- Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2003 20:24:02 -0500 From: "Bill Hardin" Subject: RE: gear cover door > question. will a chasing dial from a 109-20630 > work on a.109-21270? thanks i am new to this group. The part numbers for all parts in the thread dial for the 109.20630 and the 109.21270 are the same. Bill Hardin www.homeshopsupply.com Craftsman & Atlas Lathe Support ------- Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 13:19:31 -0000 From: "Damon " Subject: Re: what is a full set of gears? > > Can somebody email me, and let me know how many gears are in a full > > set for a 10" lathe? 20,20,24,32,36,40,44,46,48,52,54,56,64,64,64. This is extrapolated from the thread chart. Having all of these gears will let you thread any of the pitches listed from 4 to 96tpi, 0.5-7mm (with gaps), and feeds from .0019 to .0087. The 3rd 64TPI gear is used exclusively for feeds. Also the complete set should include three bushings and one 'spacer' gear. HTH, Damon ------- Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2003 21:18:40 EST From: LouD31M066x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Re: what is a full set of gears? Real men thought they once made a mistake,but, then discovered they were wrong. Real men never ask directions or read a map and always take the scenic route. Real men never ask why the coffee is cold, the toast burnt or why their duds are still on the floor. There is a reason for all this...a representative of the other gender is always willing to tell us all about our alleged imperfections....again and again and again... Good thing it's kind a hard to hear all that well intentioned advice and reminders over the sound of shop machinery... Louis ------- Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 12:53:57 -0600 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: 109.21280 Is this an Atlas 109? Bill Hardin wrote: >Jon >I don't think you read my note. I know the 109s were supposedly made >by AA, and 101s by Atlas. What I said, and tried to prove, was that >Atlas did indeed make a 109 lathe - the 109.21280 Well, I have no way of knowing the real truth. But, it seems VERY unlikely, as Sears had a very well developed system for numbering models sold under the Craftsman name. The first 3 digits were always the manufacturer ID, and were applied across the board of product lines. So, Atlas machines of all types, metal lathes, wood lathes, planers, table saws and whatever, were labeled 101.xxxxx. Many other tool manufacturers had their own manufacturer ID. It seems very unlikely Sears would break their long adherence to such a system. I suppose there is the possibility that AA started importing or reselling some other maker's machine to Sears under their AA label. It is even conceivable Atlas sold machines to AA, although the prismatic bed you describe definitely sounds different from any Atlas product I've seen. There were TONS of outfits making small lathes in the '60s, importing from all over the world, too. Many of them were very similar to each other, or knockoffs of a well-known make. Some of this may have been not that different from the Taiwan and Chinese machines of today, where hundreds of different 'labels' are applied to machines made from the same castings. Jon ------- Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 23:41:48 EST From: anthrhodesx~xxaol.com Subject: Re: 109.21280 Is this an Atlas 109? In a message dated Mon, 24 Feb 2003, Bill Hardin writes: << I don't think you read my note. I know the 109s were supposedly made by AA, and 101s by Atlas. What I said, and tried to prove, was that Atlas did indeed make a 109 lathe - the 109.21280 >> You can suppose this all you want but it doesn't make sense. 101 is a Sears code for an Atlas built machine. 109 is a Sears code for an AA built machine. Even if Sears were to have convinced Atlas to build a replica of a 109 lathe they almost certainly would have given it a 101 code. Additionally, since Atlas was trying to upgrade their image and renaming themselves Clausing to aid in this effort, it seems *extremely* unlikely that they would have involved themselves with the 109 design which I think any reasonable person would declare to be enormously inferior to the Atlas 6" lathe. I hope this doesn't hurt your feelings but I think it reasonable to conclude that the suggested scenario is just "not on". Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 11:38:28 -0500 From: "Bill Hardin" Subject: RE: Re: 109.21280 Is this an Atlas 109? While I am supposing, I guess I can suppose that no one has the answer. If you are interested in why I asked the question, I have placed a photograph of the Atlas Mk 2 along with the three drawings of the 109.21280 on my web site. On the Home Page, just click on the Mystery Machine line and it will take you to the right place. I ask you to particularly notice the photograph vs. the drawing on the carriage. Since I do not own an Atlas, can you understand why I question the similarity? No, you did not hurt my feelings. I posed the question here because there are some almost as old as me, and a great many who know more than I do here. And, I like knowledgeable answers more than speculation. Thanks for your help. Bill Hardin www.homeshopsupply.com Craftsman & Atlas Lathe Support ------- Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2003 14:18:49 -0500 From: "Bill Hardin" Subject: RE: Re: 109.21280 Is this an Atlas 109? I made the phone call [TO CLAUSING] yesterday. It was not made by Atlas. So, what is its story. Looks like one. I have learned quite a bit in following this. Not really ready to put it all down just yet. I do have a copy of a Sears manual for the 109.21280, which is what started this whole thing. I'm told those are not Atlas parts - just a little away, a thread short, but not made by Atlas. Perhaps a purloined design. With a little more help, I think we'll find an interesting story. Bill Hardin ------- Date: Mon, 24 Feb 2003 20:10:44 EST From: n8as1x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: lathe parts e bay braze up ur old one if T is torn out,bar stock works plaza machinery in vermont dave ficke at meridian dave sobel in NJ fabricate a new one out of bar stock if u need more or better addresses email me ..few other places, but all these dealers are in BUSINESS of scrapping out. best wishes docn8as ------- Date: Sat, 01 Mar 2003 19:07:30 -0000 From: "mikehenryil " Subject: Re: Atlas Bench-top Miller "chris strawford" wrote: > I have just committed myself to buy the equipment described below: > The machine is an Atlas Change O Matic,Model MF,Serial No 002118, > Overall Height 24" Footprint 20" X 9" Bed 4 1/2" x 18" > Swing from centre of Chuck [it has a 3 jaw chuck fitted] to bed at > lowest position 5 1/2" Trust the above is some help> > I have not seen it other than in copies of old Atlas sales > literature, but I believe the following is missing off it. The > Arbour Support Arm Assembly and the Cutter Arbour Assembly together > with the Draw In Bar. Is it possible to buy these parts? Chris UK I'd guess that neither of these parts are available from the manuafacturer anymore and that used parts will be your most likely source. Both are probably going to be pretty hard to find. Arbors on eBay seem to go for $150-200. Spacers can probably be bought off the shelf from the standard tool suppliers and you should be able to make up a draw bar pretty easily. Clausing supplies some Atlas parts (Atlas & Clausing merged) so you might try them: www.clausing-industrial.com and click on the service link to get contact info. They've been known to supply blueprints for parts that are no longer manufactured, so you might try asking for those. They'll sell you a manual for $5 or $10, too. There are also used tool dealers that tend to specialise in the smaller home-shop type tools, like Atlas. Dave Sobel and Plaza Machinery come to mind, but I don't have contact info for them handy. Mike, near Chicago ------- Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2003 22:31:35 EST From: n8as1x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Re: Atlas Bench-top Miller arbors can be shop made ......doug king ,visiting me last summer from canada decided i neded a 1 1/4 B&S 9 arbor & proceeded to turn one out on my 1895 reed 14x44, in abt 2 hours,sans spacers ( went at a totally strange machine ,like he had learned on it).....put it in spindle & indicated 10 in out & the needle didnt move .....redid the setup 2x more before i beleived it ..there had to be good fortune there , BUT doug is SOME kind of machinist!!!!!!...took me longer to make the spacers! this lathe has 3 fixed pulley feeds ,.007 being the least..he ground & set the bit so there was no sign of concentric rings., #220 cloth was all that was necessary .to finish.....thinking abt it , dont see why u cdnt take a blank #2 morse taper, shrink a oversize bar on, put between centers & turn down to 1in (7/8) & thread end 1x 12 ...shud be dead on. best wishes docn8as ps .rudy kouhaupt(sp) has a series of articles on refurbishing atl; as mill in home shop machinist mags ...think he fabricated o/head tie down......check w/ village press ------- Date: Sun, 02 Mar 2003 03:39:35 -0000 From: "mrb37211 " Subject: Re: Atlas Bench-top Miller There is another Yahoo group, Chris, Atlasshaperandmillingmachineusersgroup, which you might want to check out. They have a number of photos of the mills posted as well as copies of some "How-to" articles about techniques. Their archives include a series of emails detailing the creation of arbors from Morse Taper 2 drill shanks; the first of which appears to be message 178. And be sure to check your countryman's site http://www.lathes.co.uk/ specifically http://www.lathes.co.uk/atlasmiller/index.html and thirdly, try http://www.owwm.com/ Charles P.S. Thanks for the center height information on the mill. Sounds like a good substitute for a 10" - 12" lathe for turning live steam locomotive drivers. ------- Date: Sat, 01 Mar 2003 23:39:45 -0400 From: Peter Merriam Subject: Re: Atlas Bench-top Miller Chris: Further to Mike's comments, the overarm itself, on my Atlas MFB hor mill (serial 006417) is a piece of shaft 1.5 inch nominal diameter (1.499 actual) by 16 inches long, so it is easy to replace. I got one here in Dartmouth Nova Scotia last week for $23 Canadian at Metals Supermarket. The overarm and the arbor are 2.875 inches center to center and the arbor is .625 inch dia, so the arbor support should not be too difficult to make. PeterM [IN A FOLLOWUP MSG] After posting my msg to you, I got thinking about the 2.875 dimension. You should check your own machine. Your machine may vary. Good luck with search for parts. -------- Date: Sat, 8 Mar 2003 14:06:57 EST From: anthrhodesx~xxaol.com Subject: Atlas Connections (Was Re: Downfeed on shaper) In a message dated Fri, 07 Mar 2003, brianx~xxsquibb writes: << The Atlas sold by Acorn was called a Sphere. >> Brian, I'm not quite certain what you're alleging so let me tell you what little I know. The Atlas machines we're generally interested in are the various lathes, the mills, and the shapers. I know for a fact that the Atlas designed shaper that Acorn sold was marketed as "Acorn". I know you have a "Sphere" lathe and from the photos you've posted it's obviously an Atlas variant. I presume, from your statement that I've quoted at the start of this message, that your Sphere was manufactured by Acorn. I also know that several other UK manufacturers manufactured and marketed lathes based on the Atlas 10" with various degrees of alteration to the original design. Tony Griffiths' site specifically mentions the Sphere and Halifax, he also mentions Acorntools as if it were seperate from Sphere but has no info on an "Acorn" lathe, and he also mentions Raglan but in a way that suggests that the connection is only peripheral. I know that some Atlas mills wound up in the UK, so far I haven't heard of any with names other than "Atlas". So, you have a "Sphere" lathe. Do you *know* that it was manufactured by Acorn? Do you know if Acorn manufactured lathes under the "Acorn" name or under any name other than Sphere? Do you know of any Atlas shapers manufactured by Acorn under any name other than "Acorn"? Do you know of any Atlas shapers manufactured by anyone under any name other than Atlas or Acorn? Do you know of any Atlas mills manufactured by anybody other than Atlas and/or under any other name than Atlas? Do you know of any lathes based on the Atlas design made by any manufacturer other than those mentioned above or under any other name than those mentioned above? This is not intended as an inquisition, I'd just like to know the reality rather than speculations. Thanks. Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 20:34:00 +0000 From: "brianx~xxsquibb.org.uk" Subject: Re: Atlas Connections (Was Re: Downfeed on shaper) Anthony, Based in the Acton/Chiswick are of London. The Acorn Machine Tool Company was one of several agents set up to provide spares for the Atlas 10F lathes, which were shiopped over on a lease/lend basis for the war effort. They came with bed lengths of mostly 36 and 42 inches with the 48 and 54 bed being rare. Post war, and in due course, our industry began to recover. The spares need eased and the Acorn Company began to use the 'surplus' spares to build their own versions. They were badged 'Sphere', Halifax, and Acorntool lathes. My Sphere has bakelite pulleys and gear cover (and some had bakelite reverse gear cases). In 1983, the OTM Group of companies bought the Acorn Machine Tool Co and in 1990 moved the factory to Egham, Surrey. When a subsidary company, Trygear, was moved into the OTM factory, Acorn tools stopped. At this point Mike Kurn the CEO for Acorntools did a management buy out and till this day provides spares for Atlas lathes and the various clones. Brian ------- Date: Sun, 9 Mar 2003 09:37:06 -0000 From: "chris strawford" Subject: Re: Atlas Connections (Was Re: Downfeed on shaper) Brian: Is it worth contacting Mike Kern for spares for my Atlas Horizontal Milling Machine. If it is, do you have his email address please? Is there any way of dating my Atlas MF? Anyone???? Chris ------- Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2003 23:10:26 +0000 From: "brianx~xxsquibb.org.uk" Subject: Re: Atlas Connections (Was Re: Downfeed on shaper) Chris, Mike can be reached at mikekurnx~xxotmservo.com or tel 01784 434225 (day) or 01344883417 (evenings) 16 Mansfield Place, North Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 8ND No harm in contacting him Brian -------- Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 10:53:41 -0000 From: "Ernest Lear" Subject: Re: new member seeks accessories for an Atlas 10-F Hi Stuart, I live nearly 40-50 miles away from you, in the cider county Somerset, at Langport. Glad to see that we have another user of an Atlas 10F Machine, I have a 10F-36. A 1946 model rebuilt after many years laying in a shed unused and with many bits broken or lost. Its on the way to being totally restored to as new condition that can be got by me. It's working now and at the moment making parts for itself. Regards Ernest ------- Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2003 17:27:27 EST From: LouD31M066x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: new member seeks accessories for an Atlas 10-F For the money involved you might be better served to make a steady rest and a follower rest. Probably would develop your machinist skills also. These things are about, but, see what they bring on ebay and decide. Louis ------- Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2003 23:23:00 EST From: LouD31M066x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Re: making a leadscrew [VERSUS BUYING ONE] I have not looked into this,but, apparently others have. Several mentions in group. [FOR PRETHREADED STOCK] Try usual suspects Mcmaster, Enco .... I think smaller firm from Wisconsin or Minnesota was source most mentioned. Making a leadscrew is doable, but, only as last resort as accuracy of screw needs to be very good to make whole exercise worthwhile. Leadscrews tend to be hardened to resist wear and prolong accuracy. The only point of putting my oar in water is to point out that leadscrew stock is apparently available from suppliers known to at least some group members and that whacking a screw to length and grinding ends to fit bearings and however screw is linked to drive seems to be a lightyear or so quicker and probably accurate and hardened for long wear. If you go ahead and make a leadscrew you are going to be working from the leadscrew of the lathe and it is sure to have some wear and some slop in mechanism and this will be reflected in the leadscrew you make. In my opinion which has been humbled more than once. Louis ------- Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2003 21:12:19 -0800 From: "Patrick Lee Rooney" Subject: RE: Re: making a leadscrew Damon...think long and hard about cutting a leadscrew. I made several a few years back when I placed less value on my time, and the results were less than satisfactory. Not that the process was technically difficult, just that the screw wore very quickly. After a year of pretty heavy use, it was in worse shape than the original. I had no knowledge how to harden the finished product. By comparison, my 11" Rockwell screw which I have owned since the early 70's, showed very little wear when I replaced it earlier this year. I had to grind the end bearing diameter down a tad on the new screw to fit the new bearing, and it was VERY slow going. Hard as a diamond. I eventually replaced the Atlas screw with one scored on e-bay which was virtually new and really cheap. Making the screw was a fun and challenging project back then, but it just didn't wear well, and the first one I made was sloppy. I wouldn't do it again unless I had a rare leadscrew to replace. Good luck. Patrick ------- Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2003 21:00:33 -0000 From: "jdmichael2001" Subject: Re: Zamak replacement handles? McMaster Carr www.mcmastercarr.com has "Steel Balanced Crank Handles" like the crossfeed handle in a variety of sizes with revolving or stationary handles. Once at their website, a search on "crank handle" will return about 3 pages of them, with the counterbalanced handles about 3/4 of the way down. They have a starter hole for machining to your requirements. When I got my lathe the carriage traverse wheel was missing the little handle and I replaced it cleanly with a revolving handle from McMaster Carr. Press in replacement. Jan ------- Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 01:58:41 -0800 From: Marc Sayer Subject: Re: Re: Zamak replacement handles? From a discussion I had a few months back about this on the list: > Bill Hardin wrote: >>J & L Industrial Supply has a wide variety of cast, machined and forged >>handles. I was able to replace the broken ones on my lathe with better >>quality that looked almost the same in size and shape. Site is >>https://www.jlindustrial.com/ Bill Boy was this a good tip. I tried ordering replacement handles from Clausing, via Campbell and got the wrong parts. Turns out when they say handle, they only mean the crank portion of the handle. No wonder they were only $7 or so. For about the same price I got larger more robust handles made of steel rather than Zamak from J & L. They don't have the right ID (I got them a bit undersized so I could tap them and thread them on), and they don't have a keyway. But as I say, I'll be threading the ID to fit on the shafts and then locknut them in place. And frankly that's fine with me and no trouble to do at all. Plus these handles are easier to use and stronger by far. I also ordered a 52 piece clamping set they had on sale for $29.99. That's $20 off, and boy is it a great deal. I needed a clamping set anyway, and the T slot nuts also fit the compound on my lathe! To top it all off, not only were the prices great, but the service was unreal. I ordered it on the 3rd and it showed up at my door mid- afternoon the next day. Overnight shipping at no extra charge! The shipping was just under $10 for a fairly heavy package. I doubt I could have shipped that item via UPS ground for that, let alone next day delivery. I am very pleased and want to thank you for the tip Bill. ------- Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 00:08:49 -0600 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: Can anyone tell me about model #'s for the 12"? [in atlas_craftsman] machinist360 wrote: >Does anyone know how to decipher the atlas/craftsman model numbers? >Particularly, what is the difference between a 101.07401 and a >101.28970. Any info would be appreciated. Umm, I'm not absolutely sure, there are a LOT of model numbers. But, the 07401, if it is a 12" at all, is the very first one. it would almost certainly have babbit bearings, no quick change, and 3/8" vertical thickness of the bed ways. This is essentially the 10" Atlas lathe with a taller headstock and tailstock. It would have been made between about 1936 and 1939. This model did not have power crossfeed. It is equivalent to the Atlas model "D". I have a 28910, which is a much later machine, made between 1962 and 1965, very roughly. It has Timken bearings, a QC gearbox, power crossfeed, and the bed ways are 1/2" thick. The carriage, cross-slide and compound rest are all made a bit beefier than the 10" and early 12" lathes. So, the 28970 would be made a bit later than 1965, but should be similar. Note, most of these models were sold in two "sister" versions, for instance, the 28900 had a 42" bed, and was a 12 x 24" lathe, the 28910 had a 54" bed, and was a 12 x 36" lathe. Otherwise, they were essentially identical. The bed, carriage rack and the leadscrew were the only parts differing between the two models. Jon ------- Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 17:16:39 -0000 From: "bck41" Subject: Lathe repair [POSTED TO SHERLINE LIST] Even though I had zero machine tool experience I bought the Sherline shop package and some extra tooling to play with after I retired. I have struggled some but am having a lot of fun. I am about to attempt my first serious (to me) project. I recently bought a 10" Atlas and a lot of tooling at an estate auction, it was very cheap, less than $200.00, because the leadscrew bearing/retainer, whatever the proper name is, on the tailstock end was broken and the leadscrew was loose and flopping about. The auctioneer said that it had been in good working order and it was broken while moving it up the stairs from the basement. Would Fortel aluminum be acceptable for making a replacement part? If not what would you suggest, any ideas on proper material and procedures for making this part would be appreciated. But keep it as simple as possible. BK ------- Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 18:45:37 -0000 From: "Glen Reeser" Subject: Re: Lathe repair BK, you might want to pose this question on the Atlas list. I have two 9" South Bend lathes. The tail stock end leadscrew support is a cast iron part with a lead babbit bearing. The factory would pour the bearing in place around the leadscrew. This level of precision is probably not required. Someone on the Atlas list may have a spare part you could use. Glen Reeser ------- Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 21:55:18 EST From: catboat15x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Lathe repair I would check with Clausing (do a net search) they have many parts for the Atlas still in stock. That bearing is made to break anyway. It is kind of a safety valve that will break and avoid damage to more expensive parts of the gear chain. You got a good deal if the lathe is in any kind of shape at all. John in the high desert of California 12 inch Atlas Mini Mill Rusty file ------- Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2003 14:08:20 +0100 From: Brian Squibb Subject: Gib strip Well I have got the swivel off my 10F and put a T-slot table in place. This gives me significantly more space above the table and also a very rigid base for a vertical slide/angle plate. I will have to make a tall toolpost to match, but that is not a problem. The gib strips are clearly not interchangable so I have to make my own. I have got the right size piece of mild but as a novice I have not made a gib strip before. Can I have some hints and tips from the experienced members on the list please? This is not for a piece of Atlas kit so I have to make my own. I am assuming I just have to chamfer the ends and put indents in where the adjusters are? Using mild steel - would brass be better? Thanks Brian ------- Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2003 10:28:28 -0400 (EDT) From: Kirk M Scammon Subject: Re: Gib strip John: I bought the cross slide and compound gibs for my lathe from Clausing. They were both plastic, and about 10.00 bucks. They are holding up O.K.. I still have some give in the slides, so I am in the process of learning to scrape bearing surfaces now. I wish my dad was still around, he had rescraped machines for several machine shops. Clausing does not sell the gib for the carriage, or gibs for the MF mill, but they shoud be easy to make. When I get around to scraping the mill, I will make bronze gibs with scraped bearing surfaces. If I figure out how to make a website, I will post the scraping of the lathe, and mill. But the first project is to be an x-y vice, to make sure that I don't bugger up the dovetails on the lathe. Kirk 12 x 36 A/C and MF mill ------- Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2003 11:33:42 EDT From: Sagebush9x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Gib strip My late model 12"-(28990) had plastic gibs from the factory. I made brass ones, & it improved the rigidity of the machine quite a bit. Not having a mill at the time, I hacksawed & filed them out of 1/8" brass plate, & made the indents for the screws on the drill press. HTH, Ron Moorland ------- Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2003 19:11:03 +0100 From: Brian Squibb Subject: Re: Gib strip Gib done - made a pointed bolt to get the indent. All on now and adjusted. The T-slot table is about 10 inches long so it has a much longer gib, so should reduce wear overall. The table is about 2 inches lower than the compound so I can get the 6inch chuck over the table. Seems to give about 6 inches of travel . With the T bed the opportunity for other tools is greatly increased. I am looking forward to putting on the vertical slide and doing milling - the table is much wider and rigid than the compound. If anyone is interested I will post a picture. Brian ------- Date: Tue, 08 Apr 2003 22:20:06 +0100 From: Brian Squibb Subject: Re: Re: Gib strip >Because he's applying these to a non-standard cross slide there is a >strong likelihood that a standard gib won't work. As much was implied >in his msg. The gibs are nearly 10" long for the new table. The same thickness though. >He might well not be happy with plastic gibs. I have no information >on the subject. I am doing milling off the table - my understanding that the plastic gibs will move about. Hence the question whether mild steel is OK or whether I should use brass >He's in the UK which means that Clausing may be a less reasonable source >for him on anything he can get locally or can make for himself. I had the right size steel bar so I made one up. I surprised myself by remembering to chamfer the ends. It works a treat, even better that the standard, previous set. Looks very promising and VERY rigid as I have been doing some milling tonight - OK I was only user 1/4 inch slot mills but it just cut smoothly and easily. Got a Jacobs No 3 chuck today on an MT2 - it is a very impressive large drill chuck opening from 0 to 17/32. Brian ------- Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 07:51:10 +0100 From: Brian Squibb Subject: Re: Re: Gib strip >Brian - Where did you get the T-slot table? Also, I've heard that >the gib should not be significantly softer than the cast iron >surfaces it rubs, else grit can become imbedded in the gib and file >away at the cast iron. Charles The T slot table came with my lathe. Looks like a home made affair - it has the correct dovetail and the nut for the leadscrew is genuine atlas (no slop either). The T slots are a bit kludgy tho. So it looks like my mild steel gib strip is correct then? As soon as I have got it finished I will post a picture. I made the tool post extension last night (to get the extra height now needed). Just need to make the T nut with a very long bolt now. Brian ------- NOTE TO FILE: Gib strips to replace plastic ones can be made from brass stock or inexpensive cold rolled steel (hardware store type) or whatever better-steel scraps you have on hand. ------- date: Wed, 09 Apr 2003 16:54:12 -0000 From: "jebob71" Subject: Re: chip tray, roof flashing? > >Anyone ever try using roof flashing, Aluminum (or copper) > >sheeting in 24"xwhatever rolls at the home warehouse stores? I think > >it could make a neat chip tray to go under the lathe. Not super > >pretty, kinda bend in place to suit deal. > I made fixed and removable chip trays for my lathe from automotive > drip trays. I detailed them in the Atlas section of my Web site (address > below). Ron Thibault Warrenville, SC USA > http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/t/h/thib9564/ For the smaller 6"x18" atlas & craftsman lathes, swipe your wife's cookie baking sheets. Not only are the large ones long enough to mount completely under the lathe, the smaller ones actually fit between the lathe legs. Finally, since they are teflon coated, easy clean up. Jeff ------- Date: Sun, 13 Apr 2003 23:32:20 EDT From: catboat15x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Digest Number 1435 > A lot of things are possible but not necessarily practical. And conversely, some things turn out to be practical, but not very machine shop like. When I had a lot of facing to do on my 6 inch Atlas, which has no powered cross feed as many of the 12 inch models do. I added a flanged drum to both the lead screw right end and replaced the handle on the cross slide with a simlar drum. A pulley, (clothes line type, not a marine top dollar one) and a length of good string and I had automatic feed for facing. Wrap the string around both drums, lock the carrage in place and set up appropriate gears to drive the lead screw. (Don't engage the half nuts, of course.) String is wound up on the lead screw, unwound from the cross slide drum to drive the tool across the face of the wheels I was making. Not done to save work, but for a better finish. > I had considered putting a handwheel and calibrated collar on the > outboard end of the lead screw but that is quite a project for the > occasional use. Not too big a project, when I added the "string and drum" powered cross feed on my old 6 inch Atlas, at the same time I added a calibrated collar on the lead screw. I made a disk or drum first of a convent size. Drew a scale with my CAD program. Then a cut and try process to "scale" the drawing so the paper wrapped around the drum exactly. Put it on with Duco or model airplane cement and covered with several coats of tranparent varnish. Worked fine for several years till I finally sold the lathe. (Fool that I am, wanted more swing so sold the Atlas and bought a Smithy. Woe is me!!!!) Next time I wll tell you about the wood steady rest I made to face locomotive boiler drums. John in the high desert of California 12 inch Atlas Mini Mill Rusty file ------- Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2003 03:12:02 -0400 From: "mertbaker" Subject: Re: Digest Number 1435 It is amazing to see what one can do using wood to make machine tools. I have seen a lathe with the TS, HS, Bed, & carriage made out of rock maple. Mert ------- Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003 18:22:44 -0400 From: Art Eckstein Subject: Re: need parts source >Hi-could anyone tell me where to purchase a replacement for the pot >metal hanger which supports the right hand end of the lead screw on >my atlas 10 in lathe, model th54. had a small almost bad accident >and that hanger is now deformed. thanks-steve in sacto Check out Ron's page at: http://personal.atl.bellsouth.net/t/h/thib9564/At las_Lathe_Leadscrew_Bearings.htm and he will tell you how to fix it! Bubba ------- Date: Thu, 01 May 2003 04:06:33 -0000 From: "Steve Black" Subject: Re: need parts source Thanks everyone for your help with my damaged lead screw bearing problem. I was turning close to the head, and laid my little six inch ruler on the ways,and, you guessed it. Didn't break the bearing, just bent it. Took the lead screw off, took the carriage apart and cleaned, reinstalled. The lead screw is now offset to the right a bit, so no thread turning, and the carriage is stiff along the ways-dont know why. Will repair the lathe, thanks again- Steve in Sacto ------- Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 15:17:35 -0000 From: "jrw064" Subject: roller steady rest? Hello, like most Craftsman/Atlas owners the headstock of my lathe(12x36) is somewhat limited for thru the headstock rifle rebarreling; my spindle has approx. 3/4" opening. I have worked a little with my steady rest that has the brass type supports that bear directly on the rotating object. Sometimes I mar the turning item, so I inquired about a roller bearing capability on the supports. I suspect that the bearings from Enco are fairly common everday quality, so one person said I needed bearings like the headstock in quality to do any good, I believe class 7, which I read to be fairly pricey and hard to acquire. Any sources for these high grade bearings? Does anyone run a roller bearing steady rest in their hobby and relative results? The chambering/threading etc needs to be as low a runout as possible. Thanks for any replies, Regards, Rick W. ------- Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 17:12:44 +0100 From: "jo barden" Subject: Re: roller steady rest? You could always use bearings for router bits, they are relatively cheap and are designed to operate at high speed (upto 20,000 rpm) and they are readily available. jo ------- Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 13:04:38 -0400 From: "mertbaker" Subject: Re: roller steady rest? For most barrel work, A fitted collar on the barrel will allow the use of the brass fingers with no danger of marring the bbl. Mert ------- Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 18:14:31 -0000 From: "Bill Collins" Subject: Re: roller steady rest? Hi Rick W. I make a lot of small cannon barrels on my lathe, a Southbend 9" model C. I made my own steady rest. The bearings I used are from old VCR heads. Although other bearings can be used like from old skate board wheels. These are a little heftier than the VCR bearings, but I have had good results using the VCR head type. Good luck and God Bless. Bill C. ------- Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 18:52:58 -0000 From: "Bill Collins" Subject: Re: roller steady rest? Hi group. I have uploaded a couple pics of my homemade steady/follower rest I made that I use on my Southbend. It can also be used as a follower rest by removing the two bolts and attaching it to the side of the carriage with the two same bolts. I plan on making another larger one and a seperate follower rest. To find the pics, go to the photos and click on 6" Lathes. Then click the sub album AA model 109 lathes then click Rebels Metal Shop folder. Thanks and God Bless. Bill C. Portsmouth,Ohio ------- Date: Sun, 18 May 2003 22:58:20 EDT From: n8as1x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: roller steady rest? been using a 12x36 for rebarreling & set backs since 1970..., there are still bench rest smiths working between centers ., so i personally dont feel handicapped.....roy dunlap once stated that every non concentric chamber he had examined was done thru the hdstck....i am sure techniques are greatly improved in the 50 yrs since that statement ...that said.... been there, if marring is the concern,dont do it ! ...bearings burnish the steel, remove the blacking & require more polishing than brass arms, wood doesent burnish , but removes finish......when necessary to protect, turn up a large ( so u can take trueinig cuts on future jobs,) collar, bored to taper & drive on w/ a piece of paper between barrel/collar , or use a SPLIT collar ,bored to fit ......u can use a shoulder on collar to bear against stdy , helping hold barrel against the laced dog/faceplate if desired ,,,,,, ball bearing arms are gathering dust ..think used once the last 30 yrs.....if u need guidance on chambering hints , chamber /center reamer making ,hdspc ga. fabbing, bolt handle making /welding , floor plate hinging , reloading die fabbing etc.,let me know,..... been more interested in machine tools than smithing , the last 25 yrs , but be glad to help......i realize there is info out now , not near the dearth of info & tightly held trade secrets ,that existed 50 + yrs ago when i was stumbling along the path.... best wishes docn8as ------- Date: Mon, 19 May 2003 06:10:18 -0000 From: "jrw064" Subject: Re: roller steady rest? Thanks to everyone on my steady rest useage question. I really do not feel at a disadvantage with the steady, ie doing work between centers; just always looking for ways to improve technique or tooling. Some very well respective benchrest types do work between centers; just as there are several benchrest gunsmiths that chamber thru the headstock and use a spyder. I think that the collar is something to think about and try. I appreciate everyone's kind replies. Regards, Rick W. ------- Date: Sat, 24 May 2003 15:28:06 -0000 From: "rpm2290028" Subject: Re: roller steady rest? Dear Rick W, I've been away for a few days, so could not reply at once. I have the problem of turning 1" plexiglas rod on my 12x36 Atlas/ Craftsman. I have to be very accurate( ie no more than 0.0005" TIR) in centering this, so I had to investigate several possibilities. Several machinists mentioned that with a steady with small rollers attached to the fingers, and cutting close to the steady, there's a good chance of getting chips in between the workpiece and the rollers, and getting them forced under pressure into the work. I had to develop a technique where I purchased an ordinary 1/2" thick steel sealed bearing, bigger than the OD of the piece, in my case 1.250", then used a similar OD piece covered in 220 wet and dry rotating on the lathe to accurately sand down the brass fingers of the steady to fit this exact OD. I then made a brass mandrel to fit in a headstock collett,( you could use a four jaw for this, of course), exactly to the ID of the bearing, and used this set-up to centre the bearing on the lathe axis, with the steady next to the headstock, then tighten the steady rest fingers around it. This eliminated all the guess work and 'feel' problems that I normally have adjusting a steady. All that was required next was a delrin spacer that fit the shaft OD and the bearing ID, all a tight press fit, and a TIR of less than five 'tenths'. This could accomodate any size barrel, up to ,I guess, about 1.5 ", because you're then limited by the maximum the steady can take. This sounds complicated, but cost almost nothing except for the bearing for $5, and was relatively easy to do. If your lathe is cutting a slight taper because of wear, (like mine), this doesn't matter, since all the parts are still concentric. The sealed bearing has no trouble with the chips, of course, and there is no place for chips to get between the work and the bearing, which rotates with the workpiece anyway. Hope this was of some help. Richard in Los Angeles. ------- Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2003 17:21:31 -0400 (EDT) From: x xx Subject: Re: Re: For Sale 6" Craftsman Yes, Lynn. Everything you say is true. The native steadies for the Atlas lathes do indeed constrain the fingers from pivoting on the clamp bolts by having shoulders in the basic casting between which the fingers slide. Certain steadies snazzier than the Atlases (what isn't?) have roller bearings on the ends. Atlases are just plain. You'll have seen me repond to "steady posts" once or twice before, essentially always saying "just jimmy one up" because unless you are doing production work (on an Atlas? Yah, sure!) it's pretty much a one shot disposable affair. A recent posting with a picture, I didn't really like because it has in my opinion the very problem of not being able to control the pivoting of the fingers. Since I like fabricating stuff like this from scrap aluminum plate, I'd just clamp fingers to the face of the plate positioned to suit the work, using 2" "C" clamps, then take the rig off the machine, lay it on the bench, drill bolt 'oles, two to a finger, bolt down and set it back on the ways. Some people, when they are stuck for a one-shot steady just jimmy one from a bit of twobefour. Warms an old woodbutcher's heart! Sam ------- Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2003 20:08:15 EDT From: n8as1x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Re: For Sale 6" Craftsman production ? during ww2 atlas' ran 3 shifts a day for 5 or so years ,...thats what the turrets & production x/slides w/ back cut offs were for ......cheap parts kept them functional ....i made up some fingers w/ small ball bearings on the end ,thinking i could protect the finish when setting back barrels & recrowning ...HA it burnished the steel & made the repolishing much more difficult, the burnished spots wanting to show thru the blueing ......back to the brass , better than the wood ones i tried ....am in 100% agreement w/ the rest of ur post best wishes docn8as ------- Date: Thu, 28 Aug 2003 01:20:10 EDT From: catboat15x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Digest Number 1603 In a message 8/27/2003, atlas_craftsmanx~xxyahoogroups.com writes: > Some people, when they are stuck for a one-shot steady just jimmy > one from a bit of twobefour. Warms an old woodbutcher's heart! For facing off the ends of the 4 inch copper tube for my boiler shell, I did the wood thing. Bandsawed a circle to fit inside the tube so I could chuck it up without crushing, made a L shaped stand of plywood clamped the L to the bed and cut a hole in the upright with a tool held in the four jaw chuck to fit the OD of the boiler tube. Moved the wood stand down the bed, re-clamped close to the end of the tube, Put in the anti- crush disk, greased up the far end of the tube where it ran through the hole in the L. Worked fine to true up and finish to length of the boiler shell. John LBSC Virginia LBSC Tich ------- Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2003 14:29:52 -0000 From: "wheelerfireops2003" Subject: Need help to identify Atlas Lathe I have a 10" Atlas lathe with no data plate, I recently sheared a bevel gear in the leadscrew drive, can't order one from Clausen because I don't know which model it is. They said if it had a 3/4" leadscrew it would be an "F" model, but this one has a 5/8" or .624 leadscrew, I'm having a hard time finding the casting #'s to help them identify it. Can anybody lead me in the right direction, I'd like to rebuild the leadscrew change box. Jim ------- Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2003 12:20:55 -0500 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: Need help to identify Atlas Lathe Does it have power crossfeed? Does the leadscrew have a keyway slot the entire length? If so, that should be the 10-F model. If it does not have the power crossfeed, only carriage feed, that should be the 10-D model. There were apparently some "bastard" machines made with a mixture of these features, which makes it a bit harder to figure out exactly which parts will fit. Which gear is it that is damaged? Jon ------- Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2003 15:53:03 -0500 From: "walucy" Subject: for Jon Elson-lead screw bevel gears The bevel gears are the same for the 5/8" o.d. screw as they are for the 3/4" screw. On the 3/4" the area of the shaft where the bevel gears are has been reduced to 5/8". If you have or can get an "F" series parts list, the p/ns for it will fit the 5/8" shaft. I had the same problem on my 10" 054D. I got new ones from Clausing. "JO" at causing set me straight on it. Good luck with your project. walucy ------- Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2003 08:41:59 -0000 From: "Robert Weersing" Subject: Re: Need help to identify Atlas Lathe Hello Jim You have a "D" model lathe or earlier because of the 5/8" leadscrew. If you are talking about one of the gears in the reverse gear case they used the same gears and case in the 9",early 10" ,or the later model 10" D or F. I have a "D" and "F" model and both use the same gears and gear case. The gear on the left side of the gearbox is part #9-48B. The gear on the right side of the gearbox is part #9-49A. The gear on the top of the gearcase is part #9-47. Hope that helps Bob ------- Date: Wed, 17 Sep 2003 23:24:50 -0500 From: "jerdal" Subject: Re: Re: New here: Really need a carrage assembly. Well, patient or not, here are some ideas Lost creek Machine I don't have the URL handy, but google can find them. I am a satified customer of theirs. Meridian machinery www.mermac.com Good person Sobel machinery (advertiser in Home Shop Machinist magazine) Would be great, if he understood packing. Good person anyway. check ad for phone number (no website) Bethel Machinery (advertiser Home shop machinist magazine....in the want ads) check ad for phone number, no website. Any of these may be parting out a machine. I bought Logan parts from meridian (and lost creek) , but Meridian does more with Atlas than Logan. Jerrold ------- Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2003 00:22:09 -0500 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: Compatibility of 12" Craftsman "Commercial"? Wally Blackburn wrote: >I will be looking at a 12" Craftsman "Commercial" lathe this >weekend. Depending upon condition, price, etc. it may be parted >out. Can anyone give me an idea of the compatibility between this >beast and a "typical" 12" Atlas/Craftsman? If this is actually a Clausing-line lathe sold under the Atlas label, about the only interchangable parts might be a dead center. If it is close to 1000 Lbs in weight, it is a Clausing. if it is about 250 Lbs, it is an Atlas. The most obvious difference is the Atlas has flat ways, the Clausing has the standard inverted Vee ways. Jon ------- Date: Sun, 02 Nov 2003 17:06:22 -0500 From: Art Eckstein Subject: Steady Rest Hi All: Just a word to the wise as Murphy BIT me today. I was turning some rather large stock using the chuck and the steady rest. As usual, there was some chatter (read vibration) of the setup and not paying REAL close attention, the hinge pin on the steady vibrated OUT! This of course allowed the stock to ride up on the tool, raising the back side of the top portion of the steady rest REAL QUICK. Before I realized what had happened, the front "fork" of the steady top piece broke:{( The steady is usable as is (if I put the two pieces of the broken fork under the clamp bolt; until I get around to fixing permenately); but you may want to check your rests to see if the pin is loose. If it is, I recommend replacing with a bolt or something suitable so it won't happen to you! Bubba ------- Date: Sun, 02 Nov 2003 18:47:00 -0500 From: Ronald Thibault Subject: Re: Steady Rest I've had good results using PC-7 epoxy to reattach parts like that, it has a little flexibility when set. I've repaired the saddle traverse gear case (reinforced with a brass strip), and one of the belt cover hinge pieces, among others. ------- Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2003 21:31:12 -0600 From: "Richard Meredith" Subject: Re: Key for 6" Atlas 3-jaw chuck >>> I have just taken my Atlas 6" out of storage and find that I have misplaced the 3-jaw chuck key. Can anyone give me a source for a replacement? Thanks in advance. <<< Enco sells both standard and self ejecting keys in 8 sizes from 15/64" square thru 1/2" square. The std. keys are less than $5, and the self ejecting ones are in the $15-$18 range. They are on page 158 in their 2003 catalog. I just had to buy one myself last week. ------- Date: Sun, 16 Nov 2003 20:45:56 EST From: catboat15x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Digest Number 1702 On my Atlas three jaw chuck a 1/4 inch socket drive wrench just fits. After I found this out I use one of Sears 1/4 inch rachets as a chuck wrench. I like it better than the T handle wrench that came with the chuck. John in the high desert of California ------- Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2003 15:38:07 -0000 From: "steve1232us" Subject: Globe model 51-50 Milling or Tool Post Grndet what is it. Can Anyone Help Me I purchased a 10F Atlas lathe and with it was a Unit that sits on the bed of the Lathe and appears to be some type of millimg attachment and it is Marked Globe Products, MFG CO. Los Angeles Model 50-51. It has a 4 1/2" Vertical movement. Weight is 46 pounds without any motor. The spindle has a 5/8" opening it looks like a atlas milling attachment but instead of a vise it has a spindle like a tool post grinder. Thank You Steve ------- Date: Sat, 15 Nov 2003 18:34:01 -0000 From: "speedphoto300" Subject: Re: Globe model 51-50 Milling or Tool Post Grndet what is it. Good golly!, a real Globe milling attachment. This was driven off of the lathe spindle by a belt, there was a T-slotted table that replaced the cross slide. Had a better travel than the usual milling attachment. Sounds like the table and drive pulley are either missing or you haven't recognized them. Joe ------- Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2003 19:57:03 -0000 From: "tomin130" Subject: Re: Atlas 10-F timken headstock bearings Here are the numbers. 16150: Big Cone 16284B: Big Cup 14125A: Small Cone 14276B: Small Cup Any good bearing supply place should be able to get these for you, at a fraction of what they would cost ordered from Clausing. Tom ------- Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2003 14:33:06 -0700 From: "njb" Subject: Re: Re: Atlas 10-F timken headstock bearings > Are bearing/cup numbers same for both 10 and 12(inch lathes) ? I just happen to be in the middle of rebuilding my 12" (101.28990). I have 16150: Big Cone 16284B: Big Cup 14125A: Small Cone 14276B: Small Cup which match the numbers Tom posted. Nick Jon Elson's Note: The spindles are the same part. ------- Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2003 20:42:38 -0600 From: "Richard Meredith" Subject: Re: Re: Atlas 10-F timken headstock bearings Before you buy bearings, you might want to look into tolerance classes. Tapered roller bearings with the same part numbers are often made to several tolerance classes for different applications. In Timken bearings, the smaller the tolerance class number, the more precision the bearing, and the higher the cost. Automotive bearings are intended to run loose at speeds of around 1500 or less. You want spindle bearings to run tight (practically no end play) at these speeds, or higher. Spindle bearings are usually class 3 or better (sometimes much better). The tolerance class controls how closely the rollers are matched to each other, and how close the inner and outer race tapers are matched to the rollers. The tighter the bearing is run, the more important this becomes. A bearing set that costs $10 or $15 for an automotive application, may cost 4 or 5 times that much (or more) in a tolerance class for machine spindle applications. Foreign made bearings, or bearings made in the US by off shore companies use an ISO scheme for bearing tolerances, and must be cross referenced to the American Standard system used by Timken. If you buy your bearings from a reputable bearing supply house, they should be able to help you out with the correct selection. ------- Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2003 00:45:10 EST From: catboat15x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Cross feed speed > I just purchased an Atlas 12" model 3996 and > the slowest cross feed on the Atlas is much faster [than x-brand]. Have you set the gear box or the change gears for the finest cut on the chart? The cross feed takes its speed from the lead screw so if the lead screw is going slow the cross feed does too. I have no problem with the speed of the cross feed when I set my change gears up for the slowest feed I can get, using my loose gear change gears. John Meacham In the high desert of California 12 X 48 Craftsman lathe ------- Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2003 22:34:08 -0600 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: Re: New member question [Cross feed speed] >Thanks for the response. You are correct, .0042 is not too fast. >That is the change gear selection I am using, but the cross feed is >moving faster than that. I am using E - 10 on the change gear selection. >Is there another way to set up the gears? The gears under the end >gear cover match (by tooth count) what is shown in the parts catalogue. The gearing in the apron of the Atlas lathe is supposed to adjust for the difference in leadscrew pitch. The carriage feed screw is 8 TPI, the crossfeed is 10 TPI. You are supposed to get the same feed rate with either selection. Note that there is a 2:1 gear change implemented in the gear train by dropping the gear bracket and sliding an idler gear in or out. This is normally only used "in" for the very coarsest threads, but if you leave it "in", which means closest to the headstock, it makes all feeds twice what the gearbox shows. Jon ------- Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 09:45:08 EST From: Sagebush9x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Cross Feed (Was Re: New member question) Thanks Anthony-I've had the lathe for 15 yr., & I've had the apron apart 2 or 3 times, for cleaning & a broken "gearbox". If you saw my conver- sation w/Jon, I had the impression the cross feed was faster, but confirmed it's not...I agree the apron isn't the best design -- I looked at it when I had it off & did some thinking about how to make the long. feed drive off the bevel gears like a "real" lathe. Had several ideas, including a chain drive from the cross feed shaft to the apron handwheel -- but this being my only lathe, I didn't want to cripple it to improve it. I still would like slower feeds for fine work, but I hate to mess w/different gears in the train. Ron in CO. ------- Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003 10:50:08 EST From: catboat15x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Improving auto cross feed. > Had several ideas, including a chain drive from the cross feed > shaft to the apron handwheel- I did something like that on my old 6 inch Atlas (Bought new when Atlas had their going out of business sale, but sold in a weak moment) I was adding larger dials on the cross feed and compound when the idea struck. I made another dial and put it on the right hand end of the lead screw with divisions and a larger dial on the cross feed. But on both dials I added a drum section. I put a small pulley on my bench that could be placed in different positions along the length of the bench. Then when I wanted to part or face without cranking I simply wrapped a cord around the drum on the cross feed, fed the cord through the pulley and wrapped a few turns around the drum on the lead screw. Clamped the saddle in position and let-er-rip. Worked pretty good as long as the cut was not interrupted like parting non-round stock. Which reminds me; have to make a set of enlarged dials on my present 12 inch. Next best thing to an DRO. and the dial on the lead screw is pretty handy to measure things. John Meacham In the high desert of California ------- Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2003 22:34:20 EST From: LouD31M066x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Gear change Short answer is you don't need change gears or for that matter quick change IF you are willing to settle for a lathe. However if you want to make threaded objects or make controlled smooth cuts, you need some way to move the saddle in some way proportional to speed of spindle. This done by means of the gear train of the change gears, or the quick change box, connecting the speed of the spindle in some selected ratio to the lead screw. The saddle is connected or disconnected to the lead screw by means of the half nuts. When this was first devised about two centuries ago it was a remarkable advancement and may be fairly said to be a spark that ignited the Industrial Revolution. Some time ago I needed a piece of Bronze turned, drilled, bored, faced and a 7/8" x 14tpi thread turned on outside. Without the ability to thread I would have had to spend about $300 to replace something needing a part I made in about an hour using some scrap material. Louis ------- Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003 19:04:21 -0000 From: "jdmichael2001" Subject: Re: Gear change Henry Maudsley is credited with the critical early developments in machine tools on which the subsequent Industrial Revolution was based. The moving saddle and the master screw (leadscrew) on lathes were his ideas. There's a short article at http://www.lindsaybks.com/arch/maud/ and many books on machining practices will have some history. Without him, this might be a different world today, or as they say, "If it wasn't for Thomas Edison, we'd all be watching TV by candle light." Jan ------- Date: Mon, 12 Jan 2004 12:06:34 -0800 From: "Spurrs" Subject: Re: Where to buy lead screw bearing? Try making one! A flat plate with a bored bar welded to it. Take care though, breaking leadscrew bearing casting is a bit of a safety valve in case the carriage is run into the headstock. The Zamak casting shears, preventing worse damage. Anything you make should have plenty of scope to shear away if you have a little accident. I intend replacing the very solid replacement on my Atlas with something capable of sacrifice and easy repair by replacing a shear pin or even by making a sleeve that is held in place by a spring detent until overloaded. Nigel Spurr ------- Date: Mon, 12 Jan 2004 08:05:59 -0600 From: xlch58x~xxswbell.net Subject: Re: Where to buy lead screw bearing? If you are going to have a sacrificial part, a fifty cent shear pin is probably a better choice than an $83 casting....... Charles ------- Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2004 02:57:31 -0000 From: "carbure2003" Subject: Re: Broke my tool post! >>Well, the post is 1" in dia, the vertical slot is 1 and 13/16" high and 7/16" wide, the ring that the rocker sits on is 1.75" in dia, the overall height above the top slide T-slot is 2.5". The top slide is original, the T-slot dimensions are 1" wide at the bottom, 5/8" wide at the 'neck', and has a 5/8" slot in it (I hope that description is clear). Thanks in advance << I checked my lantern tool post on my Atlas 12 lathe and compared it to my South Bend lantern tool post. The South Bend tool post is not compatible with the Atlas compound rest. Did you ever think about manufacturing your own lantern post? not too difficult, as long as you can find some tool steel (the lanthern tool post is hardened steel. Personally, I would go 100 mph with a quick change. I bought one 10 years ago. I used the lantern tool post about once every 2 years or so for set up jobs that were difficult with the quick change. Guy Cadrin Gatineau, QC Canada ------- Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2004 01:35:02 -0000 From: "cc7260" Subject: Re: Broke my tool post! "Dr Robert Harms" wrote: > Unless you are really into being a traditionalist why not sieze the > opportunity and buy a quick change from Enco (Phase II) for 89.00 I will definitely go the quick change route eventually, but I want the original style tool post so I can use all of the tooling that I got with this real nice lathe. Also, she who must be obeyed feels I've already spent enough on this 'toy' (her words).... After I fix a few things around the house and make a few things that we can use around the house it'll be easier for me to justify the QC toolpost. Can anyone else relate to that? Corm ------- Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2004 23:34:37 -0600 From: "jerdal" Subject: Re: Newbie question 109 and 101 steadies interchange? > have a 109 that i am in need of a steady for. found one for the 101, > will it work? also want a 3" 3 jaw chuck, and a live center. had the > lathe for 6 months and enjoy it but wish i had more tooling as you > can tell. thanks in advance, Steve in illinois I don't know if they interchange, doubt it. I made a follow rest for a 109 with a drill press, files and a hacksaw years ago. (got rid of all the chatter). I bet you could do a steady with no more tooling than that. All it has to do is fit on the bed and have a big hole with three bolts that close at the spindle centerline. Jerrold ------- Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2004 10:49:05 -0500 (EST) From: x xx Subject: Re: Newbie question 109 and 101 steadies interchange? You can even make a temporary one from wood if you are desperate. Sam ------- Date: Wed, 04 Feb 2004 03:29:37 -0000 From: "joecutting2003" Subject: Need instruction manual for Craftsman lathe 101.07301 Does anyone know where I can obtain a copy of the instruction manual for the Craftsman (6x18 inch) lathe 101.07301? I think it is basically the same as the Atlas 618. I will be happy to pay the costs associated with getting a copy. Joe Cutting ------- Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2004 20:25:27 -0800 From: "Steve B." Subject: Re: Need instruction manual for Craftsman lathe 101.07301 http://www.metalworking.com/DropBox/_2000_retired_files/ac6man.pdf PDF file of the manual you are looking for. SB ------- NOTE TO FILE: This could be the quickest way to get a copy of any manual, etc. -- download a PDF file from the web. Such a file will likely be good enough to start with as you clean the new addition to your workshop. Unfortunately some of the PDF files out there are difficult to read, particularly small print as commonly found in part numbers or dimensions. Many details can be blurry in PDF files that were originally scanned at low resolution. Sometimes you can read the number okay on a computer screen but it is too fuzzy to read when printed. If you have a photo manipulation program that can read PDF files, you may be able to import the file and clean it up, sharpen the text, and then print it. But if the company still exists and still sells manuals, please respect their copyright and buy one from them. Treating them right is only fair considering how many of them still help us out with problems. Clausing/ Atlas has been very supportive of us users of long-obsolete equipment. ------- Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 15:48:05 -0000 From: "danielt5burnit" Subject: Gears Hey Group! Has anybody ever check with Boston Gear to see of they have gears for the 109? And keyed bushings for the gears? ------- NOTE TO FILE: Remember, the 109 is not an Atlas but uses the same change gears as a Sears Craftsman 101 which IS a copy of the Atlas 618. Other 109 parts are different from the 101/618 models. ------- Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 10:58:07 -0500 From: " Rigrac" Subject: Re: Gears I know they have keyed bushings and have purchased gearing that I had to adapt (rebore and key) for my Atlas MFC Mill from them. You would have to have all the gear particulars such as DP, Pressure Angle, # of Teeth etc and then see if they have gears matching those specs. Can't order from them per say for an Atlas Lathe. Go to local outlet (Bearing Supply place is where I would start) and see if you can buy, beg, borrow or steal a catalogue from them. Ron ------- Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 22:17:40 -0600 From: "jerdal" Subject: Re: Gears The 109 gears are 24 dp. I would guess they are almost surely 14 1/2 deg pa, although I have not measured the pa. [NOTE TO FILE: 14 1/2 is correct.] They are 0.375 thick (varying between sizes a bit down to 0.350) and have a 0.500 hole. The odd thing about them is that they have double keyways, as do the stock bushings. There isn't any reason for that, a single keyway would have been fine. Sears just wanted you back for parts. Jerrold ------- Date: Thu, 01 Apr 2004 From: "S or J" Subject: Dating an Atlas Hi gang, Hope this can help those members whose most important question on originally joining this group was "When was my Atlas-made lathe/mill/shaper manufactured?" I'll tell you how to date it after some important background information. Unfortunately this question has never been treated with the respect it deserves. Many fuddy-duddies already here seem to think cleaning and repairing and aligning and other boring stuff are more important. Phooey. They probably waste their spare time actually using the darn things instead of just bragging about their toys. The manufacturing dates for Atlas machines cannot be found within the records of Clausing. When Atlas bought Clausing and adopted the more prestigious Clausing name, this critical date-data was mislaid. Some believe the old records were accidentally lost forever. Others claim the paperwork fell victim to a bungled early attempt at recycling. A very few others believe a hand-written master copy (no photocopiers back then) was retained by one of their accounting staff who could not bear to see any paper with numbers disappear. Well I finally tracked him down. It is rumored that he was also working on a numerical formula to prove that certain aerospace stock figures in the Wall Street Journal were being manipulated to pass on coded messages to any Roswell alien survivors. Now that is just plain silly. Everyone knows the entire crew was put into a very large GE M33-6B freezer in the Officers' Club at Area 51. They were about to be put into the Canteen's freezer, but common sense prevailed. Obviously they had been pilots, and everyone knows that only Officers should be pilots, so ... and there they have remained undisturbed -- well, except for that unfortunate incident during a BBQ when they ran out of steaks and sent a new cook to find some more. But that's a whole other story. Whoops, just realized it's April 1st. Gotta do something else right now. Be back soon. "White rabbit, white rabbit, white rabbit." Steve -- in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada (Atlas 618 owner, who doesn't particularly care when it was made so long as it works now. Also thinks single machinists should be dating people, not machines ;-) ------- Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2004 22:52:25 -0400 From: "rigrac" Subject: Re: Milling Machine Parts Needed Can't tell you where to get Motor Base ( EBAY?) but Belt Guard Covers being reproduced by a fellow by the name of Dan Hill. His web site is Hillsgun.com. I have purchased one of his Belt Covers and am waiting on another and they are truely Quality pieces. BTW --- Have you inquired also to: atlasshaperandmillingmachineusersgroupx~xxyahoo.com Ron ------- Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 21:02:12 -0000 From: "vulcom1" Subject: Atlas th54 mitre gear I have gone way back in the posts and have not seen any mention of this gear. I have the gear with the teeth in good shape but the key that is part of it that ingages the screw is worn almost out. I took it apart to clean and also found the gear that engages the rack had two missing teeth. I made a new one out of brass to try but this bevel gear will be a major problem to make. Has anybody repaired one of these. John ------- Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 16:32:49 -0500 From: "Richard Valentine" Subject: Re: Atlas th54 mitre gear If the gear is brass -have it built up with brass welding rod and file it out carefully. I've done this numerous times. Make a gage template from one of the undamaged gears to reference from -- good luck. Richard ------- Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 17:47:26 EDT From: LouD31M066x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Atlas th54 mitre gear Just for a reality check give Clausing Atlas a call and ask if they have the part and price. (574) 533-0371 Central Time. If they have and if price is within reason...problem solved. Long Distance charges are not that much anymore. If you make the call have make, model and serial numbers ready. If you do not already have the Owners Manual (an illustrated breakdown of part groups keyed to part number and name, current Price List and Catalog, spend about $5 and get them at same time. They have ALWAYS treated me right. Louis ------- Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 02:14:27 -0000 From: "vulcom1" Subject: Re: Atlas th54 mitre gear --I did give them a call and got a price $103.38 for the gear. I believe it is made out of Zamak or something like that and the teeth are okay it is the key that is shot. This is the key that stays engaged with the carriage rod. I thought I would try here since somebody has redone a split nut. The cost of that is 29.79 so you can see the differance. I made another gear by hand that is 1" in diameter out of brass which they want 25.37 for. In total for 3 gears in my money is $242.97 and to me that is high. John ------- Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2004 22:47:53 EDT From: LouD31M066x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Re: Atlas th54 mitre gear Now we know price we must search for an alternative. Can you hog out the remains of the key and then broach a keyway to install some keystock (maybe a piece of brass) as a replacement and epoxy in place. Perhaps set a watch on ebay, ask group, maybe someone has had the problem and found an alternative source of mitre gear or one that can be adapted? Lets hear from those who have been there and done that. Louis ------- Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 15:02:54 -0000 From: "vulcom1" Subject: Re: Atlas th54 mitre gear Louis, I am going to try your method of fitting a piece of brass. I will put a some tangs on the brass strip and drill holes so it is inserted and use JB on it. It is not that I am cheap about this but I bought it 15 yrs. ago and the 3 parts are worth over half as much as I paid for it. I use it for a hobby for myself with my models. Thanks for the reply. John ------- Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 11:35:53 EDT From: Sagebush9x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Atlas th54 mitre gear I would think, haven't tried it, that you could drill a hole through the side of the gear at the key position, & press in a pin to serve as a key. Brass would serve OK, seems to me, & be at least as strong as the Zamak original key. I haven't had mine apart in a long time, but by memory, this would seem to be an OK fix... Ron in CO ------- Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 12:52:20 EDT From: LouD31M066x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Re: Atlas th54 mitre gear Boston Gear Catalog has Mitre Gears...in steel, hardened steel and cast iron. I am quite certain there are other gear sources. IF you can identify the gear you need by the standard nomenclature. Brass or some plastics seem more compatable with a Zamak gear train.....although some have reported no problem with steel/iron. It would be nice if gears were easier to come by, but, it would be less of a challange if life had no problems. Louis ------- Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2004 17:36:44 -0000 From: "vulcom1" Subject: Re: Atlas th54 mitre gear Thanks to everybody for the answers. I made a brass piece 1.5" long with 3 square projections to go into the gear. I slotted the inside about 1/16 and smeared it with JB. After I inserted it I squeezed it with pliers from both ends then centre punched the brass tangs protruding to the outside. I will let it sit for a day then clean it up and let everybody know how it works. I have to put the rest together as I took a lot apart to clean and also redo the bench mount. I had .003 drop in the ways in the centre. The bench is 3/4 ply top but now I have added 3 layers of hardboard glued and nailed to make it 3" and remounted the bed. Now it has .001 drop 6" from the tailstock end after I shimmed the inside of the legs. The rest is flat measured with a 4' machinist straight edge for checking heads. I think I can live with this adjustment since I never get out that far. Thanks for the replies, John ------- Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2004 01:58:52 -0000 From: "vulcom1" Subject: Ref: 32822 Gears I have got it together after making the one carriage to rack gear (brass) and also putting a key in the bevel gear. Now I have used it for a day and everything seems to be very smooth and a lot of the backlash is gone. Thanks guys. John ------- Date: Sat, 24 Apr 2004 22:10:57 -0000 From: "don" Subject: New to group/Pre 1939 12"x54"bed craftsman observations/questions Hello, I have been using this lathe at work almost 10 years now, It belongs to a fellow worker. I cannot find a model or serial# anywhere. Has a Craftsmen badge, is Blue, Babbit spindle bearings, Flat bed, 5/8" leadscrew, Gears are .375 wide all including spindle drive to leadscrew reverse lever gears-24T-fwd/20T-rev/32T-Stud. I have replaced these gears with good ones, But added a 16/32T to the stud. Threading/Spindle feed chart has no mention of 16/32 gear. (10-101-16A) The only information the owner has is a 1939 parts copy, and 1973 clausing parts list. The 1939 list does show a 9-101-16A. Is it just that the 16T gear will give finer carriage feed? Was this only equipped with a 32T stud gear? Or should we use the 32T for thread cutting only? Where on the base of the lathe would the Model/Serial # be? Thanks to all in advance. Don - My home lathe is 8-YWB 36" bed 8" Junior South Bend ------- Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 07:57:04 -0000 From: "Robert Weersing" Subject: Re: New to group/Pre 1939 12"x54"bed craftsman observations/questions On the older Atlas lathes the serial number was on the right side of the bed on the front way. I would assume the craftsman lathes were the same. The newer lathes used a brass plate on the right hand end of the bed. The Chraftsman lathes used 16/32gear and a foward/reverse tumbler. Atlas lathes used the 16/32 gear and a forward/reverse gearbox mounted on the front way next to the headstock. I have a copy of the Atlas 10 chart and a craftsman chart and both have a column labeled "compound tumbler gear". The REAL early 10" and 9" lathes used a 96 tooth gear and didn't use the 16/32 compound tumbler gear. If you have a 96 tooth gear then you have a very early lathe. The early lathes used a 9-25 bracket which only had three places to stack gears and the later lathes used a 10-25 bracket with four places to stack gears. hope that helps Bob 1042 Atlas D lathe 10x42 Atlas F lathe 618 Atlas lathe US Burke millrite BIG hammer ------- Date: Wed, 12 May 2004 11:40:48 -0000 From: "n5fee" Subject: Re: 618 Parts [atlas618lathe group] > My carrier does not travel nicely up and down the lathe bed. I > removed the carrier rack from the bed to find it broken right in > half and somewhat worn. Anyone know where I can get this as well > as the ball crank handle for the carrier? Chris Tolhurst I just fininshed rebuilding two 618's and while doing so I posted the current price list from Clausing for all of the parts they stock in the files section. I also posted parts lists for the steady rest, follower and mica undercutter in the files section as well. Like all of the other posts suggest the parts are expensive. If you still have the hand crank body, you might consider rebuilding it yourself. I have several small ball crank handles that had the wheel with just the hand crank missing. I tapped the holes where the crank went for 1/4-20 tpi and used a 1/4 bolt running inside an old engine valve guide with 1/4 inch bore. If you dress up the bolt and bronze valve guide a bit these work very well. A little oil makes them work better than the original handle since your hand does not have to slip on the handle as it turns. A trip to your local engine rebuild shop will get you a large handful of different size used valve guides for free. They throw these away by the buckets full. You might consider swapping the two broken pieces of your rack gear left to right and then braze them together in the middle. This would give you good teeth in the area of most use. Dallas Shell Atlas 618 Craftsman 101.214 Southbend 9B ------- Date: Sat, 29 May 2004 10:42:23 -0500 From: xlch58x~xxswbell.net Subject: Re: Re: 12-INCH CRAFTSMAN METAL LATHE [ABOUT THE LARGE ATLAS MANUAL, STILL AVAILABLE FROM CLAUSING] Jon Elson wrote: > No, it actually WAS machine specific. What they did was swap out a dozen or so pages for different machines. The differences picked up by those special pages were the general layout of the machine, belt-speed settings, threading charts for different size machines and for change- gear vs. QC gearbox. I had both a 10" and later a 12", and the books were definitely customized for each model. Jon < You know Jon, I am glad to hear you say that. My brother got two manuals when he inherited his 12" lathe. Same copyright information inside the cover, but slightly different color covers and flipping through it a handful of pictures are different. I took one of them, and he has the other. Now that I know they are specific to machine I will re-look at them to make sure he has the right one. As I recall one had pictures of a babbit head stock the other was a timken. He has a timken machine, so I told him to take that manual (mine is a timken as well, but I gave the manual to my neighbor with the babbit headstock). I will re look to see if there are other more important considerations now. Charles ------- Date: Sat, 29 May 2004 17:00:38 -0500 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: Re: 12-INCH CRAFTSMAN METAL LATHE The major differences on the 10 and 12" lathes are actually quite few, over a 30+ year span. All early machines were Babbit, all later machines were Timken, but there was a period from about 1938 to 1945 when the Timken bearings were an option. The earliest machines were the D with no power crossfeed and a 5/8" leadscrew. The later machine, the F model, had a 3/4" leadscrew and power crossfeed. There was a quick-change gearbox option for the F model. Early 12" machines were essentially identical to the 10", but with a taller headstock and tailstock casting. The bed ways were 3/8" thick, vertically. Later 12" machines had a different headstock design, and the bed ways were 1/2" thick. Later 12" machines, and possibly 10" Craftsman models had an overtorque clutch on the leadscrew to prevent broken geartrain parts on a crash. There are also some differences in the countershaft setup. The underdrive models had 2 countershafts, and a pair of matched belts to drive the spindle. You didn't change the belt to different grooves on the headstock, but between the two countershafts. Bench models had the motor behind the headstock, and a countershaft that moved toward the rear to tighten the belts. That is the "H" for horizontal in the TH-42 model. Both 10 and 12" lathes came with short and long beds, generally 42 or 54" of total length, corresponding to 24 and 36" between centers. Some models were made with beds of different length. There were some even earlier models, the 9" and the model C, which are still mostly compatible with the later 10". Jon ------ Date: Sun, 05 Sep 2004 15:07:44 -0000 From: "joegourlay" Subject: Lead screw bearing casting In prepping for my lathe to arrive, I've been reading the manual. On page 24 it says that if the user allows the carriage to crash either into the head or tail stock, serious damage will be prevented by the intentionally weak lead screw bearing breaking. When they say "breaking", does this mean something like easily replaceable screws holding it in will fail, or does it mean that something will break that has to be bought off ebay (if one is even for sale)? Is this a part the lathe owner can make a few extra of using only the lathe? ------- Date: Sun, 05 Sep 2004 10:41:54 -0500 From: Charle B Vincent Subject: Re: Lead screw bearing casting This means a relatively expensive and hard to find part will break. I don't understand their design to tell you the truth. I replaced the pin that holds the drive gear to the leadscrew with one made from brass that had been necked down at the circumference of the leadscrew. This will cause this pin to shear in the event I go braindead momentarily and let my carriage collide. This pin is easily made up in the lathe, even with the leadscrew inoperable. Charles ------- Date: Sun, 05 Sep 2004 17:55:10 -0000 From: "sauer38h" Subject: Re: Lead screw bearing casting They're steady sellers for about $35 on eBay. At first I didn't take that business about the things being designed to break seriously. That's a pretty daffy way to do the job. However if you take one off and examine it you'll see that the flange - the part which bolts to the lathe - is very thin and fragile. And they obviously break. Almost every original finish Craftsman or Atlas lathe I've seen didn't quite match the color of the bearing - a sign that the bearing is a later replacement.It's a very simple part, but I've never tried making one. ------- Date: Sun, 05 Sep 2004 13:59:24 -0500 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: Lead screw bearing casting Don't believe it! I ran the carriage into the tailstock on my 10" lathe, and had to replace the entire gear train. The bushing did NOT break. The idea is that the brass bushing is supposed to break, and the leadscrew just screws itself out of the gear that is driving it. First, it won't break when driving the carriage toward the tailstock. And, apparently, it can't be relied on in the other direction, either. Finally, 1960's vintage lathes had a overload clutch installed after the QC gearbox. Jon ------- Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2004 16:43:39 -0400 From: "mertbaker" Subject: Re: Re: Lead screw bearing casting I'd rather have a nice shear pin in the gear train, costing a bout 1 cent to replace, than a custom part for 35 bux, just my opinion. So it breaks once in a while under heavy cuts, so what? Mert ------- Date: Sun, 05 Sep 2004 20:56:38 -0500 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: Re: Lead screw bearing casting Actually, a pin shearing during a coarse threading operation can be fairly catastrophic. A broken compound slide is not out of the question. So, you don't want to make it TOO weak. Jon ------- Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2004 18:20:12 -0500 From: "John D. Farr" Subject: Re: Re: Lead screw bearing casting Mine is a big block of aluminum. I mounted it with nylon screws. John ------- Date: Sun, 05 Sep 2004 22:13:03 -0500 From: Charle B Vincent Subject: Re: Re: Lead screw bearing casting joegourlay wrote: > Charles, could you give me the dimensions of that > pin, and what type of brass you used? Sorry, it was scrapbox engineering. It was on my neighbor's lathe and I used the first piece of brass in small diameter that came to hand. He didn't have a mike there or even a DTI, so it was centered in the four jaw by eye an turned down till it fit the bevel gear crosshole in hand. Once it was turned down to fit, I used the gear itself and a fine pick type scriber to mark the inner circumference of the gear. I then used a sharp v toolbit and a plunge cut to reduce the diameter by a little less than half at that point. Hasn't broken in use yet, but we haven't tried colliding with the headstock or tailstock yet either. Charles ------- Date: Mon, 6 Sep 2004 12:26:55 EDT From: Sagebush9x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Re: Lead screw bearing casting If the feed disengages for any reason during a threading cut, the cut gets a LOT heavier real quick. The tool has to munch thru the whole thread. If you're almost finished w/a big coarse thread, it could be enough to wreck something. When I'm threading in back gear, I run the belts real loose, I don't cam the lever over center, just ket it ride tight enough to keep things moving. I've used this in tough parting-off situations too, any undue condition will slip the belts & bring things to a gentle halt. Works for me- Ron in CO...(101.28990) ------- Date: Mon, 06 Sep 2004 13:31:25 -0500 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: Re: Lead screw bearing casting mertbaker wrote: >Agreed. Who does coarse threading operations with a heavy enuf cut to >cause trouble? No, the depth of cut doesn't matter. When the leadscrew suddenly stops turning, the cutter will be in the middle of the thread. Even if you are only taking off .001" per pass, the cutter could be 1/8" deep in the thread. It could do serious damage, and at least break the cutter. Jon ------- Date: Mon, 06 Sep 2004 14:58:49 -0500 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: Re: Lead screw bearing casting mertbaker wrote: >Agreed, again, but would a 1 or 2 thou cut stress the pin enuf to >shear it? Well, it shouldn't. But, sometimes weak shear pins will break for no reason other than a little fatigue, and always at the worst possible time. Jon ------- Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 15:01:57 -0000 From: "Barry" Subject: Atlas 3996 Does the Atlas 3996 have a carriage lock to hold the carriage stationary when facing? My carriage will move away from the work when facing and I wind up with a concave face on the work piece. I have looked and do not see any type of lock. Barry Sims ------- Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 12:32:06 -0600 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: Atlas 3996 David S. wrote: >Is there a square head set screw on the top of l/h side of the >carriage/cross slide? If so that is the set screw that will hold the >carriage in place. That would be on the RIGHT hand side of the carriage on a 12" and many later 10" lathes. So, I think it would be on the right for the 3996. Both of my machines had it on the right. I think only the "D" model, with no power crossfeed, had it on the left. The additional power takeoff gearing for the power cross feed took over that space on the left, so they moved the lock to the right side. Jon ------- Date: Sun, 14 Nov 2004 20:43:37 -0000 From: "Barry" Subject: Re: Atlas 3996 There is an empty bolt hole on the right side of the cross slide. I guess it has been removed prior to my aquiring the lathe. I will try fabricating on that will work. Thanks for the info. This is a great site. ------- Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2004 17:50:08 -0000 From: "mtrsickleman47" Subject: Cheap steady rest ?? I have a 12" Atlas lathe and did not get a steady rest with it when I bought it. I have kept an eye on ebay for one but the prices are (in my opinion) outragous. The other day I was looking through my 2004 Grizzly catalog and noticed a "new" item in the wood lathe section. It is a steady rest for a flat bed wood lathe that has a standard height to center of 6" plus additional blocks to raise it if needed. All for $29.95. The 3 fingers have bearings that ride on the stock being turned. The fingers themselves, look a bit wimpy for metal work but it looks like the casting is beefy enough in the area where new slots could be milled and thick brass fingers could be installed. For those of you that have the 2004 Grizzly catalog and would want to look it's on page 91. I'd like to hear opinions on this. Seems to be a much cheaper option than forking over $175 on ebay. Thanks! ZB ------- Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2004 13:40:47 -0700 From: lynn.chidesterx~xxxtp.varian.com Subject: Re: Cheap steady rest ?? Another option I have considered is to use one of the 7X10/14 minilathe steady rests or follower rests. While the steady may be a bit small for the Atlas 10" & 12" models, it should be more than adequate for the 6" models. Many of the other accessories for these lathes could also serve as Atlas lathe tooling. Yes, I realize this is not an "OEM, bolt on" solution, and there are some that have STRONG feelings about purchasing chinese made equipment. But, if one is willing to do a bit of work, these should work well (at a cost considerably LESS than the Ebay prices for the OEM parts). Lynn C. (in SLC, UT) ------- Date: Sun, 21 Nov 2004 04:42:43 -0000 From: "KDSpriggs" Subject: Re: Cheap steady rest ?? Here is a link to a picture of one that I made for my 12 inch Craftsman. This was one of my first projects. You can see that I used roller bearings on the end of the arms. There is not much that is really critical on a steady rest as everything is adjustable. http://www.khspriggs.com/images/600_MVC-885F.JPG ------- Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 12:28:23 -0500 From: Nick Hull Subject: Re: Bullnose [atlas618lathe group] >Help. Need to make or buy a No. 1 Morse taper Bullnose. I just turned a chunk of Al to a 45 deg bullnose on one side and a deep 60 deg center hole on the back. It fits over my live center, barely missing the stationary part and seems to work well. Held on only by the tailstock compression force. ------- Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2004 17:21:05 -0000 From: "azbruno" Subject: Re: Bullnose "fred myers" wrote: > I was thinking of that, then I thought about how I would drill the 60 > degree hole. Use a 60 degree reamer? You use a 60 degree center drill/countersink -- same thing used to start a hole. They come in various sizes, but sets with #1 through #5 are common and not expensive. Bruno ------- Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2004 17:23:59 -0500 From: Nick Hull Subject: Re: Bullnose That's what I did, except that I wanted a bigger hole to match the front of my live center so I used the biggest drill/countersink I had and used the compound to continue the taper with a small boring bar. No trouble, I used aluminum to make it EZ. ------- Date: Sun, 19 Dec 2004 20:46:52 -0600 From: "jerdal" Subject: Re: Re: New to the board - I have a 618 lathe and an Atlas 7" shaper > Sun, 19 Dec 2004 16:54:37 -0000 "Glenn" wrote: > >>>I didn't see any post on the Atlas/Craftsman shapers, anybody else > have one??? after about 4 hours of cleaning crud and surface rust > I was able get everything to work. Everything that is, except the ram > throw adjustment, I messed around with it but one of the gears in the > adjustment was cracked and just fell apart. Does anybody know where > I can find a replacement part??? Great Board, Glad to be a member, > Glenn G. (aka G2) <<< Your shaper can make one. Mine did. Make two, you'll need the other one pretty soon also. It took a while, but worked OK. I used a kludged indexer using another gear as the index standard. Ground a cutter to the small end shape. Cut one cut thru, then turned the setup slightly around the cone intersection point for the bevel, and cut down the side to open the rear portion on each side. One set of cuts left, one set right. Took about 5 min per tooth space, as I recall, and the down feed was tiny as the cut got deeper, a half thou per stroke (estimated) at the final bit. The total length of cut surface is huge at the last part of the cut on a toothspace. You don't want to break a cutter and have to re-make. If you have a mill, it can be done faster, of course, using a ground bit, or a gear cutter of proper size and number.. Jerrold ------- Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2005 08:35:26 -0600 From: Rex Burkheimer Subject: new steel change gears source I just ran across this guy. He's offering new steel change gears for about what used ones go for on ebay. http://stores.ebay.com/TEB-Enterprises_W0QQsspagenameZFAVQ3aFQ3aSLLRQQtZkm Rex Burkheimer Fort Worth ------- NOTE TO FILE: At date of above posting, listed gears were made of steel with a 3/4" center hole, with two keyways opposite one another. Most gears listed were for the 9-101 type models, but the site did offer to custom cut gears. ------- Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 13:15:15 -0500 From: Kelly Burns Subject: Re: inquiry about ball-screw >Hi to all of you guys. Does anyone know if anybody makes a ball-screw >nut to fit the crossfeed screw of a atlas-crftsman lathe? Manny There are a number of people making them out of UHMW plastic and Delrin. I used to be involved in Home-Built CNC machines. I made a nut to fit a 10 TPI Acme thread using a borrowed Tap. I believe the Tap was purchased for about $25 and a few people on the group shared it. I know the Taps are out there and you would be shocked at how well the nuts made from UHMW and Delrin work. They wear out a little quicker I'm sure, but they do work. A number of people made them from the Cheap White Cutting Board Material and reported lots of success. Mostly, we cut a lot of 1/4 20 Nuts for Threaded Rods (Poorman's leadscrew setup), but a few of us did purchase Acme threads so that we could make our machines work a little faster. Kelly ------- Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 06:36:02 -0500 From: Nick Hull Subject: Re: inquiry about ball-screw >you would be shocked at how well the nuts made from UHMW and Delrin work. >They wear out a little quicker I'm sure, but they do work. I have a gate opener that uses that type plastic on an acme screw to open & close the gate. It wore out in about 15 years of daily use. ------- Date: Sat, 05 Feb 2005 22:24:14 -0600 From: Rex Burkheimer Subject: re: Quick changes and books Bruce Koch wrote: >> Got a question here. I have an Atlas 10 F that I am in the process of cleaning and putting back together. I have seen a couple of quick change setups on Ebay, but they went for over $450.00 Just wondering if it is worth the price, or should I put the money into a bigger, better lathe? << It's been my observation that the difference between a change gear and a QC lathe is at least what a used QC costs. Restored 10" QC lathes go for $1200 to $1500, while the change-gear versions go for seldom top $800. If yours has a 54" bed it would move to the high end. But you need more than just a box - you need the banjo, a few other items, and different gear covers. With a QC, the single tear-drop cover is discarded for two separate covers, Upper & Lower, that are all but unavailable in my experience. I found one set for $175 but I'm not prepared to pay that yet. So I'm modifying a standard cover to fit. Looks promising. Also, expect to spend some time tuning a used QC. I think most of them have a chipped gear or two, and maybe need busings or? Budget $100 to get it squared away. So it's your call. If you enjoy restoring yours and it turns out well, you might be money ahead to sell it for top dollar and put that toward a higher-end model. Rex B ------- Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2005 10:24:57 -0800 From: "Bob May" Subject: Re: Quick changes and books The only reason that I'd buy a QC gearbox is for the ego value. In production work, such a box will make things go faster when you have to change speeds but for the typical home hobbyist, such a toy is just that, a toy to be proud of. Finally, I'd be sort of afraid of buying such a thing off of eBay as you aren't guaranteed to get all of the parts needed nor even get the right box for your lathe. Bob May http://nav.to/bobmay http://bobmay.astronomy.net ------- Date: Sun, 06 Feb 2005 13:38:44 -0500 From: "fred eisner" Subject: Re: Quick changes and books Hi all. I have to disagree with bob's analysis of the qc verse loose change gears. It is not a toy for a home hobbiest but rather a needed item. My reasons are as follows. With loose change gears you tend to use the same feed rate for all finishes. Because of the lazyness factor - you have to stop what you are doing and figure out what gears to put into the train for the speed you want. With a qc gear box you can quickly adjust the feed rate until you are getting a better finish. You can change from a fast rough cut to quickly bring down a dia and then change to a slower feed rate for a final finish. With loose change gears you will tend to do the whole job with one feed rate as for threading it is just plain easier. As for buying a qc box on ebay i tend to agree with him - you don't know if you are getting all the parts - i would buy one from a dealer even though you will pay a few bucks more - you will get all the parts and you can return it if it is wrong. just my 2 cents worth fred - a small dealer located in yonkers ny 914 720 5523 ------- Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2005 15:27:12 -0500 From: Charles Gallo Subject: Re: Quick changes and books Bob, You and I have totally different opinions of QC gearboxes. I wouldn't give mine up, but I do a lot of threading. Having to change gear trains between turning to size of the various parts, and then threading is a total PITA. I have little enough shop time as it is. Having had lathes both with, and without QC gearboxes, I'll NEVER go back, and in fact, my next lathe will have independent power feed and threading gearboxes. Then again, my next lathe WILL be a "brag" lathe. ------- Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2005 16:52:17 -0500 From: "mertbaker" Subject: Re: Quick changes and books I have to agree with Charles. Being able to change feed rates quickly and easily is a big factor when you are making one-off items. It is also a big factor if you have to do several operations on one piece in production work. Been to both movies. Mert ------- Date: Thu, 7 Apr 2005 23:49:03 EDT From: gto69ra4x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Countershaft bearings? 4/7/2005, jcmorrisonx~xxshaw.ca writes: >> There is a new and wonderful noise coming from the area around my 10F countershaft bearings. It sounds like a light crackle or pinging as the pulleys rotate. I tried adding grease and screwing the cups in a bit more, but it's still there. What sort of bearings are these (plain or roller)? Thoughts on repair/replacement and source for parts? John << They use Hyatt caged roller bearings. Probably a good idea to take them apart, clean in solvent, and inspect. Replace if required. GTO(John) ------- Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 17:11:20 -0000 From: "austinlathes" Subject: Atlas catalog covers [atlas_craftsman group] Those of you who don't have the rather fine Atlas catalogs with color fronts might like to look here: http://www.lathes.co.uk/atlas/page22.html and http://www.lathes.co.uk/atlas/page23.html Clicking on each picture (or the link beneath) will take you to a higher resolution copy that can be downloaded and printed. Catalog No. 26 (dated 1936-7) is especially interesting and has featured in the group before. It was painted by the eccentric and once-forgotten gentleman artist Arthur C. Radebaugh whose inspired work, from the mid 1930s to the mid 1950s, was once an important part of American advertising culture. His illustrations were commissioned by, amongst others, Coca-Cola, Dodge and Chrysler and he was also known for Motor, Fortune and Saturday Evening Post magazine covers and a weekly syndicated cartoon strip of the late 1950s "Closer Than We Think" - a humorous send-up of technology and invention. For more information about Radebaugh and his work see: http://www.palaceofculture.org/ My best wishes, Tony Griffiths ------- Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 22:21:43 EDT From: n8as1x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Gear Specifications??? In a message dated 5/4/2005, cbrumbelowx~xxcomcast.net writes: > Anyone know the tooth (teeth?) specifications for the change gears on > the various Atlas lathes? Thanks, Charles 10& 12 use 14 1/2 deg. pressure angle & 16 pitch 6 inchers use 14 1/2 deg. pressure angle & 24 pitch best wishes docn8as ------- Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 15:30:29 -0000 From: "drifter1951" Subject: Lathe dating accuracy? About 2 weeks ago I pulled the spindle out of my 10F and found the date 10/15/41 engraved on the front bearing run. Fine so my lathe was built in 1941 ... but today I pulled off the rear bearing dust cover and found 5/4/42 engraved in the bearing run. This means one of two things, my 10F was built in '41 and the rear bearing was replaced 7 months later (possible but unlikely) or, the dates engraved into the bearing runs are for the manufacture of the bearings, not the lathe. In the case of the latter it would mean my lathe was assembled sometime after 5/4/42. Months or possibly years later ... anyone have any insight into this? It would be interesting to compile a list of bearing dates with serial numbers to see what kind of timeline the serial numbers have in relation to the bearing dates. Drifter ------- Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 12:19:03 -0500 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: Lathe dating accuracy? The front and rear bearings are completely different assemblies. The IDs and ODs are different. Anyway, I get the feeling from these date discrepancies that the bearings may have been marked on incoming inspection at Atlas, and possibly checked for runout and concentricity of the ID/OD. The bearings and outer races come separately from Timken, so somebody at Atlas may have paired them up in sets for best fit at that time. Jon ------- Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 14:05:58 EDT From: gto69ra4x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Lathe dating accuracy? Those dates were put on by Timken, along with the little "3" that shows they're grade-3 precision. And the dots to line up for best runout. GTO(John) ------- Date: Sun, 16 Oct 2005 15:47:07 -0000 From: "wfill" Subject: Re: change gears. [atlas_craftsman] "madkev000" wrote: > hi i have an atlas tv36 but have no change gears. i would like to > know the diameter of all gears so i can have these cut. thanks kev. Change gears used on the 10 and 12 inch Atlas and Craftsman lathes have these specs: DP = 16 Pressure angle = 14.5 Face width = .375 Bore = .753 Double keyway = .1875 If you do need to know the outside diameter, just use the formula o.d.=(n+2)/dp, where n is the tooth count. So a 32 tooth gear would have an o.d. of 2.125. Prior to 1939, the thickness of the entire gear was .375 . After that, the hub thickness was increased to .5 , and the suffix "A" was added to the part number (e.g. 9-101-32A). On the Atlas website, there are instructions for modifying the later gear to fit earlier lathes by facing the hub: http://www.atlas-press.com/tb_chgrmod.htm Similarly, the old style gear can be used on a later lathe by adding spacers of appropriate thickness. Bill Fill Olympia, WA olymachinex~xxcomcast.net ------- NOTE TO FILE: There is a discussion on the relative merits of Atlas-made 10" versus 12" lathes where a member of atlas_craftsman group had one of each and wondered which one to keep. That Jan 2006 conversation was placed in the Lathe Comparisons file here. Elements of this conversation relate to which quick change parts work with which size lathe, and those messages are found here. ------- Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 22:04:31 -0600 From: Jon Elson Subject: Re: Your opinion? - Which would you keep? 12" 101.07403 or ... gto69ra4x~xxaol.com wrote: >I may be wrong here, but don't the older 12" lathes use a slightly different QC box, too? The mating area is different, since they didn't use a reverse gearbox like the 10" machines, and the headstock is shaped differently. < The reversing scheme is the same on ALL QC machines, with a tumbler gear right below the spindle. Only the change gear 10" used the reversing gearbox. I think the old 12" is almost identical to the 10", and is essentially just a taller headstock and tailstock. But, you are right, looking at the pictures on Tony's lathe site, that the 10" QC most likely won't fit the old 12" without a good deal of hacking. I'm not sure there ever WAS a QC that would fit the old 12". Tony doesn't show one or mention such an option. Jon -------- Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 23:04:31 EST From: gto69ra4x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Your opinion? - Which would you keep? 12" 101.07403 or ... That's what I was talking about. Changegear 10" used the reversing gearbox whilst old 12" models used a tumbler. There's no place to mount a QC on an old 12", since nothing else was mounted there either. I think one guy did modify one to fit, but it was an epic project. GTO(John) ------- Date: Fri, 13 Jan 2006 21:15:37 -0800 (PST) From: Jim Ryan Subject: Re: Your opinion? - Which would you keep? 12" 101.07403 or ... I have a 10" with the QC gearbox and some 12" parts including a headstock, and for some reason I've saved a bunch of pictures of Atlas/Craftsman lathes I've seen on ebay and elsewhere. I can verify that: 1.) The 10" QC gearbox is NOT directly compatible with a 12" headstock. The 12" headstock flares out over the bed in the mounting area. 2.) There is a very similar looking QC gearbox made for the old 12" lathe. It bolts up to the side of the bed rather than the top. 3.) All the 12"ers seem to use a tumbler on the headstock for the reversing gears whether they are QC or not, while the 10" only has the tumbler if it's QC, since it mounts in place of the "unique" reversing gearbox. 4.) The newer 12" Craftsman with the 1/2" thick ways and heavy, squared off parts seems to be a whole different animal. Of course I haven't seen everything and your results may vary. Jim ------- Date: Sun, 29 Jan 2006 00:31:01 EST From: gto69ra4x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Atlas V54 question [atlas_craftsman] 1/28/2006, djkrexx~xxpeoplepc.com writes: >> Hi, I just joined the group a couple of weeks ago. I also just bought an Atlas V54 and am in the process of tearing it apart to clean, fix and lube it. I want it to be in top shape before I start using it. The motor pulley has a single hub and I want to replace with a dual. What size pulley did this lathe come with? Another question is about that little silver knob on top of the tail stock by the lock handle. Parts manual says it's an oil dropper. I don't quite get how it is used. Thanks for any help. Dave << The "oil dropper" is for lubricating a dead center. You fill with it oil, grease, or white lead and use the little dauber to apply to the center. Used to be common in smaller lathes when more center work was done. GTO(John) ------- Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 21:24:43 EST From: jmartin957x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Re: Brass Nut (10f-19) on a 101-07403 [alas_craftsman] [Needing a new nut for the cross-slide screw] 1/30/06, rschaal_95135x~xxyahoo.com writes: > It seems like a lot for a single part - yeah, I understand how > important it is to basic operation. Maybe one of the old timers would > like to tell us how to take a cross feed screw, grind it and harden it > so we could tap our own nuts for less than $50.00??? ... Richard If what you are getting at is making a tap from an old cross feed screw, you can do it. With a couple of caveats. You probably won't want to tap the whole thread with it - I would rough out the internal thread in the brass nut with a single point tool, then use the homemade tap to clean it up. Unless you use a brand new cross feed screw for the tap, the thread you cut with it will be undersize and will not fit a new cross feed screw. Even with a new cross feed screw used as a tap, the thread may not be loose enough to fit a new screw. You need some clearance. There are other options. Making an Acme tap from scratch might be almost as easy as making one from an old cross feed screw, and would not have the undersize problem. Or, you can buy brass or bronze nuts that you could machine to fit. You could buy an Acme sleeve nut that you could fit into a new piece, or perhaps into the worn nut. You could buy an Acme tap - I saw the post to the effect that they were over $150, but most of those that I've seen are in the $50 range. John Martin ------- Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2006 13:57:30 -0800 From: William Abernathy Subject: Re: Re: Brass Nut (10f-19) on a 101-07403 Before going to this extreme, make sure you need the part in the first place! Plagued by visible cross-slide slop, I was convinced I needed a new brass x-slide nut, to the point that I bought a chunk of brass and was trying to figure out how I was going to single-point the Acme section, when I took another look at the looseness in the cross-slide. All I needed to do was put a washer down with the short 1/4 - 20 retaining bolt that holds the nut to the cross-slide. Slop gone. Problem solved. And now I have some extra 1-inch brass bar to whittle... I'm not saying you don't need this--you may well. But be sure it's not a 39-cent problem before you start spending hard. William ------- Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 03:40:06 -0000 From: "Rob Peterson" Subject: Re: Brass Nut (10f-19) on a 101-07403 Buy some flame or oil hardening drill rod and machine it to the correct diameter. Buy a left-hand DIE (about $8 from Grizzly.com) and tap the drill rod. Now, cut some chip flutes and double check the tap threads for oopsies. You may also want to mill some flats on the shaft (or not). Harden the drill rod and you now have a left-hand tap for cross feed nuts and a left-hand die for cross feed screws. Much cheaper this way. RP ------- Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2006 14:25:46 EST From: jmartin957x~xxaol.com Subject: Re: Re: Brass Nut (10f-19) on a 101-07403 > Buy some flame or oil hardening drill rod ... You're on the right track, although it's a bit more complicated than that. Easier too, though. Complicated in that there are very few Acme dies available. I don't think I've ever seen one. And not from Grizzly. Acme taps are readily available, although more expensive than V thread taps. Should be able to find one in the $50 range. Acme taps remove a lot of metal, and you'll often find taps with separate roughing and finishing sections. Making one is possible, but you would have to do more than just flute a threaded piece. You'd have to back off some of the starting threads so that the cut would be taken by several teeth. I'd start by cutting the threads with a single point tool rather than a die. Cutting external Acme threads on a lathe is a lot easier than cutting small internal threads. The easier part of the tap making comes in the heat treatment. Hardening can cause warping and decarburization, and you'd have to grind it afterward to sharpen. For a tap made from drill rod that you are going to use only a couple of times and in brass, I'd skip the hardening and use it soft. John Martin ------- Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2006 19:04:12 -0500 From: bdmail Subject: Re: I killed my lathe [atlas618lathe] [Looking for some parts.] I would only call Atlas as a last resort. $$$$$$ I would try Jeff Beck up in Massachusetts. He sells all kinds of lathe equip and is reputable. He is a common poster on the SouthBendLathe group. His email is: Jeff Beck He also does ebay, and his ebay id is "tools4cheap" Another guy to try that I have personally had good luck with, but he only takes Postal Money Orders, is a guy named Lawrence on Ebay as "uniquetreasures4u", whose direct email is mickeyandme1972x~xxcs.com. Another quality and reputable dealer to my knowledge. You should just try to email them directly, and see if they have something that just happens to not be on ebay yet. Bernie ------- Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 02:26:13 -0000 From: "azbruno" Subject: Re: I killed my lathe I've also dealt with Larry (uniquetreasures4u) and his brother who has handled dealings with him. I've been very happy with them in all cases. But they aren't Postal MO's only -- I've done PayPal with them. Bruno ------- Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2006 18:23:15 -0500 From: "S or J" Subject: Atlas 618 Steady Rest and Other parts [atlas618lathe] and [atlas_craftsman] Hi Folks Can't remember who mentioned Jim Koelling's site http://stores.ebay.com/metalmagic either in the group atlas618lathe or atlas_craftsman as a source of a new steady rest for the 618 (or Craftsman equivalent). Thank you for solving my search for a quality rest, which I received today. Very pleased. It also did not hurt that it is about a third the cost of Clausing provided ones. His store has a number of parts, gears and accessories for various Atlas/Craftsman lathes as well as other brands, and is well worth a visit. He may also make custom gears or parts per special request. Jim has been a very pleasant person to deal with. Usual disclaimer: no connection except as a satisfied customer. Steve -- in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada Machining and Metalworking at Home http://www.janellestudio.com/metal/ ------- Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2006 02:29:58 -0000 From: "Hank" Subject: Re: Atlas 618 Steady Rest and Other parts > Can't remember who mentioned Jim Koelling's site > http://stores.ebay.com/metalmagic > either in the group atlas618lathe or atlas_craftsman > as a source of a new steady rest for the 618 (or > Craftsman equivalent). Steve, that was Bruno on right here at atlas618lathe back on December 20, message #1679. Ken also has mentioned being pleased with the product. Glad it filled the bill for you. Hank ------- Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2006 05:40:39 -0000 From: "azbruno" Subject: Re: Atlas 618 Steady Rest and Other parts [atlas_craftsman] I've had a couple occasions to be in touch with Jim and find him to be very pleasant and easy to deal with. It appears that he's been expanding his inventory. I see more parts and also see that he's making them for the 6" and the 10s and 12s. If I need something he's got, I'd go there. Bruno ------- Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2006 17:29:52 -0500 From: "Joe R" Subject: Re: Motor Pulley Sizing [atlas_craftsman] "rmbates70" wrote: > I recently acquired a 10" Atlas lathe with vertical counter shaft--TV > 54. I think the motor origionally had a 2 step pulley. Mine only has > a single small pulley which may or may not be the right size. Does > anyone know the proper sizing of the two step pulley that should be on > the motor? I went through this a month or two ago on my Craftsman 12 and it's 2.5 & 4.5 inches. I ended up with two pulleys and got a 2.5 and 4" both on the motor shaft. Joe Romas ------- Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 22:04:57 -0600 From: "jerdal" Subject: Re: ATLAS MF Horizontal Mill [atlas_craftsman] > I am a newbie to the group, as well as milling, and I am in the > process of re-assembling an ATLAS MF I purchased recently. I noticed > the arbor driver on the front of the spindle is missing can anybody > lend a hand with a source for a replacment or suggestions for a "work > around"? It has the drawbar so how critical is the threaded arbor > driver to the operation?? (told you I was newbie!!) Can I still use > the ATLAS MF?? > Also I am looking for good sources for MT2 arbors, spacers, etc.. so > that I can hopefully make a 1" arbor for the cutters I have. Any help > would be appreciated !! Thanks Ron I don't think you need the driver...the taper and drawbar should suffice for any reasonable needs. That even though it IS an MT2, which is a little less capable than an R8 or MT3. Arbors can be made without too much trouble if you have any sort of decent lathe. They are actually sorta fun to make. Spacers you can get from Victor Machinery, they are quite reasonable on Polish-made ones, no need to worry about feeding the chicoms. Example shop-made (for MT3 though) arbors http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0803/jstanley/78arb1.jpg http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0803/jstanley/125arb1.jpg JT ------- Date: Wed, 22 Mar 2006 00:04:17 -0600 From: "jerdal" Subject: Arbors, how made (was ATLAS MF Horizontal Mill) >Beautiful Job! I would love to read a run down of how you did it. Fred I turned them between centers. First I used the steady to face the ends and drill the center holes. One end I enlarged the center to max and drilled the drawbar hole, retaining just enough taper at OD to work with. I think I tapped it then so that I wouldn't have to clamp it later. I don't have that big a center drill, so I probably cut that center. I reduced at the journal end and the taper end just enough to put my biggest driving dog on. Then I roughed the whole thing close, starting with the main straight cutter-carrying area. Then roughed and turned the taper, using the compound for the angle. I left the journal end for the moment, so as not to have a narrow and bendable part. I filed and polished the taper to fit, and cut the straight portion at end of taper. Then I finished the straight portion of the arbor. I ground one with TP grinder, but decided that was a hassle, so the next I filed and polished to size all along. The arbors were threaded next. The final thing was to cut, file and polish the journal for the outer end. Last, so I wouldn't risk bending it on other steps. Then on to the mill, where the keyway(s) was cut. I might have done that after it was roughed close, to allow final turning to remove any relaxation in the material. That wasn't much problem in the end anyway, and I was afraid of the keyway causing trouble, so I didn't. I made the nuts to size. The nuts were threaded to fit the arbor threads, and the flats cut on the mill. JT ------- Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2006 09:56:45 -0700 From: "Paul K." Subject: RE: Large face dials [atlas_craftsman] FYI: I purchased a set of the Large dials from Tallgrass Tools. They are great! They were easy to install and are very accurate. I put them on my 12 inch Craftsman. I highly recommend them and the company and their products. Paul K. ------- From: "bear1007_1950" myersbearx~xxwmconnect.com Date: Sat May 6, 2006 4:08pm(PDT) Subject: Craftsman Mill [atlas_craftsman] I have a Craftsman Mill 101-15500 I need a gear for the feed gear box. The book calls for a MF-101-24A and a MF-101-20A. The two gears reverse tumbler lever that make the table go in forward or reverse. It's the two gears on the top side-by-side on the reverse gear tumbler assembly. If anybody has their machine apart I need the size and number of teeth on the gear, and where I can get them. I have the one but it looks to be needing replacement. Thanks Dan ------- From: "Charley" holts001x~xxaol.com Date: Sat May 6, 2006 4:44pm(PDT) Subject: Re: Craftsman Mill Greetings, the reverse tumbler for the MF, MFA, MFB series of Horizontal mills was the same used on the 6" lathe. These parts are most likely still available from the Clausing Service Center, with the the same part numbers. My MFB has steel gears with bronse bearing inserts; I don't know if they are original, but I think so, the back gears are steel too. The rest of the gears are Zamak (zinc alloy) in the Change-O-Matic. The last Atlas 6 inch I owned had Zamak tumbler gears also. I hope this helps. ------- From: "ekzacto" thompsonjcx~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Sat May 6, 2006 9:55pm(PDT) Subject: Lead Screw Repair Method [atlas_craftsman] I've followed with interest all of the recent discussions on Craftsman lead screw repairs and replacements, reversing them end for end, Clausing's high price for new ones, etc. I'm wondering why nobody has suggested buying a length of acme threaded rod, cutting it to length, and turning the ends to fit. If the lathe has power crossfeed, you would also have to cut a key slot the full length of the screw. There are no critical tolerances involved in making this slot, however, so it probably could be done, even on a small mill, by making multiple setups. In the worst case, you would have to take it to a local machine shop. I found one source for the material in the 2005 MSC catalog which lists 3/4-8 precision, alloy steel, acme threaded rod in six-foot lengths for $54.24 (Item No. 01206184). I must be missing something in thinking this is a practical, low- cost way to go. So in your replies, please be kind and tolerant in pointing out my ignorance. I'm here to learn. ------- From: "Wayde C. Gutman" waydecgutmanx~xxwbhsi.net Date: Sat May 6, 2006 11:39pm(PDT) Subject: Clausing Industrial Prices [atlas_craftsman] Recently, I downloaded the price sheet for parts related to the 12" Atlas from the Clausing Industrial website, what I am wondering, are they for real ? # 750 3AT Collet Holder................................$608.87 #6626A (2988) Follower Rest........................$178.86 #6822 (29845) Taper Attachment...................$562.41 #6802 (20145) Quick-Change Attachment.....$1751.56 [!] Who are they kidding? I do not want to turn the lathe into a museum piece, just more usable; after all, this lathe has been in the family for 50 years and I am just the second owner (Dad being the original). Has anyone dealt with Clausing Industrial and bought anything from them ? With that kind of price, I wouldn't mind going into third party manufacturing and offer a Quick-Change Attachment (gear box) for MUCH less than the above price. wcgutman ------- From: "mertbaker" MertBakerx~xxprodigy.net Date: Sat May 6, 2006 11:47pm(PDT) Subject: Re: Clausing Industrial Prices I will bet that the parts are no longer in inventory, and are made to order in their custom shop. I have run into this "fantastic price" thing before, only with waterwheel governors. These things have been made for a couple of hundred years, and hardly ever wear out; the mfg is still in biz, and will undertake to supply parts even for the last word model of 1887. Mert MertBakerx~xxverizon.net ------- From: "j.c.gerber" j.c.gerberx~xxtbwil.ch Date: Sun May 7, 2006 0:59am(PDT) Subject: Re: Clausing Industrial Prices The Clausing prices are astonishing. When one is buying one of their machines needing new parts, it is no more worthwhile. I bought a few from them, especially those ringing Zamak gears and splitnuts. Had a funny story with one of the parcels which they sent to Swaziland (Africa) instead of Switzerland! When the lathe restoration was finished I was not so happy with it and sold it. Mind you I just sold a Myford Super 7 for the same reasons. They were asking approx. US$350 for the lower and upper carriage feedscrews + nuts. I finally bought a second hand 10 in. Italian lathe with carriage and cross feeds and this for the price I could sell the Myford + US$400. A real industrial machine, not to compare with a Myford or an Atlas which are light in comparison. Jean-Claude, Switzerland www.homestead.com/turnandmill ------- From: "Steve" skadsmx~xxpeoplepc.com Date: Mon May 8, 2006 2:05pm(PDT) Subject: Re: Clausing Industrial Prices I priced a bull gear from Atlas, and the price had jumped from $7.70 sometime in the 1960's or 70's to the current price of $178. Inflation should have put it in the $30-$40 range IIRC. What happened was that the mold or die they used to manufacture the part wore out, and the new parts are machined instead of cast. Probably a better part, though, but they are probably only making them a few at a time, and hence higher production cost and higher price. Steve ------- Subject: New Member [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Michael Fagan" woodworker88x~xxgmail.com woodworker_88 Date: Mon Jun 5, 2006 4:01 pm (PDT) > Now I need to replace the crank handles on the cross-slide and > compound rest. Any suggestions as to where I might get replacements? > Doesn't need to be NOS as long as they are not really beat up. Two answers: First, about the serial #, many people have asked the group about some sort of look up but as far as I know no such thing exists. However, the model # is useful for looking things up in the manuals. Two, I made my own cross-slide handle by drilling a 3/8 hole in the middle of some 7/8" diameter aluminum shafting and then drilling a 1/4" hole through the shaft about 1/4" in from the end. I took another piece of 1/2" shafting and turned one end down to press fit in the 1/4" hole to become the crank. I milled flats on the large shafting for the nut that holds the handle on the cross slide screw and for the crank and assembled the pieces. I didn't have the broach for the keyway slot for the woodruff key on the leadscrew and the handle hasn't seemed to slip without it. Hope this helps Michael ------- Re: What's this attachment/accessory? [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Glenn N" sleykinx~xxcharter.net Date: Mon Jul 17, 2006 7:45 pm (PDT) > My new lathe's late owner used it for refurbishing alternators. > This funky lil'motor (Oster) was mounted on an adjustable toolpost > support. It is fitted with a nasty little blade, like you'd find > at the dentist... As others have said it is for undercutting commutators on armatures. The cool thing is it will also cut slots and grooves or splines. You can use other cutters with it and do many cool things. I believe it could also be used as a toolpost grinder of sorts. Depending on how the motor is attached it could probably also be adapted to use as a milling atachement. You can use the indexing holes on the bullgear to index splines or a gear on the spindle with the proper number of teeth to get the type indexing you like. Could be a very versitile little tool. Glenn ------- Re: What's this attachment/accessory? Posted by: "rob macdonald" robbiemac947x~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Mon Jul 17, 2006 7:16 pm (PDT) What you're looking at is a mica undercutter. This was used after the commutator was turned to "lower" the mica insulation between segments. I thought they usually came as part of a set, the undercutter, a headstock chuck and tailstock chuck with brass jaws so as not to damage the bearing surfaces. I think it's a nice little piece even if you don't need it. Regards, Rob ------- Re: What's this attachment/accessory? Posted by: "gto69ra4x~xxaol.com" Date: Mon Jul 17, 2006 8:32 pm (PDT) In case anyone's curious as to what this looks like in operation, here's a current mica undercutter that has its own centers (instead of a lathe): http://www.martindaleco.com/HTML/UndercuttersHandHeldEtc/Utility.htm GTO(John) ------- Atlas Steady rest 12x36 [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "BRUCE ROGERS" brogers1x~xxvcweb.org Date: Sat Aug 5, 2006 9:49 pm (PDT) I looked on eBay for a steady rest at a low cost. I thought of machining my own. However I came up with an alternative that I would like to pass along. I contacted Harbor Freight via their tech support phone number and ordered a Steady rest for their 12x36 lathe. As a replacement part, it cost 28.80 plus tax plus shipping for a total of $35.98. It took 8 weeks, but it finally showed up. I had been looking for a steady rest on ebay, but most seemed to be going for a pretty stiff price. When I got the Harbor Freight steady rest, it was set up for a lathe with a V-way. However, after a little milling of the base (I took off around 0.120) and a little milling of the clamp piece (I made it a little narrower and a little bit thinner), they fit perfectly on my 12x36. The quality of the steady rest, when done, is quite high. The body is made of cast iron. The tips of the fingers are brass. I'm passing this info along to other Atlas owners as a low-cost way of getting a nice steady rest at a very low cost. $36. Bruce ------- Arbor support for Atlas MFC Mill [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "cwlathes" carvelwx~xxabsamail.co.za Date: Thu Oct 26, 2006 8:54 am (PDT) Does anybody have any idea where I might find an Arbor support (M1-60) for the Atlas MFC Mill? Need it to complete the restoration of the machine I bought recently, and previous owner has no idea what has happened to it! Clausing can't help although Jo has offered to send me the drawing if I land up having to do it the hard way. Would however like to find an original from a collectors perspective if possible - machine is otherwise in good shape and is coming on nicely. Rgds, Carvel (South Africa) ------- Re: Arbor support for Atlas MFC Mill Posted by: "jim and rose" halbert____1x~xxmsn.com Date: Thu Oct 26, 2006 4:06 pm (PDT) If you are restoring the machine to work condition, I will be glad to send a picture of how the replacement was made for mine (really quite simple) and works great. Jim ------- Re: Change Gears for a 9 inch Atlas [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "EARL BOWER" earl.bower1x~xxverizon.net Date: Tue Jan 9, 2007 10:12 am ((PST)) The gears are different between the 6" and 9/10/12 atlas. The gears for the 6" is (straight from Atlas) 24p, 14 1/2 degree. They use a bushing that is double keyed and is 1/2 o.d. The gears for the 9/10/12 is (checked with my Boston gear gauge) 16p, 14 1/2 degree. They use a bushing that is double keyed and is 3/4 o.d. Any good Power Transmission company can supply the gears and bushings for the 9/10/12 lathes but you will have problems locating the 6" gears (probably have to come from Atlas/Clausing). I have both lathes (6" and 10") in my shop. Earl Bower ------- Re: Change Gears for a 9 inch Atlas Posted by: "kendall" merc2dogsx~xxhotmail.com Date: Tue Jan 9, 2007 1:51 pm ((PST)) "Glenn N" wrote: > According to this Atlas bulletin, http://www.atlas-press.com/tb_chgrmod.htm > you will need to face off the hub of newer gears to use on the older > lathes. Glenn Neff Medford, OR Yes, it's a pain, I have two 'mostly' complete sets, and one's an earlier set with narrow hubs. Have washer shims faced to be the same thickness as the hubs, and just balance everything out. I think it's easier overall to get a set of later sleeves for the gears, and use them as-is. Ken ------- washer materal [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "nickkoko" nicholas.kokotovichx~xxboeing.com Date: Tue Jan 30, 2007 9:21 am ((PST)) 10 inch Atlas lathe -- does anybody know what the countershaft spindle assembly washers part number 9-111 are made from? ------- Re: washer materal Posted by: "speedphoto300" speedphoto300x~xxyahoo.com Date: Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:42 am ((PST)) The countershaft on my 7B shaper has the 9-111 washers on each end, mine are felt. I think they are supposed to be oil seals. Joe ------- Re: washer materal Posted by: "Lucas Thompson" Lucas.Thompsonx~xxwatchguard.com Date: Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:51 am ((PST)) The ones I pulled out of my 1941 10F last year seemed like they were made of phenolic, but the new ones I got from Clausing were a white felt material. I guess it was old dried up grease that made them so hard. ------- Timken Bearing Decal [atlas618lathe] Posted by: "riellyrob" riellyrobx~xxyahoo.com Date: Mon Jan 29, 2007 5:12 pm ((PST)) After playing around with my Timken Bearind decal in Photoshop, I finally managed to finish the file. First of all, my thanks to David Sampar, one of our members, who furnished me with a fairly complete decal that had fallen off his lathe. I combined it with other decal images I had and made new ones. I found out that there were several varieties, so I picked what I felt were the more dominant ones and made one file of each. MicroMark has decal making material. You can download the file, load it into almost any program (I used WordPerfect), resize it, and print it on your ink jet printer. I think the size I used was 1.987 inches wide, but you can run test sizes and measure it against your lathe. I am posting them in our Files as Timken Bearing 1 and 2. Have fun. Regards, Rob Rielly ------- Re: Timken Bearing Decal Posted by: "n5fee" n5feex~xxnetzero.net Date: Mon Jan 29, 2007 7:59 pm ((PST)) I have been following this thread with some interest. I ordered some of the MicroMark decal material to try. I bought both clear and white background material with the spray sealer. I bought decal material for the inkjet printers. I use an Epson Stylus 800 color inkjet printer. I have used it for several years and it makes great prints on paper, but the decals I tried were very poor quality and not usable. What type of printer and ink are you using? Dallas Shell Atlas 618 & Craftsman 214 ------- Re: MFC owner first post - Spindle removal [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Carvel Webb" carvelwx~xxabsamail.co.za Date: Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:14 am ((PDT)) > Carvel: Would you know if any of the pulleys/gears from the mill are > interchangeable with those from any of the Atlas/Craftsan lathes? > If so which models lathes? Dennis The headstock pulley, and its mating pulley on the countershaft are broader than an "A" section belt, and shallower than a "B" section belt, and to my knowledge are only used on the Mill. I had to have belts made for my machine (cut from belts used on a variable speed drive) - the motor pulley is also unique I think. All my Atlas lathes are 10F series, and the gears are a different Diametral Pitch to the Mill. I am not familiar with the gears used on the 6" lathe - maybe someone else can help us here? I did however find that some of the gears from the Craftsman Dunlap lathe did fit in the Pick-o-matic train on the Mill, but also check with Clausing whether they don't have the one you need. Regards, Carvel ------- leadscrews sizes [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "bretthjones" brettx~xx5foot2.com Date: Thu Mar 15, 2007 8:02 am ((PDT)) I do not remember if there is a difference between the change gear and quick change leadscrew and I'm hoping someone could help me out. I just picked up a 54" bed (that I'm thinking about having ground, along with a spare carriage I have) and I'm in need of a screw to fit my change gear setup. Also, has anyone made a new screw from a 3/4" x 8tpi blank acme screw? I'd like to hear how that went. Thanks ------- Re: leadscrews sizes Posted by: "Jon Elson" elsonx~xxpico-systems.com Date: Thu Mar 15, 2007 9:51 am ((PDT)) The very earliest Atlas lathes had a 5/8" leadscrew. All later machines have 3/4". I put a QC on a 10" lathe that came with change gears, and it was a very simple bolt-on replacement, and required no modification or fudging of the leadscrew. There may be a difference on the late-model (1965+) Craftsman lathes that had the overload clutch on the output shaft of the QC. Jon ------- Re: my "new" Atlas 10" Lathe and on and on and on... [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "lapoltba" lapoltbax~xxgmail.com Date: Wed Jun 6, 2007 6:14 pm ((PDT)) > You can do things on the Atlas that most other lathes don't provide > for. I recently used the headstock indexing feature to make 2 of the > headstock lever gears for my extra Unimats by using the carriage as a > hand shaper. Can't easily index on any of the other lathes. Hmmm sounds cool, how did it work out as an improvised shaper? I was considering finding a way to get cast iron or steel gears for the lathe; the Zamak maskes me nervous. Think i could cut a gear of that size/material like you did? 60 holes makes 6 degrees per hole which is kind of limiting. And i don't even know the pitch or pressure angle of the gearing on the lathe. Anyone got a clue? ------- Re: my "new" Atlas 10" Lathe and on and on and on... Posted by: "Joe Smith" joex~xxjesinc.net Date: Wed Jun 6, 2007 8:15 pm ((PDT)) I was cutting 10 and 12 teeth so the 60 divisions were ample. I had a gear to go by so I ground and lapped a hss bit to match the tooth. Then I mounted the cutter in my qc and adjusted height so the tip was on center line using a center in the tailstock. The blank was turned to size (2l4 steel) and the headstock was locked. I had measured the depth of cut from the original. I used the carriage hand wheel to make cuts at .002 to .003 a cut. Took about 1 hr for each gear. If I wanted to cut a larger gear I would make a holder to position an original and the blank on an arbor in the headstock. Then a locking pin assy would be fabricated. Also a lever setup would be fabricated clamped to the bed and set up to push the carriage. Before Mr Early had to delete the files in the Yahoo groups there were several examples of this method pictured in articles. The lever setup would allow heavier cuts without danger of damaging the carriage. If you don't push your lathe too hard the Zamak gears should be fine. My lathe runs a lot quieter with the Zamak than my SB hvy 10's do. You might also search for "gear hobbing" on the web. That could also be done on the lathe faster than the shaper method. Joe Smith ------- Re: my "new" Atlas 10" Lathe and on and on and on... Posted by: "Brett Jones" brettx~xx5foot2.com Date: Wed Jun 6, 2007 9:42 pm ((PDT)) I was unsure of the Zamak gears when I first picked up my Atlas, but I'm at the point now that I feel the material gets a bad rap just because it looks like pot metal. It's strong and wears well enough. I had to replace a worn out 20 tooth gear and 2 others are worn enough to justify replacement (though I still use them). My lathe is a mid 50's vintage 10-F and I'm assuming the gear set I have is as old. My lathe had a broken compound gear and badly mangled spindle drive gear (the one that drives the change gears). This damage was due to the stud the compound gear runs on becoming loose and the gears falling out of mesh. All that said, I would had preferred most of the apron parts be steel and lead screw reverser case and internals also. Brett Jones ------- Re: my "new" Atlas 10" Lathe and on and on and on... Posted by: "jerdalx~xxsbcglobal.net" jerdalx~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Thu Jun 7, 2007 6:31 am ((PDT)) The issue with Zamak isn't that it is inherently trash. The problem is threefold. It is of course less strong than steel or iron, and it will break when the other materials will not, and there is very little chance of repairing a broken part. It has been done, but is rather difficult. If the mix of alloy materials was off, and particularly if ANY lead was added, as it seems to have been to ease molding in some cases, the Zamak will corrode and split, turning to flakes and powder over time. Because it is a molding material, the parts made with it often have features that are very hard to replicate if you need to machine a replacement part for a damaged or flaking Zamak part. JT ------- Re: Need a Replacement Gear [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Michael Fagan" woodworker88x~xxgmail.com Date: Mon Jun 11, 2007 5:47 pm ((PDT)) On 6/11/07, musicengr < frankdx~xxlmi.net> wrote: > Hello all. I have an Atlas/Craftsman lathe that dates from the early > 1940's or so. One of the gears is missing teeth and I would like to > find a replacement gear. The gear has 24 teeth and the pitch diameter > (I believe this is the correct term) is 1 inch. The gear has a 1/2 > hollowed out center for a bearing. I've looked locally in the SF Bay > Area for a replacement part and the catch is the gear I need is 3/8 > inch thick (as are all the gears) while replacement gears are 1/8 inch > thick. The cost to have a 3/8" gear made up is more than I paid for the > lathe ($200.00! I may be able to adapt a 1/8 inch replacement gear, but > I'm concerned about the strees it may be under. > Does anyone have a source for such a gear? Best to all, Frank Clausing has the parts, however, in the SF Bay Area, Motion Industries carries the entire line of Boston Gear components, which should have something close to what you need. Since you said that the 24 tooth gear has a pitch diameter of 1", this would make your lathe a 6", which uses 24 DP gears. Boston Gear carries a 24 tooth, 24 DP, 14.5 degree pressure angle (the correct specs for your gear) in 0.250 face width, in either a brass or a steel gear. This should work well for your machine. Removing the hub and boring the bearing seat shouldn't be difficult operations on your machine. The entire Boston Gear gear catalog is available at http://www.bostongear.com/pdf/upload/lit/P-1482-BG_cat-OpenGearing(3).pdf The 24 DP gears are on page 15 and 16. Hope this gives you some ideas. Michael Los Altos HS Robotics Team ------- Re: Lathe Bed Variations [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Jon Elson" elsonx~xxpico-systems.com Date: Sun Jun 17, 2007 1:03 pm ((PDT)) catboat15x~xxaol.com wrote: > As I understand it there were two forms of bed, one had thicker ways (vertical thickness) than the other. This would affect the positron of the saddle, lead screw etc. so check your present bed before buying a different one. My present Atlas has something I have never seen on others in that the tailstock end mounting has only one hole centered between the ways. Most others I have seen have two mounting holes just like the head stock end. < All 10" lathes had 3/8" thick ways. Early 12" lathes had the same bed and all other items, just the headstock and tailstock were taller. The later 12" lathes had 1/2" thick ways, although all other dimensions seemed to be the same (inner and outer width of the ways, etc.) The later 12" headstocks, at least, were wider than the 10", so there was no part of the bed exposed in front of the headstock. The QC or reversing gearbox on the 10" bolted to that exposed lip of bed with 2 vertical bolts. The late 12" QC bolts to the side of the headstock with 3 horizontal bolts under the thread chart. Jon ------- NOTE TO FILE: The following thread adds information to a similar discussion that you can find above in January 2003. ------- Graduated dials [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "pjamesanderson" kiramunchx~xxsympatico.ca Date: Mon Aug 27, 2007 9:37 am ((PDT)) I am considering putting larger handwheels or at least larger dials on the compound. Does anyone have a source for larger graduated dials and or handwheels? It's very difficult for me to see the small graduations any more. Thanx. Pete ------- Re: Graduated dials Posted by: "Shane J. Wolfe" shanewolfex~xxmac.com Date: Mon Aug 27, 2007 10:13 am ((PDT)) There was an article in Machinist magazine this past month on upgrading the dials for older lathes. It would be a nice DIY project. ------- Re: Graduated dials Posted by: "Brett Jones" brettx~xx5foot2.com bretthjones Date: Mon Aug 27, 2007 11:10 am ((PDT)) www.tallgrasstools.com has unfinished and finished cross feed and compound dial kits that look nice. I've turned a set from raw stock for my Craftsman but I've not yet graduated or numbered them. I want/need to make an indexing/positioning jig that will allow me to stamp the numbers consistently before I go any father. Brett Jones ------- Re: Graduated dials Posted by: "catboat15x~xxaol.com" catboat15x~xxaol.com Date: Sat Sep 1, 2007 12:41 pm ((PDT)) It has been done by several people. I made new dials for my old six inch Atlas many years ago. I no longer have the drawings I made for that project, but it is doable. At the same time I did another mod that added power cross feed to the six inch lathe. Primitive, but worked well. I added a drum of about 1.5 inch diam onto the right end of the lead screw and with my new dial on the cross feed I also included a drum. Then a pulley on a moveable clamp that fastened onto the edge of my bench. I had power cross feed by winding up a cord on the drum on the lead screw and winding cord off the drum on the cross feed. I then could face larger things like wheels without the "lines" left by hand turning the cross feed handle. I don't see why the same general scheme could be used on a ten or twelve inch size Atlas that was not provided with the power cross feed. (I also made a "one use" steady rest from ply wood to face off some copper tube for a boiler shell.) Use your imagination and you can come up with all kinds of useful "gadgets and improvements" for your lathe. John Meacham from the high deserts of Calif 12 inch Atlas lathe, mini mill, HF band saw and a rusty file. ------- Innards of a tail stock? [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "ahz" ahzx~xxinsightbb.com Date: Wed Oct 24, 2007 6:57 pm ((PDT)) My tail stock's innards have been significantly replaced by shop-made parts. I am wondering if anyone has large clear pics of their tail stock's innards so I can compare and contrast. ------- Re: Innards of a tail stock? Posted by: "Michael Fagan" woodworker88x~xxgmail.com Date: Wed Oct 24, 2007 7:06 pm ((PDT)) I don't have any pictures, but out of curiosity, what has been replaced? I have found that several components were much better served by properly made replacements. In particular, after it stripped at a rather inconvenient moment, I replaced my tailstock locking bolt (the one that clamps it to the ways) with a Grade 8 hardened one several sizes larger than the original and it performed much better, even though I have to use a separate wrench with it. A cam lock upgrade is in the works (currently at the CAD stage, a prototype is forthcoming). ------- Re: Innards of a tail stock? Posted by: "ahz" ahzx~xxinsightbb.com Date: Wed Oct 24, 2007 7:41 pm ((PDT)) The tailstock screw bearing has been modified, I think The "bearing" within is 2 hex nuts with their threads mostly turned away. The nuts have been pressed into the bearing casting. The tail stock ram screw has probably been replaced by a bolt. There are about 1.5" of thread, then about another inch that has had the threads turned away. This was done roughly but competently. Then the bolt is turned down to 3/8" or so, very roughly. This passes through the "bearing" and accepts a nut which holds on the aluminum plate that passes for a handle. ------- Re: Innards of a tail stock? Posted by: "Michael Fagan" woodworker88x~xxgmail.com Date: Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:22 pm ((PDT)) Hmm. That's not exactly the kind of modifications I had in mind. You definitely need some original or high quality replacement parts. One thing to note is that the tailstock ram screw (to advance the tailstock ram) is left handed, so that turning the handle clockwise extends the ram, and turning it counterclockwise retracts it. I suppose that the bolt is left handed? Michael ------- Re: Innards of a tail stock? Posted by: "stormcrow_40291" ahzx~xxinsightbb.com Date: Thu Oct 25, 2007 1:28 pm ((PDT)) Well, I suppose I tore it down for a reason. I didn't recall the ram bolt threads being left-handed. I screwed two 5/8th nuts onto it (jam nut technique) to get a nut off the other end, where the handle should have been. Surely I would have noticed a left-hand thread. So you're telling me your ram bolt and the receiving ram are threaded left-handed? I'll post pics tonight. ------- Re: Innards of a tail stock? Posted by: "Michael Fagan" woodworker88x~xxgmail.com Date: Thu Oct 25, 2007 2:28 pm ((PDT)) Yep. Also, 5/8" seems very large indeed. My guess is that someone drilled out the old ram and retapped it 5/8" RH. The old one is about 3/8" or 1/2" IIRC. Also, it should be an Acme thread form if I'm not mistaken. Michael ------- Re: Innards of a tail stock? Posted by: "stormcrow_40291" ahzx~xxinsightbb.com Date: Fri Oct 26, 2007 5:37 am ((PDT)) Well, I already told my wife that the reason I am getting my lathe is to fix my lathe. So it seems I wasn't being witty at all. I suppose I'll one-up the previous hack and drill out HIS threads, ream to size, then press in a turned-to-cylindrical left-handed acme nut. Of course, I may well have to press the nut into a bushing, and then press the bushing into the ram. In any event, it doesn't sound too hard. The tailstock works in its current sad state, so I don't have to rush it. Hmmm... I wonder if the ram fits through the headstock. *** note to self - when designing a lathe in the future, be sure to make the hole through the headstock large enough to machine as many parts of the lathe as possible. *** ------- Exploded diagram for Atlas/Craftsman 12" 101.07383 lathe [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "stormcrow_40291" ahzx~xxinsightbb.com Date: Fri Oct 26, 2007 8:07 am ((PDT)) I don't remember if I posted this link or not. The link contains 4 pages of exploded diagrams and parts lists as well as an image of the change gear diagram from inside the gear cover. Apologies if it's a dupe. http://home.insightbb.com/~antinice/101.07383.html ------- Re: Set Screws For Tool Post Slide..... Replacements.... [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Michael Fagan" woodworker88x~xxgmail.com Date: Sun Nov 25, 2007 2:48 pm ((PST)) On Nov 25 capecodrodbuilding wrote: > I am new to the group and to the Metal Lathe Business and recently purchased a restored Craftsman 101.07301 Lathe... The 8/32 X 7/16 set screw on the slide I managed to pop the screw heads off, I seem to only be able to find 8/32 X 7/16 Allen Head screws at the hardware store, will these work and if not where should I look to buy replacements? I have already checked Sears online for doghead screws and are no longer available.... < Socket (Allen) head cap screws should work fine. ------- [atlas_craftsman] Re: Need Crank for 12" Atlas/Craftsman Lathe Milling Attachment Posted by: "Bobby May" widgitsx~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Wed Nov 28, 2007 8:48 pm ((PST)) Just checked my attachment and have calipers in hand. # on one of the spokes is M6-23. Has a .375 bore w/ .125 broached key slot for a woodruff key in the shaft. Hub length measures close to .875 long. OD at 2.7" Hub diameter of .75" 3 spokes dished hanwheel. Knob length about 1.5" Hope it helps Bobby ------- Re: Need Crank for 12" Atlas/Craftsman Lathe Milling Attachment Posted by: "ammonidaho" ammonidahox~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Nov 28, 2007 8:49 pm ((PST)) The crank handle on the milling attachment is the same as the handle on the 6" lathe tailstock. I have both and they match. The number on both is M6-23. John Rhudy ------- Apron Wick Oilers (Pipe Cleaners) - Need Some Help [Atlas_Craftsman] Posted by: "vance_wiley" vance_wileyx~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:09 am ((PST)) Hello - My first post was a request for help with routing of the wick oilers in the apron - perhaps I should have placed that higher in the message. Does anyone have any idea of the routing of the "pipe cleaners" to provide lubrication to the appropriate locations? One seems self evident - to the bearing of the bevel gear around the lead screw. The other two are questions in my mind. A photo of the original routing would really be helpful. Thanks, Vance ------- Re: Apron Wick Oilers (Pipe Cleaners) - Need Some Help Posted by: "LouD31M066x~xxaol.com" Date: Wed Dec 19, 2007 2:23 pm ((PST)) I believe you may be thinking of the spindle oilers which need something absorbent to "meter" to Timken tapered roller bearings...other type spindle bearings and the rest of the lathe are lubricated per the oiling chart. Chart is obtainable from Clausing Atlas and is in Manual of Lathe Operations. Using the chart will make remembering a not so obvious oiling point easier. Pipe cleaners and shoe laces are but a few of the creative materials used...really only matters that oil is available when and where needed. Too much and too soon is better than too little too late. Louis ------- Re: Apron Wick Oilers (Pipe Cleaners) - Need Some Help Posted by: "Michael Fagan" woodworker88x~xxgmail.com Date: Wed Dec 19, 2007 3:20 pm ((PST)) No, when I disassembled the apron of my 12x36 underdrive, I also found pipe cleaner like oil wicks directing oil from the oil cup on the front of the apron to various points inside. I, too, would be interested if anybody has a diagram of where those go. (I pulled mine out due to damage.) Michael ------- Re: Apron Wick Oilers (Pipe Cleaners) - Need Some Help Posted by: "LouD31M066x~xxaol.com" Date: Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:06 pm ((PST)) Factory or add on? Louis ------- Re: Apron Wick Oilers (Pipe Cleaners) - Need Some Help Posted by: "Glenn N" sleykinx~xxcharter.net Date: Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:17 pm ((PST)) Factory, and I know I have seen it shown on a piece of paper around here someplace but damned if I can find it. It goes in through the hollow screw on the front of the apron. Mine is missing also. Perhaps on an exploded parts diagram? ------- Re: Apron Wick Oilers (Pipe Cleaners) - Need Some Help Posted by: "Michael Fagan" woodworker88x~xxgmail.com Date: Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:34 pm ((PST)) Nope, I have the original manual, and they're not listed in either the parts list nor the exploded diagrams. ------- Re: Apron Wick Oilers (Pipe Cleaners) - Need Some Help Posted by: "vance_wiley" vance_wileyx~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:27 pm ((PST)) Hello - I posted the question - Thanks for the responses. I have the 23 page Owners Manual purchased within the last 4 weeks from Clausing - the part is listed as "pipe cleaner" without a part number - the diagram shows ONE cleaner extending from the oil cup inside the apron - there are 3 holes and my lathe has 3 pipe cleaner wicks from the cup reservoir (fed by the flip top oiler cup at the front of the apron (#56) thru the hollow bolt to the cup (#55). The pipe cleaners are designated #60 on the diagram. Mine are mangled up and no path or direction is evident except the one to the bevel gear (#46 & #47). I will try to post a scan of a part of the Apron Assembly for viewing. Thanks again, Vance ------- Re: Apron Wick Oilers (Pipe Cleaners) - Need Some Help PHOTO ADDED Posted by: "vance_wiley" vance_wileyx~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:46 pm ((PST)) The photo of the Partial Apron Assembly diagram is in a new folder titled "Atlas / Craftsman 101.28910 12" Bench". Thanks, Vance ------- Re: Apron Wick Oilers (Pipe Cleaners) - Need Some Help Posted by: "Bobby May" widgitsx~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:10 pm ((PST)) When I got my 12"x 36" Craftsman lathe the power feed would not work. It was frozen on the bevel pinion gears from old grease and lack of use. So I tore the apron apart and found no oil wicks whatsoever, After a quick cleanup I discovered that the bracket that holds this gear set has a small channel to direct the oil to the bushing inside the gear, great Idea but there was no hole drilled at the proper location to make this part of the system work correctly. A small drill fixed this pretty quick. I also have a 15" x 42" LeBlond and also belong to the LeBlond lathe group. The boys over there have purchased the special oil wicking for the aprons on their lathes from McMaster. Only problem is you have to buy 3 feet of the stuff when you only need 6 inches Later Bobby May ------- Re: Apron Wick Oilers (Pipe Cleaners) - Need Some Help Posted by: "vance_wiley" vance_wileyx~xxyahoo.com vance_wiley Date: Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:02 pm ((PST)) Bobby - Did your lathe have the outside oil cup with the flip top and a reaervoir inside? The channel you describe in the top of the bracket/bushing (#46) is the thing I think indicates the path for ONE of the pipe cleaners - it would wick oil into the bushing for the bevel gear. It appears the other two simply "wipe" something - but I do not know what. Also - what is supposed to oil the cross slide gear with the ball end shaft which is operated by the lever/knob? This is diagram (#41) and part 3980- 24. This turns constantly while the leadscrew turns - and I see no provisions for lubrication. One reason for "neutral" on the toggle, I suppose. I see the gearcase needing oil also but I am concerned about getting the pipe cleaners caught in the lead screw and the gears. Thanks, Vance ------- Re: Apron Wick Oilers (Pipe Cleaners) - Need Some Help PHOTO ADDED Posted by: "vance_wiley" vance_wileyx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sat Dec 22, 2007 2:14 pm ((PST)) > The photo of the Partial Apron Assembly diagram is in a new folder > titled "Atlas / Craftsman 101.28910 12" Bench ". Thanks, Vance Found a photo of the apron back - and the pipe cleaner wicks - two of the three are pretty clear as to routing. A photo has been added to the file "Atlas / Craftsman 101.28910 12" Bench". One lays down onto the bevel gear bracket/bushing and oils that gear thru the channel formed on the top of the bushing and thru the hole into the bearing. It appears it would be possible to install this bushing upside down and defeat the oiling. The second one goes to the top of the gearbox where there is a hole for oiling. The third appears (?) to be routed behind the cross-slide drive gear and perhaps onto the other beveled gear (?). Has anyone noticed the correct routing for the third wick? Thanks, and Merry Christmas to all. Vance ------- Re: Looking for 24 tooth change gear [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "ghettodad59" ghettodad59x~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Jan 30, 2008 4:36 pm ((PST)) >Does anyone have a gear and bushing or know where I might purchase them? On my model these gears were originally made of nylon and are sacrificed during crashes to prevent more expensive damage to other parts. I bought replacements from Clausing after my crash but they sent me aluminum gears with keyways. They work but don't provide crash protection. Since that time I acquired tools and knowledge to make replacement gears and made a bunch of 20-tooth and 24-tooth gears from nylon. I've managed to avoid another crash but feel better knowing that I should be able to recover quickly and inexpensively next time I mess up. Dion Mills ------- PVC Spindle Nose Protector [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "indianfourrider" indianfourriderx~xxyahoo.com Date: Tue Feb 12, 2008 5:22 pm ((PST)) One of you more seasoned operators has probably done something like this before, but... Since I have a couple more milling projects and it's been a while since Murphy and Zymurgy have dropped by, I figured I needed to do something to protect the nose threads. Of course, BUYING an Atlas or SBL unit was out of the question, so off to the hardware store - not everything can be found in even the best stocked dumpster! (Pictures to accompany this scintilating narrative are in an album entitled "Nose Job") First item was a 1.5-8 TPI thread checker since my thread guage only goes down to 12 TPI and I don't have another spindle for checking fit. A steel 1 1/4 pipe coupling turned out (sorry) to be just right. Really close but close enough was close enough. The prophylactic itself would be made from 2 PVC pipe fittings. (I love PVC pipe and make all kinds of stuff from it. You should see the removable luggage rack I made for the Indian...) A 1 1/4-1 NPT bushing glued into a Schedule 40 1 1/4 coupling yielded the needed thickness and diameter. Cutting the threads on the PVC was quite a contrast from the steel. There's also a picture of an addition to the threading dial. The quadrants have been sufficient for all of the threading I've done so far, but for the milling operations the carriage serves as, I think it's the Z axis, and only four divisions don't cut it (sorry, again) I use e-Machineshop.com's free CAD software for laying out precise angles and arcs (like gaskets for an Indian) so I laid out a .875" circle and divided it into 64 segments - one full turn of the dial equals 2" travel so each mark on the sticker equals 1/32" Make a bunch of them on one sheet of paper and print actual size and Voila! A strip of 2" clear label tape to protect the face and 2-sided carpet tape on the back, cut 'em out with the Olfa compass knife and there you are. If I haven't done something worthy of a tetanus booster every 5 years, it's been pretty darn dull! Jim ------- Re: PVC Spindle Nose Protector Posted by: "azbruno" azbrunox~xxyahoo.com Date: Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:57 pm ((PST)) The first project I ever did on my Atlas 618 was to make a spindle nose protector. I used aluminum. I later discovered that it was really useful when I had Morse Taper arbor in the headstock (e.g. with my ER collet chuck). Unscrewing the nose protector forced the part out, not requiring a knock out rod. Bruno ------- Re: Handwheel modification/improvement [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Jerry Freeman" jerryx~xxtcenet.net Date: Wed Feb 13, 2008 2:41 pm ((PST)) OK, here's what you've started. I've been annoyed at those rigid handwheel handles, wondering if anything can be done about them. I read your posts and then went to www.use-enco.com and found item number 990-3298, which is a "#10 revolving steel handle." I counted up the handles I wanted to replace and ordered four. These are chrome plated like the original handles and handwheels and about the same diameter as the existing handles, maybe 1/4 inch or so longer, with 10-24 mounting threads. Mounted, they match the original look perfectly. I had determined that the existing handles were pressed into 1/4 inch holes in the handwheels. I took off the apron handwheel, removed the handle, and enlarged the hole with a 19/64 drill. Then I turned down about two inches of 5/16" rod, mounted in a Jacob's chuck, to a diameter that could be hammered into the 19/64 inch hole, using the hole in the handwheel as my gauge to decide how small to turn the rod. I turned about an inch and then extended the rod further out from the chuck until I had as much as I wanted. I had to take off only the tiniest amount to get the right diameter. I bored a hole into the end of the rod with a #25 drill and tapped the hole for the 10-24 handle threads. With a file against the spinning rod, I tapered about 1/8" to the end so it would start into the hole in the handwheel, and I cut off a piece about 1/16" longer than needed to plug the hole. I drove the insert into the hole, ground it flush to the surface of the handwheel, cleaned up the threads with the tap and attached the handle. I repeated the steps for the tailstock handwheel, the cross slide crank and the compound rest crank. The compound rest crank had two handles the same size and close together, which I always found annoying because it was awkward to try to turn the crank holding one of the handles. So I shortened the remaining original handle and rounded and buffed the new end, which makes it easy to turn the crank with the new handle without the second handle getting in the way, but it still leaves the second handle in case it's needed for steadiness or whatever it's supposed to be there for. This gives a noticeably more comfortable feel to the way the lathe operates. I'm very pleased. Best wishes, Jerry P.S. I apologize for not having a photo to post. I went to take a picture and discovered my digital camera has died. [One dimension was corrected here per a later message from Jerry.] ------- Shop-made Taper Attachment [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "indianfourrider" indianfourriderx~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:37 am ((PDT)) Friends: In an album of the same name are some pictures of the taper attachment I made. It is loosly copied from one of the Atlas models. It's not nearly as elegant as Al's but it appears to work pretty well. I plan on using it mostly to make MT #3 toolholders for the headstock and probably some MT #2 gizmos for the tail. The first serious piece I tried after various tests is a blank for a MT #3 arbor of some kind (!) which fit right into the spindle and showed absolutely no runout. I'm pretty happy about that. Also in that ablum is a shot of the 'by-products' of that first piece. I'm going to start another thread on the subject of chip control because I'm sure everyone has their own take on the matter and I'm very interested. TIA Jim ------- Re: Shop-made Taper Attachment Posted by: "Tom Warren" mtnestx~xxhartcom.net Date: Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:51 pm ((PDT)) Hi Jim: Your taper attachment looks very nice. Do you happen to have any specifications for it? I'd like to make one for my 12x36. Thanks, Tom ------- Re: Shop-made Taper Attachment Posted by: "indianfourrider" indianfourriderx~xxyahoo.com Date: Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:54 am ((PDT)) > Your taper attachment looks inpressive. If you have detail drawings > of the attachment, I would appreciate it if you make them available. > Thanks, George Thanks for the kind words. I'll put some drawings/photos together and post them. There is also an excellent picture of another shop-made taper attachment in the "files" section. (Wish I had looked there before making mine!) Jim ------- Re: Shop-made Taper Attachment - UPDATE Posted by: "indianfourrider" indianfourriderx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Mar 23, 2008 6:46 pm ((PDT)) Thanks to the kind folks who gave me some feedback and requested drawings or specs. I have updated the photo album and included a CAD drawing with some of the dimensions. (Shouldn't the plural of dimension be dimentia?) If anyone has the free baby-CAD software from eMachineshop.com (with which I have no affiliation and in which I have no financial interest) I'll be happy to email you the drawing. The jig was made from what I had on hand. If you read my posts you know that really means what I've cadged from the dumpster at Smith Fastener! I think everything they use is considered standard size for cold-rolled flat bar. The three main pieces A, B & C on the drawing are 3/4 x 1 1/2. The pivot and clamp bolts are 3/8-16 x 1 1/2 socket head cap screws. The clamps holding A and B to the ways consist of a spacer made from 3/8 x 1 1/2 x 2 3/4 screwed to the underside of the supports (A & B) from the top with 12-24 x 7/8 fillester head screws; the clamp itself is 3/4 x 1 x 3 1/4 (+/- to catch the underside of the ways)drilled and tapped through the wide side 3/8-16. The clamp bolts are same socket heads as above. To securely clamp the bar in place once the desired angle is set I scribed an arc with the center at the pivot with a radius to the center of a 2" x 7 1/2" x 1/8" plate as in the drawing. The slot was cut by drilling overlapping holes and filing it smooth. Having use the jig a couple of times and re-read what I wrote to Tom, I simplified the slider and linkage and made it sturdier. The original version with roller bearings was kind of over-the-top. I guess I got carried away and wanted to see if I could do it! (The other little thing I would and may yet do over is reversing the whole shebang left-to-right. I still don't know what I was thinking putting the adjustment end behind the chuck...) ANYWAY, the slider is a channel bolted up from one scrap of the same stock as A, B & C - 3/4 x 1 1/2 about 2 3/4" long and two 3" pieces of 1/2 x 1 1/2. (I have several boxes of fillester head screws left over from various Indian projects so you'll see a lot of them! Use what ya got!) You lucky ones with real mills could make a nice one from one piece. The linkage is salvaged from version 1.0 and beefed up with a what a carpenter would call a scab. The original is a 9" piece of 3/8 x 1 with a 5" long 1/2" slot milled at one end. "Milled" is a slight exageration. Yes, I proudly posted my shop-made milling attachment, but it has its limitations... The 'workaround' was to drill the 1/2" end holes and connect them with a series of overlapping 3/8 holes. THEN put it in the miling attachment and clean it up. Still WAY easier than filing! If I had it to do again I would find a way to make it from one piece. The guide block was probably the most challenging. I'm way too cheap to buy a dovetail cutter so again with the overlapping holes and a little 1/8" ball-nose end mill I had and a lot of luck I got a servicable piece. I fitted it with brass plugs under the screws to protect the cross slide. All that can be obviated by drilling and tapping two holes in the back of the saddle and mounting the guide there. I already had the cross slide apart to deal with some other issues so I went that route. None of the above is really critical. I made it all up as I went along, trying to figure out how to use what I had on hand. The basic design is copied almost directly from the "hobbyist' Atlas version. Certainly there are other improvements/refinements that can be made and I hope it is adaptable to other materials and machines. The important thing is setting the taper, either by 'included angle' or inches-per-foot (or inch). The Atlas unit has a pointer and two scales, one calibrated for each method. I saw another shop-made taper jig for sale a while back on a well-known auction site that included a dial indicator to 'insure accurate tapers.' Since I want mainly to make Morse Taper arbors and toolholders it made sense to me to be able accurately to set inches-per-foot. Hence the dial indicator and the clamp to hold it in place. If the taper is going to be accurate, the arm has to be dead parallel to the ways before setting the angle. The pictures show one way to do that. The indexing pin is within about 5 thou and I use my .0005 indicator to get it dead-on. Once the arm is dead parallel the contact point of the indicator needs to be at at set distance from the pivot, preferably 12" or 24" to yield taper in IPF. The CAD drawing shows this clearly, I hope. With the indicator zeroed and the point 12" from the center of the pivot the arm in moved until the indicator reads HALF of the desired taper: #3 MT = .60235/inch so the indicator needs to read just on the fat side of .301 (unless you have a better indicator than me!) If you set the contact point 24" from the pivot center then the indicator should read the full IPF number. (Sorry if the is redundant to the experienced hands out there but I had several "D'oh!" moments figuring this all out.) Well there you have it. Hope someone can make use of this. I'm sure there are better ways of doing a lot of it. That's the beaauty to me of the group. I learn something everytime I read my mail. Sorry if I rambled. Don't encourage me, you know how I can be... Regards, Jim ------- Re: Shop-made Taper Attachment - UPDATE Posted by: "indianfourrider" indianfourriderx~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Mar 26, 2008 6:16 am ((PDT)) Friends, I have posted a folder in the "Files" section with the CAD drawing, CAD file, some of the pictures and an edited version of my earlier long-winded post. I have deleted the photo album. Thanks, all! Jim ------- Re: Replacement dials [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "mertnedp" pdentremx~xxforterie.com Date: Tue May 13, 2008 2:11 pm ((PDT)) Robert Berry wrote: > Can someone advise me of a source for replacement dials for the > Craftsman 12 inch lathe 101.07403? Mine have gotten rather worn and > hard to read. I made my own replacement dials. A nice little project for a weekend. See some pictures at http://wrx-now.tripod.com. Click on the Atlas picture or the Atlas title to get to the pictures. The new dials are just shy of 2" in diameter. What a difference when looking at the markings of the new one versus the old dials! ------- Re: Replacement dials Posted by: "James Walther" indianfourriderx~xxyahoo.com Date: Tue May 13, 2008 2:25 pm ((PDT)) How did you incise the markings on the dial? Nice piece of work! Jim ------- Re: Replacement dials Posted by: "mertnedp" pdentremx~xxforterie.com Date: Wed May 21, 2008 2:32 pm ((PDT)) Thanks. Using the diameter of the 3 jaw chuck that I was using to hold the new dial blanks, I used a drawing program (ie Autocad) and simply made an array of 100 lines that equaled the circumference and printed on a sheet of paper. In my case it took more than 1 sheet. Using a letter-sized sheet I cut the sheet into strips and put two together to get enough to go around the chuck. Now remember that the sheet has a thickness as well. You have to add that in as well or the divisions will not line up when you wrap the chuck. Second time was better! Using the same setup as below. I then scribed a line on the side of the chuck mounting plate at each of the divisions. Therefore I now have a chuck that is permanently marked with 100 spaces for future projects! Make up a wire to use as a pointer and mount where it works for you. It will line up with the new lines on the chuck, thus indexing the dial blank. I then scribed the lines onto the dial blank. Use a sharp tool set on its side. A threading tool is what I used with a sharp point. After all the lines were marked I stamped the final numbers using number stamps. In making the lines you have to pass the tool a couple of times to get enough depth. Any other questions? Hope this helps! ------- Re: Replacement dials Posted by: "j.c.gerberx~xxtbwil.ch" Date: Tue May 13, 2008 2:39 pm ((PDT)) Well done, but what I almost prefer your cross feed control assembly. Very nice and practical idea. Jean-Claude, Switzerland www.homestead.com/turnandmill ------- Re: Replacement dials Posted by: "mertnedp" pdentremx~xxforterie.com Date: Wed May 21, 2008 2:35 pm ((PDT)) Thank you. That cross feed control came right out of MetalWorking Book One. The Best of Projects in Metal. Pg76 By Richard Torgerson. ------- Re: Mystery 4 jaw chuck [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "speedphoto300" speedphoto300x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Jul 6, 2008 6:51 pm ((PDT)) "azbruno" wrote: > My question is... did the 1"-10 spindle coincide with the move to > Timken bearings? I'd guess not, but how soon before or after? -Bruno Good question, Bruno. And until recently I was sure I knew the answer. Conventional wisdom is that from 1937 until 1958 there were two branches to the Atlas 618 tree, the Atlas version had Timken bearings from the start and the version they made for Sears had plain bearings. Both had 1"-8 spindles. Around 1958 Sears dropped the plain bearing model and went to Timken bearings; from that point on the only difference between Sears and Atlas was the label. Simultaneously, the spindles went to 1"-10. That's the story I had heard and believed, given the evidence. Recently, however, a 618 showed up on the SF Bay Craigslist that had a plain bearing headstock, but an Atlas bed, nameplate and all. My feeling is that this is a replacement bed with a Craftsman headstock on it, but real info on all of this is hard to find. As time goes on I doubt more and more. Joe ------- Re: Mystery 4 jaw chuck Posted by: "speedphoto300" speedphoto300x~xxyahoo.com Date: Mon Jul 7, 2008 7:23 am ((PDT)) "Joe R" wrote: > Here's a site that has a good write up on the 618 and most all other > brands of lathes. > http://www.lathes.co.uk/craftsman/page5.html > To answer Bruno's question it seems it was 1" x 10 from the start???? Most people here are familiar with Tony's site, and are also familiar with the errors that show up there. It's next to impossible to get it all right. On the page you point to he says that the spindle was 1"-10 from the start but I've yet to see a Craftsman plain bearing 6 inch lathe with anything but 1"-8. On http://www.lathes.co.uk/atlas/page3.html he mentions the circa 1958 changeover to 1"-10, and this coincides with the Craftsman change to Timken bearings. Unfourtunately, Atlas has no historical records with this sort of detail. It's left to detective work and imagination, and opinion. Joe ------- Re: When was the last year the Craftsman 12" was sold? [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "don ryan" dieman222000x~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Nov 7, 2008 8:34 pm ((PST)) The last Atlas 12 lathe was built on 3-6-1981. I was the one of the people that assembled the lathe. I can't tell you when the last one was sold as I was laid off after this and I know that there was still lathes in the warehouse when I left. All of the remaining parts were put into the spare parts inventory at this time so no more lathes where built after this date. Also as of this date, the Sears contract had been cancelled. ------- Parts may become less available from Clausing [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "pflatlyne" pflatlynex~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Nov 14, 2008 1:04 pm ((PST)) I emailed Clausing regarding parts and this is the information I received (edited for easy reading). > Normally we would make the items here in the warehouse, but we had to do cut backs and we closed the warehouse down. And its getting difficult to find a vendor that will do that parts for us. So as of right now we are still trying to get parts made. But some of these are just so old that they are just becoming unavailable. Have a wonderful day, Amanda Wakeman Customer Service ext 317 811 Eisenhower Dr S. P.O. BOX 877 Goshen, IN 46527-0877 Phone: 800-535-6553 or 574-533-0371 Fax: 574-533-0403 Web Site: www.clausing-industrial.com We accept Visa, Mastercard or American Express, or we can ship UPS-COD (within the continental United States only) - please note this is not a secure link. < ------- Re: Parts may become less available from Clausing Posted by: "pflatlyne" pflatlynex~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Nov 14, 2008 2:51 pm ((PST)) "Joe R" wrote: > Just this week I ordered and received 5 different parts for my mid > 1950's (fifty years young) Atlas/Clausing 8525 milling machine and > they had them all?? Things seem ok for now,and of course there are parts that don't seem to have been available for awhile, but if what she said was correct, I read it as they closed the facility that they were using to make the parts and are outsourcing it,and having trouble finding people to do it. If I read that right, then more parts may start becoming unavailable. OF course many of those parts can be made ourselves. ------- Re: Parts may become less available from Clausing Posted by: "Brett Jones" brettx~xx5foot2.com Date: Fri Nov 14, 2008 5:04 pm ((PST)) It was my understanding that all the cast iron parts have not been available for a long time. Brett Jones ------- [Seeking identification of a particular Atlas made lathe] Re: newbie from minne-soda [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "donjsjr" donjsjrx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Nov 16, 2008 12:48 pm ((PST)) > the model is "TH 42" that means what?? th = thread?? 42 = length? > the sears site won't recognize anything i put in ... dddon ------- Re: newbie from minne-soda Posted by: "John Ruge" jrugex~xxmsn.com Date: Sun Nov 16, 2008 1:22 pm ((PST)) You may be able to learn something from this site: http://www.lathes.co.uk/atlas/ At least it tells you what the H & 42 stand for. John ------- Re: newbie from minne-soda Posted by: "Joe R" jromasx~xxcolumbus.rr.com Date: Sun Nov 16, 2008 1:37 pm ((PST)) I just found this on Tony's site http://www.lathes.co.uk/atlas/ that I listed earlier. Model numbers can be used to decode the original specification of a lathe: a "V" suffix indicated a vertical countershaft whist the letter "H" showed a horizontal drive system was used; if these letters were combined with a "T", as in TV-36, this showed taper rollers were used in the headstock. Digits after the letter(s) indicated the length of the bed, but not the capacity between centres; thus, "TV-48" would have been a vertical countershaft machine with taper roller bearings and a 48-inch long bed; the bed lengths of 36", 42", 48" and 54" gave between-centres capacities of: 18", 24", 30" and 36" respectively. After 1947 production costs were cut by simplifying the range: just two bed lengths (42" and 54") were offered, the option of the vertical countershaft was discontinued and (sensibly for this class of machine) roller bearings fitted as standard to the headstock. These lathes were coded TH-42 and TH-54 for changewheel screwcutting and QC-42 and QC-54 when fitted with a quick-change screwcutting gearbox. T= tapered roller bearings H=horizontal drive 42=42" bed length. Joe R. ------- Re: newbie from minne-soda Posted by: "Jon Elson" elsonx~xxpico-systems.com Date: Sun Nov 16, 2008 1:49 pm ((PST)) donjsjr wrote: > the model is "TH 42" that means what?? th = thread?? 42 = length? > the sears site won't recognize anything i put in ... dddon T = Timken tapered roller bearings H means countershaft moves horizontally to tighten the belts 42 is the full length of the bed, in inches. Sears knows this lathe as a 101.xxxxx number. Every change to the lathe, as little as changing a washer from steel to fiber, will get the lathe a new model number, so there are quite a number of model numbers for essentially the same lathe. The standard models are either 42 or 54" bed length (corresponds to 24 and 36" between centers). If it bears a TH42 model number anywhere, then it is NOT a Sears/Craftsman, but an Atlas lathe, sold directly by Atlas Press Co. Jon ------- Quick Change [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "ChrisandJudy" chrisandjudyx~xxcableone.net Date: Sun Dec 7, 2008 2:04 pm ((PST)) Hi, I just got a very late 12 inch C/A cabinet model lathe. This will replace my very old but good 12 inch change gear lathe. The label on the quick change says slide gear in for the very coarsest threads and out for all of the rest. My question is, what is the slide gear? Thanks Chris ------- Re: Quick Change Posted by: "LocoGear" jjohnsonx~xxlocogear.com Date: Sun Dec 7, 2008 4:25 pm ((PST)) Chris, This is described on pages 124-126 of the manual. If you do not have a manual, get in touch with Clausing and order one. They still sell them. Basically the sliding gear is in the gear train and is attached to the harp. This allows the gear to be disengaged from the gear train and moved to either the inside gear or the outside gear that runs the quick change gear box. It is directly under the double gear that is on the shaft that rotates when you change the direction of the lead screw. The Slide Gear will either engage the larger (Inside) or smaller (Outside) gear on that shaft. I have never needed to cut a thread courser than 8tpi, so I have not had to make this change and have just left it in the out position. John D.L. Johnson 3879 Woods Walk Blvd. Lake Worth, FL 33467-2359 www.LocoGear.com ------- Re: Quick Change Posted by: "bill phelps" sweetwaterent2000x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Dec 7, 2008 5:49 pm ((PST)) When you use the sliding gear, you must have the double gear that has a steel washer to keep the sliding gear from moving while the gear train is engaged. ------- WAS Re:Howdy, New 12x36 Member NOW: Lead Screw Bearing [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "John Dugan" duganjx~xxgmail.com Date: Mon Dec 8, 2008 10:48 am ((PST)) Thanks to the group for all the responses. So despite my misunderstanding at the outset, and the breakaway part being a useful feature, there does seem to be some consensus that making it out of zamac and not steel was also a bit of a cost saving measure. So moving forward making your own replacement out of steel, with a bronze bushing and this breakaway feature: www.bellsouthpwp.com/t/h/thib9564/Atlas_Lathe_Leadscrew_Bearings.htm would seem to be a nice upgrade. Then again this could a moot point if my leadscrew is driven by a ~110 oz-in stepper motor that would stall at the first sign of trouble. John ------- NOTE TO FILE: Make sure you visit the above site. Besides having a plan to make a much safer break-away leadscrew right bearing, the home page's Atlas section has many more fixes and tips for Atlas lathes. ------- Re: Atlas- Manual of Lathe Operation [atlas_cratsman] Posted by: "anthrhodesx~xxaol.com" Date: Mon Dec 29, 2008 10:59 pm ((PST)) In a message dated Mon Dec 29, 2008 conv73ford writes: > I'm pretty sure my lathe was made around 1964. It is a 12 x 36, I was looking for info on basic lathe operation for example: lathe setup, taper attachments, lathe components. < Matt: Sounds like the latest edition would be a perfect fit. Get one from Clausing, it won't be dog eared or have odd notes in the margin and it will encourage Clausing to continue to service these out of production machines. It also won't support copyright pirates. On a completely different subject, here's a throw away that I mentioned in a message on gears for the 6" lathe but it also applies to the larger ones. Most makes of lathes have a changeable stud gear, but the Atlas built lathes have a dual gear limiting your options to 32 or 16 teeth. Ah, but not so! It turns out that you can remove the dual gear, slide a change gear bushing in its place, then install a 32 to mesh with the tumbler gears and any other change gear in the "front" position. This ability allows greater variation in change gear setups. If you're only interested in what the manual or the gear charts and tables say ignore this, but if you're interested in maximizing your gear train options this is a useful trick to know about. Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Oil Cup Removal [atlas_cratsman] Posted by: "mccracken67" dsburix~xxhotmail.com Date: Thu Jan 8, 2009 10:40 am ((PST)) Has anyone ever removed the oil cups located above the timken bearings? I tried twisting a little bit with a pliers and a rag but don't want to damage them. I am restoring my Craftsman lathe and want to give it the nicest paint job I can. I just bought it this summer and have no experience turning metal at all but have always wanted to get into it. I figured that the best way to learn my lathe was to start by tearing it down. ------- Re: Oil Cup Removal Posted by: "Brett Jones" brettx~xx5foot2.com Date: Thu Jan 8, 2009 1:01 pm ((PST)) If you want the cups out only for paint, I'd recommend taping them up and using a razor to create a clean paint line. I once removed a pair out of a 12" craftsman headstock that was damaged. I used heat to expand the casting, unsuccessfully. I also tried various methods of pulling them out (without crushing the cups), all failing. In the end I used a cut off wheel to split the casting at the cups. If you need to replace the cups, McMaster Carr sells new cups that will fit. Brett Jones ------- Re: Oil Cup Removal Posted by: "bill phelps" sweetwaterent2000x~xxyahoo.com Date: Thu Jan 8, 2009 5:57 pm ((PST)) I made a small set of wedges and used them the same as you would remove a chuck from a taper. It worked very good and did not damage them; the wedges go in from both sides and oppose each other and you tap them very gently. ------- Re: Oil Cup Removal Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org Date: Thu Jan 8, 2009 6:44 pm ((PST)) Maybe turn a small rod with a lip on the end the same diameter as the inside. Then center drill. Drill most of the way through bigger and then tap. Cut a slot in the end. The screw would the force the end bigger. If you can't get a lip, then knurl the tool. Or do the same for clamping on the outside. A bar drilled almost all the way through to leave a lip. Then cut in half lengthwise and use a bolt to clamp together. Either would give you something you can grab on to. The wedge idea might work too. Scott G. Henion Stone Mountain, GA Consultant SHDesigns http://www.shdesigns.org ------- Re: Oil Cup Removal Posted by: "jmartin957x~xxaol.com" Date: Thu Jan 8, 2009 7:41 pm ((PST)) > Or do the same for clamping on the outside. A bar drilled Not a bad idea - sort of like the broken cartridge case removal tool used with, say, the M1. Fingers compress when inserted, but the central rod is wedge-shaped and expands them when you try to withdraw the tool. My guess, though, is that if he taps gently on each side of the Gits fitting using a soft drift it will loosen enough to be removed. New Gits oilers in the standard sizes are available from most bearing suppliers or by mail. John Martin ------- Re: Oil Cup Removal Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org Date: Thu Jan 8, 2009 7:46 pm ((PST)) And also from Clausing or Sears. HomeShopsupply has some also for the smaller lathes. With them so available, it might be worthwhile to order replacements and then you have more options as you don't really care about saving the old ones. ------- Re: Oil Cup Removal Posted by: "Jon Elson" elsonx~xxpico-systems.com Date: Thu Jan 8, 2009 6:59 pm ((PST)) The tools for crimping electrical crimp connectors are often quite good for this type job. Jon ------- Re: Oil Cup Removal Posted by: "Michael Fagan" woodworker88x~xxgmail.com Date: Thu Jan 8, 2009 7:09 pm ((PST)) Mine was already crushed, so I pulled it out with a pair of pliers and drove in a new one with a soft-faced hammer. If you are just painting, I'd leave them in place to keep debris out of the bearings. ------- Re: Oil Cup Removal Posted by: "mf205i" mf205ix~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Jan 9, 2009 12:20 am ((PST)) Put the solid end of a close fitting drill bit down the center to protect them from crushing and then grab them low and lever them out with a pair of dykes side cutters -- wire cutters. Mike ------- Re: Oil Cup Removal Posted by: "mccracken67" dsburix~xxhotmail.com Date: Fri Jan 9, 2009 8:39 am ((PST)) Thanks Mike, I used the drill bit/side cutter method and it worked great. I did use a pliers to loosen the cups by twisting them side-to-side first. I took all four cups out and didn't damage any of them! Thanks for the advice everyone. Darin ------- Gib [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "southern_chinook" southern_chinookx~xxyahoo.ca Date: Wed Feb 18, 2009 3:04 pm ((PST)) I just received some repair parts from Clausing for my newly aquired Atlas 618 and was surprised to find that the Gib I ordered came in plastic. I had one that I figured was bent and needed to be replaced... any problems with having just one plastic. Pros & cons, comments? (Man are parts ever expensive from Clausing, especially when you have been given only Canadian money to play with!) Don ------- Re: Gib Posted by: "James Walther" indianfourriderx~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Feb 18, 2009 3:13 pm ((PST)) The gib on the cross slide on my c.1979 Atlas 12x36 is plastic. When I joined this august group over a year ago I asked the same question. The only time I have had any problems that I might be able to attribute to/blame on the plastic gib has been when milling with a home-made attachment that puts a lot of extra stress on the cross slide. Jim ------- Re: Gib Posted by: "mondosmetals" jwreyx~xxusa.net Date: Wed Feb 18, 2009 3:37 pm ((PST)) Pros: Less wear on the dovetailed slides costs less to manufacture (and purchase) Cons: Distorts and cracks more easily under stress leading to greater inaccuracies. Wears faster than hardened steel gib. Why not make your own from steel? Enco (www.use-enco.com) has hardened ground steel bar stock, 1/8 x 1/2 in 18" lengths for about $5. You can make two or three, perhaps as many as four gibs from one length. You can cut it to length with a hack saw, put a milling cutter in the three-jaw chuck and use a milling attachment or even a small tilting table and small milling vise clamped to the cross slide to bevel the edges while cutting it to the required width, then put in the adjusting screw divots, dress the edges with a file and a honing stone, and voila! Instant new gibs! Just clean thoroughly then oil upon installation. I am surprised at how many people buy parts for a machine that is perfectly capable of making most of it's own replacement parts - if the owner makes note of what is wearing and makes the replacements before the machine becomes crippled. raymond ------- Re: Gib Posted by: "jmartin957x~xxaol.com" Date: Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:21 pm ((PST)) > Really? Hardened steel for the gibs? I'd never thought about it > before, but it seems unhardened would be better to avoid additional > wear to the slide (not to mentioned that the machining of the gib > would be easier). There is some confusion regarding "hardened" vs. "hardening", I think. The ground flat stock that Enco and others sell is almost invariably sold soft. It is tool steel that contains enough carbon that it may be hardened - thus the designations oil hardening, water hardening or air hardening. They do also carry a low carbon ground flat stock which would require carburizing or nitriding to harden. I'm not so sure that hard gibs would be a bad thing, though. If highly polished, they shouldn't wear the mating cast iron surfaces much. The last thing you would want would be a very soft gib, as it would allow dirt and other grit to embed itself in the gib surface - turning it into a lap. John Martin ------- Re: Gib Posted by: "LocoGear" jjohnsonx~xxlocogear.com Date: Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:25 pm ((PST)) Don, I made a new set of gibs out of brass. Much easier to machine than steel. The improvement was quite striking over the original plastic gibs. I have a 12x36 Craftsman. John D.L. Johnson 3879 Woods Walk Blvd. Lake Worth, FL 33467-2359 www.LocoGear.com [and in a later message] I could feel the difference hand feeding the cross slide while cutting with less chatter and a smother finish. A more solid feel to the cutting. I could take larger cuts after the brass gibs were put in as opposed to the original plastic ones. By that I mean going from say a .010" cut to a .020" or .025" cut. I have also used my milling attachment and could see a big difference in milling. Things seemed to be much more rigid. Cutting just sounded better. I would equate the difference as about the same order of magnitude as when I upgraded from the old lantern tool post to a quick change tool post. I did this about ten years ago to the cross slide and compound and have not had to adjust the gibs much over the years. They seem to hold up well without much wear. I use lots of way oil. ------- Re: Gib Posted by: "Russ Kepler" russx~xxkepler-eng.com Date: Thu Feb 19, 2009 6:39 am ((PST)) On Thursday 19 February 2009 LocoGear wrote: > As I understand it, the originals were plastic on all Atlas and Craftsman lathes. I would say that both steel and brass would give equally better results than plastic. < Nope, the originals look like cold rolled steel. When I made a new one I splurged and made it from low carbon gage plate. I think the gib needs more stiffness than a plastic will provide to 'spread out' the pressure from the gib screws. If it's not stiff enough you'll basically have a point contact in 4 places on the gib instead of contact the length of the gib. (Yes, I know that steel is really silly putty in disguise and will end up with some of the aspects of the 4 point contact, but they will be much wider than the plastic gib). ------- Re: Gib Posted by: "Russ Kepler" russx~xxkepler-eng.com Date: Thu Feb 19, 2009 7:54 am ((PST)) On 19 February Jim Ash wrote: > Isn't there some kind of rule that says you shouldn't use the same two metals for bearing surfaces or it will gall? I don't know if steel and cast iron are close enough to be considered the same for these purposes. I'd be inclined to go with brass. < In some cases you can get galling, particularly stainless steel on stainless steel. But cast iron on itself is very nice, pretty much anything on cast iron is pretty good. If you really want to have some fun aluminum bronze would make a nice gib, the only real problem would be in finding some the right size and flat enough to make a consistent contact. That's why I went with ground flat low carbon stock, it was to diimension and very straight. ------- Re: Bull Gear Index Pin [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "mondosmetals" jwreyx~xxusa.net Date: Sun Mar 1, 2009 6:53 pm ((PST)) John wrote: > > I don't think the pin which allows me to index the spindle is working the way it's supposed to. There are 60 indexing holes on the bull gear of my 12X36 Atlas QCG lathe I think the number of my lathe is 1014470. I'm guessing without getting my lazy butt out of my chair and going to look. I can't move the pin into any of those holes. The pin is there but it seems to be stuck or something. I'm wondering if the pin is spring activated or does it just push in an out of the holes without any spring action. Scott Henion wrote: > Mine is real tight. I think there is a spring + ball that pushes up from the bottom. Put some penetrating oil in the hole above the pin and turn it with pliers. It should work loose. As said by others, it is a _locating_ pin not a locking pin. Just used to locate the spindle. To lock the spindle, use the back gear. Right: There is a small coil spring topped with a steel ball in the bottom of the vertical hole under the index pin. There are no detents on the pin unless some owner has taken the pin out and cut a lateral groove. The purpose of the spring loaded ball is to provide resistance so the index pin doesn't slide into the bull gear solely from operational vibration. A tapered pin passes through the index pin perpendicular to its axis on the bull gear side of the headstock casting to provide raised bumps so the index pin can't be pulled completely out by accident. If the index pin is real tight then it probably needs cleaning and oil. But being tight isn't necessarily a bad thing: It can't vibrate into the bull gear while the lathe is running and destroy the bull gear index holes while beating itself up in the process. (Mostly destroy the index holes in the bull gear.) If it is real loose then the sping is either rusted to dust or loaded with varnish from many years of use of improper oil, or filled with grinding swarf so fine it gets into places you didn't know existed. If you were to service this mechanism you first find which end of the tapered pin is the larger, then rotate the index pin so this is at the bottom. Now tap the tapered pin out using a very small drift and a light hammer. While covering both the hole on the bull wheel side of the casting and the vertical hole above the index pin, pull the index pin out. Watch that the steel ball doesn't roll out and disappear under the bench! Using a crooked mechanic's pick fish out first the ball then the spring. Clean the parts you just removed - pipe cleaners are handy for cleaning the spring hole. Putting this all back together isn't any more difficult. A tiny drop of sewing machine oil in the spring hole first will keep the spring and the ball lubricated for another generation. Drop the spring down the hole, perhaps using a wooden dowel or the mechanic's pick to guide it home. Cover the index pin hole on the bull gear side of the casting then roll the ball in from the other end and use the pick to nudge it into position on top of the spring. Slide the index pin in as far as the ball then use a small wooden dowel or small drift inserted from the top to gently push the ball down while continuing to slide in the index pin over the ball. Once the end of the index pin catches over the ball you can withdraw the dowel or drift and push the index pin home. Rotate the pin until you see the larger end of the through hole on top. Install the tapered pin assuring it appears at both ends of its hole and you are done. The entire process can be done faster than it took me to type this up. Enjoy! raymond ------- Re: 618 cross slide nut [atlas618lathe] Posted by: "Jim" mosher-racingx~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Fri Mar 13, 2009 4:23 pm ((PDT)) "Jim" wrote: > > Where can I purchase a cross slide nut for my 618... Thanks "azbruno" wrote: > Two sources I know of... > 1. Clausing 800-535-6553 > I think they are about $25 plus shipping there. > 2. There's a guy selling on eBay who makes them. The item number is 290301189414, his ID is tross96586. I've never bought from him, but haven't heard anything bad. Bruno < Thanks for the info. Jim ------- Re: 618 cross slide nut Posted by: "stinson108_1" stinson108_1x~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Mar 13, 2009 8:11 pm ((PDT)) Hi all, I have purchased the nut made by tross96586. He seems like a nice enough guy to deal with again. So far I'm happy with it as it significantly tightened up the lash in my cross-slide. As a caveat, I had to finish machine the nut to fit my cross- slide because the post (for lack of the proper name) on the nut was too large to fit up into the cross-slide. It wasn't plug-and-play but it wasn't all that hard to put it in the 4-jaw, dial it in and shrink it :) I would buy it again if I needed it -- it's cheaper than the ACME tap so for me it was a no brainer. Ian ------- 618 Gears (Was Re: Value of Atlas change gear set) [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "anthrhodesx~xxaol.com" Date: Fri Mar 20, 2009 10:47 pm ((PDT)) In a message dated Wed Mar 18, 2009, Donald Pittman writes: > I sure wish I could come across a reasonable(good deal) like that for > my 618...I didn't get a single change gear with my aquisition. When I picked up a Craftsman 101.07301 in the early '90s it came with only a few gears, don't remember which ones just now but probably for a moderately fine feed. This was before I had web access and eBay access so my basic approach was to acquire the necessary gears from Clausing and Sears. Firstly I determined what a standard complete set of gears included and which ones I would need to fill out the set. Then I did some personal analysis. I decided that it was important to be able to cut the pitch of the spindle threads for chuck mounting, which on my lathe was 8 TPI, so filling out those requirements was my number one priority. Secondly I felt that fine feeds were a high priority so the gears for those pitches were my next priority. At some point this reduced the number of gears to fill out the set to a small enough count that I bought the remaining missing gears. Since that time I've added several duplications to add flexibility. In actually purchasing the gears I got a price list from Clausing, and went to Sears' parts department and checked gear availability and prices. With that information I literally purchased the gears in which I was interested at the moment from the less expensive of the two sources for each individual gear. Now, with the Internet and other facilities, there are many more sources available to you. You don't have to buy all the gears at once; set some priorities. For my 8 TPI the chart specifies two 32s, two 64s, a steel spacer and you need an extra spacer or gear to fill out the leadscrew. If your 618 has a 10 TPI spindle thread and you want to follow the same principle, the chart specifies one 32, one 40, two 64s and a steel spacer, and again you'll need either another spacer or gear to fill out the leadscrew. Any other thoughts on your priorities I'll leave to you and allow you to make up your own "needs" list. By the way, I find it a little hard to believe that you had zero change gears. Usually you would find one or two on the leadscrew and you might have one or two on the banjo. As reference, the complete standard gear train for any auto-feed on an Atlas-built 6" lathe is: Spindle gear Tumbler plate Forward and reverse tumbler gears 16-32 gear at center of tumbler plate Banjo complete with mounting bolt Gears 20, 24, 32, 32, 36, 40, 44, 46, 48, 52, 54, 56, 64, 64 Two change gear stud assemblies Two steel spacers (I think) It's worth having one or two extra change gear stud assemblies and one or two extra steel spacers plus any additional gears. A 38 would allow cutting 19 TPI exactly. A 50 would allow setting a gear train to use the lathe to index 100 lines to create micrometer dials, and so on. Hope this is helpful. Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Re: acme 3/4-10 Left Hand thread want to borrow [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Jon Elson" elsonx~xxpico-systems.com Date: Wed Mar 25, 2009 11:56 am ((PDT)) ted wrote: > I need to make a cross slide nut its acme 3/4-10 Left Hand thread id like to borrow a tap. will be happy to pay shipping both ways and even some rent on tap if need be. just cant see having to pay 190.00 for a one use item. < I made a replacement Atlas cross-slide nut, which is maybe 1/2" major diameter, IIRC. That was just a bit tricky. You should be able to cut a 3/4" Acme nut pretty easily on the lathe. (You DO have an Atlas lathe, or why would you be here?) It should take about half an hour to make up an Acme threading tool if this is your first time, and half an hour to cut the thread. When you get close, you test the fit of the leadscrew in the nut until it is just right! Jon ------- Re: acme 3/4-10 Left Hand thread want to borrow Posted by: "Darren Dean" we4212x~xxgmail.com Date: Wed Mar 25, 2009 12:05 pm ((PDT)) Make one? You are using a threaded bar, do you have some spare? Make a tap out of it; it only has to cut leaded bronze and only once at that. ------- Re: DP of the Craftsman gears [atlas618lathe group] Posted by: "anthrhodesx~xxaol.com" Date: Tue Apr 21, 2009 8:09 pm ((PDT)) On 4/20/2009, Antonio Majer writes: > I have just start studying the way the gears are classified, and I'm trying now to recognize the change gears of my Craftsman 12'' lathe. If I'm not wrong they are 24DP, are they? What's their pressure angle? In general is there a way to measure it? < Antonio: If you have an Atlas or Craftsman 101 model 12" lathe the gears are 16 DP, 14-1/2 degree pressure angle. If you have a 6" the numbers are 24 DP, 14-1/2 degree pressure angle. Regarding pressure angle, there are gear gauges, just as there are thread gauges, or you could use a gear cutter of the appropriate type as a substitute gear gauge. Otherwise, if you're not familiar with the differences it's not easy to identify which you have. Aside from the basic question, all Atlas manufactured gears are 14-1/2 degree pressure angle. Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- closing business [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Earl Bower" earl.bower1x~xxverizon.net Date: Sat May 30, 2009 6:37 am ((PDT)) Just want to let you all know that at the end of this year I will be closing the business. I will be doing what I have stock and castings for in the shop and will be posting them to the web site until October 29th of this year (when the web site is due to renew). I will post a quick email when items are ready. I will not take any orders for the next two or three months for the cross slides or faceplates, from MLA. I will post when I decide to machine them again or not. It is time for me to retire and do machining for myself. I am starting a personal web site and will post it when it is up and running. I would like to thank all my customers in the group for their business. Earl Bower www.bowermachineandtool.com ------- Re: 618 CrossFeed Handle [atlas618lathe] Posted by: "Mike" oldtoolx~xxfvi.net Date: Tue Jun 9, 2009 6:38 am ((PDT)) > I was wondering, if anyone knows where to obtain a cross feed handle > for a 618? Make one. The most basic is a piece of flat stock for the body with turned handles screwed to the ends. Mike ------- Re: 618 CrossFeed Handle Posted by: "chiphead42" MooseBakerx~xxwebtv.net Date: Tue Jun 9, 2009 6:04 pm ((PDT)) I used one for a mini lathe (grizzly or enco), had to cut key with a saw blade. It's right size, works good. You may also need to shorten the key. chiphead42 ------- Re: 618 CrossFeed Handle Posted by: "Hank" n1ltvx~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Jun 10, 2009 9:28 am ((PDT)) It's a pretty nice little project to make one, even if it's just temporary until you find a factory made one. Hank ------- cross-feed handle [atlas618lathe] Posted by: "John Bump" johnbumpx~xxgmail.com Date: Wed Jun 10, 2009 7:35 am ((PDT)) I just made one -- my second -- for my Atlas. The first was a piece of 1/8" flat stock with holes drilled through and a keyway cut with a saw; the handle thickness was roughly 1/3 of the key length so I had to make a bushing that sits beside the handle, with a keyway cut in it. The second one that I just finished, I cut a conventional ballcrank-design handle out of steel, about 2mm thinner than the length of the original woodruff key, and am substituting a new key that fits it correctly. The keys on both the cross and compound are really long, much longer than I think they need to be. ------- cross-slide crank handle pictures [atlas618lathe] Posted by: "smellsofbikes" johnbumpx~xxgmail.com Date: Thu Jun 11, 2009 5:33 pm ((PDT)) I don't quite understand how to use yahoo groups folders. I also prefer flickr because I can put extensive commentary on the photos (and even have comments linked into the photos so they'll pop up when you point at a relevant part of the picture, though that's a pain to link to.) I read this newsgroup via email, text-only, so I'm just including locations, not inline URL's (because they're enormously long and spammy.) So my lathe arrived with a broken-off cross-slide handle. I built this first: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3643/3618316812_b13f769e8a_b.jpg It's a piece of 1/4" thick, 3/4" wide CRS with holes drilled on 1" centers. That's the wrong dimension, but I didn't have one to start with so I just guessed. It should be just about 3/4" between centers. I drilled the larger hole 5/16" and cut in a slot with a jeweler's saw for the woodruff key; I drilled the smaller to 3/8" and pressed in a couple of bearings I had, and used a machine screw as a handle. Since the woodruff key is more than twice as thick as this bit of metal, I made a shim by slotting a 3/8" nut and drilling out the threads to 5/16". It worked for long enough. I used *that* to make a ballcrank. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3402/3618316814_5d40a7c40d_b.jpg Sorry it's fuzzy. Lathe-cut between centers from a piece of 3/4" scrap. I'd intended to cut actual spheres but the radius cutter I designed and made, made me realize that designing and fabricating a good radius cutter is trickier than I thought. So this is just eyeballed. If you do this, cross-drill first, because it's hard to get everything lined up well on a doubly convex surface. The 6-32 screw screws into the tapped hole in the bellcrank; the brass is drilled and tapped internally, and turned externally to the diameter of a #1 drillbit. The steel knob (incomplete) is drilled internally to a #1 drillbit with the last 5mm drilled to 1/4", for the screw head to capture. It works pretty well. It was very difficult to cut something this thick with a jeweler's saw. Use something bigger than #4, use beeswax to keep from binding, and don't try to cut the 90 degree angles at the bottom in one go. Clean up with a tiny file. Assembled: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3356/3618316824_e7c1c3b649_b.jpg ------- Re: QCTP Question [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Jon Elson" elsonx~xxpico-systems.com Date: Thu Aug 6, 2009 7:11 pm ((PDT)) James Rice wrote: > Jon, what model is your Atlas 12"? Mine is a 101-07403 Craftsman from about 1947 and the tool post has no hump on it. Mine is flat across the top with an almost 1" drop down to the back of the compound. My 6" has a hump at the back of the t-slot as you describe. There seem to be a lot of variations on Atlas-Craftsman lathes over the years. < I no longer have the Craftsman lathe. I think it was a 101.28910, 12x36 with QC. I have moved up to a 15" Sheldon R15-6 toolroom lathe. It is very advanced, weighs about 3500 Lbs., has an 80-speed QC box and a DRO. It also has a 2.25" spindle through hole and a D1-6 spindle mount (camlock). It is a totally different sort of machine from an Atlas, no sign of vibration or chatter, EVER, even on insanely difficult cuts that would shatter the bed of an Atlas. The later 12" lathes never had the "hump". It was only on the 10" and very early 12" that were really just 10"-ers with a taller head and tailstock. As for variation in Craftsman part #s, they assigned 4 new part numbers if Atlas changed a washer somewhere in the lathe from metal to fiber, or any other minute change. It took 4 numbers as there was with & without QC, and 24 and 36" between centers. Also, maybe some more. ------- hi and a question [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "juan_chicoy" juan_chicoyx~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Sep 25, 2009 9:32 am ((PDT)) hello juan here, i have been a guitarmaker/repair person for about 30 years and live in central coast california. share shop space with a harp builder, he uses my lathe and i use his mill. it is a craftsman atlas lathe from the late 40s, has a 36" bed, lots of tooling and is in real clean shape. i paid $300 for it about 15 years ago. don't use it much but real handy to have when you need it. the tailstock has a centering arbor with a ballbearing type cone in the middle of it to hold one end of the work (i know this is not the right term) the bearing is worn and the shield has come off of it. how does one replace the bearing? they have the bearing at the local bearing house. i have looked on the search function here but can't find it. i don't have a digital camera and admit to being computer challenged. thank you, juan ------- Re: hi and a question Posted by: "Michael Fagan" woodworker88x~xxgmail.com Date: Fri Sep 25, 2009 9:44 am ((PDT)) You're looking to replace the bearing on a ball bearing live center. Not all centers have replaceable bearings, but if yours does, it usually involves a cap which is threaded down into back of the bearing seat. On mine it requires a pin spanner to remove (identifiable by two blind holes on the centerline). It sounds like you might be better off just buying a new live center -- nice ones can be had for less than 30 dollars. ------- Introduction and a couple of questions [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "dwaynekleck" dwaynekleckx~xxyahoo.com Date: Thu Oct 8, 2009 7:14 am ((PDT)) Hi, my name is Dwayne and I am a new member to the group. I am 61 years old, retired from the US Navy, and am still working as a mechanic in a power plant in southern California. I bought a Craftsman lathe about a year ago. The old gentleman who owned it was having health problems and wanted to get rid of his toys so his wife didn't have to deal with it. It is a Model 101-07403/2077 (12 X 30). It came with a quick change, 3 and 4 jaw chucks, face plate and a Jacob's chuck. It is in good shape only it was really dirty when I got it. It still has the Craftsman motor on it. I bought a lot of tool bits etc from a local machinery salvage business and a milling attachment from E-bay. I joined the group to try and pick up some pointers and hopefully learn more about using my unit. I have built a sheet metal brake, slip roller and am currently working on a bead roller. Up next is an English wheel. All of this is in support of my 1920 model T roadster project. Here are my first two questions. What size dead center do I need for the head stock? I see there are long and short Morse tapers in the table. My Jacob's chuck and live center for the tail stock are clearly marked #2. Question 2 has anyone rented movies from http://smartflix.com/ ? If so how was the experience and did you find some great and some not so great? And a little side story. When I went to look at the lathe when the old guy rolled up the garage door there set an original not restored 1928 Chrysler roadster that his uncle bought in 1930. He ask me if I wanted to buy it but one old car at a time is enough. Besides my wife knows how a gun works. Thanks Dwayne ------- Re: Introduction and a couple of questions Posted by: "William Abernathy" williamx~xxinch.com Date: Thu Oct 8, 2009 8:23 am ((PDT)) #3 MT (short) works fine in the headstock. Get a soft one, so you can recut it as needed. Yes. I've rented a couple of welding videos from them. They deliver promptly, as promised. There was no problem with their service. My only complaint was that I didn't read the fine print on one of their DVDs. Turned out I was watching the first of a 2-part series, and all I saw was the safety checks and setup stuff, and none of the desired white-hot metal-on-metal welding action. I was disappointed, but it's not their fault I'm too dumb to read what's printed there on the screen. Good luck with your T. William ------- Re: Introduction and a couple of questions Posted by: "Michael Fagan" woodworker88x~xxgmail.com Date: Thu Oct 8, 2009 8:35 am ((PDT)) The Atlas 12" machines take a standard #3 in the headstock and #2 in the tailstock. Contrary to William's advice, I would get a hardened center, because if the headstock taper is clean and not burred, there should be no need to recut it, and it will last longer and be easier on the spindle and the work (it can't get dirt embedded in the surface like a soft one). ------- Re: Introduction and a couple of questions Posted by: "William Rutiser" wruyahoo05x~xxcomcast.net Date: Thu Oct 8, 2009 9:13 am ((PDT)) Your lathe has a Morse #3 taper in the headstock and a Morse #2 in the tailstock. It's common to have a #3 to #2 adapter sleeve to hold #2 tapers in the headstock. It's likely that such a sleeve was included with the lathe when it left the factory. Note that making a sleeve and center wouldn't be out of the question and would make an excellent learning experience in taper turning. Use your headstock and tailstock as gauges. Bill ------- Re: Introduction and a couple of questions Posted by: "jmartin957x~xxaol.com" Date: Thu Oct 8, 2009 9:29 am ((PDT)) Contrary to both sets of advice, I'd get a Morse #2 center for the headstock. Plus a Morse #3 to #2 reducing sleeve. Two advantages: the #2 centers are cheaper, and you can use them in the tailstock as well. With the sleeve, you can also use the other tailstock tooling -- such as drill chucks -- in the headstock, and make up any special tailstock tooling you might need. You can use it to clean up your tailstock center, which you will have to do on occasion. You might lose a very small bit of accuracy due to the sleeve, but I wouldn't worry at all about that. As to hardened vs. soft centers, I'd probably go with a soft center for the headstock. You don't get much wear on the live (headstock) center as it turns with the work. About the only time you'll get wear is when cutting tapers with an offset tailstock, which causes the work to rock on the center. Wear is minimal, though. The hardened centers are typically hardened just at the tip -- often, it's a piece of ball bearing steel or carbide inserted into a soft body. For the tailstock, you definitely want a hardened center. John Martin ------- Re: Introduction and a couple of questions Posted by: "JACK SIMS" JACK-BR549x~xxWORLDNET.ATT.NET Date: Thu Oct 8, 2009 10:20 am ((PDT)) One thing about advice, there is never a shortage of it [:-) Jack Sims ------- Re: Seeking Lead screw - Additional Help Asked [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Russ Kepler" russx~xxkepler-eng.com Date: Sat Nov 14, 2009 11:27 am ((PST)) On Saturday 14 November 2009 12:01:37 ErnieA wrote: > I bought 3 - 6ft lengths of 3/4x8TPI Acme from Tacoma Screw (minimum quantity) to make a new lead screw. I don't particularly want to disassemble my lathe to measure the existing screw for the dimensions. Does anyone have the dimensions of the QC54 screw? Mine is a 1969 Atlas undermount cabinet model. I bought the parts catalogue and manual from Clausing only to find the assembly method for setting the clutch and such. No real pictures or statistics of the machine. My lead screw is worn badly for the first 16 inches but it still works well enough to make the new screw. Once made, I want to make two more per order. It will be a fun project once I get started. < The leadscrew is pretty simple - the headstock end basically floats lengthwise with a keyed shaft being driven by the QC output, coupled to the leadscrew through the clutch. The tailstock end holds the leadscrew in position lengthwise with a couple of thrust bearings. If you remove the whole bearing assembly from the tail of the bed and loosen a setscrew on the headstock (or maybe pull the shear pin?) and the leadscrew simply slides out of the apron. Anyway, the leadscrew is 49 5/8" OAL with a 7 1/4" section of unthreaded shaft on the headstock end and a 2" section turned to 1/2 on the tailstock end, threaded 1" of 1/2 fine thread (mine is 36 tpi, I think). There's a 1/4" shear pin 2" from the headstock end, and the tailstock end has a 7/8" diameter 3/16 "washer" so the thrust bearings aren't riding on the end of the thread. > Additionally: Is it better to disassemble the carriage to remove or can it be removed off the end of the bed in complete assembly? I'm guessing the gibs will need to be adjusted anyway and carriage removed in pieces and cleaned properly. But I wanted to do this after the new lead screw is made, then do it all at the same time. < All I'd do with the carriage (as long as everything is working) would be to loosen the gibs and flush with some oil, working the carriage back and forth, then reset things to be "slightly tight" at the tail end of the bed. No real need to take everything off unless there's something specific you want to check or fix. ------- Re: 12" Atlas Master Parts List now in files area [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "n9gtm" jim.n9gtmx~xxgmail.com Date: Sat Nov 21, 2009 7:45 am ((PST)) In atlas_craftsmanx~xxyahoogroups.com, "Daniel Nelson" wrote: > If anyone has 12" Atlas manual pages and can make a .pdf of the > parts list and a decent picture, I'll add to this resource Misc 12" atlas info: http://bridgeport.askmisterscience.com/atlas.htm PDF here: http://bridgeport.askmisterscience.com/Craftsman12Parts.pdf I didn't see a copyright date. Jim ------- Re: 12" Atlas Master Parts List now in files area Posted by: "Daniel Nelson" djnx~xxieee.org Date: Sat Nov 21, 2009 12:11 pm ((PST)) Hi Jim...I'd managed to get the 101.27430 and 101.27440 12" lathes in the original excel file! Let me know if you can't find them there...Thanks. Regards, Daniel J. Nelson ------- Re: 12" Atlas Master Parts List now in files area Posted by: "n9gtm" jim.n9gtmx~xxgmail.com Date: Sun Nov 22, 2009 12:58 am ((PST)) Thanks but I don't need them since I have the smaller 6x18 101.21400. I was just hoping they'd be of use to someone else. It looked like the PDF has more readable pictures of the parts but I didn't look at all the pix you posted so maybe not. I just remember the few Sears parts pix I looked at on their website being kind of hard to read. Of course I still grab this kind of stuff when it shows up just in case an Atlas 12" follows me home someday :-) Jim ------- Re: Fw: Lead Screw [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "catboat15x~xxaol.com" olewilly2000 Date: Tue Dec 1, 2009 12:32 pm ((PST)) As I remember the lead screw on the Atlas has several variations. There were two diameters supplied as sometime during the production it was found a larger diameter lead screw was needed. Two lengths depending on the length of the bed. The the question of length for the models with quick change gear was different than the lathes with loose change gears. The models with the loose change gears had a longer lead screw that went through a bearing on the left end to accept the last gear of whatever gear set was employed, while the lead screw for the QC models was a little shorter and fit into the QC box that was bolted onto the way or head stock. (I think that one also had a slip clutch which prevented damage to the works if you ran the cross slide into the head stock or some other kind of overload or crash. On the lathes with manual change gears the "safety" was the breaking up of the right hand bearing where the lead screw was held. It is fairly common to find a manual change gear Atlas with no bearing or a home built bearing on the right hand end of the lead screw. Then there is the absence or presence of a groove down the lead screw. The groove was not there in some models without a power cross feed. The best way to look for the lead screw that will fit your particular lathe is to get the parts list from Clausing (contact them by telephone) and get the parts list for your particular model which will have the proper part number to search for a replacement lead screw. I think also you can use the Sear's model number to bring up a parts list where you can find information on the lead screw along with a break down drawing of your lathe. Sears (at least the last time I looked) still has some parts for various Atlas model lathes. The last resort would be Ebay where the seller may or may not have a correct part number so if you buy an unknown part be sure to get some kind of arrangement so the "unknown" part does not fit your particular lathe you can return the part for refund or credit. ------- Re: wanted [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "David LeVine" dlevine144x~xxmyfairpoint.net Date: Tue Dec 22, 2009 7:45 pm ((PST)) Randy Bennell wrote: > Have you considered an electronic lead screw instead? > Check out the Yahoo ELS group. Just for information, by the time you get done you have a lathe that threads in BOTH Imperial and Metric, does multiple pass threading without operator interaction, and can save countless amounts of time and frustration (ever forget to withdraw the bit?). This will cost you $200-$300 (depending on how good a scrounger you are), but how much will a FULL set of change gears cost? David G. LeVine Nashua, NH 03060 ------- Cross feed dial [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "catboat15x~xxaol.com" olewilly2000 Date: Sun Dec 27, 2009 8:49 pm ((PST)) When I made a new dial for my six inch atlas I simply used a paper dial. What I did was to print out an enlarged scale on a cad program on the computer. Complete with numbers and long ticks for 100's and a bit shorter for the in-between marks. With a cad program you can do it any way your fancy requires, and then reduce it to the size to wrap around the dial so it fits exactly. I had made a whole new dial, so added a different arrangement than the set screw to hold it in place (a cam inside the dial). I turned the raw dial so my graduated strip fit exactly (zero to 100 touching). Glued it in place and coated the paper with several coats of a good marine spar varnish. I used that dial for many years until in my second most stupid moment of my life I sold that lathe. (If you had met my first wife you would know the first most stupid moment.) The only disadvantage was I lost some ability to retract the cross slide to accept the max diameter work unless I went in on an angle. ------- Re: Selling Craftsman 6" Lathe [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Daniel Nelson" djnx~xxieee.org Date: Mon Mar 15, 2010 5:23 pm ((PDT)) On Mar 15, 2010, at 7:50 PM, c_h_a_r_t_n_y wrote: >> Whether you part it out of sell it whole is your desire. It brings >> much more in parts, but you have to list and ship all those things as >> well as name them. Good luck. -chart- Lance wrote: > I agree with Chart. You'd probably get 2 - 2.5 times the package price for all the parts especially if they are almost new. It would take a day to disassemble and clean the parts. Then take a couple pictures of each. Then find its Atlas part number from the diagram. Then write the eBay ad Then post it on eBay. Box it and pad it very well... cast iron is fragile; take it to the post office and get delivery confirmation; Subtract the eBay fees and the PayPal fees. Ask what is your time and aggravation worth? < I am in the process of parting out a 6" lathe. So far it has taken 282 auctions to sell 138 parts.....I'd guess 28+ hours. Just a data point and a FYI. Dan in Chandler, AZ ------- Re: need a part [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Jon Elson" elsonx~xxpico-systems.com Date: Tue May 11, 2010 9:20 pm ((PDT)) dallashotrodparts wrote: > Well I have been on this group for a while. I actually use my 12x36 on a daily basis. I turn bushings, sleeves etc with a diameter of about 2" so no precision needed. However I have stripped some teeth off the gear that moves the main part left and right. The gear contacts the long strip of teeth along the bottom of the bed. Forgive me if I use the wrong terms. < By "main part" I assume you mean the carriage. The long gear is the carriage rack. > also the gear just behind that handle thats in an aluminum or pewter housing thing is also either broken or something. I know the housing is broken.. < Your carriage gearbox is broken. A common problem, and I think Clausing has run out of that part. They might have the gears, however. There has been a lot of discussion of making new castings for the gearbox-housing part. The housing is Zamak, and may have been a little under-designed, judging from how many people have this problem. Although, on my first Atlas lathe, it used to get loose, and I would tighten the 3 screws that held it on whenever I felt looseness in the carriage handwheel. It may be that continuing to use it with the screws loose put too much stress on one corner of the part, and that's why they break. Jon ------- Re: need a part Posted by: "Michael White" dallashotrodpartsx~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed May 12, 2010 2:57 am ((PDT)) Yes that sounds correct. I'm hoping that someone has something that will help me. I guess I may not be like many in that I use mine every day in a work related capacity. Michael White Dallas Hotrod Parts www.dallashotrodparts.com ------- Re: Gits oliers [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "PeterH" peterh5322x~xxrattlebrain.com Date: Sun May 30, 2010 10:13 pm ((PDT)) On May 30, 2010, at 9:36 PM, Michael Fagan wrote: > I don't know what kind of oiler you were looking at but my 618 uses > these http://www.mcmaster.com/#1232k12/=7bmt3m > They are about 2 bucks each ... The drive-in shoulder Gits oilers have been completely redesigned to use no milled brass parts. And usually no brass, period. Most are now precision formed steel. ------- Re: crossfeed nut [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "David Beierl" dbeierlx~xxattglobal.net Date: Mon Jul 26, 2010 7:33 pm ((PDT)) At 09:13 PM 7/26/2010 Monday, warrengrant wrote: >I would like to know the thread for a 618 cross feed nut. I think >it is the M6-19A. It's 3/8-10 Acme -- .100 advance per turn. Beware -- the specification for Acme threads changed in the ?early '70s? and a new feed screw will not enter into an original nut, nor will a new nut fit an old screw properly (but will thread on, I believe). Also note that when I bought a feed screw from Clausing 10-12 years ago, and subsequently the new nut with it, the finish on the threading of the screw was very rough. I really should have sent it back. 'Tany rate, I now have more backlash (.015 or so) with the new one than with the old -- Ima y put the old one back. As I said, I should have sent it back, it really looked bad. I just didn't have enough confidence in my own judgment at the time. But I hope it was a sample defect, not a general condition. It seems to have worn much smoother -- I no longer see a thick suspension of brass particles in oil every time I oil the screw. Yours, David Beierl -- Providence RI USA Atlas 618 6"/3/index.html" lathe ca. 1941, shiny-new Taig mill. ------- Re: power feed no work [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "David Beierl" dbeierlx~xxattglobal.net Date: Sat Jul 31, 2010 10:05 pm ((PDT)) On Sat, Jul 31, 2010, baker519x~xxatt.net wrote: > Lead screw was fine. Took tailstock off, removed lead screw end bearing, and slid carriage off. Removed half nut assembly. Half nut was damaged (smashed). Looking for half nut assembly. Am checking ebay and Sears parts. The Sears 101 half nut is the same as the 618. Thank you for your assistance. < Buying from Clausing will be (likely a lot) cheaper than from Sears. If you get new M6-12A half nuts from Clausing you will have to also get a new M6-13A guide, as the construction of the nuts was beefed up and won't fit the older guide. Been there, done that. Yours, David Beierl -- Providence RI USA Atlas 618 6"/3/index.html" lathe ca. 1941, shiny-new Taig mill. ------- Re: atlas part [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Raymond" jwreyx~xxusa.net Date: Mon Aug 2, 2010 9:24 pm ((PDT)) "emausmark" wrote: > I need a bolt and nut that goes through the quad bracket through the bushing and attaches one of the gears to the gear assembly. The part number is 9-69a? I think...I have a TH54 and the serial number is 63162. Any ideas where I might get one, or can a stove bolt be used for this going through the bracket and bushing? thanks Mark < These can be found on Ebay frequently as part of a handful of miscellaneous gear parts, typically selling for 10 bucks or so for the handful. But you have a lathe! Use the lathe to make its own replacement parts! You should be able to use a 3/8 carriage bolt. Flatten the top of the head by facing, then reduce the diameter of the head to make it fit the slots in the bracket, or "banjo" as it is often called. The key is the flattened head which should not protrude beyond the backside of the bracket. You don't need power feed to satisfactorily modify the head of a carriage bolt for this! Raymond ------- Split-Nut/Half-Nut+Clausing Contacts [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "L. Garlinghouse" lhghousex~xxsuddenlink.net Date: Sat Sep 11, 2010 5:10 pm ((PDT)) I just replaced the Half-Nut [p/n 10Ff-12] Split-nut on my Atlas 10"F-TH42 from somewhere around late 1940s-early 1950s [I'm guessing] based on the literature from its original owner (and yes I know I can take the seal off one of the Timkens and read the scratched on build date, but I've not done that yet). After 60+ years the split-nut was getting knife edged on the thread crests. Clausing failed to respond to my emails. After some posts in this group it appears they don't read incoming emails. So I faxed Jo Olds at Clausing [FAX: 269 342 7888] with a request for price and availability on the above part and suggested an email response would be just fine. They responded the next day [01 Sept 2010] by email with a price of $31.27 and an availability of 3-5 days from stock. I ordered and the parts arrived as promised. The parts fitted just fine, so there was no problem that I can sense with incompatability [I seem to recall someone's post about a change that required a new bracket of some sort]. The part was heavier than the original so I am guessing the replacement is all aluminum as opposed to Zamak. I never did get any indication that "Jo Olds" exists or is still there. I was quoted by "Roberta Strassner" rstrassnerx~xxclausingsc.com who signed her email as "Robin." I ended up talking to her and she was great. Phone number: 800 535 6553 or 269-345-7155 [ext. 236] [2012 NOTE TO FILE: Clausing subsequently moved back to Michigan and this message's contact info may not be accurate now. See the top of this test file for Clausing's new main contact information.] On a whim, I ordered 2 parts, the 2nd one I put into a container and wired it to the lathe itself. That way whoever ends up with the lathe in another 50-60 years can keep it going into the 22nd Century. I was very impressed at the reasonable price for the split-nut. I was psyching myself up to build a replacement, but at the price I can't even afford to draw one up on the drafting board. So Clausing is alive and well and for some reason tolerant of us nuts messing around with machines that their lawyers probably wish weren't still around. Later, L.H. Garlinghouse Arkansas USA ------- NOTE TO FILE: Ron Thibault has a very useful site for Atlas owners and has lots of hints on restoring lathes. When folks need a new spindle for their Atlas lathe, there are two different spindles depending on whether the lathe's bearings are roller or sleeve type. Ron has an easy modification to use a roller-bearing-type spindle on a sleeve-bearing-type lathe, and the reverse situation. Very neat. http://bellsouthpwp.net/t/h/thib9564/Atlas_Lathe_Spindle_Compare.htm ------- New top compound slide for the 10F [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "mertnedp" pdentremx~xxforterie.com Date: Fri Mar 4, 2011 5:42 pm ((PST)) Just a note that I posted final pictures of the new compound slide installed on the lathe with a new larger easy to read dial. The pictures are with the rest in the album called "Replacement Compound Slide" I have not a clue why the Atlas have such tiny dials! There is lots of space for larger readable dials. ------- Re: That Dinky Compound Rest Dial [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "n2irz" baysale976x~xxoptimum.net Date: Sat Dec 10, 2011 7:28 am ((PST)) "xlpilot" wrote: > What I want is just a little better readout on the compound linear > dial. The present one is so small in diameter, and the numbers are > not etched that deeply. Agreed, the dial leaves a little to be desired. There are several possible solutions, depending on your desire, time and vision. Simplest is a magnifier of some type, even a hand-held one. Next, the marks can be enhanced using something to get into the etched grooves and make them stand out a little more -- something like magic marker, with the excess rubbed off with a cloth. You can try re-etching the grooves deeper (which makes the enhancing process even better). Or, for the really motivated, you can make a new one yourself. Turn a new collar on the lathe, and use a gear to index new markings. A 50-tooth gear on eBay might be $10. You might also be able to buy a marked collar and bore it out to fit. I used the magic marker with careful buffing for mine. ------- NOTE TO FILE: At this point in the conversation someone suggests looking in the archives for an earlier discussion about making existing dials more visible, or making new dials that are more visible. Actually that earlier conversation can be read here in the file "Indicating and Measuring" with subject "Re: Replacement precision dials/guages? [atlas_craftsman]" starting Wed Jan 5, 2011. ------- Re: That Dinky Compound Rest Dial Posted by: "Jim B" btdtrfx~xxverizon.net Date: Sat Dec 10, 2011 9:15 pm ((PST)) The 1" dial on the Atlas 10" compound is almost HUGE compared to the 0.710 dial on my 9" Workshop Model 405. Having said that I could not see the gradations either. I up-graded both the compound and the cross feed to 1-3/4" using a shop made dial and a standard SB dial and installing roller/ball thrust bearings http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f334/eeengineer1/finished-cross-com pound-9V.jpg?t=1255496071 The compound dial was shop made. The cross feed is a SB 'direct reading', 200 division dial. I turned the dial on a lathe, the gradations were cut on a horizontal mill using a 0.010 thick saw blade. (Could have been scribed on the lathe.) The numerals were stamped, on the lathe using a shop made stamp holder and Enco stamps. Now for the Atlas, Little Machine shop sells a nice 100 division dial for only about $10 that could be modified to fit. Unfortunately they are out of stock until March or I would be putting it on the Atlas compound I am working on. Jim B. ------- Re: That Dinky Compound Rest Dial Posted by: "pdentremx~xxforterie.com" Date: Sun Dec 11, 2011 9:05 am ((PST)) The pictures are still on the website shown in message 66815, also I made a new top slide and posted more pictures and new dial on hobby-machinist.com The topic is called "Replacement compound slide for Atlas 10". It is found in the Machinery area about 3 or 4 pages in. Pierre ------- Re: That Dinky Compound Rest Dial Posted by: "Jim B" btdtrfx~xxverizon.net Date: Fri Dec 23, 2011 8:15 pm ((PST)) I remembered this post from a few weeks ago. Are the members aware that a large dial kit is available here? http://shop.tallgrasstools.com/main.sc Jim B. ------- Re: half nuts [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "wa5cabx~xxcs.com" Date: Fri Jan 13, 2012 5:03 pm ((PST)) FWIW, Clausing still has original half-nuts in stock. I bought a pair today. Along with a lower countershaft and bushings. I didn't write the prices down, just the total, but I think the pair of half nuts were $31 and change. The two studs don't come with them and are $1 each. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) ------- Re: half nuts Posted by: "wa5cabx~xxcs.com" Date: Fri Jan 13, 2012 8:07 pm ((PST)) 01/13/2012 sleykinx~xxcharter.net writes: > That's worth the whole show !! The day will come when they won't have anything left. Or will have gone out of business or been bought by someone who made them scrap all of their old inventory. I think most old lathe owners tend to assume the same thing that I did. The lathe was made in 19xx. The company that made it isn't even doing business under the same name. Just about everything else any of us own, after from 1 to 10 years the company that made it won't even know what we're talking about if we call them for parts. Or are long out of business. Had it not been for another list member, I never would have bothered to try to call Clausing. And as someone else since has reported, they didn't hang up on me when I told them what ancient piece of equipment I was calling about. They didn't still have everything I called about that first time. But they did have about 75% of it, and had 100% of the actual repair parts. What they didn't have were two accessory sets. One item that they did have, the milling cutter holder and drawbar set, was cheaper than what I paid for an aftermarket one on eBay (that I don't like). Same thing today. Two parts I wanted (they weren't for the lathe but for an accessory) they no longer had. The rest they did. Anyway, for the time being at least, if you need a part, call them. If they don't have it, then start looking or making. Two other thoughts WRT Clausing. I got the impression that they may still have some parts made if they sell out. So buying from them might ensure a continuing supply. And they seem to have ready access to at least some drawings of parts they no longer carry. My example is a gear. The 900B, 6630 and maybe 6692 collet closers require installing a modified spindle gear. They no longer have parts for the closers, but in less than a minute this afternoon, Ms Olds looked up and gave me the modification information (dimensions). I'm sure it didn't hurt that I had just bought some parts, was already in their customer database from having previously bought parts, and first asked whether they had the gear in stock. :-) Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) ------- Craftsman 101.07380 Change Gears [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "John" jemiiix~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:26 pm ((PST)) I have a Craftsman 101.07380 12 inch metal lathe built around 1937. It only came with a few change gears - two of which have 96 teeth each. Over the years I have picked up enough of the missing gears to complete the set but I noticed that most of the acquired gears have a hub that is wider than the hubs on the gears that came with the lathe. The acquired gear hubs project beyond the width of the gear edge presumably to provide side clearance. The gears that came with the lathe have hubs that are flush with the gear edges. When the two types are combined there is a little bit of trouble lining some of the gears up. I have solved the problem by tuning down the hubs of the acquired gears flush with the gear edges. My lathe also has a two slot or two prong banjo and a different threading chart than that shown in the 1937 Craftsman/ Atlas manual which shows a 3 prong set up and no 96 tooth gear arrangements. Just wanted to know if anyone else run into this and if it is standard for this model of lathe? Thanks John ------- Re: Craftsman 101.07380 Change Gears Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org Date: Sat Jan 14, 2012 7:40 pm ((PST)) Clausing had a note about the newer gears needing to be faced when used with the older lathes. I was going to point to the atlas-press.com service bulletins but seems all the files have been deleted. Here's a archive.org link: ://www.atlas-pre ss.com/tb_chgrmod.htm And the main bulletin page: ://www.atlas-pre ss.com/servicebulletins.htm Scott G. Henion Craftsman 12x36 lathe: http://shdesigns.org/Craftsman12x36 ------- NOTE TO FILE: If these links disappear too, some of us have copies of the bulletins and can email them. But we also may not be around forever. The loss of the original site is typical of many good websites that for any number of reasons disappear. So when you find good stuff on the web, make it a habit of bookmarking the less important stuff, but saving a copy of the really valuable (to you) stuff on your home computer. And remember to make a backup copy in a safe place not on your computer. External hard drives and/or USB memory sticks are great for this. ------- Re: Price going up [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Steve" skadsmx~xxgmail.com Date: Fri Jan 20, 2012 2:40 pm ((PST)) > None of this is what I'm sad about. Rather, my mini-rant is about > perfectly good lathes getting broken down into their component, > profit-generating parts rather than continuing to turn out useful work. > THAT'S what I feel is sad. My lathe is not in perfect condition, but it > does what I need it to do and, despite being worth several times what I > paid for it, I'm glad to have it, intact and still making chips, half a > century (I think) after it was built. The reason people part them out is because there are a bunch of other lathes out there that need the parts. Would you rather have 11 bad lathes or 10 good ones because one was parted out to fix the other 10. When you need a part, do you buy one off e-bay, or do you say "I hate lathes being parted out, so I'll do without a tailstock"? If there were no lathes needing parts, then there would be no market for them. If the lathes were really valuable, nobody would part them out (when was the last time you saw a 300SL Gullwing parted out?). The whole thing is a balancing act - the parts being sold matches the parts needed. If all the lathes in the world were perfect, there would be no lathes being parted out. Now I hate that perfectly good beds are being scrapped, but until the post office comes up with a 54" long flat-rate box, that will continue to be the case. Ironically, the flat rate box is contributing to the parting out of lathes -- parts that wouldn't have been worth shipping before are now economical. Steve ------- Re: Price going up Posted by: "Guenther Paul" paulguenterx~xxatt.net Date: Fri Jan 20, 2012 3:05 pm ((PST)) Steve: I am all for saving lathes and of course all things to some extent are sold as salvage parts. Keep that in mind and I think you know what salvage means. I saw 2 QC boxes sold on e-bay for a lot less then the listing on the current one. I am from where the 300 SL Gull Wing was made and every one I saw was restored. Never saw one destroyed like some are doing to old lathes. I have been in business for 40 years and I never gouged anyone. I am done with this topic. GP ------- Re: Price going up Posted by: "jsegal42" jasegalx~xxsuddenlink.net Date: Fri Jan 20, 2012 3:21 pm ((PST)) OK, let me take another shot at explaining myself. I am NOT lamenting the parting out of "bad" lathes. If a lathe is "bad" (however you define "bad"), it should be parted out so that many "nearly" good lathes can become good by taking advantage of the parts thus liberated. In fact, I have a saddle apron sitting on my bench waiting to replace the bad one on my lathe (the previous owner obviously never oiled the hand wheel shaft). And how you may ask, did I come by this old but still usable part? eBay, of course. What I'm sad about is the parting out of GOOD lathes that are stripped down solely because the $$$ sum of the parts are worth more than the $$$ whole and a profit can be realized. I nostalgically mourn the fact that such machine tools can't find their way into hands that will put them to productive use the way everyone on this board does. Even though I fully understand all the reasons such profiteering stripping occurs, including the Flat Rate Box as a contributing factor (my new/old apron came to me in just such a box), and many more issues not mentioned here, I'm still saddened when I see it happen. Scrap happens. I, too, am done with this topic. Jack ------- Accidental fillister head screws [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Ray" ray.waldbaumx~xxyahoo.com Date: Mon Jan 23, 2012 2:34 pm ((PST)) One of the lathe parts that lathe choppers put unrealsitic prices on (in my opinion) is fillister head screws used on Atlas/Craftsman carriages. Today, totally by accident, I made some fillister head screws. I needed to reduce the diameters of some round head screws to be used in mounting the on/off/reversing switch on the front of the lathe I'm restoring for my son. That solved the problem of clearance by transforming them into fillister head screws. ------- Re: Accidental fillister head screws Posted by: "inspiro_creo" david.deboizex~xxverizon.net Date: Mon Jan 23, 2012 3:33 pm ((PST)) Very nice hearing someone using their lathe to build parts for it. Wondering if those sellers are even selling those OEM fillister head screws, when they are readily available through McMaster-Carr for far less. I really can't wait to get my lathe fully functional to start making parts and other small projects. ------- Re: Accidental fillister head screws Posted by: "Jerry Freeman" jerryx~xxtcenet.net Date: Mon Jan 23, 2012 4:33 pm ((PST)) I had a similar problem recently, which I solved by reducing the diameter of some Phillips flat head screws. That created a screw that would seat at the bottom of a countersink hole too narrow in diameter for a regular flat head screw. The result is very respectable looking. Screw steel machines like butter. Best wishes, Jerry ------- Atlas Parts in General (was Re: [atlas_craftsman] plain headstock be Posted by: "wa5cabx~xxcs.com" Date: Sat Feb 11, 2012 8:05 pm ((PST)) The only Atlas product that I really know anything about is the 12x36 3996 (I've owned one for more than 30 years). But I do know something about the economics and availability of parts for some other collectible equipment (vintage Land Rovers, military radios and Shopsmith's to be specific). Although they no longer stock most of the accessories for the lathes that Atlas made for so many years, Clausing does still stock a remarkable number of original parts in the category of things that wear out. And generally at, in my recent experience, reasonable prices (reasonable for 2012, anyway). Although the parts ordered by all of the owners of all of the Atlas lathes still in service wouldn't keep Clausing in business without their new equipment sales, it is in our best interest to keep them willing to continue to supply as many different parts as they do. The only way that we can do that is by buying generic parts like bushings and belts as well as custom parts from them. Their accounting people don't know the difference. All that they see is parts bought or made versus parts sold. Clausing's markup on generic parts is remarkably low in fact. Less than places like Ace, in fact. But if we buy nothing from them except those custom pieces that no one else has, it won't be too much longer before their bean counters will cut their losses and scrap the remaining stock of custom parts. Which some of us will probably eventually buy back in the form of kitchen utensils and similar uninteresting things. So if you need a generic part, call Clausing instead of spending the afternoon at your local O'Reilly's or Ace or Home Depot trying to figure out what might fit. Disclaimer - Unless my wife's Fidelity account has money invested there at third or fourth hand, I have no financial interest in Clausing. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) ------- Are all cast iron Atlas/Craftsman legs the same? [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "buickgsx455man" buickgsx455manx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Mar 18, 2012 5:59 pm ((PDT)) I would like to replace the cast iron delta legs i have for my lathe with a set of Atlas legs. Are all the legs the same for the 6, 10, and 12 inch lathes or are they different sizes for the smaller lathes? Thanks! Bob ------- Re: Are all cast iron Atlas/Craftsman legs the same? Posted by: "wa5cabx~xxcs.com" Date: Sun Mar 18, 2012 7:32 pm ((PDT)) Bob: Apparently they are all different. In one catalog that I have are listed different part number and weight floor stands for 6". 10" and 12". And two different part number floor leg sets for 10" and 12". The catalog is, I think, in the main site file section under a file name similar to "/metal/Atlas_6_til_12_Accessories.pdf". I know that it had the word "til" in the middle. Some of the numbers don't seem logical as the 6" stand is listed as being heavier than the 10" ones. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) [and in a later message] Further general info I just found in an old Atlas catalog - there were two apparently different 10" leg sets. The 10F-441 I mentioned earlier. And the 10D-441, from the description made for the early machines with vertical mounted countershafts. No further details, and same weight (110 lbs). ------- Re: Are all cast iron Atlas/Craftsman legs the same? Posted by: "David G. Sampar" dsamparx~xxptd.net Date: Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:11 am ((PDT)) I have both sets of legs. Height and width at the base are basically the same for both – approximately 32.25” H and 14” W. The main difference is the casting width at the top to accommodate the countershaft mounting bracket. On the 6” lathe, the bracket is small, on the 10”/12” lathes, the bracket is twice the size. Also the mounting surface on top of the legs is different, on the 6” lathe the mounting surface is 7” W and 7.5” D and on the 10”/12” lathes it is 7.25” W X 10.25” D. David ------- Re: Are all cast iron Atlas/Craftsman legs the same? Posted by: "Raymond" jwreyx~xxusa.net Date: Mon Mar 19, 2012 7:53 pm ((PDT)) I believe the floor stands were available at least as early as 1937. My research suggests that prior to the early 1950s the differences between the 10" and the 12" models was only in the headstock, tailstock base, and compound. The floor stands, beds, and (most) all other parts were (almost) completely interchangable. (Well, you could not mix certain parts from the horizontal countershaft and the vertical countershaft sub-assemblies without making considerable modifications.) The 1945 catalog I have shows two styles, 10D-441 legs only for lathes with vertical countershaft and 10F-441 for lathes with horizontal countershaft. Height of 33 5/8" standard, or appearantly by special order height of 29 5/8" for vocational schools (no part number offered.) Per that catalog the floor stand could be ordered for lathes of different bed lengths, each included a hardwood bench top and a lower shelf: Vertical Counter Shaft 10D-442A 36" 10D-442B 42" 10D-442C 48" 10D-442D 54" 10D-441 Legs Only (no wood) Horizontal Counter Shaft 10F-442A 36" 10F-442B 42" 10F-442C 48" 10F-442D 54" 10F-441 Legs Only (no wood) The standard legs come in right and left castings. The right leg has casting # 10D 441 while the left casting number is 10D 441 L. The left leg has a triangular flat on the back to accomodate the horizontal countershaft bracket foot casting 10-445. I do not believe there is any difference between the legs sold as 10D-441 and what was sold as 10F-441 other than the latter includes the horizontal countershaft bracket foot, 10-445 and leveling bolf 10-446. Likewise for each of the -442A through -442D models that came with the hardwood top and shelf. The floor stand assembly instructions I have (dated January, 1945) lists the same leg casting numbers for both kits, but the legs sold as a kit under 10F-441 included the horizontal counter shaft bracket foot 10-445 and related leveling bolt 10-446. There is a different leg kit for the 6" lathes, M6-800A for number 618 lathe. No height dimension is specified in my catalog. "Motor mounting bracket and countershaft support are furnished." There were a number of significant changes to the 12" models introduced in in the 1950s, including undercabinet drives and 1/2" thick ways. The floor stands and legs are significanty different for these models. If anyone has any information that is in addition to, different from, or contrary to what I have please let me know! raymond ------- Re: Are all cast iron Atlas/Craftsman legs the same? Posted by: "Unchained malady" philip.a.sutcliffex~xxntlworld.com Date: Tue Mar 20, 2012 4:26 am ((PDT)) In the 1939 cat. the same legs are also shown available for the shaper. It seems that the basic leg castings were the same but drillings for the feet and countershaft mounts varied according to which machine they were to be used for. I have on one occasion seen a 10F with an extended bed (about 9ft using two beds joined) and three leg castings. Must have been a special. The info Ray has provided holds good for the 1939 cat. in regards to the lathes available at that time. Phil ------- Re: Are all cast iron Atlas/Craftsman legs the same? Posted by: "David G. Sampar" dsamparx~xxptd.net Date: Tue Mar 20, 2012 8:16 am ((PDT)) I have original cast iron stands for the 6" lathe, the 10" lathe, and the shaper. The 6" and 10" legs sets are different. The 6" leg set has one M6-801 leg with mounting triangle for the countershaft mounting bracket and one 10-441 (there is no "D" in the casting number) leg. As mentioned below, the 10" leg set has one 10D-441L leg with mounting triangle for the countershaft mounting bracket and one 10D-441. The shaper leg set has two 10D-441 legs. David ------- Mystery holes [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "a8050266" mail4samx~xxgmail.com Date: Thu Mar 29, 2012 7:31 pm ((PDT)) All,I have combed the inter webs.... The 2 holes located at the front leading edge of the headstock has 2 approximately 3/16 holes. What the heck are they for? I can see on this pic. Http://www.lathes.co.uk/atlasrestoration/img1.jpg They look like they might hod some sort of inside side clip to lock the covers in place. Any news for those of us that have the one piece headstock cover? Also, Looks like I might have all the pieces coming my way to put Humpty Dumpty (aka: 10 atlas )back to gather again! Sam ------- Re: Mystery holes Posted by: "ihc1965" VSAnconax~xxaol.com Date: Thu Mar 29, 2012 9:37 pm ((PDT)) They're used to attach the pulley guards on the vertical countershaft model. My guess is that Atlas found it easier to make one version of the headstock casting rather than separate versions for both style of countershafts. Vince ------- Where to buy Atlas emblem? [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "buickgsx455man" buickgsx455manx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Jun 17, 2012 6:15 pm ((PDT)) I am restoring a 50's lathe cabinet and I need a new Atlas emblem for between the doors. Does anyone have one they would part with or can anyone tell me where I might find one? A reproduction is fine if they exist. Thanks Bob ------- Re: Where to buy Atlas emblem? Posted by: "BRIAN GLACKIN" glackin.brianx~xxgmail.com Date: Sun Jun 17, 2012 7:33 pm ((PDT)) Take a look at these two links on the OWWM Wiki regarding decals. http://wiki.vintagemachinery.org/CreatingDecals.ashx and http://wiki.vintagemachinery.org/Decals.ashx Don't know if the second link has the specific Altas artwork you are looking for, but it's a start. B ------- need Parts for 101.07403 [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Jim Wight" jwight2x~xxtx.rr.com Date: Thu Jul 12, 2012 7:22 pm ((PDT)) Is there anyone out there have the left and right leedscrew bearings L3-27 and l3-52A they would part with? It's for a Atlas Craftsman 12" 101.07403 Jim W. ------- Re: need Parts for 101.07403 Posted by: "Guenther Paul" paulguenterx~xxatt.net Date: Fri Jul 13, 2012 3:48 am ((PDT)) Jim: The lead screw bearing on the end of the bed, I made out of steel with an oilite bushing and grease fitting. It will never wear out again and if there is wear, one can press the bushing out and replace it. GP ------- Re: In search of a gear for a 12x36 craftsman lathe [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "anthrhodesx~xxaol.com" Date: Sat Aug 4, 2012 2:48 pm ((PDT)) In a message dated Fri Aug 3, Doc writes: "i have an old stock new gear ...been saving for a spare, ...but if you can get a steel gear shipped for $75, you will be better off....not sure why you cannot mount a single 16 T gear & a single 32 T gear on a keyed sleeve ...Boston gear used to be abt $1 /tooth ..best wishes" On the 6" lathe the key would come within 4-thou of invading the tooth space on the 16 tooth gear so the gear would just fall into two pieces. 6" uses 24 DP gears on a 1/2" leadscrew, 10" and 12" use 16 DP gears on a 3/4" leadscrew; I think the calculations work out to the keyway being within 6-thou of the tooth space (didn't bother to do the calculation). I would be extremely surprised if you got away with the attempt, even if you could produce the 16 with the necessary bore and keyways. There are two things which arise from this discussion. Firstly, there are ways to make special change gears with 16, 17, 18, or 19 teeth (smaller than the standard minimum of 20 teeth) which can successfully be used in the change gear train and which escape the problem cited in the first paragraph. Secondly, while Atlas produced their lathes with a fixed stud gear option of 32 or 16 teeth, it's practical to use Doc's method to substitute the 16 with gears up to about 40 or 44 teeth which can be useful when you want a special change gear train. There was some discussion on the 618Atlas group several years ago when we discussed reconfiguring the gears for dividing to mark out feed screw micrometer dials. Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Re: In search of a gear for a 12x36 craftsman lathe Posted by: "Doc" n8as1x~xxaol.com docn8as Date: Sun Aug 5, 2012 12:25 pm ((PDT)) just went down stairs for a visual, & you are dead on ...won't work ... on the 12x38 crftsm the two gears are separated by thin piece of sheet metal, pinned to the 32 T gear & APPARENTLY the same to the 16 T. reckon this may be done w/ single after market gears ..IIRC, 16 T 14 -1/2* gears require an undercut as well as the curved outer clearance, but wud think they are available as #8 cutters are marketed ... an easy answer may be a single 16 T & a single 32 T, each used w/ a spacer ....cost effective but ..little more hassle switching, but in my usage, not common ... rooting around i found an XTRA integral cast 16/32 gear showing VERY light usage, no wear, just dusty ..., in addition to the one i am keeping for a spare .....it is available if needed..... best wishes doc ------- 618 Cross Slide and Compound Slide Crank Questions [atlas618lathe] Posted by: "monty621" monty621x~xxyahoo.com Date: Tue Aug 7, 2012 9:35 pm ((PDT)) I need to fix/repair/replace both the crank handles on my 101.21400. But first I need to check on a few things... Q1 What are the "proper" dimensions of the cross slide crank handle itself? Two years ago when I got my lathe, this piece was missing, so I made an approximately right-sized one, 5/8" long. Q2 What are the "proper" dimensions of the dual compound crank handles? In our group files, I found Earl Bower's drawing of this, showing 1" exposed handle length. Is this standard? Q3 Any thoughts/recommendations about the occasional interference between these two cranks? This seems like a really poor design, or does it have some rationale? I know, there is usually a way to work through the issue. But since I plan to fabricate a new pair of handles, I'm thinking about reducing the turning radius of one or both cranks enough to eliminate the problem. Good idea? or is the lost finger torque going to be an issue? Q4 On the other hand, as long as they are going to interfere, I suppose that if I make the handles a little bit bigger, it doesn't make the problem worse, does it? It's interesting that the Machinery's Handbook tables of "Machine Handles" describes much bigger handles, even as their smallest entry. Likewise, all the handles I find online (eg McMaster Carr and others) are all too big. I may use their proportions but scale down to match our 618's crank radii. Now I lean toward fabricating them, maybe based on "bat wing faucet handles". (I had considered using these handles as a beginner's project in metal casting capability but that's a lot of new skills to master and gear/supplies to acquire right now.) I look forward to the group's ideas on these handles/cranks. Greg ------- Re: 618 Cross Slide and Compound Slide Crank Questions Posted by: "John Bump" johnbumpx~xxgmail.com Date: Wed Aug 8, 2012 10:25 am ((PDT)) I made my own cross-slide handle with 3/4" between the center of the cross-slide screw and the center of the handle rotation. It does, indeed, make the problem worse. My lathe came with the cross-slide handle broken. On my first version of the handle, I cut a short cylinder with a large ball on one end, and put a tiny handle on the other, consisting of, essentially, a machine screw with a piece of brass tubing over it. That worked pretty well but it sure was ugly. Because I am a vain fool I replaced that with a mini ball bearing knob that I got, I believe from Enco. It's significantly heavier than the original so now the cross-slide tends to turn because of its weight, and now it's irritating to use. Meaning now I have to cut a larger ball as a counterweight. Grumble. I've done a lot of metalcasting. It's really fun but cast iron is scary: start with aluminum. And cast aluminum is neither pretty nor strong, so I don't know if you'd want to use it for a handle. Machined from brass, would be my preference. ------- Re: 618 Cross Slide and Compound Slide Crank Questions Posted by: "K Will" k_will77x~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Aug 8, 2012 7:40 pm ((PDT)) I would agree about using cast aluminum but don't melt down old screen doors as a source of aluminum; your best bet is some pistons from an engine repair shop or if you could find an old automatic transmission case from a car... that would give you a strong casting! ------- Re: 618 Cross Slide and Compound Slide Crank Questions Posted by: "K Will" k_will77x~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Aug 8, 2012 7:42 pm ((PDT)) Another thought, we are discussing two things. The cross slide handle is used constantly when turning to advance/deepen your cut. On the other hand the compound slide is mostly used for threading... Or if you are attempting to remove less than .001 at a time, it usually is set at 29 1/2 degrees and is pretty much out of the way. ------- Re: 2 step Atlas lathe countershaft pulley [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "wa5cabx~xxcs.com" Date: Tue Dec 11, 2012 11:02 am ((PST)) In a message dated 12/11/2012, stevesbunkbedsx~xxaol.com writes: > I need to amend that note to state that the 7.5 and 9 inch > countershaft pulley diameters are what I have on my Atlas 10F lathe. > Steve Haskell FWIW, on all of the 10" and 12", at least according to all of the parts lists that I have, the motor pulley was 10-428 from start to finish (although Sears Parts Direct's list says to substitute 10-428X). The two-step countershaft pulley began as 9-427 (obviously on the 9") and the same number was used up through 101.27430/440. With the new 12" machines in 1958, the number changed to 560-060 but I think this must have been something like a change to the hub or spoke layout as the Sears Parts Direct parts list for 101.07403 shows 9-427 but says to substitute 560-060. All of the Mk1 6" use M6-427 for the 2-step countershaft pulley and M6-428 or M6-429 for the motor pulley (can't tell whether that was a change at some point or a typo that got perpetuated at Atlas but I lean toward the latter as the Sears list shows M6-428 sub M6-428X). No dimensions of course. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- FINDING AND OBTAINING ATLAS PARTS NOTE TO FILE: While the next message deals with the subject of gears for making a quick change gearbox for an Atlas lathe, it also gives some important insights into how to get parts from Clausing or Sears, the difference between those suppliers, and what to do if no part is readily available. Hint -- you have a machine shop. ------- Re: Craftsman Quick Change Gearbox - Gear Lever [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "cliff" kenx~xxucsp.com Date: Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:23 pm ((PST)) Guenther Paul wrote: > I have plans to build your own QCGB all the gears are atlas. The box is patterned after the atlas and looks like a atlas. Would that help you? As far as know atlas-clausing has no gear box parts but they do have all the gears. GP < Paul, I am not so sure they have all the gears -- about two months ago I broke a stack gear in the QCGB, so I decided to order up all the parts to rebuild it, and the broken gear. Clausing had many of the parts but not the stack gear I needed (10-1515) or one of the shafts (spindle 10-1508), they said they might or might not ever get them in stock again, and even if they did they had no idea of a possible time frame. Now Clausing is a super good outfit to deal with, so I'm not knocking them -- I buy a fair amount of stuff from them. Anyway they at least could tell me the situation -- Sears parts direct online showed the parts as in stock, so I ordered them. After several weeks they said they were back ordered, after a few more weeks they said they did not think they would ever be able to get them, and if I wanted to I could get my money back (credited back to my credit card). I chose to do that and they did --after a few more weeks. Of the two methods I'll take Clausing's "have to phone --but we can tell you the deal right then" over the Sears method any day. As to the parts I just decided to make them myself, not that difficult just some tooling cost, but when I'm done I will be able to make any gear in the entire lathe (as well as other gears), so it's worth it to me. The spindle is just a non issue, it is a simple shaft --setting up to cut the gears does entail some tooling cost. I just thought it worth while to mention that Clausing (or Sears) may not have all the gears (or other QCGB parts) --Clausing may have restocked these two items in the last few months. I have not checked because it no longer matters to me, as I can make my own. If you want to Clausing will do an order request for you and eventually you will get a definitive answer as to availability and cost, so you need not keep phoning them to see if something has become available. I did not do this with the gears and shaft as I at first thought Sears had them, and then just decided to make them. But it is a useful thing Clausing will do for you, if you want them to. ------- Re: Upgrade compound ? [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "wa5cabx~xxcs.com" Date: Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:11 pm ((PST)) 12/12/2012 harpanet1x~xxcomcast.net writes: > Anybody have an opinion on whether it is worth the time and money $140+- > to change the older style (with Zamak and T-nuts and small knob) lower > swivel and compound with the newer all iron version ?? HWF HWF: If it were mine, I would vote Yes. However, if you already have the matching milling attachment, you will have to find the later version of that as well. On the other hand, if you don't already have it and want one, the later version is much more plentiful (but probably no cheaper). Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Upgrade compound ? Posted by: "Steve Haskell" stevesbunkbedsx~xxaol.com Date: Thu Dec 13, 2012 5:25 am ((PST)) No opinion but you might consider steel instead of cast iron perhaps, if you are planning on making your own replacement compound rest. Seems like steel has a higher tensile strength than cast iron so maybe would "bend" instead of "break". Still wouldn't want to run my compound into the chuck. Right now I am making a cast iron cross slide kit from Metal Lathe Accessories. Requires a milling machine to machine it. Once finished I will have a cross slide approx 3-5/8 inches wide, one inch thick, 11 inches long with six 3/8 inch wide t-slots. Kind of like the cross slides they have on British lathes and others. Useful for line boring operations perhaps. Casting comes with cast t-slots which you can leave as is or machine them as you prefer. I didn't want to spend the money on a real t-slot cutter so I used an 808 (1/4 inch wide x 1 inch) Woodruff keyseat cutter that I already have to machine my t-slots. Worked fine, went slow, although the cutter does look like it may have gotton overheated so may not be any good if I ever want to use it again to cut a keyseat in some steel. Still looks sharp just discolored. Kit (consists of the iron casting) and cost was $59.50 plus $13.70 flat rate USPS shipping. He will also sell you the drawing only for $7. I also purchased his longer gib kit (piece of flat machine steel, set screws and hex nuts) for a few extra dollars. There is also a plan for a tapered plug attachment like the existing Atlas compound fits onto, so you can use your existing Atlas compound rest if you desire. I also purchased a rear mounting toolpost kit which I haven't started on yet. This can be used to hold a cutoff tool (upside down) or a form tool. Below are the links, otherwise just do a web search on Metal Lathe Accessories and you should be able to find him. He has lots of other interesting kits as well like a nice looking 5C collet chuck kit. http://statecollegecentral.com/metallathe/index.html http://statecollegecentral.com/metallathe/A-11.html Steve Haskell ------- NOTE TO FILE: There is a conversation recorded here in the Bearings and Bushings text file giving full details for sources of bearings for an Atlas 10" lathe, the same also for the 12". See the conversation: bearings for am atlas 10" th42 [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "trex117x~xxverizon.net" Date: Sun Dec 30, 2012 3:07 pm ((PST)) ------- Link Belts [atlas618lathe] Posted by: "Gerald" fntnpn2x~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Jan 4, 2013 12:16 am ((PST)) Found this company whilst looking for a source for link belts that a regular guy could afford http://www.bdhbelt.com/index2.asp He sold me 3L 6.5 feet for $35 Freight prepaid with a check, otherwise about $5 for mail. I opted for the mail as I needed a belt. I have a 618 and a 101 and both will be upgraded as well as my Prazi. Very personal service and quality product. That's a little over $5 a foot vs somewhere between $9 and $10 everywhere else. Jerry Adair ------- Atlas Milling Machine [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "g.ghiringhelli" g.ghiringhellix~xxyahoo.com Date: Mon Jan 7, 2013 2:50 am ((PST)) I just acquired an Atlas milling machine. The mill is fully functional and there is a large assortment of mills, arbors, cutters, etc. There are some hold down clamps; but no vise, dividing head, or other types of work holding attachments. Where can I find either the actual tools, or a list of what was offered or what fits? Thanks, g ------- Re: Atlas Milling Machine Posted by: "wbhinklex~xxaol.com" Date: Mon Jan 7, 2013 8:19 am ((PST)) Try "ebay" usually a fair assortment on there. bill hinkle in Oklahoma PS: last spring I found a dividing set for my mill at a local swap meet. ------- Re: Atlas Milling Machine Posted by: "carvel webb" carvelwx~xxabsamail.co.za Date: Mon Jan 7, 2013 8:38 am ((PST)) Have a look at the files section under catalogues and you will find a couple of pages on the Mill accessories . You can then decide whether to hunt for the originals (scarce) or adapt one of the current offerings for the smaller current machines to fit . Emco accessories (while also scarce) worked quite well on mine with a bit of fiddling. Regards, Carvel ------- Re: Atlas Milling Machine Posted by: "wa5cabx~xxcs.com" Date: Mon Jan 7, 2013 9:16 am ((PST)) g, There is also a Yahoo Milling Machine and Shaper group that you should look for. As Carvel mentioned, there are in this Group's Files section, two one-page Mill accessory sheets and (in two parts) the 1941 Atlas general catalog. The mill is in the second part. If your machine happens to be a Model M*C, I have a scanned and cleaned up copy of the MFC, MIC and MHC manual. At 10 MB+ it is too large to upload to Yahoo but I can email it to you if you want it. Or you will find a copy (slightly squeezed) on the Hobby Machinist site. Brief efforts to compress it small enough for Yahoo resulted in not being able to read the data plates and other fine details in the photos so I didn't upload it here. Robert D. ------- [atlas_craftsman] Craftsman/Atlas 618 discovered. What am I missing? What year is it? Posted by: "fiveringstakezo" fiveringstakezox~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Feb 6, 2013 8:57 am ((PST)) Just posted some new photos. Found a Craftsman 101 07403 on the floor of an auto shop whose brake lathe I service. I fix brake lathes BTW. All parts seem to be present. But I am wondering if I have all the speed gears, and also wondering about a possible gearbox cover. I found a PDF of the 30's Sears tool cataloug, and some of these machine have a partial cover (over gears only), and some in seen here in photos, and also in the cataloug have a complete gearbox cover. Which arangement should this machine have? If I cannot manage to find the gearbox cover in the previous owner's massive pile of crap -- can the correct gearbox covers be had somewhere? I also need a right-hand lead screw support. The model had a stamped aluminum support which is broken. It could be welded, but I think a more sturdy support would be better. I am going to spiff this machine as best I can. We have a complete machine shop at its present location, so rehab will not be a problem. All your input would be welcome. ------- Re: Craftsman/Atlas 618 discovered. What am I missing? What year is Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org Date: Wed Feb 6, 2013 9:08 am ((PST)) That is not a 618 but a 12x36. I have the same lathe. There is a bracket for the cover that bolis to the 2 bolts that hold the back gear on. The parts #s are L6-721 and L6-724. The bracket easily breaks, mine was brazed back together before I bought mine. Probably only available off ebay but you could check Clausing or searspartsdirect.com It also holds the left pulley cover, so that may also be in a pile of parts somewhere. The right bracket is made of Zamak, not easily welded or brazed. 10F-16, people make them and sell them on ebay. Parts list on my 101.07403 web page: http://shdesigns.org/Craftsman-12x36/ Scott G. Henion Craftsman 12x36 lathe: http://shdesigns.org/Craftsman12x36 ------- Re: Craftsman/Atlas 618 discovered. What am I missing? What year is Posted by: "fiveringstakezo" fiveringstakezox~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Feb 6, 2013 1:33 pm ((PST)) Thanks for the info Scott. I was looking at your machine on the net before I joined here. It looks very clean. But which part is which? Is the L6-721 Is it the cover or the bracket? I went back to the shop where I found it, and dug through his mountain of crap, but could not find the cover, nor any more gears. ------- Re: Craftsman/Atlas 618 discovered. What am I missing? What year is Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org Date: Wed Feb 6, 2013 1:49 pm ((PST)) > I was looking at your machine on the net before I joined here. > It looks very clean. It was clean with not much wear. Main problems were damage in transport; some before I got it. The spindle pulley had a lot of slop; probably was never oiled (that oil point is disguised as a set screw.) > But which part is which? > Is the L6-721 > Is it the cover or the bracket? It is the bracket. This is from the PDF on my web site: There is also the L6-723 hinge for the belt guard. I leave the left cover off as I allows me to turn the spindle easily by hand (chuck has only one pinion hole). My bracket was brazed back together (wheezer606x~xxverizon.net) I believe is offering it. I kept an eye on ebay. A few brackets came up at insane prices but got a whole bracket and cover at a reasonable price ($30 IIRC.) For things that are not "must haves", it pays to wait. It took me 8 months of checking only once every month or so. If I had watched more, I probably could have found one sooner. The only reason I replaced it was the cover did not sit straight and rattled. Scott G. Henion ------- Re: Craftsman/Atlas 618 discovered. What am I missing? What year is Posted by: "fiveringstakezo" fiveringstakezox~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Feb 6, 2013 2:09 pm ((PST)) I am wondering if a cover like the one shown in the link will fit my machine as well... http://www.machinistweb.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2069 I can do without the extra pulley cover, etc. You think this would work? [and in a later message wrote:] Let me answer my own question here... no it won't. Am getting up to speed on this beast. ------- Re: Craftsman/Atlas 618 discovered. What am I missing? What... Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Wed Feb 6, 2013 10:54 am ((PST)) ? The 101.07403 is the fourth and final model of what Sears calls in their catalogs the Craftsman Deluxe. It should have the full cover. The earlier Deluxe models (before about 1939) are 101.07400 through 07402. They look like the 101.07403 but have 5/8" dia. lead screws. The machine shown with a partial top cover is a 101.07383 or 101.07363 (8-Speed w/o back gears). The earlier models of those two (101.07380 through 07382 and 101.07360 through 07362) have no top covers but have a narrow guard over the bull gear and over the left end of the spindle. If you look long enough on eBay and/or lists like this you should be able to turn up a top cover. I'm pretty sure that neither Clausing nor Sears have them anymore. The right end lead screw support/bearing is a casting. They turn up on eBay from time to time. There was one listed earlier this week. Don't confuse it with the one for the 6" which looks the same but is smaller, nor the one for any of the 5/8" lead screw machines. You can spot the external difference between them and the one that you need in the photos in the Tool Catalogs. The same part was used from about 1939 (1940 catalog) up through 1966. So one from any model in that date range except the 101.07383 will work. And for that matter, the two-piece one used from 1967 to 1981 will work if you also find the ball thrust bearings with it. Download the 101.07403 parts manual from the Group's Files section. It will show you a list of Change Gears (ignore the QCGB page which is for another machine). There are 9 gears in the standard package, plus 5 shown as being installed on the machine, for a total of 14. Not counting tumbler gears, spindle gear, back gears or gears in the carriage. Note that there are two 32T and two 64T. Plus 3 gear spacers according to the parts list. ------- Re: Craftsman/Atlas 101.07403 discovered. What am I missing? ... Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Wed Feb 6, 2013 2:56 pm ((PST)) fivering, Scott's correct, of course. 618 is the Atlas model number for all three variants of their round head 6X18 lathe. The matching Sears model numbers are 101.07300, 101.07301 and 101.21400. The Craftsman 101.07403 has no matching Atlas number because from 1936 to 1956 Atlas made 12" lathes but only sold them to Sears. I queried Clausing on the subject last year and was told that in-house, Atlas just used the Sears model numbers until they came out with what they called the 3000 Series (actually should be the 3900 Series) and Sears called the Craftsman Commercial. During the period Sears sold 12" and Atlas sold 10". They both sold 6". Earlier for a brief period they had both sold 9". The part numbers are in the parts list I mentioned this morning. L6-724 is the Spindle Belt Guard. L6-721 is the bracket it attaches to. L6-722 is the Motor Belt Guard. And L6-723 is the bracket it attaches to. You have the gear cover and bracket. On the age of your machine, the model was made from 1939 to 1956. There are no records still surviving at Clausing. The only way to date one is to have the original invoice (there are a couple of such cases) or to pull the spindle and read the inspection dates off of the spindle bearings. No one really knows whether the dates were engraved by Timken or by Atlas but I lean toward Atlas. In either case the date of manufacture will be some time after the later bearing date. Some machines have turned up with the same date on both bearings. But some have several months to a year gap. Robert D. ------- Re: Craftsman/Atlas 101.07403 discovered. What am I missing? ... Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Wed Feb 6, 2013 3:25 pm ((PST)) > I am wondering if a cover like the one shown in the link will fit my > machine as well... Yes. If you look at the dozens of 101.07403 photos in the group's Photo section you will see several slightly to somewhat to considerably different shaped covers. Some are smoother than others. Some look just like the drawing in the two parts manuals showing L6-721 that are available. Some lack the part on the left rear that mated up to the motor belt cover. All missing that part that a quick search just turned up happen to also be missing the motor belt cover. All that I can figure is that over the years, Atlas changed the shape of the top cover but never bothered to update the drawing. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Craftsman/Atlas 101.07403 discovered. What am I missing? ... Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Wed Feb 6, 2013 3:44 pm ((PST)) fiveringstakezox~xxyahoo.com writes: > Let me answer my own question here... no it won't. > Am getting up to speed on this beast. Oops, you're right. I didn't look at the tailstock and compound. However, two 101.07403 and one 101.27430 with photos in the PHOTO section have belt covers almost identical to that one. Except for being much larger. :-) Robert Downs - Houston ------- Rack Pin Specification [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "geoffrey_in_siam_atlas_12in_3991" lovex~xxcvbt-web.org Date: Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:19 pm ((PST)) The Atlas parts manual just says 3/16 x 5/8" grooved pin. It doesn't designate one of the 7 types listed in my Machinerys Handbook 22nd edition. I'm having a little trouble with the specification. Let me think about the functions: The rack is fastened with seven screws and located with 2 pins. I think that the location of the rack is not so critical; the spur gear will engage anywhere. The screws and the pins must resist the driving force from the spur gear. So, any type of pin would do. The holes in the rack and bed are straight. It had tapered grooved pins (type A) in it. I'd much rather use type C which is straight; that way we can just drive the pins through to take them out. ------- Re: Rack Pin Specification Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Tue Feb 12, 2013 9:48 am ((PST)) Groove pins are not tapered in the same sense as the solid taper pins are. In my MH (21st Edition) the page just before the first groove pin page shows solid taper pins. If you measure the diameter of a solid taper pin it increases linearly from small end to large. If you measure the diameter of a groove pin at right angles to the groove, you will find it nominally the same from end to end, regardless of type. Taper pins require a tapered hole. Groove pins use a straight hole. I would stick with the Type A. Second choice would be C. The Type A will be easier to drive in. And no more difficult to drive through than the C or the F. As you say, the left to right location of the rack is not critical. And at some point between when your machine was made and when mine was made, Atlas (actually Clausing by that time) quit installing a pin at the tailstock end. The diameter of the counterbored holes is greater than that of the screw heads. And the through-hole diameter is greater than the screw diameter. So technically, the left to right holding force of the screws is the friction they generate between the inner surface of the rack and the side of the bed. If all of the holes are exactly at their theoretical locations, the only place where the screws touch the rack is under the heads. ------- Carriage Lock Theory [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "shuckersfan" shuckersfanx~xxyahoo.com Date: Thu Mar 14, 2013 11:04 am ((PDT)) The carriage lock on my Atlas 10" looks like it was a feeble attempt at a replacement. When I try to tighten it, it just spins around. I'm assuming it is supposed to ride up next to the bearing plate to prevent that. I found a drawing in the files section of the locking piece so I will fabricate a new one. On my lathe the underside of the saddle is even with the bottom of the ways so I'm wondering what the point of the slope on the locking piece is? Seems like a flat rectangular piece would do the job nicely or am I missing somethiing? Thanks Todd ------- Re: Carriage Lock Theory Posted by: "Doc" n8as1x~xxaol.com docn8as Date: Thu Mar 14, 2013 1:28 pm ((PDT)) the carriage lock on my craftsman commercial is circa square w. the tapped hole offset ...it cannot spin cause one side is flush up to the bed ...hole is offset towards operator & the clamping surface has two raised edges maybe abt 3/32 wide at the front & back ...the raised edges gives the option of adjusting one or the other for a solid grip at two points rather than rocking over the whole flat or gripping only on a near sdge. best wishes doc ------- [atlas_craftsman] Manuals (was Re: [atlas_craftsman] 12" Craftsman Lathe #101-28990 Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Mon Mar 25, 2013 9:34 pm ((PDT)) Stan and other new members, This group maintains three Files Sections, one on this group (which is maxed out space-wise) and the other two under the associated _Projects and _Pics groups. Between them, they contain manuals or at least parts lists on most of the common Atlas or Craftsman lathes plus many of the accessories. If you need a manual on your machine, check there first. If it isn't there, I or someone else here may have it but just haven't gotten around to uploading it. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) ------- Curiosity killed the cat. [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "dolphin_79605" dolphin_79605x~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Apr 26, 2013 8:00 pm ((PDT)) My lathe is a 3996. An on line article indicated they were introduced in 1959. I haven't found any casting dates on the way foundation yet, but am still looking. The "Operating Instructions and Parts List" that I received with it indicates, on page 1, "December 1974 File No. 12AC with Serial No. 100200 to ______ (unfilled in)". My lathe's S/N is 104XXX. That info is as close as I know so far. I would be interested in seeing what that info changed to on later publications on the same page. The central question, is there is a date of manufacture chart, link or other form of definitive dating, by M/N, S/N (or other identifiable information)? I am just curious. Thanks, Mick ------- Re: Curiosity killed the cat. Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Fri Apr 26, 2013 10:00 pm ((PDT)) Mick, The firm answer is "sorta". First, you should understand that from about 1936 until 1956, Atlas made and sold 10" lathes and made and Sears sold 12" ones. The 10" and 12" all had 3/8" thick ways. In 1956, there were four of the early 12" models still in production and advertised in the 1956 Sears catalogs. They were 101.27430 (24") and 101.27440 (36", both with QCGB, and 101.07403 in both 24" and 36" between center models. Sometime during 1957 (probably), Atlas redesigned the 12" with 1/2" thick ways and a new shape headstock and tailstock. The carriage, compound and drive train remained substantially the same. First listed in the 1958 catalogs (printed in 1957) were 101.28930, 101.28940 24" and 36" with QCGB and 101.27580 and 101.27590 Change Gear. These are the same as the Atlas 3980, 3981, 3982 and 3983. First listed in the 1959 catalogs (printed in 1958) were the two underdrive or cabinet models, 101.27980 and 101.27990, AKA 3990 and 3991. The four QCGB models last appear in the 1966 catalogs. The two Change Gear models last appear in the Spring 1962 catalog. Sometime in 1966 Atlas made moderate changes to the remaining four models, adding the slip clutch to the lead screw and changing the power cross feed actuator from the knob used since 1949 or 1950 to the lever. The model numbers were changed to 101.28980 and 101.28990, 3995 and 3986 for the cabinet models and to 101.28900 and 101.28910, 3985 and 3986 for the bench models. So you could date the first of your model 3996 to 1967 but the first one must have actually been made in late 1966. My owners manual and parts list is dated December 1975 for Serial Number 100200 to _______. So your machine must have been made in 1975, between the two manual print dates. Based on conversations with the shop owner from whom I bought mine, it was probably made Summer of 1980. I bought it new in early 1982. S/N 106781. I've seen at least one serial number higher than mine. If I recall correctly, it was 107 something. According to one source, the last 3996 was made on 06 March, 1981. But no one seems to know the serial number. There is no accurate chart and no production records. Atlas bought Clausing in 1949/50. The company name was changed from Atlas to Clausing in the early 60's. Since then, the company has moved numerous times and apparently all production records have been lost. The date that is supposed to be on the inside of the bed casting on the Commercial beds (1/2" ways) is usually unreadable. Plus it appears that when Atlas had bed castings made, they made a bunch of them. And according to the writeup in the MOLO, after initial rough machining, the beds were set aside and allowed to season for several months. So the bed date (if you could read it) might be several years earlier than the finish date. The nearest thing to an accurate date known is the date engraved onto the inner race of each of the spindle bearings. I believe these to be bearing receipt inspection dates as there have been many examples reported with the dates on the two bearings up to a year apart. But at least the later one sets an older limit on the possible finish date. In the Group's Database section, you will find two equipment databases. Please add your machine to the larger one. I am slowly working on revising it and merging the smaller one and two others that I have found. Also, please enter your complete serial number, not the thing ending in "XXX". I don't know where that practice got started unless it was with Collins collectors. But as far as I can see, the only people who need to do that are people dealing in stolen items. :-) Robert D. Robert & Susan Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Curiosity killed the cat. Posted by: "Jon Elson" elsonx~xxpico-systems.com Date: Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:43 am ((PDT)) Actually, I think the compound went to a square style with a lot more beef than the humped style like the 10". Jon ------- Re: Curiosity killed the cat. Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Sat Apr 27, 2013 8:56 am ((PDT)) You're right. I forgot that change. Also, along with the lever operated power cross feed and the slip clutch, the lead screw right-end bearing assembly finally changed in 1966/67. And the lead screw left end changed (got shorter). Both parts had been in production unchanged since 1938/39. Robert D. ------- Re: Curiosity killed the cat. Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Sun Apr 28, 2013 7:51 pm ((PDT)) Tom, OK. I misunderstood what you wrote. The Atlas and Craftsman lathes originally shipped with two manuals (plus sometimes some supplements). One manual (the one that you actually have) was the more or less generic Manual of Lathe Operations (AKA the MOLO). Although it changed some over the decades, it never covered any one specific model. The other manual, ranging in size from 4 to about 26 pages, was the Operator's Manual or Owner's Manual, and Parts List. Or apparently sometimes just the Parts List. The later Atlas (but not Sears) Owner's Manual, if it covered only one model, not two or more, had the page with the information that I asked about. Robert D. ------- Broke tool post slide [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Dave Pinella" dpinellax~xxcinci.rr.com Date: Sun Apr 28, 2013 11:48 am ((PDT)) Well heck. I was cutting a piece of 2 inch stock, taking my time, using plenty of lubrication, and the cutoff tool grabbed and I broke the tool post slide. My grandfather would not be proud... Good grief! Dave P ------- Re: Broke tool post slide Posted by: "Carvel Webb" carvelwx~xxabsamail.co.za Date: Sun Apr 28, 2013 12:40 pm ((PDT)) Dave, Sorry to hear about that, but trying to part off a piece of 2" stock on an Atlas is certainly not something I would want to attempt :>( I don't know if there is any technical basis for it, but one of my teachers MANY years ago used to work on the basis of limiting the diameter of the piece you wanted to part off to the diameter of the bore of the chuck, which on my lathe is a bit more than an inch. If you had no other option then it would be a better idea to use a back tool post with an upside down tool and feed from the rear - any mishap then forces the tool away from the work rather than hogging it in. Spare slides do crop up regularly on E**y, if the group can't help. Good luck, Carvel ------- Re: Broke tool post slide Posted by: "Carvel Webb" carvelwx~xxabsamail.co.za Date: Sun Apr 28, 2013 11:20 pm ((PDT)) Dave, Another thing I forgot to mention is that when one is parting off it is a good idea to clamp the carriage and snug up the gib adjustments on the cross and top slides to minimise any slack in the whole assembly. Regards, Carvel ------- Re: Broke tool post slide Posted by: "Dave Pinella" dpinellax~xxcinci.rr.com Date: Mon Apr 29, 2013 3:33 am ((PDT)) Thanks to all for the advice. I'll keep at it. I did clamp the carriage and I noticed less chatter. My compound gibs are tight but the cross could be tighter. Dave P ------- Re: Broke tool post slide Posted by: "Doc" n8as1x~xxaol.com docn8as Date: Sun Apr 28, 2013 8:17 pm ((PDT)) if you just tore out the t slot, you can mill it down & bolt a couple pieces of cold rolled on top to remake the T slot ...a common repair ... fwiw ...using a goose neck (flexible) armstrong or williams tool holder on a solid base (not a wedge & dish) will allow spring rather than a dig in. all parting problems disappeared w/ their use .... other things ...grind a V in the face of the cut off blade ...this collapses the chip, makes it smaller so it escapes from the slot, (been experimenting w/ cutting w/ out fluid ...so far OK chips are clearing) also grind in BACK draft ...make the blade narrower front to back. (provides clearance in back in addition to the side & front clearance) ... shop forged /ground cut off bits always had this ....also use a tad back rake, a large radius slight dishing ....do NOT use power feed on atlas / crftsmn lathes for parting ......Way too fast...other lathes have 1/2 -1/4 or less the longitudinal feed available. best wishes doc ------- "parting advice" (was broke tool post) Posted by: jerdalx~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Mon Apr 29, 2013 5:28 am ((PDT)) Most important thing when parting off is to have the tool absolutely perpendicular to the work, so it feeds in cleanly with no dragging of the sides. Aligning using the front surface of the chuck is generally a good way to assure this, any decent chuck is flat and true on the front. Also important....getting the cutter on-center, having minimum stick-out of the tool, keeping the compound back and not sticking out unsupported, a sharp parting tool, oil /coolant on the cut, and appropriate speed. I cut off usually in slowest normal speed, others run it up to max. I like my way. Feed in steadily, without jerks, hesitation, or sudden in-feeds. Some like to use the power crossfeed, I prefer hand feeding since I can adjust infeed rate easily if it is non-optimal due to chatter or other issues. A good idea is a grind with a groove down the middle to fold in the chip the way insert parting cutters do. JT ------- Re: Broke tool post slide Posted by: "Jon Elson" elsonx~xxpico-systems.com Date: Mon Apr 29, 2013 9:43 am ((PDT)) Carvel Webb wrote: > Another thing I forgot to mention is that when one is parting off it > is a good idea to clamp the carriage and snug up the gib adjustments > on the cross and top slides to minimise any slack in the whole assembly Another thing is to back up the compound slide so that the toolpost is as close to centered over the swivel as possible. The worst is to have the compound extended so that the toolpost is not over the swivel at all, this greatly increases the chances of breaking the top slide as well as making the lack of rigidity problem worse. Jon ------- Re: Broke tool post slide Posted by: "none" garybauer46x~xxyahoo.com Date: Tue Apr 30, 2013 3:21 am ((PDT)) Hello, If you have access to a milling machine it is possible to carve a new compound-top slide from a block of steel. There was a neat magazine article about doing this work for a smaller Atlas 618 lathe in the July- August 2012 issue of "The Home Shop Machinist" by James Hornicek. He improved the strength of the slide greatly with his better design. Gary in AZ ------- Re: New crank handles [atlas618lathe] Posted by: "John Bump" johnbumpx~xxgmail.com Date: Mon May 6, 2013 9:26 pm ((PDT)) >Just looking for some opinions here. I need crank handles for my compound and cross feed. I am going to make round dial style out of aluminum. What I would like is opinions on the diameter of cranks, both actual dial diameter and diameter for handle holes. Opinions on thickness of dial. I would also like to know if there is any benefit to threading the bore hole and putting lock nuts on both sides or just drilling and using lock nuts on both sides? I haven't taken the old handles off and I don't know if the original handles are threaded.< I can't answer all your questions, but here are some thoughts based on what I've made for my lathe, which came missing both cross- and compound cranks. The cross-slide crank will interfere badly with the compound, when the compound is swung out for threading, if the distance between the center of the crank handle and the cross-slide thread is over about 3/4". It's tiny. That's not an issue with the compound, which can be quite a bit larger. They're not threaded. I'm pretty sure both have woodruff keys or flats. (It's been a while since I've had mine apart.) If I were to suggest an improvement, what it would be is to find a source for a graduated dial the same diameter as the one on the lathe, and bore it out internally, so that it can sit on a sleeve. The reason I say this is the current setup makes resetting the dial difficult because the dial itself acts as a bearing surface for the cross-slide. It's compressed between the handle and the carriage, so resetting it changes the cross-slide setting slightly. Another thing to consider is making sure your replacement cross-slide handle is balanced. I built my own with a simple solid knob and counterweight and it worked beautifully. Then I got a nice steel knob with bearings, which works beautifully except that it vastly outweighs the counterweight, meaning the cross-slide creeps under its weight especially during interrupted cuts. Dumb idea of mine: I should've stuck with what I originally built. ------- Nut on compound crank [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Dave Pinella" dpinellax~xxcinci.rr.com Date: Sun May 12, 2013 4:07 am ((PDT)) All, I'm missing the nut holding on the crank on the compound. 10D-262 on my TH42. 10 bucks on eBay. Huh? Will any nut do? I see it has a big of a flange on it. Can't I just use a nut and washer? What size nut is this? I need some gauge for determining threads. I never had one. Any suggestions for this? Thanks as usual! Dave P PS: I learn s much just reading all the responses! Thanks from Loveland, OH!!! ------- Re: Nut on compound crank Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Sun May 12, 2013 10:19 am ((PDT)) Dave P, The thread is 3/8-24. A flat washer and standard nut won't work as there won't be enough thread left for the nut and you may strip the thread on either the screw or in the nut. I would just call Clausing. However, if you make a jig to hold the nut, you can make one from a standard hex nut or from a jam nut. The nut is a little thinner than a standard jam nut and there is a shoulder turned on the mating face. The shoulder goes down in the counterbore on the outer end of the crank hub. Width across flats - 9/16" Height - 0.187" Height of shoulder - 0.072" Diameter of shoulder - 0.547 Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Atlas 10" change gears [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "dlclark66" danx~xxdcdetec.com Date: Wed Sep 18, 2013 6:58 am ((PDT)) I was missing a few change gears for my Atlas 10" Pic O Matic lathe so I decided to try to draw them out and print them with my 3D printer. I used Taulman3D.com 618 nylon for the material since it is kind of self lubricating and stronger than PLA for a gear application. It turned out so well that I created STL files for all of the change gears and printed them. I've placed these STL files on Thingiverse for anyone who might want to print their own gears. The Pic O Matic uses most of the standard 10" Atlas gears so there may be one there that you need. I hope someone finds them useful. You can find them here http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:143893 ------- Re: Atlas 10" change gears Posted by: anthrhodesx~xxaol.com Date: Thu Sep 19, 2013 7:43 pm ((PDT)) dlclark66 (???), downloaded the files out of curiosity. I don't have a 3D-printer nor a larger Atlas lathe so they aren't of any use to me but I'm curious about several things. You appear to have a 20 without keyways but no 20 with keyways. You have 24 tooth 20 PA, for what? You have another 24, what PA and with or without keyways? You have two 46s and two 48s, the significance of which I haven't sorted out. You have no 54. You do have 32, 36, 40, 44, 50, 52, 56, 60, and 64. There are other gears which would be useful, 21, 63, 37, and 47 are useful for inch-metric conversion, as is 34 combined with 36. 38 is useful for 19 TPI. Depending on how difficult it is to generate the files, it might be useful to include all numbers from 20 through 72 (80, 100, and 127 might be a stretch). How did you generate these files? Are they true involutes or circular approximations? How difficult would it be to do the same for 24 DP gears as used for the Atlas 6" lathe? Can you do gears with altered pitch diameters? I'm CCing a copy of this message directly to you, I'd be interested in some discussion off group. Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Re: Atlas 10" change gears Posted by: "Doc" n8as1x~xxaol.com docn8as Date: Fri Sep 20, 2013 7:27 pm ((PDT)) > You have two 46s 46 T is the "stndrd" gear for 11-1/2 tpi pipe thrds on many older loose change lathes ...used for IIRC 11/2 in & other pipe thrds....although i cut a 23 gear to use w/ compounding since i did not have a 4in disc of cast iron ......why two ? dunno .... best wishes doc ------- Re: Atlas change gears Posted by: jstudiox~xxtbaytel.net stevetbon1 Date: Fri Sep 20, 2013 7:50 am ((PDT)) dlclark66, I'd also like to know which 3D printer you are using. And any comments you might have as to why this printer as opposed to the many others out there. I became curious after reading the newsstand Make book on 3D printing, but so far have not taken the plunge. (Another slippery slope.) I suspect a bit of discussion on 3D printing is not out of bounds for this group, as besides gears, the possibility exists of making some other parts for our Atlas machines -- as well as for our projects made largely on Atlas machines. regards Steve in Thunder Bay, Ontario ------- Atlas mill [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Palmer" palmer6187x~xxbellsouth.net Date: Sat Sep 21, 2013 4:23 am ((PDT)) Hello everyone I am in the process of restoring an atlas mill I bought from a guy on craigslist. It's going well but I am missing a few parts. Does anyone here know were I could find the belt covers? I know they show up from time to time on ebay but the prices they are asking are insane. Thank you very much. ------- Re: Atlas mill Posted by: "Paul DeLisle" ferretpdx~xxgmail.com Date: Sat Sep 21, 2013 5:58 am ((PDT)) Welcome to the Group, Palmer..and you're not alone.. *lots* of people are looking for the Belt Guards. That's why they are so expensive. Good luck! ------- Re: Atlas mill Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Sat Sep 21, 2013 8:00 am ((PDT)) palmer??, All that I can comment about eBay prices are (a) never fall into the trap of basing what you think piece part or accessory fair prices "ought to be" on the super cheap price that you probably paid for whatever machine you are working on; and (b) if they were available new from Clausing, the prices would probably be even higher. That said, piece parts aren't the sort of thing that's commonly found on CL but you could acquire some free CL search software and do a periodic search there. And you can join as many lists like this one as you can get into and post monthly or quarterly wanted messages. Beyond that, if you aren't willing to pay what eBay sellers are asking you'll just have to wait until something cheap turns up one of these days. But in any case of posted WANTED messages, be sure that you are more specific than just "belt covers for an Atlas mill". Give the mill model number and the part's part number (which with some Atlas parts can be found cast or stamped into the part). Also, although this isn't true of belt covers, download the various same-vintage lathe, shaper, and maybe drill press or saw parts lists and check whether the same part is used. For example, the MFx motor base bracket is a Shaper part. I see a spring that's a 618 part. In general, any part number that doesn't begin with MI-, MF- is a possibility. After a quick look at the MxF parts list, I see several M6- (612/618) parts and several S7 (Shaper) parts. Anything beginning with 9, 10, 10D or 10F and I think L2 and L6 is a lathe part. ------- Re: Atlas mill Posted by: "SF Norton" nortstudiox~xxgmail.com Date: Sat Sep 21, 2013 8:15 am ((PDT)) You may try joe at plazamachinery.com. He has a ton of stuff, although it sounds like this may be a difficult item to find. Worth a try though. Http://motopreserve.com ------- Re: Atlas mill Posted by: "David Hair" thehairsx~xxoptilink.us Date: Sat Sep 21, 2013 8:44 am ((PDT)) You could always find an aluminum caster in your area and have them cast what you need. A measurement of two and a picture should be enough to make a lost foam model. Better yet, you could try your hand at metal casting. ------- Re: Atlas mill Posted by: "S or J" jstudiox~xxtbaytel.net Date: Sun Sep 22, 2013 8:12 am ((PDT)) The issue of missing belt guards, or other relatively simple items like door covers, comes up repeatedly for all sorts of shapers. Probably because the original owner regarded them as a nuisance in a busy shop and took them off. Yes, that was not a good idea from the point of view of OSHA or safety or good common sense, but it happened. Machine and its parts got separated when the machine was sold. The parts probably ended up in someone's scrap metal bin and were melted or dumped. The questions the new owner must ask is why he has the shaper, and what purpose the missing parts serve. Is he more of a collector who wants to restore the machine with original parts? Or will he be content with replacement parts that look like the originals, as with the fine suggestion here to make metal castings? Or does he just want a safe, functioning part -- in which case a belt guard could be fabricated from plywood and made pretty with metallic crinkle paint and perhaps held in place by super magnets or common hardware. The door similarly might be a nice see-through circle of Lexan, held to the shaper with magnets. Whatever works, and is safe. Steve -- in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada Machining and Metalworking at Home http://www.janellestudio.com/metal/ ------- Re: Atlas mill Posted by: "oldstudentmsgt" wmrmeyersx~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Sun Sep 22, 2013 8:25 am ((PDT)) Don't forget that a lot (MOST) of these machines were used in production environments where thin castings often get cracked, and before OSHA, such things were often discarded. If the gentleman is not a collector, he can fab replacements from sheet metal, cardboard, plastic or fiberglass, if he needs them. My Atlas MF mill will, eventually, get sheet metal guards. If I can ever find a shaper I can afford (right now, even free might be too expensive) I'll probably do the same. Thin tin and pop rivets will work, even if not nice to look at. Bill in OKC ------- Re: Atlas mill Posted by: "Glen Linscheid" partsproductionx~xxcenturylink.net Date: Sun Sep 22, 2013 1:01 pm ((PDT)) On this subject I recall my first step head Bridgeport clone, came with covers that snaps into the hole where you reach in and change the belts. I threw them away, and would never expect to find a mill with those covers. The second one I bought came with the covers in place but held in with bolts. "Come on" I thought, no one would screw a bolt in and out to change speeds. That was when I realized that the covers were just a nod of the head to the stupidity of OSHA. The buyer has to pay for something he will never use. Typical. However, many of the guards are designed to quickly swing out of the way, and I don't throw those away. Speaking of things that get thrown away when a machine is purchased, an old machinist was trying to sell me an old flat belt lathe he had, to humor him I asked if it had a steady or follow rest. He remarked that people usually throw those away. I've always wondered that he would say something like that. A steady rest, like a taper attachment, is something I don't often use, but when needed they are precious. I never really believed that someone would throw them away. ------- Re: Atlas mill Posted by: "Druid Noibn" druid_noibnx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Sep 22, 2013 3:58 pm ((PDT)) Hi, As to throwing a steady or follow rest away - the response might be one of poor choice of words. Yes, the rests may not be as popular as they once were and are often stored away and forgotten...separated from the lathe. Some are sold or given to others who may need it - or Think - they need it. Agreed - when you need the rest - little to nothing else will do. As for flat belts - if you need to chat with an expert on the subject - contact John Knox - he operates http://www.leatherdrivebelts.com/ Be well, DBN ------- Re: Atlas mill Posted by: "Glen Linscheid" partsproductionx~xxcenturylink.net Date: Sun Sep 22, 2013 4:53 pm ((PDT)) It was an old 14" flat belt lathe fit for (EEEK!) scrapping. When you are trying to operate a modern production shop like ours an old flat belt lathe is simply in the way. As an object for collectors they are fine, and fun! I collect and restore Dalton lathes myself, have 4 of them. But for a production shop they will not do at all. They were designed and built for high carbon steel, some later ones for high speed steel, and the spindle speeds and rigidity needed for carbide insert tooling were never anticipated. Fun, not right for modern commercial turning, and that is what my shop has been for for the last 26 years. I'm glad people are restoring them for display, and for tinkering around, they are part of our history that Tesla put an end to. ------- Re: Atlas mill Posted by: "Druid Noibn" druid_noibnx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Sep 22, 2013 5:24 pm ((PDT)) Hi Glen, No argument from me - I address such issues as a consultant - but it's also nice to see collectors restoring old machines, hence the John Knox reference. Kind regards, DBN ------- Re: Lead screw for a 10f 54QC Atlas lathe [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: ygroupsx~xxucsp.com my_noalias_alias Date: Wed Oct 9, 2013 7:12 am ((PDT)) On 10/8/2013 6:22 PM, roberthyndenx~xxyahoo.com wrote: > I need to find a new lead screw for you 10F X 54QC lathe. If a new > screw is not available I have heard that a person can buy some > threaded stock with the right pitch and thread type and just mill in > the slot for the cross feed. Does anyone here know where Ican find > either a new screw of one in really good shape? If not, can anyone > tell me where I might be able to buy the proper screw stock and what > the thread size is? 10 & 12" 3/4 or 5/8 are 8 tpi, the 618's are 16 tpi. The problem with buying Acme lengths for a 10F or a QC is that you need a keyway slot down the length, so price that in or figure to do it yourself, if you can, or something. The ends also need turned and turning ends on long lengths is a fair trick unless you are set up for that. About 4 or 5 months ago I had Clausing get me a quote on a new lead screw for a qc54, around $900.00. They just sub that sort of thing out to one of their suppliers, there is no old stock (that Clausing has) lead screw wise. If you can't do it yourself I'd get a few prices from shops that can do it. Or most likely pick a seller that I have at least some hope is straight up and buy a good used one -- likely the best option. ------- Re: Lead screw for a 10f 54QC Atlas lathe Posted by: "Jim Brewer" jbrewe6773x~xxwindstream.net Date: Wed Oct 9, 2013 6:57 am ((PDT)) Hi, I got my stock from Roton Products, Inc. 660 East Elliott, Kirkwood, MO 63122 I had to added extra acme stock to the order to make two new lead screws so the order came to the 60.00 min. I sold the other lead screw on e bay and paid for getting the keyways cut in the stock and made a little profit. JIM ------- Re: Lead screw for a 10f 54QC Atlas lathe Posted by: "Jim Brewer" jbrewe6773x~xxwindstream.net Date: Thu Oct 10, 2013 6:46 am ((PDT)) > can you tell us about how much it cost to get the keyway machined The little shop that I took the ACME threaded rods too charged $65.00 to set up and machine the first lead screw and $10.00 to do the other one. By the way I used the left hand end off the old lead screws. I machined the ends to fit together with a light press fit and silver soldered them. The right end I machined to .500 inch and threaded 20 tpi. Jim ------- Re: Lead screw for a 10f 54QC Atlas lathe Posted by: papagrumpy59x~xxyahoo.com Date: Thu Oct 17, 2013 6:57 pm ((PDT)) I cut a new feed screw for my 12" atlas from a blank of 5/8 8 acme thread. The screw fit thru the center hole and I cut both ends to the right size and profile on the lathe. That part was easy. I have a mill and cut the groove. This was a little tougher as I could only cut about 18" at a time. I aligned the groove after each set up by putting a key in the grove and setting it. I also turned the tailstock end longer so I could add a secondary motor for turning the feed screw at slower speeds. It wasn't that bad and works great. ------- 10F Headstock Holes [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: jflanx~xxtampabay.rr.com Date: Sat Oct 12, 2013 6:36 pm ((PDT)) I just noticed that my 10F headstock has two holes on the front of the headstock (abt 1/4" dia). Looking through a number of images on the web shows that some headstocks have these holes where others did not. What was the purpose of these holes? The previous owner had plugged the holes on mine with epoxy and painted over them. Thanks Jim ------- Re: 10F Headstock Holes Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org Date: Sat Oct 12, 2013 6:48 pm ((PDT)) Look at this page: http://www.lathes.co.uk/atlas/index.html There are two different sets of covers for the spindle. For the horizontal countershaft, it has a one-piece cover. For the vertical countershaft, there are two small covers for the gears. The holes are for these covers to mount. The 3rd and 4th pictures show these in place. Scott G. Henion, Stone Mountain, GA Craftsman 12x36 lathe: http://shdesigns.org/Craftsman12x36 Welding pages and homemade welder: http://shdesigns.org/Welding ------- Re: 10F Headstock Holes Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Sat Oct 12, 2013 7:51 pm ((PDT)) Actually, although near the end of production of the vertical countershaft models all of the horizontal countershaft models had the all-over cover, this wasn't true early on. Early horizontal counter shaft 10" and 12" had the two individual gear guards as well. But the short answer is as Scott wrote that the unused untapped holes were for the individual gear guards over the back gears. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Atlas 10" Lathe Leadscrew Reverse [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: anthrhodesx~xxaol.com Date: Wed Oct 16, 2013 2:42 pm ((PDT)) Many people have had issues with the reverse mechanism on their 10" lathe. Early 10" lathes (and, I presume, all 9") didn't have a reversing device and the bevel gear reverser at the left leadscrew bearing on the later models has sometimes been fragile and, when broken, difficult to repair and, as time goes by, difficult to find replacements for it, either as service parts or a complete unit, new or used. There is a potential solution. There is a discussion which has been going on on the Model Engineer web site for 2-1/2 years which has produced an ideal reversing gear to be retrofitted to existing lathes. Initially the focus was pretty much exclusively on Myfords because they are so common in the UK and because the creator of the device, Graham Meek, had produced a couple of examples for some commercial interests for their personal use at least 25 years ago. Over this 2-1/2 year span Gray (Graham Meek) has expanded the effort to a number of other machines with great success. In most cases (all ?) the lathe in question had already had a tumbler reverse in the conventional location so at least space was allotted for the reverser. His most recent efforts are on the Emco Compact 8 lathe which didn't have a reverser of any sort. I suggest that Gray might be able to create a reversing gear for the Atlas 10" lathe. Not only will this address an issue which has been a thorn in the side of many Atlas owners but the reversing gears he has designed are far superior to the conventional types. By their nature they allow picking up all threads being cut, no matter the thread system of the leadscrew and no matter what the system of the thread being cut. Using an 8 TPI leadscrew, for instance, you can cut metric, diametral pitch, modular pitch, BA, and any other threads you wish and > ALWAYS < pick up the thread for the next cutting pass. I think I posted this general information to this group a couple of years ago but that's not important. What is important is, if you are at all interested in this subject go to: http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=49358&p=17#1512816 for the latest entry in this discussion. Once there, if you find it interesting, you can easily go to the start of the discussion by clicking on a link. To make it easy for you, this link: http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=49358&p=1 will take you there from this message. I'm certain Gray will take up the challenge but he needs cooperation from one or more persons to provide him with information on the details of the Atlas 10" lathe as he doesn't have direct access to one for measurement purposes and, eventually, for trial fitting and refinement efforts. Go to the ME web site. If you want to post you will have to sign up for the site. I've been a member for several years and have had no bad experiences from having joined. I would very much like to see a reverser designed for the Atlas, even though I don't have a 10". I am a believer in the superiority of this concept. This is how Hardinge and some other large lathes do threading. Hoping somebody will take on the challenge to help Gray in such a design. Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- 10" Follower Rest modified for a 12" lathe [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "inspiro_creo" david.deboizex~xxverizon.net Date: Thu Nov 7, 2013 3:00 pm ((PST)) Don't know if it's been done already, however been thinking of modifying an Atlas 10" follower rest to work on a 12" lathe. By fabricating a 1" block with a male dovetail to receive the bottom of the follower rest. Block would also have a female dovetail to receive the carriage. This would bring the center height from 5" to 6". It seems the 10" units are more easily found on eBay than the 12s. Any ideas or suggestions. Thanks David ------- Re: 10" Follower Rest modified for a 12" lathe Posted by: grandmasterjx~xxearthlink.net Date: Thu Nov 7, 2013 4:34 pm ((PST)) Hi David, that is the best way to adapt a follower rest to the 12 lathe. And you can still use it on a 10. I made one a few years back; it is held to carriage by set screws with angled wedge plugs, so you don't marr the v groove. There are pics in jims 109 if you want to check it out. I could give you dimensions if you want, just let me know. Jim ------- Re: 10" Follower Rest modified for a 12" lathe Posted by: "James Irwin" jirwin1x~xxaustin.rr.com Date: Thu Nov 7, 2013 6:04 pm ((PST)) Several years ago I bought a follower rest in eBay. It was a 12 incher cut down and welded to make it fit my 10 inch! Hah!. Now I have both size lathes, but still have never used a follower rest! Jim Irwin ------- Re: 10" Follower Rest modified for a 12" lathe Posted by: "Doc" n8as1x~xxaol.com docn8as Date: Thu Nov 7, 2013 7:18 pm ((PST)) one of the uses, not normally seen in print is to mitigate excessive bed wear ....when taking a cut on a long bar, as the carriage approached the headstock, & drops down due to wear, the follower rest pulls the bar down with it, being fastened to the carriage keeping the cut constant. best wishes doc ------- [Title should be: Atlas 12" underdrive spindle belt] Atlas 12" underdrive spindle belt [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: corwin.brianx~xxyahoo.com Date: Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:02 pm ((PST)) The atlas 12" lathe, in the underdrive setup, has two drive belts driving the spindle. Supposedly these are a matched pair. My set has some clear set in them and they are slightly different sizes as a marked line across the belts seperates from each other. My question is has anyone converted to using a link type belt and used only one belt? Or will a link type belt suffice in a situation where normally a matched pair would be used? Brian ------- Re: Atlas 12" underdrive spindle belt Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:19 pm ((PST)) The link belts aren't (can't be) as strong as V-belts. Considerably less material used. And incidentally (according to at least two manufacturer's instructions) shouldn't be run in reverse. But in any case, given several dozen not particularly precision made strung-together pieces, "matched-set link belts" has to be a contradiction in terms. So if you insist on using a link belt, use only one. Fortunately the shorter life of link belts is offset by the fact that they are easier to change. However, if you put a new matched set of the proper V-belts on the machine, you can expect 30 years out of them, if you use the machine at least say once a month. I am about to change mine after 32-1/2 years. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Late Atlas/Craftsman 12" QCGB Related Questions [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Tue Nov 12, 2013 12:16 am ((PST)) Group, It was discovered tonight by another member that at least some late Model 3996 (two so far, one 1978 and one 1980) have a fourth bolt holding the QCGB to the lathe. The fourth one is another 5/16" socket head cap screw similar to the two (only one visible without removing the settings plate) at the top right corner of the box. This additional screw is in a hole through the top of the front way, visible and accessible inside the headstock after you raise the top cover. It is to the right of the large back gear (NOT the bull gear). This screw is not shown on any of the dozen or so Atlas or Craftsman parts lists that I have, including the QCGB upgrade instructions. Could any of you who have one of the 1/2" bed machines look down in your headstock and see whether this screw is present or not? Report yes/no, model number and year of production (if known). Also, all 12" QCGB's should have a cast bracket attached to the inside of the GB main casting that sticks to the rear between the quadrant (banjo) and the left end of the headstock. The lower rear corner of the bracket should be visible if you open the change gear cover. There should be a bolt that goes through that corner and through the left rear corner of the left foot. On your machine, is this bolt inserted first through the bracket and then through the foot (bolt head visible below the quadrant) or through the foot and then the bracket (threaded end of the bolt and a nut visible)? Finally, is the bolt hex, square, or carriage head? Robert D. ------- Re: Late Atlas/Craftsman 12" QCGB Related Questions Posted by: vachssx~xxyahoo.com Date: Tue Nov 12, 2013 4:02 pm ((PST)) Robert, 100342 (~1967 just after the change to the crossfeed lever). Yes, I have the bolt down in the headstock holding on the QCGB. The bolt at the rear is a hex-head and goes through the bracket then the foot. ------- Re: Lathe Bed Replacement [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Jon Elson" elsonx~xxpico-systems.com Date: Thu Nov 21, 2013 5:27 pm ((PST)) mjv01810x~xxgmail.com wrote: > I have the chance to replace the bed on my 618 with one in almost new > condition. Given that the bed, headstock, tailstock, and carriage > were not mated via scraping by Atlas, is it ok to simply replace the > bed, or were these components mated in another way? No Atlas lathes were ever scraped at the factory. All machine beds were milled on a custom machine all at one time, and then assembled. Just swap and reassemble, it will be fine. Just make sure the mating surfaces are clean, and it should go fine. Jon ------- [Now actually about making a steady rest for an Atlas 12" lathe] Re: 10" Follower Rest modified for a 12" lathe [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: brogers9941x~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Mon Dec 9, 2013 5:40 pm ((PST)) I have a craftsman 12 x 36. In order to acquire a steady rest, I went down to Harbor fright and looked at their bigger lathe. Perhaps it is a 12 x 36. It had a nice steady rest. I measured it and determined that it would fit with a minor modification. I talked to the manager about buying the steady rest and he directed me to order the replacement rest from tech support. I contacted them and it only cost something like $30-40 delivered IIRC. I put it on my Visa card and after about 6 weeks it showed up at my front door. It is set up for one flat way and one Vee way. The body is made of cast iron. I milled off about 3 or 4 tenths of an inch off of the feet and the center ended up perfect for my lathe. There was enough material that much of the original Vee disappeared and there was plenty of "meat" to sit flat. I had to modify the "foot" that goes under the ways which is used to tighten the steady rest, but it was an easy mod too. It sits nice and flat on my lathe now and looks like a million bucks. It has three adjustable brass tips and the whole thing can swing open. So perhaps rather than build one from scratch you could modify a manufactured one and end up with something with good features, excellent price, and good looks. ------- [Now actually about making a steady rest for an Atlas 12" lathe] Re: 10" Follower Rest modified for a 12" lathe Posted by: "Doc" n8as1x~xxaol.com docn8as Date: Tue Dec 10, 2013 1:51 pm ((PST)) for those so inclined ....somewhere along the way i ended up w/ several small ball bearings ....i just screwed them on some 1018 square 3/8 stock. solid rollers wud work adequately for less than high speed production work using shouldered steel screws. i made the roller fingers abt 40 yrs ago for use when crowning rifle barrels, but they burnished the steel & made repolishing worse than what brass or wooden fingers produced....ended up making split clamp collars to ride in the steady ....also used split collars in front, against the stdy to keep the barrel on centers instead of lacing the dog to the faceplate. FWIW roller ended bars are great for aligning washers held in a chuck or bars hanging out of the chuck needing centering. best wishes doc ------- [Now actually about making a steady rest for an Atlas 12" lathe] Re: 10" Follower Rest modified for a 12" lathe Posted by: brogers9941x~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Tue Dec 10, 2013 2:01 pm ((PST)) I posted a couple of pictures of the HF steady rest in a new folder called 12 x 36 Lathe Stuff. As to the lathe model that it was originally intended for, I don't recall. It was perhaps 5 years ago. I think that it was for a 12 inch HF lathe, but it could have been for a 13 inch lathe. But after some minor mods, it fits perfectly on my 12 inch. If you get one a little small, you obviously can shim it with a chunk of steel. If you get one a little large, you "might' be able to remove some material to get it low enough and still have a reasonable amount of "meat" in the base. From the picture, you can see the little triangle on one leg that was meant for the Vee way. As you can see, it doesn't cause any problem at all. I suppose that if I was a purist, I could have filled it with JB weld and painted over it to hide that spot. But structurally it is quite robust. I recommend that you look at the HF site and look for a lathe model that is very close to the same size that you have right now. I think that they all come with Steadies and perhaps even followers. If you see something promising, then download the manual and look at the parts list for the exact part number of the steady. If they don't list the steady part number, they can work from the lathe model number. Then call the tech support number (I think you'll find that number on their website) and check on prices/order. I had the advantage that I saw something promising on line, and then I went to the store and measured it to confirm that it would work just fine. ------- Uploaded thread chart for 101-07401 [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: garilla308x~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Dec 18, 2013 12:36 pm ((PST)) So I noticed that the Craftsman 101-07401 that I have isn't one of the more prevalent models (my research determined somewhere around 1937-41) so I posted the threading chart which differs from most others in that it uses the 96 tooth gear whereas the later models go up to 64 tooth as the largest. Hmmm how did Atlas do that? Are the lead screws finer on the later models? As far as I can tell from pictures 07403 looks almost the same. If anybody has 07401 info, manuals, I'm always interested. Threading chart is in Photos ------- Re: Uploaded thread chart for 101-07401 Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org Date: Wed Dec 18, 2013 12:46 pm ((PST)) 96 is not a standard gear that comes with the lathes. BTW, many of the Atlas books that came out at the time have screwed up metric thread tables. I have an updated one on my web pages (see link in sig.) Scott G. Henion, Stone Mountain, GA Craftsman 12x36 lathe: http://shdesigns.org/Craftsman12x36 Welding pages and homemade welder: http://shdesigns.org/Welding ------- Re: Uploaded thread chart for 101-07401 Posted by: "Carvel Webb" carvelwx~xxabsamail.co.za cwlathes Date: Wed Dec 18, 2013 11:04 pm ((PST)) I can’t comment on the Craftsman version, but my first earlier 10D series Atlas lathe prior to the 10F had a different banjo and the 96T gear and gear chart which was standard for that model. Regards, Carvel ------- Re: Uploaded thread chart for 101-07401 Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Wed Dec 18, 2013 11:21 pm ((PST)) The 10D (and the add-on threading components for the 10A/B/E) and the Craftsman 101.07400 and 101.07401 were originally supplied with two 96T gears. The lead screw thread pitch on all 9", 10" and 12" machines that had lead screws was 8 tpi. Robert D. Robert & Susan Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Uploaded thread chart for 101-07401 Posted by: anthrhodesx~xxaol.com Date: Thu Dec 19, 2013 9:46 am ((PST)) And on at least some of the early 10" lathes there was no reversing gear for the leadscrew and only the 32 tooth spindle gear, no 16-32 to provide a finer feed. The 96s were used as driven gears to get the fine feeds, once the 16 was available there was less need for the extra large driven gears. Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Part number for oil caps? [atlas618lathe] Posted by: troubleindc2x~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Dec 27, 2013 10:36 am ((PST)) What is the part number for the tiny spring loaded brass caps that cover what I believe is a hole to put oil in for the spindle bearings? 9-204/9-205? Oil cup? ------- Re: Part number for oil cups? Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Fri Dec 27, 2013 12:09 pm ((PST)) On the 618, 101.21400 and 101.07301, the spindle bearing oilers are both 9-205. 9-204 was used on the 10" and 12". The 6" Mk2's don't use them. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Atlas historian [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Fri Jan 3, 2014 10:06 pm ((PST)) In a message dated 01/01/2014, stevewatrx~xxhotmail.com writes: > Hello Robert, Model number embossed into the bed is 954, and the serial number on the ways is 2858. I read all I could find on that lathes UK site, and that is what makes me think it is a very early 9". It has the splayed feet, compound drive, early style power switch, the cross slide has a small hand wheel (mine is broken), where as later models have a bell crank style for the cross slide, and compound. My compound has the less practical knob, and was modified by the previous owner. I have a bunch of videos of me moving, dis-assembling, cleaning, and re-assembling it. I just began re-assembly this week. http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV1RW-p5BeokplMx0MB1hV-HalyZAnUBh Regards, Steve W. < Steve, First a couple of comments on your video. You should avoid shifting the FWD-OFF-REV gear box while the motor is running. A 6" dia. chuck is borderline too big for a 9". Plus the PO who did the serious bed damage apparently didn't know that you shouldn't run a chuck with more than about 1/3 of the jaw length extending beyond the OD of the chuck. In fact, best practice is to have nothing sticking out as the jaws become less stable and accurate as they begin to exit the chuck body. All 3-jaw chucks should have two sets of jaws. One set is for chucking on parts whose diameter is up to about 1/2 of the chuck diameter. Above that, you should change jaws. The "954" that you found cast into the bed is not there to indicate the lathe model number. It is the bed part number. The model number would have been on a nameplate affixed probably to the rear of the bed. However, although I have yet to find it anywhere in actual print, the model number is most likely "954". Between 1932 and 1939, Atlas used (at least) three different methods of assigning model numbers. The 936 (9" swing and 36" bed length) with 18" between centers and compound drive was apparently the earliest format. The 918 (9" swing and 18" between centers) with 36" bed is the same size but instead of the compound drive has an early version horizontal countershaft with 3-step pulleys and 2-step motor belt pulleys. It was called the 9" Utility lathe and I've not come across any indication that Atlas ever offered it with anything but the 36" bed. If they had sold it with a 54" bed, I don't know what they would have called it as 936 was already taken. The first several 10" models went back to 1036x through 1054x (where "x" was A, B, C , nothing, or E). The two 6" models were back to 612 and 618 (swing by center-to-center). And the final 10" model (the 10F) went to a new version, yy-36 through yy-54 (where over the years "yy" was V, H, TV, TH or QC). As I said above, yours being a 954 is consistant with the few catalogs available. The other components with readily apparent changes over the years are the power switch and the bed legs. The earliest switch is what looks like a standard house light switch in a rectangular steel box (also probably off of someone's shelf). Earliest photo that I have showing it is in the 1932 Sears Power Tools catalog (printed 1932). The latest is in the 1936 Sears PT catalog dated 09/16/1935. The 1937 Sears and Atlas catalogs both show the metal bat handle toggle switch behind an oval escutcheon (plate). From 1932 through 1936, then, the rectangular box appears to have been used. On the legs, there are four known types used between 1932 and 1937 (catalog years). The type that I think is the earliest is a square box with the left leg having two mounting ears front and rear and the right having a single ear on the right side. Unfortunately, the Sears catalog photos show this type on the 9" that they sold from 1932 through 1935. What I think is the third type is the one that is rectangular, symmetrical left to right and symmetrical front to back, smaller at the top than at the bottom, and both legs are the same. The fourth type, which stayed in use for many years before, during and after WW-II, is much wider and "leans" away from each end of the bed. The splay-footed style, which I have seen on photographs of several different actual (not catalog) machines I assume to be the second type. But I have not seen it in any Atlas or Sears catalogs. Catalog No. 15, which I believe to have come out in late 1935, shows the third type. The 1937 Atlas catalog shows type 4 on the 10" but still type 3 on the 9". The 1936 Craftsman catalog shows type 3 on the new 12". Also, the earliest mention in anything that I have that beds longer than 36" are available was in the 1933 Sears catalog. For a bit of trivia, each additional 6" of bed length added $8.00 to the price. So absent any better information, I would date your 954 to 1933 or 1934 and say that it is an Atlas, not a Craftsman. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- What gears go on the reverse tumbler? [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: garilla308x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Jan 19, 2014 6:53 am ((PST)) So my Craftsman 101-07401 reverse tumbler 20 tooth is missing a tooth. When I pulled it off it was a keyed gear that used a single thickness insert. I thought that was supposed to be a gear with a hole not keys. Anyways it got me thinking that maybe the gears on the tumbler might not be the right ones. What is supposed to be on there? Right now there are 3 gears 20, 24 and a 32 tooth. ------- Re: What gears go on the reverse tumbler? Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Sun Jan 19, 2014 7:28 am ((PST)) garilla, The gears on the tumbler should be 20T, 24T and 32T/16T with the 32T towards the headstock. There are three 20T that come with the machine. All are part # 9-101-20A. The bushings in the 20T and 24T should both have double keys. According to the parts drawing, the 20T is FWD. In the normal setup for turning (as shipped) there are two more 20T on the quadrant (banjo). One on the back of a 56T and one on the front of a 64T. It isn't obvious from the parts drawing but if one is a spacer (not engaged with another gear), you could swap it with the broken tooth one on the tumbler. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: What gears go on the reverse tumbler? Posted by: garilla308x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sun Jan 19, 2014 7:52 am ((PST)) Robert/everyone. I was just searching and found some pictures/posts that talk about the tumbler and having the 16/32 gear combo with the 32 towards the headstock. I am not certain of this but I saw a post that mentioned that this 16 tooth gear eliminated the need for the 96 tooth gears which is standard with my lathe. A curious thing after looking at my threading chart shows the spindle as 3 circles which the innermost would be the thru bolt/nut that implies 2 gears but they are not stated tooth count. Nor is any of the sample pictures using the smaller 16 tooth gear. So can the 16 remove need for the 96 ? and now it looks like I might need another gear/holder? ------- Re: What gears go on the reverse tumbler? Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Sun Jan 19, 2014 10:38 pm ((PST)) Garilla, My post this morning was a little rushed as I was trying to get done and started on a 6-hour return trip to Houston. I think that the short answer to your questions is "no". I have a pretty good scan of the threading chart out of one of the early 12" machines which at the bottom lists Catalog Numbers 2028, 2030 and 2032. Many hours of studying the available parts lists and the late 30's Craftsman Power Tools catalogs has lead to the conclusion that these cross to the following Model Numbers: 2028 101.07360, 7361, 7362, 7363 2030 101.07380, 7381, 7382 2032 101.07400, 7401 However, until 1951 Sears played fast and loose with Catalog and Model numbers and according to the Sears Parts Direct parts lists only the first two in each of those groups came with the two 96T gears as follows: 2028 101.07360, 7361 2030 101.07380, 7381 2032 101.07400, 7401 So the later 2028's and 2030's had the later gears and the early threading chart wouldn't work for them, even though they still had the same catalog numbers. Further, studying the early threading chart leads me to the conclusion that the draftsman who drew it was working from the 9" or 10C or 10D chart and made a mistake in identifying the top gear on all of the drawings as the spindle gear for the simple reason that the 9" and 10" have no tumbler. The tumbler gears are not shown or identified on the 12" chart but the only thing that makes sense is that the gear on the chart ID'd as the Spindle gear is actually the lower gear on the tumbler, which is the one that the first quadrant gear always meshes with. Further, the gears on your 101.07401 all have part numbers of the form 9-101-nn. The later gears, which have longer or thicker hubs are 9-101-nnA. And the Change Gear Bracket (AKA Quadrant and AKA Banjo), bushings and bolts used with the later thicker gears are also different. I'm still trying to figure out from the parts lists what the lower gear on the tumbler is. But I've had it for the night. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: What gears go on the reverse tumbler? Posted by: "Cynthia and Wayne Burner" burners4x~xxcomcast.net Date: Mon Jan 20, 2014 1:28 am ((PST)) Garilla, I have had gears that were repaired with JB Weld, and a pin drilled into the hub. Drill a hole, install the pin, coat with JB Weld, file to fit. This repair should last for years. ------- alternatives to cross slide ball handle? [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: mark2382x~xxhotmail.com markjohanhatch Date: Mon Feb 3, 2014 10:14 pm ((PST)) Hi all, First posting, although I have lurked for a few years. :-) I have a 10" Atlas. Through an embarrassing accident (lathe fell on me while I was trying to move its table - ouch!) I broke the ball handle on the cross slide and bent the apron wheel. Fortunately, this was the only damage to the lathe (or me...). The apron wheel is only $30 or so thru ebay. SO I just bought one. However, the cross slide ball handle seems to run pretty consistently $70. Two questions... 1. I assume that no one has found any adhesive that works on "pot metal" that is under the chrome exterior of the handle? 2. Any other options other than to buy the NOS handles that people are selling (not complaining about their price, I am believer in supply and demand) but as a buyer, just want to do my part in the free market ;-). Thanks! Mark ------- Re: alternatives to cross slide ball handle? Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org Date: Mon Feb 3, 2014 11:18 pm ((PST)) JBWeld may work. I have had good luck with it when thoroughly mixed. > 2. Any other options Do you have to have an OEM one? I busted both cross and compound handles when I moved my lathe. The cross slide one I TIG'ed together. The compound one just seemed to dissolve when I tried to TIG it. I just took a piece of bar stock, drilled the 3/8 hole, cut a keyway with a jig saw and bolted a post on the end. I later made one out of an old weed whacker flywheel I turned down. You can buy generic handwheels from many suppliers. Real nice ones for far less than the ebay ripoff ones. There is nothing real special about the Altas ones other than being "original". Scott G. Henion, Stone Mountain, GA Craftsman 12x36 lathe: http://shdesigns.org/Craftsman12x36 Welding pages and homemade welder: http://shdesigns.org/Welding ------- Re: alternatives to cross slide ball handle? Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Mon Feb 3, 2014 11:50 pm ((PST)) Mark, I don't think that you will find an adhesive that will survive much use. If you only broke the handle and not the crank, the handles on the ball crank, carriage handwheel and tailstock handwheel are the same part. Perhaps you could contact some of the eBay sellers and ask them whether they had a broken or otherwise damaged handwheel with a good handle. BTW, "pot metal" is loosely defined as consisting of whatever you had in the shop to toss into the melting pot. Zamak isn't pot metal. Zink content is too high for one thing. :-) Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: alternatives to cross slide ball handle? Posted by: cliveadams23x~xxaol.com Date: Tue Feb 4, 2014 9:20 am ((PST)) If you would like one *just the same* as the old one you could epoxy it back together and use it as a pattern to cast a new one. Plaster of Paris would be OK instead of greensand for a one-off, and you could melt enough aluminium for a job of this size with a propane torch. In fact, once you've made the impression in the flask, you could re-melt and re-pour the original material. Failing that, check out the Gingery group on Yahoo - most people will probably have made handles and have kept the patterns; I know I keep all my patterns. Clive ------- Re: alternatives to cross slide ball handle? Posted by: rosslathex~xxyahoo.com Date: Tue Feb 4, 2014 9:32 am ((PST)) I have been looking for an alternative for the ball end handles and the closest idea other than casting some new ones in alum. -- is to get 'sill cock valve handles' as replacements -- ream the mounting hole and drill for the finger handle dowel. Found 3 of the handles for a dollar at the recycling store -- wish pictures were as easy to attach as on craigs list or email tell me how. Jim ------- Re: alternatives to cross slide ball handle? Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Tue Feb 4, 2014 10:04 am ((PST)) Jim, Attachments (JPG's) at your end are done the same way that you would attach one to email it direct to anyone else. The difference is that the JPG itself is stored under Attachments on the Yahoo server instead of being sent to every list member who has email turned on. There will be a link in the emails sent out by the reflector. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: alternatives to cross slide ball handle? Posted by: "oldstudentmsgt" wmrmeyersx~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Tue Feb 4, 2014 1:33 pm ((PST)) Try these folks: http://www.reidsupply.com/products/knobs-handles-hand-wheels/hand-whe els/dished-hand-wheels/ That was after drilling down a bit, they had several thousands of machine handles of one sort or another. Try "dished hand wheel" as a search term. Even Amazon has them. HTH! Bill in OKC ------- Re: alternatives to cross slide ball handle? Posted by: "Dan Buchanan" db45acpx~xxyahoo.com Date: Tue Feb 4, 2014 4:49 pm ((PST)) Mark, I think this one will work for you, but confirm with the seller. Check here at Home Shop Supply: http://www.homeshopsupply.com/parts.html About 3/4 of the way down the page, part Number B-3449R. Check the HOME page of the site for Contact info and ask if the hole is 3/8" (which I believe yours should be). If they have it, you can't argue with the price. Dan ------- Re: alternatives to cross slide ball handle? Posted by: "Doc" n8as1x~xxaol.com docn8as Date: Tue Feb 4, 2014 3:03 pm ((PST)) just make one ..steel or aluminum, cast iron or brass..3 inch round bar or a piece of plate .....if plate, saw off corners, bore it & clamp to faceplate w/ a spacer under it & round up ..if round bar, just bore it & cut off & clean up. (actually, you cud make it from hex & not turn it round) ..make a handle from smaller bar, ....thrd it & loose bolt it near the circumference of the disc ....solid is fine ..had to make one for the enco bandsaw ...plastic piece of crap handle broke 3rd time used ....took abt an hour & now you will have a custom lathe & a pile of satisfaction .....if it turns out neat ..stamp your name on it. best wishes ------- Re: alternatives to cross slide ball handle? Posted by: mark2382x~xxhotmail.com markjohanhatch Date: Tue Feb 4, 2014 9:09 pm ((PST)) That is a nice one. I think I came across the same one at: https://www.jergensinc.com/site/account/cStockpricecheck.aspx?it em_cd=11401 https://www.jergensinc.com/site/account/cStockprice check.aspx?item_cd=11401 It was $8. I suspect that I will have to enlarge the hole and broach it (i.e. grab one of my small files and file away for an hour or so to create the for the keyway). Waiting on what the shipping fee will be. When I get it I will report back. Mark ------- 9-16 bracket headache [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: stevewatrx~xxhotmail.com Date: Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:33 pm ((PST)) Greetings everyone, I've got a problem with my 9" Atlas project. My lead screw support bracket is broken. Found it that way after I moved it home, not sure if I broke it, but probably was my fault. Anyhow, it is the less common 9-16 bracket for the smaller 5/8" lead screw. I tried soldering it, but the Zamak started to melt around the same temp as the silver solder started to stick, and even with flux, it was not sticking well. So I decided to resort to JB weld. Seemed like a decent repair, but because I had slightly melted the 2 mating ends, the alignment was off, and it was causing my lead screw to rub the half nut inside the apron. I found that loosening the bracket and tilting it ever so slightly solved the issue, but when I tried shimming behind it to keep it there, the JB failed, and closer examination showed it was not a good fix after all. There are currently no 9-16's on Ebay, and when they do appear, they sell for about twice as much as the later 10" and 12" version. I currently have no mill, so making a new one is out for now, and I cannot get good measurements off mine since I distorted it. I thought I remembered reading somewhere that one of the newer ones would work, and you just had to make a bushing for it. Anybody know if this is true? Or does anybody know of a dimensional drawing for the 9-16? Or best yet, anybody got one for sale??? Thanks, Steve ------- Re: 9-16 bracket headache Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Fri Feb 28, 2014 12:47 pm ((PST)) Steve, I don't have a srawing but you could call Clausing. If they don't have the part they will usually send you a PDF of the drawing. I would suggest making it in the manner of the one on the 12" Commercial models. You could probably do it with only a good drill press. It's a two-piece assembly. One part is a flat plate that attaches to the bed. The actual bearing is in a rectangular steel block attached to the plate with screws. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: 9-16 bracket headache Posted by: "Chris and Judy Zahnle" chrisandjudyx~xxcableone.net Date: Fri Feb 28, 2014 6:13 pm ((PST)) Steve, I made one for my 5/8 lead screw. I drilled a peace of steel over size, then made a brass bushing 5/8 by what ever the over size was. I held the bushing in place with a 1/8” alum rivet so that the brass would shear off the rivet in the event of a crash. Then I drilled a plate to attach to the lathe and lined everything up and welded the steel holding the bushing to the plate bolted to the lathe. There is a picture of it I think at the web site. It is a real easy job (or else I could not have done it). Chris ------- Re: 9-16 bracket headache Posted by: "Jim Ross" j-ro7x~xxcomcast.net Date: Sat Mar 1, 2014 9:57 am ((PST)) My suggestion would be to find the guys that cast alum or bronze for old tractor or boat or car parts and be really nice to them —- fix your part up with JB weld for alignment and see if they can pull a molding off the part and cast you one or two. In the antique boat world we loan parts so others can get a pattern of a rare part —- may have to pay for rechroming at times —- does this go in the old lathe bunch? You would have some clean up to do and the part would be smaller by about 1-3/16ths per foot of size. Jim ------- Re: 9-16 bracket headache Posted by: "Gene Isley" gene_isley_7x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sat Mar 1, 2014 1:34 pm ((PST)) Making one is not that difficult. I used the lathe to do the drilling and ran the saddle all to the back, locked the feed down to align the bracket to the lathe bed and marked attachment holes. But I have heard that making one out of steel takes away a safety link in the lathe. Sometimes you want cheap parts to fail to save the bigger picture. Just my two cents worth. Seems to work ok. ------- Re: 9-16 bracket headache Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org Date: Sat Mar 1, 2014 1:45 pm ((PST)) If I was to make one: Square aluminum bar for the body. Flat plate on the back for mounting -- bolted or welded on. Mount block in 4-jaw and center for hole. Bore block oversize and insert brass or bronze sleeve. Sleeve is not real tight. Drill 1/8" hole for oil. Take a 1/8" aluminum pop rivet and knock out the pin. Insert rivet in hole. That will sheer off if a crash occurs. I have also seen the pins from rivets used as sheer pins. Scott G. Henion, Stone Mountain, GA Craftsman 12x36 lathe: http://shdesigns.org/Craftsman12x36 Welding pages and homemade welder: http://shdesigns.org/Welding ------- Re: 9-16 bracket headache Posted by: "Guenther Paul" paulguenterx~xxatt.net Date: Mon Mar 3, 2014 6:41 am ((PST)) Just make a bracket from aluminum. I recmmend you put a oillite bushing in it. You don't need a mill, use your lathe. GP ------- Re: 9-16 bracket headache Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org Date: Mon Mar 3, 2014 6:54 am ((PST)) On 3/3/2014 8:31 AM, Bruce wrote: > This posting makes me wonder whether one could weld Zamak. After all, > welding involves melting the base metal, and sometimes adding filler > metal. I'd envision having to clamp everything firmly in place, maybe > having first beveled the edges or even drilled between the broken > parts in places to make room for the filler metal. The filler would > have to be something compatible with Zamac -- maybe some zinc alloy -- > but I really don't know what. And then you'd have to heat locally and > quickly, removing the heat immediately the base metal melts at all. > Does this make any sense? I'm speaking from some experience with > other metals, but NONE with zinc alloys. I've TIG welded Zamac, it is a royal pain as the zinc boils and makes the weld pool splatter and porous. Once you get some filler in it works (I use 4043). Needs several passes to boil out the zinc before you get a non-porous weld. I did a cross slide handle and the footpeg on my ZX6R. You could use aluminum brazing rods (Alumiweld, Durafix and others.) You would need a focused heat source like O/A. Still, the zinc will boil. Using a lower temp source like propane will keep it from boiling but since it is not a focused heat source, once you get the whole thing up to temp, the entire part suddenly turns to goo. The bracket is easy to make and you can make a better one with a shear pin. Scott G. Henion, Stone Mountain, GA Craftsman 12x36 lathe: http://shdesigns.org/Craftsman12x36 Welding pages and homemade welder: http://shdesigns.org/Welding ------- Re: 9-16 bracket headache Posted by: "Charles" xlch58x~xxswbell.net Date: Mon Mar 3, 2014 6:57 am ((PST)) You can't weld it, but you can solder it. It melts around 800 degrees and the transition is abrupt. It is like trying to forge hot short metal, by the time it is hot enough to do something with it, it disappears into a puddle. Soldering it at around 400 degrees works, but requires the right flux, the right solder and the right technique. You have to really clean the part well. It will oxidize almost while you watch. Charles ------- Re: 9-16 bracket headache Posted by: "Lance Eggleston" lance.egglestonx~xxme.com Date: Mon Mar 3, 2014 8:26 am ((PST)) I have successfully used Alumiweld to "solder" Zamak feet onto the traverse gear case. The Zamak hot shorts, so you have to be quick about it. lance ------- Re: 9-16 bracket headache Posted by: "Paul Nance" pdnancex~xxspiritone.com Date: Mon Mar 3, 2014 10:49 am ((PST)) Zamak can be Tig welded, Haven't done it, watched it done. Needs a really long cool down in the gas shield. ------- Re: 9-16 bracket headache Posted by: "Ronald Mattson" mattsonrjx~xxatt.net Date: Mon Mar 3, 2014 11:15 am ((PST)) There is a Locktite product called "Black Max" that is supposed to be as strong as silver solder. It can used to attach front sight ramps to rifle barrels & I'd guess it might be useful for fixing broken zymak. Regards, Ron ------- Re: 9-16 bracket headache Posted by: "Charles" xlch58x~xxswbell.net Date: Mon Mar 3, 2014 12:31 pm ((PST)) I have a Tig, but all of my trials with zamak were with oxy-acetelyne. All I ever got was swiss cheese or a puddle where my part was. Some of the parts were plated, and it was less than amusing at the time to be standing there with a hollow model of my part made of plating alone. The professional welders I knew back then just laughed and said told you so, so I just moved to soldering it thereafter. I am guessing though that the folks who have had luck Tig welding it have been working on pieces with a larger cross section. I will have to give it a try sometime with my Tig. Charles ------- taper attachment photo [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: snookjr70546x~xxyahoo.com Date: Sat Mar 15, 2014 2:30 pm ((PDT)) Hey guys and girls does anyone have a photo of how the taper attachment hooks to the cross slide, just got a 12" Atlas Craftsman with tons of tools stripping it down for cleaning and painting wanted to get a test run on how to hook it up, got it on the bed rails but understand how it hooks to the cross slide. thanks in advance, Joe G. ------- Re: taper attachment photo Posted by: gregx~xxgelhar.com greg.gelhar Date: Sat Mar 15, 2014 5:08 pm ((PDT)) Here is a picture. You must remove the crossfeed leadscrew nut to mount and use the taper attachment. http://www.mymachineshop.net/product_p/10061.htm Greg G. Osseo, MN ------- Re: taper attachment photo Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com Date: Sat Mar 15, 2014 8:58 pm ((PDT)) Joe, Instruction sheets for Atlas No. 700, 760 and 6822 are in the Group's Files section. Look in Lathe Accessories. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: taper attachment photo Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Sun Mar 16, 2014 9:03 am ((PDT)) You're welcome. But it isn't actually "my" page. I just take care of them for the Group. As far as being a pain to use, setting it up is pretty straightforward. As is converting back to normal straight turning. Turning a taper is usually not a common requirement. But I know of only two other ways to do it on a manual lathe. (1) rotating the compound around almost parallel to the spindle axis and using the compound feed to traverse the cutter instead of the manual or power carriage drive. Limited to the rather short compound travel and more labor intensive but probably the method of choice for one-off or short-run requirements where it will work. (2) Tailstock set-over and turning the taper between centers. A method that works fine and used to be commonly taught but has several disadvantages. (a) It's pretty much a "cut and try" method, meaning you estimate the required offset setting, make several trial passes, measure the results, and adjust and repeat until the results are close enough. (b) Accuracy of second and subsequent parts depends upon the stock being the same length and the center holes being the same depth. (c) You can't quickly change the taper to zero and make a regular part unless it doesn't require use of the tailstock. (d) Returning to normal operation takes about as much time as setting up for cutting the taper. Robert D. ------- Broken Atlas Compound [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Gary Bauer" garybauer46x~xxyahoo.com Date: Tue Mar 18, 2014 11:03 am ((PDT)) Hello Jim x~xx rosslathes, A broken compound slide on the little 6" atlas 618 and Sears 101 versions is not rare !!! It can happen when the compound is extended a bit too far and the load is high. I've seen some used small compounds very recently on Ebay (search: "Atlas 618 lathe"). There was a great how-to-build article for this compound in the July/ August 2012 Vol 31, number 4 issue of "The Home Shop Machinist" by James Hornicek. Reprint sales: Nancy Whitten (800) 773-7798, nancyx~xxvillagepress.com The author made a new compound slide from brazed steel layers that were then milled to spec. As you mentioned it uses a stud not a T-slot to attach the tool device. The result resembled the MK-II compound. This is a great article of 8 color pages with specs etc. Yes, a mill is needed. Gary in AZ ------- Re: Carriage Part - Nut [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Bob Palank" bobx~xxstlcc.org Date: Wed Mar 19, 2014 8:42 am ((PDT)) Any ideas as to the replacement price / availability on the 9-306 Nut for a Craftsman 101-07403 Lathe. Mine is severely worn – 1/8 inch movement. I think it’s a brass part. Bob ------- Re: Carriage Part - Nut Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org Date: Wed Mar 19, 2014 8:54 am ((PDT)) Searspartsdirect.com wants 90.00 for one. I bet Clausing would have one for $65. There are several used ones on ebay for $30 or so. Scott G. Henion, Stone Mountain, GA Craftsman 12x36 lathe: http://shdesigns.org/Craftsman12x36 Welding pages and homemade welder: http://shdesigns.org/Welding ------- Re: Carriage Part - Nut Posted by: "david" tooldocx~xxcheqnet.net davidhallsten Date: Wed Mar 19, 2014 10:02 am ((PDT)) Maybe a dumb question but how impossible can it be to make one or ten ? Maybe out of derlin (sp) (quite hard and easy to machine) does someone have a detail drawing of one of these ? Doc, your price for a new one is great by the way. I would think a fella with a cnc mill or lathe could spit them out easily, by the hundreds. If they were home made, could the “stem” be silver soldered into it after the threads were cut ? I wish I had a cnc... ------- Re: Carriage Part - Nut Posted by: "David Hair" thehairsx~xxoptilink.us Date: Wed Mar 19, 2014 10:12 am ((PDT)) I have taken a spare piece of acme threads rod and made a tap to thread a piece of derlin and it worked quite well. I think it would also be possible to take a shaft and heat it enough with a hot air gun to thread an undersized hole in a piece of derlin. D. Hair ------- Re: Carriage Part - Nut Posted by: "Doc" n8as1x~xxaol.com docn8as Date: Wed Mar 19, 2014 10:58 am ((PDT)) > I wish I had a cnc... i wish i had enuf digital savvy to use one .....can barely send email!! fwiw...very easy to single point one ..ten TPI ...cut it just like a V thread ONLY w/ acme grind & 29 deg ...check for fit w/ the screw as a gauge .....there is enuf room ..grind a lathe bit w/ an acme point & clearance behind the tip ..or use a 3/8 boring bar w/ an 1/8 bit. abt 15 years ago i cut my first square thread, it was a compound nut for a 15 inch prentice bros lathe ...?/16 X10 square thrd...no problem / room, (actually cut it twice, stupidly cut a RH the first time ..used up my brass & used cast iron for the second one ... really dumb ..kept cutting & cud not figure why it wud not start ..nevr able to FORGET THAT!!!! handbook has parameters & there are acme thrd POINT gages available to grind the bit ......on the square thrd, i set the compound in line w/ lathe center line & ground the bit a tad narrow but went full depth using x slide only ....then i used the compound to add a thou or so to shave the sides, again using the x slide for "straight in" threading, till it "FIT" the screw. it is a "brit" method & i have used it for acme also .....you can use the unworn part of the screw as a gage to grind the bit, advantage here is you do not need to be dead on w/ the flat point (get the angle correct) & by shaving you get the tighter fit than a tap which has tolerances...it IS slower, but SO WHAT ?.....NO RAKE for brass, if you decide to do this, i can supply you the doc & clearances ...just can't remember them any more. best wishes doc ------- Re: Carriage Part - Nut Posted by: cliveadams23x~xxaol.com cliveadams79 Date: Wed Mar 19, 2014 11:39 am ((PDT)) I've done this: http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/threads/43645-Making-Acetal-lead screw-nuts-the-easy-way with Delrin and it works great. I was making nuts for 2 x 12mm ground trapezoidal leadscrew for a CNC router I was building ... Needs a lot more heat than a hot air gun though IME. Clive ------- Re: Carriage Part - Nut Posted by: tooldocx~xxcheqnet.net davidhallsten Date: Wed Mar 19, 2014 5:02 pm ((PDT)) could a nut "insert" be made for the atlas nut that's the subject of this post? bore out the worn nut, squeeze the derlin one onto the shaft like even shows and turn the od to push into the old nut and fix with a couple setscrews? it certainly would be easier to just spend the money and buy new parts but what fun would that be... ? ------- Re: Carriage Part - Nut Posted by: cliveadams23x~xxaol.com cliveadams79 Date: Thu Mar 20, 2014 1:07 am ((PDT)) That would work - but you'd have to watch the wall thickness of the insert. Don't have an original nut to hand without dismantling one of the lathes but IIRC there's not very much 'meat' there in the first place. Having said that, using bought precision ground leadscrew as I did, I can't detect ANY backlash between the nut and screw in mine so IMO it would be well worth trying. I bought a metre length of 25mm OD Delrin for less than Ł10 (what's that - $15 or so in your money?). Heck, if you were closer I'd give you enough Delrin to have a shot at it! ------- Re: Carriage Part - Nut Posted by: "Doc" n8as1x~xxaol.com docn8as Date: Thu Mar 20, 2014 12:44 pm ((PDT)) Be more fun to bore & single point the 12x10 acme thread in a new piece of brass.......just as simple as a vthread, just different parameters... use a 3/8 boring bar w/ 18 bit or grind the bit from a lathe bit grinding clearance behind the point ..use the unworn part of the screw as a gage to grind the point ..then take cuts till it fits the unworn section ......will be b/lash when using the worn part unless you take a cleanup cut on the feed screw eliminating the uneven wear,( recommended) .....been there ! best wishes doc ------- Belts 101.07403,27430/40 [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Wed Apr 2, 2014 7:11 am ((PDT)) Does anyone have the original industry standard (not Atlas part number) belt numbers (preferably off of an original belt) for the subject 12" machines? Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Belts 101.07403,27430/40 Posted by: peacehelotesx~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Wed Apr 2, 2014 4:29 pm ((PDT)) I use standard v-belts on my 101.27440. The belt from the motor to countershaft is a Dayco 15335 and the one from the countershaft to the spindle is Dayco 15315. They fit and do quite well. BP ------- Re: Belts 101.07403,27430/40 Posted by: auag85201x~xxyahoo.com Date: Thu Apr 3, 2014 4:49 pm ((PDT)) on mine the belt from counter shaft to spindle is dayco 4l330 ------- Replacement for gibs screws on compound [atlas)_craftsman] Posted by: mark2382x~xxhotmail.com markjohanhatch Date: Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:50 pm ((PDT)) Hi, I have a 10" Atlas an one of the gib screws on the compound needs to be replaced. I assume the answer is McMasterCarr? Anybody have the specific part numbers handy (looks like two lengths). Thanks Mark ------- Re: Replacement for gibs screws on compound Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org shdesigns2003 Date: Thu Apr 17, 2014 10:15 pm ((PDT)) I replaced mine with 10-32 allen head cap screws cut to length. I had them already. Otherwise I would have ordered 10-32 set screws. They are much easier to adjust than the slotted set screws. Scott G. Henion, Stone Mountain, GA Craftsman 12x36 lathe: http://shdesigns.org/Craftsman12x36 Welding pages and homemade welder: http://shdesigns.org/Welding ------- Re: Replacement for gibs screws on compound Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Fri Apr 18, 2014 9:22 pm ((PDT)) The gib adjust screws should be dog point (technically half-dog point). These have the largest initial surface contact area of any tip type and cause the least wear to the gibs. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- help restoring spindle parts [atlas618lathe] Posted by: "JM" jmdarlax~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri May 2, 2014 10:37 am ((PDT)) I'm restoring an atlas-craftsman 618, unknown model # (id plate missing). I've gotten the spindle out, and notice two odd pieces, like washers, between the back gear and the dust cover. This would be toward the right side of the spindle. The exploded diagrams I have seen don't show anything in that space. Was mine put in as a spacer? For some other function? On top of that, they appear to be broken, 10% or so missing in a ragged way. Has anyone seen this kind of thing, or have ideas? - Thanks. ------- Re: help restoring spindle parts Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Fri May 2, 2014 11:21 am ((PDT)) jmdarla, There shouldn't be anything on the spindle in the space between the bull gear and the dust cover. I've no idea why anyone would put anything there. They can't function as spacers as the dust cover doesn't spin. Robert D. ------- Re: help restoring spindle parts Posted by: youngberg.brianx~xxyahoo.com Date: Sat May 3, 2014 11:27 pm ((PDT)) I think what you’re asking about is the fiber washers that serve as oil seals on the back gear. They are very thin, get brittle with age, fall apart, and are often missing from old lathes. If this is your issue don’t worry, they’re not absolutely necessary. Just be sure to keep your back gear well oiled. ------- 14703 Tumbler Question: [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: johndhenleyx~xxbellsouth.net Date: Fri May 30, 2014 5:48 am ((PDT)) My new lathe has two different size gears on the tumbler. One is 20t and the other is 24t. This makes it feed at different rates in forward and reverse drive. Is this normal? What size are the tumbler gears supposed to be? Thanks, JD ------- Re: 14703 Tumbler Question: [1 Attachment] Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org Date: Fri May 30, 2014 5:57 am ((PDT)) It is normal. The feed rates are the same both ways. You can have any size gear on them and the feed rate will be the same. They work as idler gears. Think of it, you move the spindle gear 1 tooth and the stud gear will move 1 tooth regardless of the size of the gear or the number of gears. The same thing happens in some of the change gear setups. Often gears are used as idlers to extend the length of the gear train. Any size gear can be used. Only when you have 2 gears on one shaft [one driver and one driven in a gear train] do the sizes matter. Scott G. Henion, Stone Mountain, GA Craftsman 12x36 lathe: http://shdesigns.org/Craftsman12x36 Welding pages and homemade welder: http://shdesigns.org/Welding ------- Re: 14703 Tumbler Question: Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org Date: Fri May 30, 2014 8:35 am ((PDT)) On 5/30/2014 11:29 AM, johndhenleyx~xxbellsouth.net [atlas_craftsman] wrote: > I don't see it your way. The spindle drives thru one of the > tumblers. If it is driving thru a 20, it will drive the next gear > slower (less revs) than if it is driving thru a 24. The driven gear > is not an idler, it is driving the next gear. This will follow through > the whole entire gear chain. Correct me if I'm wrong. They are idler gears. You can put 10 gears in series, all different sizes. Move the first one tooth and the last will turn one tooth. Each gear will turn at different speeds though. Only the ratio of the first and last gear matter. The stud gear is 32 tooth and the spindle is 32 tooth. Turn the spindle 1 turn in both positions and you will see the stud gear turn 1 turn also. Scott G. Henion, Stone Mountain, GA ------- Re: 14703 Tumbler Question: [1 Attachment] Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Fri May 30, 2014 8:53 am ((PDT)) The choice of gear tooth count on the tumbler was driven by geometry (what diameter gears were required if the tumbler was to move up and down the same distance when switching from Neutral to Forward or Reverse. It can be hard to get your mind around it, but as Scott wrote, so long as they are all in the same plane, the size of the first and last gears is all that matters. If you have say a 32T driving a 64T, you have a speed reduction of 2:1. 32/64 = 0.50. If you put a 16T between them, you have 32/16 = 2.0 to the 16T gear. Then you have 16/64 = 0.250 from the 16T to the 64T. So from the 32T to the 64T you have 32/16 * 16/64 which is 2.0 * 0.250 = 0.50 which is the same as without the 16T interposed. However, if the 32T and the 64T were in different planes, to connect them together the intermediate gear has to be two gears stacked and tied together on a common axle (this is commonly called a Compound Gear whereas intermediate gears in the same plane as the driving and driven gear are called Idlers). If in the previous example the 32T and the 16T are in the Back position and the 64T in the Front position and you stack a 24T gear in the Front position on the 16T and driving the 64T, you have 32/16 * 24/16 * 24/64 = 2.0 * 1.50 * 0.375 = 1.125. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Home-built 618 Steadyrest [atlas618lathe] Posted by: "Gary Bauer" garybauer46x~xxyahoo.com Date: Thu Jun 19, 2014 3:21 pm ((PDT)) Here are a couple pictures of my Atlas 618 lathe home-built steadyrest. It measures 8" by 8" over-all and 4" by 5" for the main center section with a 1.5" bottom flange. The fingers are 1/2-20 unf threaded rod with lug nut knobs. Ford chrome lug nuts would have been easier to use if they were to be had. So I bored-out some 12mm lug nuts and attached them w/ J-B Weld. The tips of those fingers use 1/4" button head brass rivets as bearings (not pictured yet). The fingers are attached to the frame by 1/2-20 unf threaded rod connectors welded to the frame plate. The center hole measures 1.625" diameter. In all I believe that I have about $15.oo invested in hardware. The main angle plate I had laying on the patio for a few years. A chop saw did much of the steel carving and shaping. A small Harbor Freight drill-mill did some carving too. The 1.625" hole was bored on my 12x36" Atlas lathe using a 4-jaw chuck to hold the plate. The gray Rustoleum paint was left-over from painting my 618 Atlas lathe. The reason for scratch-building this steadyrest is the extreme pricing of the OEM ones on E-bay. It took almost half the month of June to make this cat's paw style steadyrest with welding help from my nephew Dan. Thanks Dan. Next to build will be a follower rest for the Atlas 618 lathe and then a special 4-way combo tool block for my 12x36 Atlas. I don't care for the lantern type tool posts. Gary in AZ 2 of 2 Photo(s) https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/atlas618lathe/att achments/1871925543 Atlas Steadyrest.jpg 618 Steady Rest A ------- 10d-308 crank size? [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: danial.swaffordx~xxyahoo.com Date: Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:00 pm ((PDT)) Hey everyone, my question is what is the size of these cranks? The 10d-308 and l2-61. The reason I ask is because the cheapest i have seen is $50! That is ridiculous in my opinion. Any other options would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Dan ------- Re: 10d-308 crank size? Posted by: "brokenwrench1 ." brokenwrenchx~xxgmail.com Date: Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:41 pm ((PDT)) I had made them. I reused the center of the broken ones and turned them to a set diameter on a mandrel I made from a bolt between centers. I then took a piece of stock large enough to drill a hole large enough to press the old part into the hole. I turn the rest of the new crank handle to the features I want. I drill the holes in the end for the crankpins. I then cross drill in the middle and thread for allen head set screws. I insert the reused center and drill shallow holes from both sides so the allen screws nest and hold the center. The other way is to drill a hole all the way through the assembled parts after they are installed on the shaft and drill them for a roll pin. I have built these for my 618, my 1224, and my 1236 lathes. They are nice afternoon projects. ------- Re: 10d-308 crank size? Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org Date: Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:47 pm ((PDT)) The bore is 3/8 with a 1/8 keyway. Mine are broken. One I TIGed back together, the other is a 2" disc with a handle bolted through it. I plan on getting standard handles from somewhere like Enco or Amazon but having to buy the wheel type and the revolving handle separately plus shipping comes to near $50 ea. The other thing is most seem to be metric and few have the keyway. I cut the keyway on mine using a jig saw and some filing. You can also use a custom ground tool as a broach, but takes a lot of passes. Scott G. Henion, Stone Mountain, GA Craftsman 12x36 lathe: http://shdesigns.org/Craftsman12x36 Welding pages and homemade welder: http://shdesigns.org/Welding ------- Re: Drawings of steady and follower rests [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: brogers9941x~xxsbcglobal.net rogers92026 Date: Mon Jul 21, 2014 9:13 am ((PDT)) Chris, when I wanted a steady rest for my Atlas 12 x 36, I called up Harbor Freight Technical support. I told them that I needed the steady rest for their HF 12 x 36. It was a few years ago, but I recall that the price was incredibly cheap. Like under $35. After about 6 or 8 weeks, a heavy box showed up at my door. In my case, I had to remove a little metal from the base. Perhaps 0.300 inches. I used a mill. Cast iron machines easily. I had previously gone to one of their stores and measured one of their store room models. So I knew in advance that it would work with my Atlas and knew what I had to do. The HF lathe has one flat way and one angled way. Removing that small amount of material essentially changed it to two flat ways (one with a little notch in it). I also needed to mill off a little material from the foot. The whole project took me about an hour or two (but I was slow and took my time). I ended up with a really nice looking and very functional cast iron two-piece steady with brass tipped adjustable fingers. It might be worth a phone call to their tech support to get a price on that part. It would be best to know the model number of the HF lathe for which you'd be buying the steady. At the time that I did this the pricing for the steady was really inexpensive. I uploaded a photo of the HF steady that I modified for my 12 x 36. It's in a new folder called HF Steady rest. It is a nice design and required only minimal modification. ------- bushing L3-71A. [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Bruce ." freemab222x~xxgmail.com bakmthiscl Date: Mon Aug 25, 2014 8:12 pm ((PDT)) FWIW, I ordered the missing bushing L3-71A for my 10" lathe F/R tumbler gear. The part that arrived is plastic! I have no reason to think it won't work fine, but it was a surprise. Bruce NJ ------- Re: bushing L3-71A. Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Mon Aug 25, 2014 9:00 pm ((PDT)) I'm not really surprised. Atlas (Clausing) begain shifting to plastics for certain parts as early as 1970 or 1975. The only problem with plastic bushings is that they are much easier to damage during installation than the brass or steel ones. With any press fit plastic bushing, you need to use a good arbor press and a proper bushing installer tool. Fortunately, any of us with a lathe that runs can easily make the tool in a few minutes out of a piece of solid round stock. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: bushing L3-71A. Posted by: "Charlie Gallo" Charliex~xxTheGallos.com charlie11364 Date: Mon Aug 25, 2014 9:03 pm ((PDT)) Depending on the plastic, could be a VERY good thing. I forgot where/exactly when (couple of years ago) I was talking to someone RE plastic bushings/bearings. He was saying that BMW had replaced one of the roller bearings in one of their transmissions with a plastic bushing, and had more than tripled the MBTF, and really reduced the cost of making the transmission as the machining was easier, even if the materials were MORE expensive (Price some Vespel or Torlon someday -a 1.25" vespel SP-21 rod will run you a mere $75 and INCH. Torlon is relatively cheap - the 1.5" stock is only about $36/inch) Charlie www.baysidephoto.com www.thegallos.com ------- Compound Rest Assembly Handle Nut [atlas618lathe] Posted by: davescustomcampersx~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Aug 29, 2014 7:22 am ((PDT)) Does anyone know what type of nut this is? It's the rounded one on the outside of the handle with two slots on either side. I would like to find one on the internet and a tool for installing it. Dave ------- Re: Compound Rest Assembly Handle Nut Posted by: "David Beierl" dbeierlx~xxattglobal.net dgbeierl Date: Fri Aug 29, 2014 6:07 pm ((PDT)) Dave, here are photos of makeshift pin wrenches you can make from 1/16" thick washers to work those nuts. https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/atlas618lathe/attachments/1771673145 Yours, David Beierl ------- Re: Compound Rest Assembly Handle Nut Posted by: "David Beierl" dbeierlx~xxattglobal.net Date: Mon Sep 1, 2014 8:28 pm ((PDT)) It's 1/4-20 -- I just made one from a regular hex nut. P-mail me your address and you may have your choice of the original in the photo or the one I just made. If you don't care which then take the new one, as I've already put the other back on the lathe. Regards, David Beierl ------- Typical Worn Parts.. Buy New, Used..Where? [atlas618lathe] Posted by: jgant01x~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Tue Sep 2, 2014 7:21 pm ((PDT)) I’ve had my Craftsman Lathe, model 101-21200, for about a year and have used it making various items I’ve needed around the shop. The lathe was in pretty good shape when I acquired it. It came with a little bit of tooling, 3 and 4 jaw chuck, all the threading gears, etc. I’ve since added a QCTP, new drill chuck and a few other items. I am not a machinist..no training, no nothing, what I’ve learned has been by experimentation, good friends and what I’ve found on this site. It’s come to the time that I need to work on the amount of play that came with the lathe. Today I removed the carriage (147-002), the gear case (M6-11X), half nut assembly (M6-112AX) and cleaned up. I have a lot of play in the gearcase assembly (M6-11X), or more than I think should be in it. The handwheel and pinion assembly (3950-20) has quite a bit of slop in it. In order to keep it somewhat snug, as I’ve used it, I’ve had to snug up the bolt (106321-top right side of carriage). I also have play in the lower compound rest (M6-301) but I believe I can fix that by replacing that the nut(M6-19A). My question to y'all is …how much play is allowable before I need to replace parts. How can I tell if I need to replace the handwheel shaft or the complete carriage or the complete gearcase? Which parts are the most prone to wear out? I see all the new and mostly used parts on ebay. How can one tell if the parts you’re buying on ebay aren’t worn as much as the ones you already have? To my way of thinking, it would be better to buy new parts if they are available. Is there a supplier for new parts (Sears?) I have more questions on making a taper jig for this lathe but I’ll hold off till I get this problem solved. Open to all suggestions!! Thanks in advance. Sorry I listed all the part numbers but some items I didn’t know what to call them. Jerry ------- Re: Typical Worn Parts.. Buy New, Used..Where? Posted by: n1ltvx~xxyahoo.com n1ltv Date: Tue Sep 2, 2014 8:16 pm ((PDT)) Jerry, Welcome to the group! Please **don't apologize for using part numbers**. Sometimes it's a good idea to do that EVEN if you do know the part names. Others may not know the names, and with some parts it really helps to be unambiguous about what you're talking about, and using part numbers is the best way to accomplish that goal. I wish many times that posters would use parts numbers. Helps prevent misunderstandings before they even develop, promotes better, accurate answers, makes it unnecessary to do reposts, and just makes things all around easier. Hank ------- Re: Typical Worn Parts.. Buy New, Used..Where? Posted by: "Mark Gerard" migueldeservantesysaavedrax~xxyahoo.com Date: Tue Sep 2, 2014 9:03 pm ((PDT)) I wouldn't consider to change any other part beside the bushing for the hand wheel shaft gear, because from my point of view new part wouldn't make any kind of a difference! You can adjust the ways and reduce the play, but no good reason to throw your money, at something that in reality won't make any difference. ------- Re: Typical Worn Parts.. Buy New, Used..Where? Posted by: "David Beierl" dbeierlx~xxattglobal.net Date: Tue Sep 2, 2014 11:40 pm ((PDT)) It sounds as though what you're mostly talking about is backlash in the feedscrews and slop in the carriage handwheel -- these are cosmetic issues that don't affect the accuracy of the lathe, so it's your judgment that matters about what you're willing to live with. When my grandfather's 618 came to me there was 15+ thou of backlash in the cross slide feed which bothered me, so I bought a new M6-19A nut from Clausing - except that they're now at the -B version, I think, which meant that I had to replace the feedscrew as well. And I'm sorry to say that Clausing did a lousy job on the finish of the screw they sold me (and I didn't send it back as I should have) so now I've got gold dust coming off the nut and more backlash than before; and am thinking of putting the old parts back in. The half nuts were rather worn and replacing them entailed also replacing the guide as the half nuts had been noticeably beefed up. I'm very happy with that replacement as they engage more crisply but truthfully the old ones would still have worked for some time. My carriage traverse gears are also quite sloppy but they're still doing the job. I try to keep them oiled and remember that I'm no doubt stronger than they are. Using the power feed doesn't involve those gears so I use it for heavy cuts. Sooner or later something there will break. In general for wear parts like that I suspect you're best off getting new ones from Clausing when possible. I'm sure the crappy feedscrew they sold me isn't representative. You may be able to compensate for wear in the mating surfaces of bed and carriage by removing one or more leaves in the laminated shims between the upper and lower parts of the carriage. However the wear is probably uneven so if you make it perfect on the more worn part you won't be able to move the carriage to the ends of the bed. Best you can do without having the bed reground. Using "real" way oil like Mobil Vactra #2 on the ways and carriage slides will let you keep the gibs and carriage clearances tighter while still operating easily; and don't forget when cleaning and oiling the bed that the underside needs oiling too. My compound slide assembly didn't fully seat down on the spigot because of a casting clearance problem which two previous generations hadn't discovered. Grinding that away made the compound noticeably stiffer against rocking (it's still pretty flexible, these aren't heavy lathes by any means). You probably haven't got that trouble, but I'm here to say it happened at least once. If the leadscrew has been used to any extent it's probably preferentially worn in a similar area to where the bed gets worn. Even wear on the leadscrew won't affect screw-cutting accuracy but the transition from more- to less-worn areas will; something to keep in mind when making a long thread. Yours, David Beierl ------- Re: Typical Worn Parts.. Buy New, Used..Where? Posted by: jgant01x~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Wed Sep 3, 2014 8:23 pm ((PDT)) Thanks for the replies. All quite helpful but a few more questions. My gearcase assembly (M6-11X) seems to be worn the worst. A lot of side to side, front to back play in the whole assembly. If I were to see and hold a new gearcase assembly, how tight would the new assembly be? I saw a NOS one listed FS on ebay at $110. I noticed the ebay one was shown in three pieces..large gear, small gear w/shaft and the gearcase itself. My old assembly doesn't seem to be able to separate into those three pieces. Any idea what holds the new assembly together? Press it? Someone mentioned something about a bushing in the carriage(147-002) where the Handwheel & Handle(3950-20) assembly went. My carriage has no bushing, just steel. I don't see one listed in my parts breakdown. Could a bushing be made to fit in the hold for the handwheel shaft? Or is that just overkill? Someone also mentioned about buying new parts from Clausing. Does anyone have a number and contact person for Clausing? I did look at the Clausing site but didn't find anything about Craftsman/Atlas parts being available. I checked Sears Parts also...WOW Sears is mighty proud of their parts!! I appreciate everyone's time and expertise. Thanks Jerry ------- Re: Typical Worn Parts.. Buy New, Used..Where? Posted by: garybauer46x~xxyahoo.com garybauer46 Date: Wed Sep 3, 2014 10:09 pm ((PDT)) Hello Jerry, On my 618 Atlas the traverse gear case (p/n M6-11) was broken into chunks as received. Fortunately all the chunks were there so I could get the crucial tollerances. I made a new gear block from a 3/4" square by 2.5" long piece of steel square stock. Careful milling and drilling was required to insure proper gear lash. Some brass tubing was used as bearing material. No locator pins were used and the rack gear lash was thus adjustable in the slotted mounting holes. The typical $100+ for the zamak case was more than I could stomach. Gary in AZ ------- Re: Typical Worn Parts.. Buy New, Used..Where? Posted by: "Gary Bauer" garybauer46x~xxyahoo.com Date: Thu Sep 4, 2014 4:00 am ((PDT)) Forgot to mention... the gears do separate as they are pressed-fitted together with a bit of peening to retain them. Keep in mind that the carriage hand wheel is not a precision feed device. Some enthusiasts add a small hand crank to the right end of the lead screw to manually operate it. Gear drive is then disconnected. That mod is popular in the UK. The Clausing Service Center: 800-535-6553 (in Michigan). Gary in AZ ------- Re: Digest Number 2117 [atlas618lathe] Posted by: "Jerry Gant" jgant01x~xxsbcglobal.net Date: Thu Sep 4, 2014 6:52 am ((PDT)) Gary, That's a great idea on making your own part and I may try that. Did you use your original gears? My gears look to be in pretty good shape. How are the original gears separated? By press? I thought the price tag for the gear case assembly high as well. eBay was $110 and Sears was $187. Jerry ------- Re: Digest Number 2117 Posted by: garybauer46x~xxyahoo.com garybauer46 Date: Thu Sep 4, 2014 11:24 am ((PDT)) Hello Jerry, Yes, I salvaged and used the original gears by pressing them apart. A mill-drill bench machine works very well for this project. Brass tube bearings were from hobbyshop tubing, the thin wall stuff. Sorry, I don't have any drawings, specs, or pictures. I used the broken zamak chunks for the needed specs. Gary in AZ ------- Re: Digest Number 2117 Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Thu Sep 4, 2014 5:09 pm ((PDT)) I don't know why Sears prices are usually so high compared to Clausing. The may arbitrarily increase the price each year by the supposed inflation rate. eBay prices (those that are Fixed Price, not an auction) are often pegged to Clausing's current list price. With Clausing, they don't seem in general to have increased the price every year on something they had in stock from the previous year. I bought the last 12" follow rest they had for slightly over $60. I was told that they weren't going to re-stock it. If they did, at today's labor rates I would expect the price to at least triple, if not more. If you price something and think that the price is "reasonable" it's probably because it was made 20 or more years ago. If you price something like the gear casing casting and think it's ridiculously expensive, it's because that less their markup is what it cost them to make it. It's nice that Clausing still support these old machines. But we can't expect them to subsidize that support. They'd soon get fired and then there would be no support. Robert Downs - Houston ------- Lead Screw Bearing 10F-16 Failure Load [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: hermana_callx~xxyahoo.com Date: Wed Sep 10, 2014 11:53 am ((PDT)) Does anyone know at what load the 10F-16 bearing block is supposed to fail at? I understand that it is supposed to be a force limiting feature. I need to replace mine but would like to replace it with one that is cheap and that fails. The ones from clausing are > $100 (more than I bought the lathe for) and the ones from ebay are too beefy to ever fail. I think that one could build a cheap replacement using two Self- Lubricating Stamped Steel Base-Mounted Bronze Bearings (McMaster Part 3813T2) and a 3/8" aluminum spacer. If you wanted it to break you would use a PCB FR-2 substrate to mount it to and have it fracture at predetermined load. If only I knew what that load was. Or even a reasonable guess. Altogether you would be looking at about $10 in parts and a $.50 replaceable fuse. ------- Re: Lead Screw Bearing 10F-16 Failure Load Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Wed Sep 10, 2014 3:09 pm ((PDT)) I thought that you had a 3996. I have never personally bought into the theory that the cast lead screw bearings were designed to break. It's been repeated so many times that most believe it. But no one ever quotes a hard source. Anyway, the only published information on the subject that I know of is the slip setting on the lead screw slip clutch found on the late model 12", which you will find in the third version QCGB manual. The Craftsman model number is 101.201451. A PDF of that manual is in Files. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Lead Screw Bearing 10F-16 Failure Load Posted by: "Charles" xlch58x~xxswbell.net Date: Wed Sep 10, 2014 4:02 pm ((PDT)) I thought the same as you Robert. It seems like a pretty stupid way to do it, but I did in fact find it in the manual. On this version found online it is on page 23 of the manual, (page 20 when looking at the images) http://www.scribd.com/doc/80722900/Metalworking-Engineering-Atlas-Man ual-of-Lathe-Operation-and-Machinists-Tables It reads: "The lead screw bearing on the tail end of the lathe serves as a safety valve, protecting the lead screw. One of the most common accidents on the lathe is letting the power feed drive the carriage into the headstock or tailstock. Serious and expensive results from such an accident are prevented by the light construction of this bearing" Charles ------- Re: Lead Screw Bearing 10F-16 Failure Load Posted by: "perry7122" perry7122x~xxbellsouth.net Date: Wed Sep 10, 2014 5:18 pm ((PDT)) I found that it will break if you don't keep it oiled. ------- Re: Lead Screw Bearing 10F-16 Failure Load Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Wed Sep 10, 2014 5:20 pm ((PDT)) Charles, OK. I sit corrected (my arthritis is acting up and if I stand corrected, it hurts). Guess that I never felt I needed to read those pages. :-) Of course, the proper solution is to avoid crashes. However (to hermana_call), take the slip clutch torque and treat the lead screw and half nuts as a screw jack and assuming zero friction losses, calculate the axial thrust with that torque applied. Robert Downs - Houston ------- Re: Lead Screw Bearing 10F-16 Failure Load Posted by: "Charles" xlch58x~xxswbell.net Date: Wed Sep 10, 2014 6:34 pm ((PDT)) Crashes happen. But I tend to think that the rationale for the flimsy bearing originated in the Returns department or Marketing, not Engineering. Without it the stub bearing and reversing gears would be the next to go. It is super simple to turn a couple of grooves in a quarter inch brass pin right at the lead screw circumference making it a thirty cent shear pin that can be made by the user and replaced in less time than replacing the right side bearing hanger. No one can convince me that an engineer would not have done that first before modifying a bracket design, if for no other reason than the math is easier. Charles ------- Re: Lead Screw Bearing 10F-16 Failure Load Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Wed Sep 10, 2014 9:01 pm ((PDT)) Most crashes happen because of excessive operator head space. I agree that the idea probably came from Sales, not Engineering. However, regardless of who made the decision to make a "light construction" lead screw bearing, it was made in 1931 for the first 9". The same bearing was used up though the 10D and is mentioned in the first version (there were five versions) of the "Copyright 1937" Atlas MOLO which covers the 10D. I agree that a shear pin would have been cheaper, simpler and more reliable. Robert Downs - Houston ------- Re: Lead Screw Bearing 10F-16 Failure Load Posted by: "Glenn N" glennsneffx~xxgmail.com sleykin Date: Thu Sep 11, 2014 12:15 pm ((PDT)) I built a clutch for my lead screw. Looks and functions just like the clutch on the newer lathes. I set the breakaway point with a torque wrench instead of the weight and lever arm they show in the book. Glenn -- Medford Oregon ------- Re: Lead Screw Bearing 10F-16 Failure Load Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Thu Sep 11, 2014 2:12 pm ((PDT)) Glenn, That is a project that other members might be interested in. Do you have drawings? I actually have a loose clutch (spare) but am not sure of some of the materials used. Robert & Susan Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Lead Screw Bearing 10F-16 Failure Load Posted by: "Glenn N" glennsneffx~xxgmail.com sleykin Date: Thu Sep 11, 2014 2:46 pm ((PDT)) No drawings involved. I just copied the one in the parts breakdown and made it all fit the fiber washer I found in the junk drawer. It has saved me several broken parts over the years since I built it. The main advantage is that it will slip in either direction unlike the "breakaway" bearing. I put pictures up when I built it but that was about 10 years ago I think. Glenn ------- Lead screw movement [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Dave Pinella" dpinellax~xxcinci.rr.com aerologic_psw Date: Wed Oct 1, 2014 3:01 pm ((PDT)) Ok. I admit I have not used my TH42 much as compared to my Taig CNC mill that I got just after the Atlas. So I have a little turning to do. I notice that if I grab the lead screw, I can move it left and right maybe a half an inch. This doesn't seem right. Is it? On the far far right side is a thickish washer with a small pin in it that fits in the slot. This "washer" is easily removable... Is this right? It's not really doing anything. Sorry for the simpleton question. :( Dave P ------- Re: Lead screw movement Posted by: "Dave Pinella" dpinellax~xxcinci.rr.com aerologic_psw Date: Wed Oct 1, 2014 3:25 pm ((PDT)) Looks like I'm missing the conelock nut. Is that something special? Just a 1/2-20 nut? What is conelock???? Thanks! Dave P ------- Re: Lead screw movement Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org shdesigns2003 Date: Wed Oct 1, 2014 3:44 pm ((PDT)) There should be two nuts. They are thin, about 3/16". One holds the shaft, the second as a lock nut. Something like a nylock nut would probably work just as well. Scott G. Henion, Stone Mountain, GA Craftsman 12x36 lathe: http://shdesigns.org/Craftsman12x36 Welding pages and homemade welder: http://shdesigns.org/Welding ------- Re: Lead screw movement Posted by: "Dave Pinella" dpinellax~xxcinci.rr.com aerologic_psw Date: Wed Oct 1, 2014 4:28 pm ((PDT)) I guess those are jam nuts, the thin ones. The parts list just shows one but I agree, just some sort of lock nut. I'll get whatever Lowes or Sears has, 2 jam nuts or some sort of lock nut. Thanks! Dave P ------- Re: Lead screw movement Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Wed Oct 1, 2014 9:13 pm ((PDT)) Dave, A cone lock nut is an all-metal lock nut, usually thinner than a nylon locking nut. You should be able to temporarily get by with two thin pattern jam nuts. The only place that I can think of that might have them for sale one at a time would be Ace Hardware. Maybe. Otherwise, you are looking at having to buy either 10 or 25 of them if you get them from a supplier like McMaster. However, you can make two of them fairly easily. As you won't have to use the carriage feed to do so, you could safely make them on your lathe. I think that the thread on the end of the lead screw is 1/2"-20 UNF. Get a short piece of 1/2"-20 all-thread and about half a dozen regular hex nuts. Run the nuts onto the all-thread and tighten all of them against or nearly against each other but with the flats lined up. Put the stick into your 3-jaw chuck with the nut on the end not quite in the jaws. Tighten this one firmly against the first one in the jaws. Face it down to a thickness of about one-half of the amount of lead screw threads sticking out past the keyed washer. Chamfer the faced side to more or less match the other side. Repeat for the second one. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: 12" lathe carriage [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Wed Oct 15, 2014 8:33 am ((PDT)) In a message dated 10/13/2014, atlas_craftsmanx~xxyahoogroups.com writes: > am refurbishing the carriage on my 3996and have questions/observations. > do the wiper oilers for the ends of the carriage need to be redone and > how? Yes, both rubber and felt. I have seen (actually bought) the felt parts on eBay, along with a squeeze bottle of way oil (came with two sets of way felts), but haven't found the rubber wipers. The felts probably ought to be changed every five or ten years. Likewise the felt plugs in the spindle bearing oilers. You can, of course, make the felts and wipers. But by the time that you buy a minimum order of low density felt sheet, and a sheet of several grades of "rubber" and experiment, you probably won't save anything, and both parts are a bit of bother to make accurately. I bought one of the oil and felt kits off of eBay and two sets of felts and wipers from Clausing and am probably set for life. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- 10" atlas [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: mrfixitatx~xxyahoo.com mrfixitat Date: Mon Nov 3, 2014 5:16 pm ((PST)) Hi, I'm looking for a cross feed gib that is about 5&1/2" long, will pay reasonable price and shipping. I can't seem to find the one that came with the cross feed. All help will be appreciated. thank you Jack ------- Re: 10" atlas Posted by: jerdalx~xxsbcglobal.net jtiers Date: Mon Nov 3, 2014 7:21 pm ((PST)) It is pretty easy to MAKE a standard gib of that type.... one can just use a strip of ordinary cold rolled steel, putting in screw pockets, and bevelling the edges to fit. An hour's work at most. Jerry ------- Atlas 10" Back gear question [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: bobyouhx~xxgmail.com byouhx~xxbellsouth.net Date: Mon Nov 3, 2014 10:54 am ((PST)) See pic's attached. The Atlas parts list shows a washer between the large back gear and the bushing. I do not see this washer on my back gear and as far as I know it has never been disassembled. Is this washer not used on some of the back gear assemblies? I am trying to decide if I need to knock the pins out and disassemble my back bear and install one I really don't want to if not necessary. My lathe is a 10" TH-42 Vintage 1951 Thanks, Bob ------- Re: Atlas 10" Back gear question Posted by: jwreyx~xxusa.net mondosmetals Date: Wed Nov 5, 2014 4:54 pm ((PST)) That washer is a thrust washer intended to take up space, limit axial motion of the shaft, and be a sacrificial wear surface. I can't decipher the model numbers at the top of the drawing so I can't say exactly what models (as I know them) on which this part is used. I have a very early Craftsman 12". Where I needed thrust washers on the countershaft I used Oilite washers choosing the required thickness to fill the small gaps. If your countershaft can shift from end-to-end, or if you have a pulley of collar snugged up against the iron bracket on one side or the other, I would suggest re-aligning the pulleys so there is a small gap at the iron bracket and fill that with a thin fiber or Oiliie washer to take the wear. raymond ------- Re: Atlas 10" Back gear question Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Wed Nov 5, 2014 8:59 pm ((PST)) According to the various parts list, 10-255 is used on all 10" and all 12" that have external back gears. This would exclude 10E and 101.07360 through 101.07363. The 10F parts list calls for one 10-255, as do those for 101.07382 and 101.07383. The 101.07403, 101.27430 and 101-27440 parts lists call for one 10-255B. Without commenting on the differences between 10-255, 10-255A and 10-255B, I think that this is wrong. There should be a second one between small Back Gear 10-244 and Collar 10-253. The model numbers in the top left corner of the drawing don't compute for me, either. Three I have never seen before and two are 618, which uses M6-255, not 10-255. I think that using Oilite thrust washers is an excellent suggestion. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Belt Size and Source [atlas618lathe] Posted by: "Dave Leddon" davex~xxleddon.net dave_leddon Date: Thu Nov 6, 2014 11:27 am ((PST)) I have an Atlas Craftsman model 101.21200 for which I would like to buy a spare belt. The belt measures: Width 0.25 Height 0.2 Circle 28.5 McMaster doesn't seem to stock a belt that would match these dimensions so I'm looking for alternative sources, other than Sears, of course. Thanks, Dave ------- Re: Belt Size and Source Posted by: "Dan Buchanan" db45acpx~xxyahoo.com db45acp Date: Thu Nov 6, 2014 12:15 pm ((PST)) Dave, I also have a MK2 and I use a Gates 7261. It is 1/4" x 26-1/2". Metric would be 6mm x 665mm. If you have a standard setup for the lathe, there should be enough adjustment for it to work. It is a common belt for automotive use so auto parts stores should have them. Lat time I bought a couple 7 or 8 years ago they were less than $8.00 each.First one still running with moderate use looks like new. Spare still in the drawer with all those numbers, above. Good luck, Dan in Nevada ------- Countershaft bearings - felt washers [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: kbx~xxmuziker.org kbjorling Date: Wed Nov 12, 2014 5:22 pm ((PST)) When cleaning and setting up my new friend (Atlas 10F) I took apart the whole countershaft assembly. There was lots of caked up crud in all the tight corners, some of it pretty hardened, so that some real scraping was necessary, and this was much more easily accomplished with the parts separated. I noticed the ring-like washers that are set into the flat ends of the two large cast pieces ("races") that house the roller bearings. Should I replace those - the washers, that is? I went ahead and bought a set of new ones (they weren't expensive) but before I go ahead and replace them I thought that maybe this is one of those thing that you don't mess with unless it messes with you. The old ones turn rather easily within the channels they sit in. It's easy to remove them - I vaguely recall that one or two of them wanted to fall out on their own when I had those parts separated. I now know that they're felt, but that certainly wasn't obvious to me when I was in contact with the old ones - they were pretty hard and very black. I didn't handle them much, not wanting to let any dirt or grit get on them or into their grooves, and I didn't try to flex them, thinking that they might be some kind of rubber that had become brittle with age. (Had I handled them more perhaps it would have been obvious that they are felt.) They definitely did not sit high in their channels - the exposed surface was barely flush with the adjacent surface, possibly slightly recessed. I would think that they should slightly overfill their cavities and retain at least a bit of "give". But most of you know more about this than I, so maybe there is some helpful advice out there? Kurt B ------- Re: Countershaft bearings - felt washers Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Wed Nov 12, 2014 9:17 pm ((PST)) Kurt, If you have the replacements, replace them. If they break while removing them, you will know that they definitely needed replacing. If they don't, I still would not keep them as "spares". Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Countershaft bearings - felt washers Posted by: bobyouhx~xxgmail.com byouhx~xxbellsouth.net Date: Thu Nov 13, 2014 1:06 am ((PST)) Clausing has them kind of expensive for pieces of felt, mine were hard as a rock. I was going to make my own but did not have the specs's. Perhaps now that I have them when I get a chance I'll take some measurements and pictures and post back here so others can make their own. Bob 10" Atlas TH-42 Photo(s) https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/atlas_craftsman/attachments/837717012 Countershaft felt washer invoice.jpg ------- Re: Countershaft bearings - felt washers Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Fri Nov 14, 2014 9:13 am ((PST)) 11/13/2014 writes: > While we are on the felt subject does anyone know what the felt head > stock bearing wicks look like and how they were positioned? > Bob Bob, The last ones that I bought from Clausing last year were gray felt, not white like the way wipers. As far as I could tell, the originals weren't white, either. OD 9/16", Height 5/16". The felt may be a little lower density than that in the way wipers. I made the mistake of first buying felt rod from McMaster (I think it was described as being some sort of seal). I cut a piece about the right length and put some oil on one end. Half an hour later, the other end was still dry. That didn't work and in the meantime, somehow I had learned that Clausing still sold parts for the Atlas machines. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Countershaft bearings - felt washers Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Fri Nov 14, 2014 9:19 am ((PST)) 11/13/2014: > Yeah I was able to find the wiper felts on Ebay two sets for $14.95 not > bad. 8 Felt Way Wiper for Atlas Craftsman Lathe 10" 12" I bought some of those early last year. And bought some from Clausing. Both work OK. The eBay seller was, at the time, also selling a small squeeze bottle of way oil with 8 felts. Their bottle nozzle fits the hole in the wiper retainers OK. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Countershaft bearings - felt washers Posted by: jwreyx~xxusa.net mondosmetals Date: Sat Nov 15, 2014 6:02 am ((PST)) The oil will flow through the felt more freely once the felt has been thoroughly wetted. It's like a dried out dishpan sponge that will absorb little at first, but once fully dampened it soaks up water like - well, a sponge! Another note on felt wicks: There are almost as many different varieties of felt available for use as machine oil wicks and seals as there are styles and colors of women's shoes. Without knowing the original manufacturer's specifications it may be a pot-shot to pick the right replacement from a third-party vendor. See the McMaster-Carr catalog http://www.mcmaster.com/#felt/=ulsruc http://mcmaster.comon-line raymond ------- Re: Countershaft bearings - felt washers Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Sat Nov 15, 2014 2:24 pm ((PST)) Raymond, The rod material never did work satisfactorily as an oil wick. Must have had some sort of filler in it. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Gib Replacement on Late Model Atlas/Craftsman 6" Lathes [atlas618lathe] Posted by: "Richard Forfar" rofrafx~xxyahoo.com rofraf Date: Tue Dec 9, 2014 5:30 pm ((PST)) Hello All, New member here. I own two Atlas/Craftsman lathes, one is a Craftsman model 101.07301 and the other an Atlas model 10100. My question is "Has anyone replaced the plastic gib, (part# 345-076), in the compound rest tool post slide with a metal gib as found in the earlier versions of the lathe? If so, what was the outcome/results? Are there any suggestions? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, Rick ------- Re: Gib Replacement on Late Model Atlas/Craftsman 6" Lathes Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Tue Dec 9, 2014 8:30 pm ((PST)) I haven't (yet) done it. However, the 101.07301 should have steel gibs. I think. The last one was built in 1957. How long have you had it? Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Gib Replacement on Late Model Atlas/Craftsman 6" Lathes Posted by: naugled.pokx~xxgmail.com naugled2000 Date: Wed Dec 10, 2014 11:41 am ((PST)) I'm glad you posted. I just finished making three steel gibs for my Atlas 10100. They turned out great and were easier to make than I anticipated. Oh and they make a huge difference in rigidity. You can feel and see the difference. The trickiest part for me was making the flats. Here's what I did... I used 0.125" x 0.375" steel stock (from online metals). I cut to length and hand filed the 30 deg edges. I used the plastic gibs as a guide to eyeball the filing (filing was actually fairly easy). I then slid the gibs into their positions and used the screw holes to mark where the flats need to be. I rigged up a clamping device (this was the tricky part) and plunge milled the flats using a drill press and an end mill; it doesn't take much. Cleaned up some burrs and edges and flat sanded the face and installed. It was about a one beer project. They feel great compared to the plastic. Makes me wonder why they ever even used plastic. Sure they saved a few pennies, but to me the difference in quality should have easily overcome those pennies. But I guess that is a statement of the thought process at the time, shave every penny, regardless of quality. I highly recommend doing this. Dave ------- Re: Gib Replacement on Late Model Atlas/Craftsman 6" Lathes Posted by: "James Rice" james.ricex~xxgmail.com jlrice54 Date: Wed Dec 10, 2014 4:40 pm ((PST)) If it was my lathe, I'd make a brass gib to replace the plastic one. James ------- Re: Gib Replacement on Late Model Atlas/Craftsman 6"... Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Wed Dec 10, 2014 6:42 pm ((PST)) Yes, you can replace it with steel. The 618, like your 101.07301, originally had steel. Somewhere along the line, possibly in 1957 but it could have been later, Atlas changed the gibs in all compounds and cross slides (but not tailstocks) to plastic. Don't know why. Could have been to save a few pennies. Could have been some still wet behind the ears engineer thought it would be an improvement. Or both. I wouldn't use brass. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Gib Replacement on Late Model Atlas/Craftsman 6"... Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Wed Dec 17, 2014 9:27 am ((PST)) Rick, Don't know why I didn't answer this the day you sent it but as it's not the only unanswered one from that day, I must have gotten distracted and gone on to other things. As Clausing still has plastic ones to sell, they probably won't give out the old drawings. The carriage has a later part number (I don't know what they changed) but the carriage gib is still M6-57 so it should be steel. The carriage slide, AKA Compound Rest Swivel (Lower) and Compound Rest Tool Post Slide are still the same M6- part numbers as on the 618. So the steel gibs for them will fit. You might ask Clausing if they have M6-56 or M6-304 (the steel parts) and if not, ask for the drawings. However, they are probably going to tell you that those parts were replaced by the new (plastic) ones and unless they don't have the plastic ones anymore either, won't give out the drawings. As to whether there is a better choice than steel, my opinion is no. Any time that this subject comes up, someone always suggests brass. However (and I just went to an ASM handbook and confirmed this rather than trusting to memory), the dry coefficients of static and dynamic friction of steel on steel are both slightly lower than the coefficients of brass on steel. Of course, one assumes that the gibs will be well oiled, but I can't find any indication that oil reverses the situation. So use steel. 1018 (A36) will be fine. Or pretty much any other alloy you are likely to find in flat bar. And minor point, the spindle bearings in the 101.07301 are sintered brass (Oilite (R)), not babbit. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: My Sears 101.07300 Acquisition [atlas618lathe] Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Tue Dec 23, 2014 2:15 am ((PST)) > Hello All! > I recently acquired an old Craftsman lathe. I'd like it to be a project > but being new to this stuff, I don't know if what I have is workable. I > know it's missing the motor and tool holder, but that's about all I can > be sure of. Any advice would be sorely appreciated. > A few pictures are at: Yahoo! Groups > Thanks > John John, The 101.07300 (built by Atlas) was only offered by Sears for one year, 1938. In 1939, it was replaced by 101.07301, which remained in production until late 1957. The headstock and almost everything on it is different between the two models. So parts availability for the headstock is poor. Most of the rest of the two machines is the same (and is the same as on the Atlas 618 and the 101.21400) so parts availability is pretty good. The 101.07300 does not have back gears so it is an 8-speed machine with a minimum spindle RPM of 365. The other three are all 16-speed with a minimum RPM of 54. The spindle is smaller, with 3/4"-16 spindle nose threads and a 1MT taper (same as the tailstock). It originally shipped with change gears for only two feeds and no threads (but the rest of the gears were available and are the same as those that came standard with the other three models). If the headstock is is good condition and if you acquired it with a good 3-jaw and 4-jaw chuck, there is probably no reason why it can't be cleaned up and used as is. If the headstock has problems, the best solution would probably be to acquire a headstock from a 618 or 101.21400 and swap them out. Finding 3.4"-16 threaded chucks may be difficult but the 1"-10 ones are readily available (either new or used). The sleeve bearing 101.07301 headstock will also fit. It has 1"-8 spindle nose threads and those chucks are also relatively easy to find. There were three different countershaft assemblies shipped between the four models but all are functionally interchangable. So if yours is in good condition, there is no reason not to use it. I see a 3-jaw chuck in one of your photos. Did you acquire anything else not shown? The single-step pulley on the countershaft isn't original. Should be a 2-step. A lantern type tool post won't be hard to find. An 0XA size Quick Change Tool Post would be better but more expensive. The tailstock ram clamp assembly is missing (it goes in the large hole in top of tailstock). Those parts are the same as on the other three Atlas built 6" models, so are available. The crank handle appears to be missing from the cross feed crank. That, or a complete crank, should be easy to find. The one mistake not to make if you decide to acquire the missing parts is to base your parts price expectations on whatever you paid for the lathe. The Atlas lathes in as-is condition tend to be cheap in today's dollars. Parts and accessories, whether new or used, aren't. They aren't going to cost what they did back in 1938. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: atlas th42 parts [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: erich.steffenx~xxgmail.com erich.steffen Date: Wed Jan 7, 2015 6:02 am ((PST)) Thank you very much. Yes the galled bushing is 9-70A and the sleeve is 9-73A. I am new to this lathe and trying to figure it out. As such I really appreciate everyone's help. I will clean it up and see how it feels. Being new to machining I would not know how to make this bushing with the double key. I assume I would need a mill or milling attachment? Also, is there a good source for new parts for these machines besides e-bay? Thanks Again Erich ------- Re: atlas th42 parts Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org shdesigns2003 Date: Wed Jan 7, 2015 6:18 am ((PST)) Yes the keyed bushing would be difficult on the lathe. The sleeve would be easy to make. They come up on ebay cheap. Just be patient. You can also buy new from Clausing: http://clausing-industrial.com/partsService.asp http://searspartsdirect.com has the parts also but at a higher price. It is good to see which parts are still available. Scott G. Henion, Stone Mountain, GA Craftsman 12x36 lathe: http://shdesigns.org/Craftsman12x36 Welding pages and homemade welder: http://shdesigns.org/Welding ------- [atlas_craftsman] Re: Wanted: Atlas 10100 6 inch lathe Timken equiped decal. Posted by: holts001x~xxaol.com crholt44 Date: Sun Jan 25, 2015 8:01 am ((PST)) Is the Timken equiped decal available? I searched the posts and the question was asked. The person was going to photo-shop some artwork, but they didn't have a good photo to work from. It appeared that the thread went cold after only two posts. I assume that the decal was the same for most of the Atlas machines (with Timkens), so would be of value for all here. Charley ------- Re: Wanted: Atlas 10100 6 inch lathe Timken equiped decal. Posted by: "David Sampar" dsamparx~xxptd.net dgsampar Date: Sun Jan 25, 2015 9:04 am ((PST)) The Timken decals for the 618 can be found in the atlas618lathe group files. David ------- Re: Wanted: Atlas 10100 6 inch lathe Timken equiped decal. Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Sun Jan 25, 2015 10:22 am ((PST)) Charley, You will find two versions in Files under Drawings. I don't know who originally did them. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Wanted: Atlas 10100 6 inch lathe Timken equiped decal. Posted by: "David Sampar" dsamparx~xxptd.net dgsampar Date: Sun Jan 25, 2015 11:30 am ((PST)) Rob Rielly from the atlas618lathe group made those images from the decal that fell off of my Craftsman 618 back in 2006. Attached is a scan of the original decal he worked from. From what I remember, Rob found variations of that decal, that is why there is two different ones. These aren't perfect copies, as there is some barely legible writing missing under Timken and Bearing. David ------- Re: Wanted: Atlas 10100 6 inch lathe Timken equiped decal. Posted by: n1ltvx~xxyahoo.com n1ltv Date: Sun Jan 25, 2015 6:02 pm ((PST)) wa5cab wrote: > I don't know why it doesn't search files. NEO, I guess. Robert, Searching for files works fine, as well as photos. Downloading of photos works. There's a little downward pointing arrow icon in the lower left of all photos that can be clicked to start the download. Unfortunately your mouse must hover over the lower part of the picture for the icon to become visible in the first place. I guess the idea is for it not to obscure the photograph. Seems like the easiest method would just to have the button always visible outside the photo, not being fancy with it being superimposed right on the photo. That you can blame on NEO. Hank ------- Re: Wanted: Atlas 10100 6 inch lathe w/cast iron head stock. Posted by: n1ltvx~xxyahoo.com n1ltv Date: Sun Jan 25, 2015 6:31 pm ((PST)) Charley, The Timken decals for the 618 that Robert pointed you to were only uploaded by him today to A-C, so your search on A-C earlier would not have found them. I'm pretty sure Robert simply downloaded them from the atlas618lathe files, although they have somehow grown to almost three times their original size in bytes in the process of coming over here, but are exactly the same images as far as resolution is concerned. Incidentally these atlas618lathe Timken drawings were mentioned on A-C back in August 2010 according to the message search, and also again earlier in 2010. Hank atlas618lathe yahoogroup moderator ------- [atlas_craftsman] Torque Value for tightening studs on Th42 Speed Change Gears Posted by: ronhumphreyx~xxaustin.rr.com dreyse2526 Date: Sun Jan 25, 2015 8:28 am ((PST)) I was wondering if there is a torque value to tighten the studs that hold the gears on the 10F lathes. I always hear monkey tight vs gorilla tight but I was wondering if there is a specific torque value. ------- Re: Torque Value for tightening studs on Th42 Speed Change Gears Posted by: "Jon Elson" elsonx~xxpico-systems.com jmelson2 Date: Sun Jan 25, 2015 8:58 am ((PST)) The gear studs where the gears will be turning clockwise as seen from the nut end don't need to be tightened at all. The rotation of the gears will prevent them from ever unscrewing. The other nuts only need very light torque. Just a couple Ft-Lbs will be plenty, as long as the bushing is longer than the spacer, so it spins freely. I usually used just a couple Lbs on the Atlas wrench that came with the machine, which was about 6" long. Jon ------- Atlas Machine Database By Robert Downs Re: New Machine Database information [atlas_craftsman Group at Yahoo] Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Sun Feb 1, 2015 11:07 pm ((PST)) Group. After more hours than I am going to admit, I finally got the machine and serial number database running I think well enough that it can maybe be used. I recreated and started the thing over from scratch several times in the past month. Unfortunately, there is no provision to import the format so each time I had to do from scratch. Everyone is invited to take a look. It is the one with a title of Atlas_Craftsman Machine Database and today's date. I deleted the other small ones but NEO will not let me delete the old one with around 200 entries. Or edit it. If you try to look at or add to the new one, you are going to run into some of the NEO nonsense. The search function (which is more correctly a filter function as it does not show or hi-lite what it finds) seems to work OK. The sort function does not work properly on the entire 442 current records other that on the ROW numbers. However, if you filter what's displayed down to under about 50 records and then click to switch between Ascending and Descending several times, it will finally (usually) settle down and mostly work. Another bug that I discovered is that if you enter a string to search (filter) on, like MK2, the button that you would assume you should click does nothing. Enter your search string and then press the Enter key on your keyboard and it will work. Note that some two or three character strings don't work. MF is one. MFA or B or C do work. To clear the search filter, click in the box and then press ENTER. There are a total of 12 fields (columns) (13 counting Row). In the default "Relaxed" view, 5 are visible at any one time, plus row, which is pinned to the left side. When I started there were 20 and it took forever to get to the right end. I either deleted or combined six of them with others. It works much better with only 12. To get all the way to the righthand column, click 7 times at no faster than two clicks per second, and wait for it to catch up. To see all 12 columns at once, click Actions and under Vew click Slim. However, about the only thing that's good for is to see all 12 headers at once. As you move to the right, the rows tend to move up the screen. It finally dawned on me the reason is that some of the fields to the right have more text in them and take up more vertical space. So make a mental note of the Row number you are looking at before you start moving to the right. Before you just jump in and start adding your machine, try to see whether it is already in the database. If you ever entered yours in the old database, it is probably still there. I only deleted maybe 20 records that had so little actual information filled in that all you could tell was that it was a lathe and probably an Atlas or Craftsman one. If you find yours, click the pencil at the left end of the row and enter the missing information instead of adding a new record. All of the MK2's that I was sent information on have been entered. I think. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Looking for a steady rest [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: brogers9941x~xxsbcglobal.net rogers92026 Date: Mon Feb 2, 2015 6:41 pm ((PST)) Chris, I too have an Atlas 12 x 36 and needed a steady rest for a project. I looked at the original Atlas and also at one of the Harbor Fright. I thought that the HF steady was of a superior design and had some better features. I called up the HF tech support people and ordered it by part number for one of their lathes. It is an accessory. I recall that I only paid around $40 or so including shipping. It took 6 weeks to get to me and took about 1/2 hour to slightly modify the base. It fits like a glove and works like a dream. If you have your heart set in a big project, including learning how to make casting patterns, figuring out drafts, etc. then you won't want to choose this really easy approach. But you'll end up with only an Atlas clone that isn't as sophisticated as the HF model. Of course, the HF model doesn't have the same mystique. Check out my picture that I posted a year or two ago. I think that it might be called My 12 x 36 HF Steady. Atlas_Craftsman Metal Working Machines https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/atlas_craftsman/photos/al bums/1824347569 ------- Re: Looking for a steady rest Posted by: "Chris Anderson" zertwizx~xxgmail.com Date: Mon Feb 2, 2015 7:45 pm ((PST)) I already make patterns And want one that looks the original one. ------- Re: Looking for a steady rest Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Mon Feb 2, 2015 10:09 pm ((PST)) That certainly looks easier than making and machining castings. And I'm sure that it works fairly well for short periods so long as you are running fairly hard material. But I see not techincal advantages over the late Atlas version. Unless they are hidden inside the outer ends of the knurled nuts, I don't see any way to lock the finger adjusters in place. I would expect the bottom two fingers to vibrate loose during the course of a long job like the two day one that I ran with mine year before last. Plus retrofited with readily available roller fingers, the Atlas is even better and usable on even softer materials. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Looking for a steady rest Posted by: kbx~xxmuziker.org kbjorling Date: Mon Feb 2, 2015 11:00 pm ((PST)) The steady rest referred to in previous posts in connection with Harbor Freight - formerly for $50 - appears to be the same as this, currently available from Tolls4Cheap.com, but the price is now $150: http://www.tools4cheap.net/proddetail.php?prod=atlas12 I agree with Robt. D. that the lack of rollers on the fingers is a big drawback. Roller fingers are readily available as replacements for the bronze or brass fingers that come on the stock Atlas steady and they are a BIG improvement. ------- Re: Looking for a steady rest Posted by: jerdalx~xxsbcglobal.net jtiers Date: Tue Feb 3, 2015 5:20 am ((PST)) Roller fingers have some advantages, but have their own troubles. The rollers will tend to embed particles in the work, "charging" it like a lap, especially if the work is softer. If a larger piece of swarf lands on the work, it may jam a roller, and produce a huge gouge in the workpiece as it skids on the work crammed against it by the wedging action of the jammed roller. Regular fingers will not do that, since they tend to scrape off any junk that lands on the work. If oiled, they don't score the work, and it may be possible to leave that area larger, finishing it after the work with the steady is done (not always possible). Maybe best to have both types of jaw available. The regular Atlas steady I have seen seems to be the usual version with screws to push the solid fingers, and screws to clamp them. That style is not particularly nice, and the "micrometer screw" type can be somewhat better as far as finely adjusting position. If you tighten the clamp screws of the standard type, the "push screws" seem to often back out, letting the fingers potentially slide out of the adjusted position due to vibration and the force of cutting, since they then are only held by friction. The clamp screws can end up shifting the finger position, jamming the work or increasing roller pressure. If the "micrometer screw" type has reasonable drag on the screws it will not back out. Same can be said of the push screws, so long as you put some Vibratite or similar compound on them to provide extra friction. Jerry ------- Re: Looking for a steady rest Posted by: "Doc" n8as1x~xxaol.com docn8as Date: Tue Feb 3, 2015 9:17 am ((PST)) maybe that is why the push screws are provided w/ lock nuts !! FWIW practically, years ago I chambered many rifle barrels using the atlas stdy w/ out unwanted finger movement. re fingers... have tried wood, brass & roller......all removed blued finish; rollers may be worst since they burnished which required more repolishing than the others.....solution was aluminum split clamps on the barrel, riding in the stdy or solid bushes driven on over paper... best wishes doc ------- Re: Looking for a steady rest Posted by: jerdalx~xxsbcglobal.net jtiers Date: Tue Feb 3, 2015 5:04 pm ((PST)) When you tighten the lock nuts, friction tends to tighten the screw against the finger as the lock nut is turned. The pull of the nut tends to loosen the screw vs the finger. The end position is somewhere in between. You need to hold it with a wrench and tighten the locknut. Or use a good micrometer type unit, or simply depend on the main fingers to stay in place, as-set, which is what most will do. It's all a compromise. Vibratite works well. Jerry ------- Re: Looking for a steady rest Posted by: "Kevin Gibson" k3030aix~xxyahoo.com k3030ai Date: Tue Feb 3, 2015 9:33 am ((PST)) FWIW, I'm probably the least experienced person in this group; or at least I always feel that way, these guys are sharp. Here's my experience. I have one of each. I have the original Atlas with just solid brass fingers, and I have a very well made (quite over- engineered) home made steady rest with bearing fingers. I have found the original Atlas is the one I'm constantly using. It's easier to set in place (the home made one weigh's a good 150% more), it's quick and easy to center, and the fixed fingers do in fact work better for me. But understand, I run my lathe almost exclusively at very slow speeds. Set the fingers, apply some oil and off you go. Keep it oiled while cutting and I've yet to have even a brass line on my work (mostly aluminum, but some steel) when I'm done. So if I personally could live without the bearing fingers altogether. But of course, it's always nice to have the option of either/or. Kevin ------- [atlas_craftsman] Does anyone in our group make/sell crossfeed and compound nuts for 1 Posted by: dan_marlenex~xxcharter.net danlincol Date: Wed Feb 4, 2015 1:05 pm ((PST)) My 12" Atlas is probably from the 1960's. It was one of 6 original lathes at Monett VoTech. The crossfeed nut is worn. Several years ago I think there was a guy in Iowa reproducing these brass nuts. There are a couple sources currently listed on Ebay, but I would rather deal with someone in the group, or at least get a recommendation from someone in the group about those listed on Ebay. Dan Coleman ------- Re: Does anyone in our group make/sell crossfeed and compound nuts f Posted by: "Thor Dehr" thordehrx~xxgmail.com thordehr Date: Wed Feb 4, 2015 2:12 pm ((PST)) Mike makes them. Have his cross feed and half nuts. jayhawkman35x~xxhotmail.com ------- Re: Does anyone in our group make/sell crossfeed and compou... Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Wed Feb 4, 2015 4:45 pm ((PST)) Dan, Strange as it may seem, the cheapest new price that I have seen is at Clausing. But it won't hurt to check the other sources. Be sure that you also order a couple of 9-87 Washer, Carriage Slide Nut. These are 0.010" shims. They are actually rectangular, not round as shown in the illustrated parts lists. And the post with the tapped hole in the middle that sticks out of the top of the brass nut is only 3/8" dia., not the width of the nut as shown in the manual. You may or may not need any shims but there is no way to know until you install the new nut and check. My original nut didn't have any. The replacement needs one. When you get the new nut and shims, remove the chip guard, run the cross slide off the back end of the cross feed screw, and remove the 1/4"-20 round head slotted screw retaining the nut. While the nut is off of the cross feed screw, adjust the cross feed screw bearing end float at the front of the carriage to near-zero. Then Install the new nut with the retaining screw only finger tight and pull the cross slide toward the front of the machine until the nut hits the end of the screw. Start turning the crank CCW while pulling on the cross slide until the screw enters the nut, and then a little more until the screw is fully through the nut. Rock the crank back and forth and make a note of the total backlash. Should be maybe .010" to .015". Run the cross slide all of the way to the front. Turn the crank CW one- half of the back lash just measured. Loosen the nut retaining screw. Grab the rear end of the cross feed screw and move it gently up and down, stopping at the mid point of the available movement. While holding the end of the screw at the mid point, tighten the nut retaining screw until the head just touches the top of the cross slide, plus about 1/16 of a turn. With a feeler gauge set, measure the clearance between the top of the nut and the under surface of the slide. If .about 005" or less, tighten the retaining screw. If more, remove the nut again and stack the required number of shims on it (for > .005" to 015", use one shim, etc.). Reinstall with the retaining screw finger tight. Run the feed screw fully through the nut and then tighten the retaining screw. Reinstall the chip guard. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- [Way Wipers for Atlas lathes] Re: Carriage problem [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Jimmy Ellis" rozenkruetzx~xxgmail.com Date: Sun Feb 8, 2015 6:09 pm ((PST)) Okay so I finally got some time today to completely disassemble the carriage and clean it all, it was pretty horrible. That however brought up another question. The "felt" way oilers, are they actually felt/sponge and therefore somewhat soft and flexible, or are they supposed to be really dense and somewhat brittle? If it's the latter, I have those. If it's the former, do I need to order new ones or can I seriously just use felt or something? ------- Re: Carriage problem Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Sun Feb 8, 2015 8:28 pm ((PST)) James, The way oiler/wipers consist of three parts. An L-shaped sheet metal retainer. An L-shaped rubber (probably neoprene) wiper. And a fairly dense L-shaped felt oiler. If either of the latter two are stiff or brittle, they should be replaced. The ones that Atlas has been selling recently are gray felt. An eBay seller sells some that are made of white felt. I have used both and both work fine. Last time that I looked, the eBay seller still didn't have the wipers. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 [and in a later message:] Clausing has both the wipers and the oilers (and probably the retainers but lose one, those should last forever). ------- Re: Carriage problem Posted by: "Scott Henion" shenionx~xxshdesigns.org shdesigns2003 Date: Sun Feb 8, 2015 6:15 pm ((PST)) Yeah, soft felt with a rubber wiper. I cut some new felt for mine. There are sellers on ebay that make them relatively cheap. This brings up another question. Mine have the felt on the outside with a rubber wiper on the inside. My parts list shows it that way. That seems backwards. Rubber wipers to keep the oil under the carriage. Scott G. Henion, Stone Mountain, GA Craftsman 12x36 lathe: http://shdesigns.org/Craftsman12x36 Welding pages and homemade welder: http://shdesigns.org/Welding ------- Re: Carriage problem Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Sun Feb 8, 2015 9:57 pm ((PST)) Yes, that is backwards. I made a mental note the first time I ever removed mine and the wipers were on the outside and the oilers (felt) on the inside. The Atlas 10F manual and the early Craftsman 12" manuals are backwards. The late Atlas and Craftsman 12" manuals (all that I have) are correct. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- on the cost of new Clausing parts [atlas618lathe] Posted by: curtis.normanx~xxcomcast.net crackerfactory03 Date: Tue Feb 10, 2015 2:30 pm ((PST)) Hi guys! Just thought I would share this bit of info with those of you thinking about contacting Clausing for new parts for the Atlas 618 lathe. Recently I had acquired an old 618 that needed some gears in better shape than what were with it and I got those from a couple of vendors on Ebay. Those look pretty good. Taking the lathe apart, I decided that it could use new bearings. So I (naively) called Clausing service for a price, but they were out and told me they would get back with the information (I would not commit to buying since I was leery and wanted to know the price). I figured I would not hear from them again, so armed with the correct Timken bearing stock numbers, I called the local bearing supply company and here was the breakdown of cost: Two bearing "cups" Timken # 07196 x~xx $7.11 each, total: $14.22 One "cage" # 07100: $16.39 One "cage" # 07079: $27.71 Grand total....$58.32, and I made the purchase. Now two weeks later here is the Clausing price that arrives via email: Front spindle bearing (the whole cup and cage unit): $96.60 Rear spindle bearing: $143.16 Total: $239.76 A $181.99 difference!!??? Needless to say, I was shocked and glad that I had just bought the bearings at the local supply house. Since the bearings I bought new are all in Timken branded boxes, I can't begin to understand how Clausing can justify a markup like that. Curtis ------- Re: on the cost of new Clausing parts Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Tue Feb 10, 2015 4:24 pm ((PST)) Curtis, Timken today makes tapered roller bearing in four classes (tolerances or precision) from considerably better than floor sweepings up to some that you would probably have to take out a second mortgage to buy. I've copied the chart below. The left column is Timken, the right is ABMA. As you can see, not all Timken bearings are equal. I've talked to Timken about this and confirmed that if you walk in to a supplier and just ask for the bearing by part number, you get Class C (box and bearing is unmarked for Class). I asked Clausing once about this but the person on the phone didn't understand what I was asking (it wasn't Jolene) so I didn't get any answer. However, in earlier years, Atlas did 100% receipt inspection in what was essentially a "test to quality" program. I assume that they are either still doing that or are paying extra for either Class B or Class A. What you bought were Class C. As a practical matter, few of us are good enough to tell the difference. But that's most of the reason for the price difference. Note that Timken no longer sells any bearings rated ABMA Class 4 or Class 2. Timken Standards (Alpha are Timken - Numeric are equivalent ABMA) >From lowest to highest precision Class (none) / 4 Class (none) / 2 Class C / 3 Class B / 0 Class A / 00 Class AA / 000 Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: on the cost of new Clausing parts Posted by: "Pflatlyne" pflatlynex~xxyahoo.com pflatlyne Date: Tue Feb 10, 2015 9:12 pm ((PST)) Well, that's a lot higher that they USD to be, but I see what's probably going on. My guess is nothing current uses them. I replaced all my bearings when I got mine, but mine as oilite bearings. Never even thought of Clausing as they are readily available. I think I ordered them from McMaster Carr. There have been some parts I've bought. But on my atlas horizontal band saw the shaft was worn badly and the blade wandered off. I wasn't about to pay 100 bucks so I ended up just boring out the part that I didn't have the right tooling to machine, pressing in an an oversized shaft, then turning it down to nearly the right diameter and then polishing it or last tiny bit for a perfect fit into the bearing. Most parts we can make. Actually, I was thinking about the idea of making some mounting bushings so I could use cheap plastic gears. But I guess I could also go with an e lead screw. ------- My new lead screw has arrived. [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: abigalesdadx~xxcomcast.net abigalesdad Date: Fri Apr 17, 2015 9:06 pm ((PDT)) My 5' piece of precision acme lead screw from Roton has arrived. It came in a spiffy spiral cardboard tube sealed with wooden plugs. Cost including shipping was about $80. I plan to machine it into a replacement for the badly worn screw on my Craftsman 12" and do the work on my Wards Logan 200 and my Sharp SM mill. The lathe work will be straightforward, but machining that nearly full- length slot will be a little tricky. The effective bed length on the mill is only about 20" so my plan is to fasten two co-planar parallels to the table and, using two 5C collet blocks to hold the screw against the parallels and centered under the end mill, machine the slot in segments. Once I get the end mill on center and cut the first segment, I can loosen and reposition one collet block, and then loosen and reposition the other one. With the collet block repositioned, I can fasten each block to the table up against the parallels and machine another segment of the slot. This technique will keep the slot precisely on top of the screw and the screw represented to the end mill in a manner that will keep the centerline of the slot directly above the axial centerline of the screw. I'll reposition and cut until I complete the entire slot. It's making sense in my head. We will see how it works out in reality. I'll keep you posted. I attached several photos. One shows the cardboard tube and the other shows the new screw beside a heavily worn section of the old screw. Dave ------- Re: My new lead screw has arrived. [2 Attachments] Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Fri Apr 17, 2015 9:48 pm ((PDT)) Dave, I would suggest that you broach a keyway into one of the two collets. Do the mill work before the lathe work as that gives you around 3" at the tail stock end that doesn't need to be slotted that you can hold onto for the first slotting pass. Plus I would imagine that the screw that you received is longer than the lead screw needs to be, which gives you some more to hang onto, and the keyway does not need to run all the way to the headstock end. Make the first cutting pass without a key in the collet (there being in any case no keyway in the screw for it). After the first pass, release both collets, slide the screw a little way, and insert the key. Obviously, the orientation of the keyway in the collet is critical and must align with the cutter. I would also suggest that a horizontal mill will do a much better looking job than a vertical mill. And position a roller stand at each end of the table to support the weight of the part of the screw hanging off of the table. Else the weight of the end of the screw hanging well off the end of the table will arch the screw up a few thou in the middle Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: New Member with a 101.07403 12"x30" [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Thu Jul 2, 2015 2:36 pm ((PDT)) In a message dated 07/02/2015, atlas_craftsmanx~xxyahoogroups.com writes: > Well I might want to re measure. What measurement actually identifies > the length? Total bed length or length from headstock? Jody, 12X30 or 12x30 would mean (in U.S. practice) that the lathe could swing a part with a nominal diameter of 12" over the bed. Of course less than that over the carriage. The "30" means that it can hold a part approximately 30" long between centers mounted in the headstock and tailstock with the tailstock all the way to the right end of the bed. On any Atlas 9", 10" or 12", measure the length down the op of either way. That is the "official" bed length. Bed lengths that they originally made were 36, 42, 48 and 54. On the 10" and some of the 9", the bed length formed part of the Model Number. Subtract 18 from the nominal bed length to get the rated center to center distance. If yours is a 12x30, the bed length should be 48". Unfortunately, Sears didn't have a different model number for the different bed lengths. With the 101.07383 and 101.07403, they finally assigned unique catalog numbers but the catalog number doesn't appear on the lathe. That's why, in the database, there are so many 12" entries where the description begins "LATHE EARLY 12X??". Whomever made the entry entered the Model Number but didn't say what either of the length figures were. If you look at some of the model numbers in the database, you will see something like "101.07403-2079". And the lathe identified as a 12X36. 2079 is the last four digits of the catalog number. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Travelling steady? [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com alan.suttie Date: Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:30 pm ((PDT)) I've made a travelling steady from plate and bar stock and attach it to my T slotted cross slide. Prior to upgrading to the T slotted cross slide I extended the Atlas cross slide with a block of cast iron milled to fit the dovetails and attached to the Atlas cross slide with dowels and cap-screws. The block and latterly the T slotted cross slide carry a back tool post or a travelling steady. The picture shows the setup for machining an Acme feed screw for a travelling head shaping machine I built a few years ago. Also showing is my extended compound slide with a dropped floor to take a B size quick change tool post. Since the picture I've further modified this setup to get complete dovetail contact with the tool post and tool holders. I don't have any details of the steady rest since it was made from available materials and it is now specifically sized to mount on the T slots of the cross slide. The rubbing fingers are 3/8" round brass rod, easily refaced or replaced when required. My Atlas QC54 is fairly heavily modified with a view to convenience of operation and getting rid of uncomfortable and inefficient handles. Regards, Alan https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/atlas_craftsman/attachments/516794957 Feed screws.JPG ------- Re: Travelling steady? Posted by: "Richard Hughson" richughsonx~xxgmail.com loopyrich Date: Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:58 pm ((PDT)) Where did you get the T-slot cross slide? Rick H ------- Re: Travelling steady? Posted by: alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com alan.suttie Date: Mon Jul 27, 2015 5:38 pm ((PDT)) Rick: I bought the casting from this company as well as a piece of steel for the gib strip and some long setscrews. http://www.statecollegecentral.com/metallathe/A-11.html The casting machined well, no inclusions or porosity. It's a tad higher than the stock one so the swing over the cross slide is reduced, the upside is more contact area with the dovetails and the lathe is now capable of being used as a horizontal boring machine. The feed screw will need replacing with a longer one but there's now space for a much longer nut increasing the contact dramatically. My replacement nut is 3" long and combined with the increased contact of the T slotted cross slide has a very nice feel. Same as with my longer compound slide, although it's steel not grey iron. Regards, Alan S ------- Re: Travelling steady? Posted by: cliveadams23x~xxaol.com cliveadams79 Date: Mon Jul 27, 2015 9:18 pm ((PDT)) Nice job on the travelling steady, and the T-slotted cross slide is a good addition too. The tailstock looks interesting. I've nearly got the pattern for my travelling steady finished -- it'll be ready to pour after a few finishing touches but the weather is against me at the moment as I have to do my foundry stuff outside. Looks like there will be a window of opportunity in the next couple of days so hopefully I can get it done then. I've been making some other patterns too so I can get them done at the same time. Clive ------- Re: Travelling steady? Posted by: alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com alan.suttie Date: Tue Jul 28, 2015 7:18 am ((PDT)) Clive: I note that you express interest in my tailstock. I modified it years ago after having seen a Myford with a factory rack feed tailstock. The modifications solve another shortcoming with the Atlas lathe, the short tailstock body with too little contact for good alignment. The rack feed addition doubles the contact surface and also increases tailstock travel. The barrel is 14" long. I'd also got rid of the locking arrangement to the bed, I don't like having to use a wrench on the machine and adapted the tailstock to lever lock. One spin off benefit is the greatly improved bearing surface preventing the tailstock barrel from rotating, no more tiny key at the nose end. In the process of modification the tailstock has sprouted ball handles, 8 in all. This matches the rest of the machine which has a total of up to 20 ball handles depending on the operation under way.I'll attach a picture of the tailstock for interest. In use it's silky smooth and for peck drilling of deep holes it's quick and easy to use. It also has more feel for drilling small holes. There's an index dial graduated in .010" increments but guesswork can split these into smaller bites. Regards, Alan S https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/atlas_craftsman/attachments/555999785 tailstock II 002.JPG ------- Re: Travelling steady? Posted by: cliveadams23x~xxaol.com cliveadams79 Date: Tue Jul 28, 2015 10:04 am ((PDT)) I like that. I've got the head from a Chaiwanese bench drill looking for a purpose in its life which would supply the rack and pinion drive, but the overhang at the right-hand side would severely limit the usable length of the bed for me -- I have the tailstock end of the lathe fairly lose to a window. I also like the eccentric tailstock lock -- I had one on a 4" Myford and it was way better than the nut arrangement which I currently have. I may need to think about that idea! Thanks for showing us. Clive ------- Countershaft clutch - anyone fitted one? [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com alan.suttie Date: Thu Aug 6, 2015 2:56 pm ((PDT)) Hi: I'm curious how many have fitted a clutch to the countershaft of their Atlas lathe and what they used for friction materials. I've had a home built clutch on my Atlas QC54 for decades, the current one is a second generation one eliminating some details I wasn't happy with. Basically I don't like switching the motor on and off all the time and prefer the speed of a clutch for this. My clutch is a cone type, the friction materials are steel against bronze -- yes I know, these are mostly bearing materials but they give a nice smooth engagement with no slippage when fully engaged. The coefficient of friction is low but this can be overcome in the design calculations. I have a 3/4 HP motor on the lathe, the weak link in the drive is the belt to the mandrel which slips if I ask too much of the machine. I eliminated the Atlas needle bearings in the second iteration and used commercially available steel sheaves for the three largest sizes and machined a steel one for the smallest one. My first clutch incorporated the Atlas cast zinc sheave with the curvy spokes. There are a total of six 6203-3/4 bearings in the countershaft assembly, the running is considerably quieter than the Atlas needle roller bearings. I'll tack on a picture of my clutch -missing from the picture is the stop for the lever in the engaged and disengaged positions, it was fitted later. If anyone's interested I have some other pictures of the clutch components before assembly. I'd like to see what other Atlas owners have done to provide a clutch in their lathe drive. Alan S Photo(s) https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/atlas_craftsman/attachments/792640461 Atlas clutch fitted (1).JPG ------- Re: Countershaft clutch - anyone fitted one? Posted by: "Carvel Webb" carvelwx~xxabsamail.co.za cwlathes Date: Thu Aug 6, 2015 10:58 pm ((PDT)) Alan, An indirect answer to your question –- I have had clutches on two of my machines (Myford etc.) where the material interface is bronze on cast iron, and has worked, and is still working well. I was toying with the idea of adapting one for the Atlas, but being introduced to VFD drives has made me realise that the soft start capability of the drive which all but eliminates the shock loading of continual on and off switching makes the clutch redundant in many respects, apart from any other advantages of the VFD –- like creeping for fiddly thread cutting. Regards, Carvel ------- Re: Countershaft clutch - anyone fitted one? Posted by: "Paul J. Ste. Marie" taigx~xxste-marie.org pstemari Date: Fri Aug 7, 2015 1:22 am ((PDT)) On 8/6/2015 2:56 PM, alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com [atlas_craftsman] wrote: > Basically I don't like switching the motor on and off all the time > and prefer the speed of a clutch for this. I'm not so much against turning it off and on as I am against the position of the switch behind the spindle. I just picked up parts to make a contactor with a control box on the front of the lathe. With Omron switches and a Potter-Brumsfield relay rated for 1 HP that cost came to about $60 from Digikey, including a key lock switch. ------- Re: Countershaft clutch - anyone fitted one? Posted by: alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com alan.suttie Date: Fri Aug 7, 2015 8:14 am ((PDT)) Dave: Here are another two pictures of the clutch. The design is a loosely based copy of the clutch on a Myford Super 7 lathe. The clutch on my Atlas is the fourth one I've built for machine tools, one's on my Myford ML2 turret lathe and one is on my home built shaper. The Atlas is on its second clutch now. The first shot is of the friction disks and the spring pressure adjustment. The second shot is of the parts before I assembled them. I waited until I had the clutch installed and working before I made the stop for the operating lever. The cone angle is 11 degrees, Machinery's Handbook recommends anything from 7 to 13 degrees for this, I've standardized on 11 degrees. Generally what dictates the design parameters is whatever materials, particularly the spring, I have in the scrap box. At the bottom of the parts pic is the new countershaft. It looks like it's got smaller diameter ends on it, that's a 3/8" pushrod which slides through a hole drilled in the shaft. Drilling this hole was the hardest and most boring part of the job (no pun intended). My rack feed tailstock really helped with peck drilling for the first part of the job. Regards, Alan S 2 of 2 Photo(s) https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/atlas_craftsman/attachments/6752477 Atlas clutch fitted (2).JPG ------- Re: Countershaft clutch - anyone fitted one? Posted by: anthrhodesx~xxaol.com anthrhodes Date: Fri Aug 7, 2015 7:55 pm ((PDT)) Alan, I am extremely interested in your countershaft clutch. Any info you can provide will be interesting and useful. By the way, besides the tailstock and the clutch, what other modifications have you made to your lathe, or ideas on modifications, even if not yet built. Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Re: Countershaft clutch - anyone fitted one? Posted by: alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com alan.suttie Date: Sat Aug 8, 2015 1:41 pm ((PDT)) Anthony: The lathe has been my main machine tool for over 30 years, before coming to me it had an easy life other than having an ugly paint job applied. I have re-scraped the bed to remove a slight hollow in front of the headstock and bedded the saddle to the newly flattened bed. At the same time I turned the lead screw round so I could take advantage of the unworn end - a simple job of cutting the ends off and replacing them with new ones on the opposite ends. I've replaced all the handles with steel ball handles and all the feed screw nuts with much longer ones in bronze. The most extreme modification has been the T slotted cross slide and the replacement compound slide. The stock compound slide is a weak point, the travel too short, the gib strip on the wrong side and the feed handle contacting the tailstock at times. It was also too high in relation to the centre line for a decent sized QC tool holder system. I machined a new compound slide from steel, increased the travel, relocated the gib to the non load side and added a quick retract feature in line with a Hardinge or the George Thomas design. It also relocates the handle away from the tailstock. My rear tool post and travelling steady fit directly to the T slots of the cross slide. I've used the machine as a small horizontal boring machine several times, this was the initial reason for the T slotted cross slide. I have also got rid of the fiddly cross feed pull knob and the nail breaking spindle lock plunger. Both of these have been replaced by ball handled levers. I'll add picture of the machine in its current state. I'm now quite happy with the machine, it's as convenient and quick to use as many of its bigger brothers I've used over the years. Any future modifications will likely be to tooling, generally based on the designs of George Thomas and Jack Radford. My spherical turning and knurling tools are direct mount to the dovetails of my B size QC tool post. Tailstock tooling includes individually mounted dies for smaller threads using a master holder. It's in place in the picture but largely obscured by the compound slide. Regarding any details of the clutch or any other mods, I'm rather minimalist with design. The most detail drawings I produce are freehand sketches on squared paper. If there's any calculations required, particularly for optimizing constructional details, I'll use an Excel spreadsheet as I did for the clutch. I wanted to make use of a piece of bronze hollow bar and a spring I already had "in stock". Regards Alan S Photo(s) https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/atlas_craftsman/attachments/1589538546 ball handles (1).JPG ------- Re: Countershaft clutch - anyone fitted one? Posted by: wmrmeyersx~xxsbcglobal.net oldstudentmsgt Date: Sun Aug 9, 2015 8:25 am ((PDT)) I'll second the requests for more photos. I don't even own an Atlas/Craftsman lathe, yet, though I'm trying to get one. My contact for the one I've trying to get hasn't been to the informal meetings a group of live steamers holds in a nearby restaurant for the past 4 weeks, which has at least had the advantage of causing me to save my money... I know there are "better" lathes out there. I've just never before found one I even had a chance at affording that wasn't at the same time too big for my shop. I'm not holding my breath, but I do hope I get to get this lathe. I like my little HF 7x10, but it just isn't capable of some of the things I want to do, and am learning how to do. It's summer break for my machining class, looking forward to classes restarting in a bit over a week. Bill in OKC ------- Re: Countershaft clutch - anyone fitted one? Posted by: alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com alan.suttie Date: Sun Aug 9, 2015 10:44 am ((PDT)) Bill, Anthony, Steve: I'll have to take some specific shots of the mods one by one and maybe start a new thread for the series. I can describe each one but as I've mentioned earlier I tend to do my design in the machine shop (unless the mod is complex) so there are no drawings. Some of them are recent and have lots of hours on them, others are more recent and have less hours of use, all of them seem to be reliable as I can't remember any failures. The spindle lock is by far the most recent but it's had a lot of use between changing chucks and even more use when I have collets fitted. I find I make a lot more use of collets than I'd have imagined, I like their non marring grip and their concentricity. BTW, my other shop equipment is simple and mostly home built. I've a round column mill, also modified to some extent, a Myford ML2 converted to a turret lathe (once featured in Home Shop Machinist magazine), large (store bought) and small (home built) drill presses and a travelling head shaping machine (home built). So over the course of the next few weeks I'll do my best to write up my Atlas mods. During my decades of ownership of my Atlas I've replaced most of the zamak parts, gears, brackets, handles. The exception are the back gears which I seldom use. Regards, Alan S ------- Re: Countershaft clutch - anyone fitted one? Posted by: "David Hair" thehairsx~xxoptilink.us dhlh1984 Date: Sun Aug 9, 2015 11:59 am ((PDT)) Alan, More photo's of each by section would be wonderful. Since you don't have drawings any feature that is not visible or machining that is unusual would be nice to have a note or two on. I like your mods so much I'm getting ready to build my own tailstock. A tailstock with less than 5" travel is a pain and I would like at least 6". I'd never thought of using a rack on the tailstock ram but after seeing yours I think it is a really nice idea. Keep up the good work. David Hair ------- Atlas QC54 mods - spindle lock lever [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com alan.suttie Date: Sun Aug 9, 2015 6:49 pm ((PDT)) Atlas spindle lock: In response to several requests I'll describe the various mods I've made to my Atlas QC54 over the years. This upgrade is the most recent modification of the ones I’ve done to my 10” Atlas but it’s something I should have done years ago. The nail breaking spindle lock plunger, usually tucked behind a large chuck or faceplate was a pain to use in every sense of the word. I replaced the detented plunger with simple lever operation, pivoted about a bracket which I mounted on a handy flat area on the headstock casting. I filed and scraped this area of the headstock flat and approximately level with the bed surface. The bracket was sawn and milled from a piece of A36 plate, 3/8” thick, attached to the headstock with three #10-32 socket head cap-screws 3/4” long. The plate was counter-bored to leave the heads flush with the top surface for cosmetic reasons only. The central part of the lever was machined from 1/2” X 5/8” cold rolled steel, one end forked to suit the new plunger and the other turned to a ball, again for cosmetic reasons. The plunger itself was replaced with a new one, the outer end machined to a rod end configuration and the inner end a copy of the stock part. I'm not sure what the material was, nothing exotic, probably key steel. The pivot screw was made from 12L14 steel, 3/8” body diameter and a pair of 5/16” UNF nuts on the bottom end. Looking at the three pictures I just took, I should have brushed off the small chips more carefully. When the ball contacts the headstock it acts as a stop for the disengaged position. I positioned the handle out of the way in case I caught my sleeve on it and inadvertently actuated the spindle lock while the lathe was running. No sketches were made, the bracket was made first and fitted, all the other part sizes followed suit. Hope this helps. Regards, Alan S 3 of 3 Photo(s) https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/atlas_craftsman/attachments/1733017033 Atlas mods - spindle lock (1).JPG Atlas mods - spindle lock (2).JPG Atlas mods - spindle lock (3).JPG ------- Re: Atlas QC54 mods - spindle lock lever Posted by: "Carvel Webb" carvelwx~xxabsamail.co.za cwlathes Date: Sun Aug 9, 2015 11:40 pm ((PDT)) Alan, friends, Very neat, but what do you use it for ? I have always thought this pin was strictly an indexing device rather than a spindle lock, and I have seen a number of lathes where the pin and/or the bull gear had been damaged where the pin had been used to try and “lock” the spindle for purposes of loosening a chuck etc. Kind Regards, Carvel ------- Re: Atlas QC54 mods - spindle lock lever Posted by: alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com alan.suttie Date: Mon Aug 10, 2015 9:29 am ((PDT)) Carvel: I'm aware that the pin is an indexing device, I've never used it for that purpose. My feeling is that it's a better option for locking the spindle than engaging the back gears without freeing the bull gear from the spindle. I don't have to use a hammer to take off my chucks or faceplate, a hand bump on the chuck key will free them. Having said that, I'm paranoid about cleaning the spindle nose and chuck back-plate threads before fitting them together. I've made a soft reamer to remove any small chips sticking to the female threads which I use every time. A small spot of oil goes on the spindle nose each time as well. The most use the lock lever gets is in using collets. I have come to use them a great deal on smaller parts both for the improved concentricity when reversing a part and for the greater contact area they give. The collet use was the impetus for me to make the lever, changing chucks less so. I haven't seen any increase in damage on the indexing holes other than that caused by the previous owner. If I eventually wear the index holes out, then I'll flip the bull gear around or more probably make a new steel one. Good point though as I've read posts from users with stuck chucks justifiably worried about damaging bull gears during the removal process. Alan ------- Re: Atlas QC54 mods - spindle lock lever Posted by: "Carvel Webb" carvelwx~xxabsamail.co.za cwlathes Date: Mon Aug 10, 2015 10:33 am ((PDT)) Alan, Sounds good, and thoroughly endorse your chuck procedure. It is a pity that Atlas didn't incorporate a decent spindle lock in their design, although perhaps with the use of Zamak gears any plunger arrangement through any of them might have induced unacceptable stresses. Although looking at the proliferation of damaged gear teeth resulting no doubt from careless chuck technique, one wonders whether it wouldn't have been the lesser evil anyway. Keep well, Carvel ------- Re: Atlas QC54 mods - spindle lock lever Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Mon Aug 10, 2015 8:19 pm ((PDT)) Judging from the number of sheared of index pins that have been reported here or on H-M this year, it appears that a lot of people have tried to use them as a spindle lock for removing a chuck. I have always done it the way that the book says, by engaging the back gears without pulling the direct drive pin. And I never recall needing to do that during any operation involving a collet. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Atlas QC54 mods - spindle lock lever Posted by: alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com alan.suttie Date: Tue Aug 11, 2015 11:45 am ((PDT)) Robert: It's not the ultimate shear resistance of the locking method that causes me to use the detent pin for collets, it's the ease of operation. Now that the handle is on the front I find it easier for ejecting or loading multiple small parts, especially when I'm too lazy to set up my turret lathe. I've recently added some square collets to the collection so I don't have to replace the collet set up with a 4 jaw self centring chuck. I guess I'm getting lazy in my old age. I also seldom, if ever, use back gear so I can't account for the cleanliness of the gear mesh. regards, Alan S ------- Atlas QC mods (2) - tailstock rack feed [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com alan.suttie Date: Tue Aug 11, 2015 11:51 am ((PDT)) Here's as much as I can recall and measure about the mod to my tailstock. I modified my tailstock after seeing some pictures of a Myford tailstock upgrade kit. I make a lot of smaller components and there wasn’t enough feel in the conventional screw feed for drilling small number size holes. The other shortcoming of the Atlas tailstock was the length of the body in relation to the diameter, particularly when there was some wear on the ram. The ram was replaced by a piece of ground 4140 steel bar 15” long through which I drilled a 3/8” hole for the taper ejector. The business end was bored and finish reamed #2 Morse taper. My design was limited by the length of the piece of 20DP rack which I had left over from a lathe rebuild project, this rack is fitted into a shallow keyway cut in the ram. This located it lengthwise and also acted as a key to prevent rotation under load. The body of the tailstock extension consists of two pieces of steel approximately 4” long X 2” wide X 3/4” thick. Machining and scraping these parts true reduced the overall sizes by roughly 1/32”. They’re held together by some 1/4” UNC socket head cap-screws and dowels. The lower extension piece has a block mounted on the end and bored to carry the feed pinion, 13 teeth by 20 DP to fit the rack. The tricky part of the job was to mount the extension to the tailstock body without loss of concentricity. The tailstock body can be swung in the lathe once the base is removed and it was bored out and screwcut 1 7/16” X 24 TPI to match a male thread on the two extension halves. Both the tailstock body and the extension halves were machined by mounting them on a piece of the ram material gripped in the 4 jaw chuck and supported on the chuck end by a fixed steady. The angular location of the extension is fixed by a locknut after assembly. Not a lot else to say, the handles for feed and taper ejector are easy machining, the index dial was an afterthought, compromising on accuracy over long distances. It’s accurate on short strokes but loses out on longer ones since I took the easy way out on the number of divisions. The stroke of the tailstock is now just over 4 inches and it’s significantly more rigid than before. The small key for stopping rotation has been replaced by the close fit of the rack in the mating keyway in the lower extension block. I’d already posted some pictures of the tailstock in response to some questions. I’ll add a top view showing the fasteners and dowels for the extension blocks and the locknut. Also in the shot is the single grease nipple and the lever for locking the tailstock to the bed. Hope this helps. 1 of 1 Photo(s) https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/atlas_craftsman/attachments/1272919657 Atlas mods - tailstock.JPG ------- Re: Atlas QC mods (2) - tailstock rack feed Posted by: "Carvel Webb" carvelwx~xxabsamail.co.za cwlathes Date: Tue Aug 11, 2015 1:50 pm ((PDT)) While we are on the topic of rack type tailstock mods, I came across this article in my files from Model Engineer some years back –- might add some further ideas. http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/sites/7/documents/racktailstockdesign.pdf Regards, Carvel ------- Re: Atlas QC mods (2) - tailstock rack feed Posted by: "Carvel Webb" carvelwx~xxabsamail.co.za cwlathes Date: Wed Aug 12, 2015 10:21 am ((PDT)) Anthony, As I responded to Alan, I acquired one of the Cowell’s rack fed Myford tail stock attachments some years ago which I can photograph up close if ever needed. It was designed to fit onto the ML-7 tail stock, but is the same bed width and centre height as the Super 7, so I keep the whole assembly handy to substitute the Super 7 tailstock when needed. Regards, Carvel ------- Re: Atlas QC mods (2) - tailstock rack feed Posted by: alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com alan.suttie Date: Wed Aug 12, 2015 9:23 am ((PDT)) Carvel: I hadn't seen that series of articles by Martin Cleeve. It's a very neat design. He's was a very under-rated contributor, his ideas on screw-cutting for instance, are brilliant. The Myford rack feed tailstock unit I saw pictures of was much neater than my version, mine was a mix of available materials and a need to double the contact length of the ram. Before I made the George Thomas retracting compound slide I used a Martin Cleeve inspired quick retracting tool holder. I'd like to incorporate Martin Cleeve's screw-cutting dog clutch but the Atlas headstock doesn't lend itself to the modification. Thanks for the link. Alan S ------- Re: Atlas QC mods (2) - tailstock rack feed Posted by: anthrhodesx~xxaol.com anthrhodes Date: Wed Aug 12, 2015 9:26 am ((PDT)) Carvel, Glad you posted that reference. I hadn't realized that ME had made that one available publicly. It has been the basis of my thoughts on a non-screw feed tailstock for a long time. I think the rack feed idea is much superior to the alternative lever feed as an alternative to the usual screw feed for manual operation. Of course screw feed might be preferable for a CNC conversion. Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Re: Atlas QC mods (2) - tailstock rack feed Posted by: "Carvel Webb" carvelwx~xxabsamail.co.za cwlathes Date: Wed Aug 12, 2015 10:10 am ((PDT)) Alan, I have one of the Cowell’s rack fed Myford tailstock attachments if you would like me to provide details at any stage, but from what I can see, your version works just fine :>) Kind Regards, Carvel ------- Re: Atlas QC mods (2) - tailstock rack feed Posted by: anthrhodesx~xxaol.com anthrhodes Date: Wed Aug 12, 2015 10:08 am ((PDT)) Alan, The tailstock is one of the mods in which I had expressed specific interest, but I want you to know I'm finding all of them to be useful ideas. Please continue with the various upgrades, also any you've thought of which you haven't yet built or installed. And now a request to other owners and users, if you have special attachments, accessories, or modifications you've made to your equipment, please tell us about it. You see how much interest has been aroused by the examples currently being posted by one person. Many machine tool owner-users, and in particular members of this group, prefer to clean and restore their machines to original condition and specifications. Nothing wrong with that. Of course they often also look to acquire various accessories which were never associated with their individual machine. Others decide that they would rather adapt the machines for greater convenience or to better serve their particular needs. Remember, the original design of every machine is a compromise. The original builder or manufacturer had a purpose or market which he was trying to address and made decisions about what could and should be included regarding size, capacity, cost, and other factors. Some things which the builder considered less important to his purposes may be more important to you. You can make what you have "your machine" rather than Atlas' or South Bend's or name-your-poison's. And, unless you're in the trade, suitability to your purposes is far more important than resale value. This is not to imply that the mods applied by Alan to his lathe reduce the value because they make it non-standard. Far from it, because he has made additions which the manufacturer couldn't justify within his market considerations. Time to stop, but not before expressing my thanks to Alan for his contributions. Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Re: Atlas QC mods (2) - tailstock rack feed Posted by: anthrhodesx~xxaol.com anthrhodes Date: Wed Aug 12, 2015 9:47 pm ((PDT)) Alan, A couple of useful points on the skew rack concept are that the spiral- gear effect of the skew rack gives a smoother action of the gearing. Also, with judicious selection of the skew angle you can get the micrometer dial to read extremely close to true motion of the tailstock ram. My calculations indicate making the skew angle 11.64556397° will shorten the travel from 2.042" per turn of he capstan angle to 2.000". 11.645° would result in 2.000004" 11.64° would result in 2.00004" 11.65° would result in 1.999968" 11.6° would result in 2.000327" 11.7° would result in 1.996" The extra conversion results are simply to indicate to what degree of accuracy you might wish to work. This can also be done with a simple gear train of a 31 on the capstan shaft driving a 28 followed by a 23 driving a 26 on the shaft with the 13 which engages the straight rack. Keep the micrometer dial on the 26-13 shaft. Regarding the screw cutting dog clutch, go to: http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=49358#981376 which will take you to a discussion entitled "Screwcutting Simplified" on the ME web site. Graham Meek designed a single tooth dog clutch which is far superior to the one created by Martin Cleeve and the entire development of Graham's design is discussed on this site. He designed machine specific versions for 3 different versions of Myford, at least 2 versions of Boxford, and several versions of Asian lathes, possibly more, I don't recall off hand. Besides the discussions on the ME site his design is also published in Engineering In Miniature, Jan., Feb., and Mar. 2012, I think this was republished in HSM a year or two later, and is also available from TEE Publishing as one of about a dozen articles in Graham Meek's "Projects For Your Workshop - Volume 1". Don't get me wrong when I say Graham's design of dog clutch is superior to Martin Cleeve's vesion, I think very highly of Martin Cleeve and his book "Screwcutting in the Lathe" is one of my personal favorites and a standard reference for me. Another article by Graham Meek, published in the same sources as his dog clutch, is on a Hand Wheel Dial for Myford Series 7 Lathes. This is a micrometer dial on the hand wheel for horizontal traverse which reads out in true inches traveled. He also designed a variant to read out in true milimeters traveled. Everything I've mentioned above is in the same spirit as the attachments and accessories you are currently describing and I think you'd find them very interesting. Alan, hope these will be of interest to you and to many others who think upgrading the precision and convenience of there machines is a worth the time, effort, and monetary investment. Anthony Berkeley, Calif. ------- Re: Atlas QC mods (2) - tailstock rack feed Posted by: alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com alan.suttie Date: Thu Aug 13, 2015 12:27 pm ((PDT)) Anthony: Thanks for the info on the skew rack option for correcting the travel. I lack the mill capacity to cut a rack long enough so I'm stuck with the 20DP straight rack. If I ever get dis-satisfied with the dial I'll engrave another one with 102 divisions, not perfect but slightly better, each one representing.020". My use of the dial is generally limited to drilling holes up to about 1/2" deep. Larger, deeper holes are generally drilled through or bored so different methods apply. Also I was very interesting in Graham Meek's take on screw-cutting. I'm not a regular reader of Model Engineer so I get out of touch with who is writing machine tool related articles. I've exchanged e-mails with Graham Meek on cutting skew gears in the lathe by plunge cutting but I wasn't aware of the extent of his articles in ME. The method I use is a compromise and size limited to smaller gears suitable for 90 degree 2:1 crankshaft to camshaft gears for model IC engines. Regards Alan S ------- Re: Atlas QC mods (2) - tailstock rack feed Posted by: "Carvel Webb" carvelwx~xxabsamail.co.za cwlathes Date: Sat Aug 15, 2015 5:40 pm ((PDT)) Anthony and friends, Here are some pictures of the Cowells attachment for the Myford –- not as sophisticated as Alan’s or MC’s design but has proved useful. Overall length of the barrel is 280mm and the stroke is 75mm ( 3”). It clips in place of the standard tailstock bearing of the ML-7 tailstock, but I keep one of them in place and just swop tail stocks on the Super 7 when needed. The teeth on the green one have had a tough life (not from me!), although the grey one is in better shape. The dial is a friction type and can be zeroed in any position, and is graduated in 1/10” . It has a stop on the end of the barrel to avoid cranking it all the way through inadvertently. It is bored through with an 8mm hole which has proved useful on occasion. Following Alan’s experiences with redeveloping his cross slide and top slide to include a slotted version, with the adjusting screws for the Gib on the opposite side, I include two photos of my Myford and Emco Maximat which have exactly that :>) The Myford also sports a ‘cam lock’ lever operated tailstock locking system similar to what Alan has devised for the Atlas. The difference in American and European design philosophy has intrigued me, and I have often reflected that my ‘ideal’ lathe would be a marriage of Atlas and Myford features –- but maybe Alan has done just that! I have a semi completed project to fit a spare Myford ML-7 cross slide / top slide assembly to my 10F, but still looking for that ‘round tuit’ to complete the job :>| Keep well, Carvel 8 of 8 Photo(s) https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/atlas_craftsman/attachments/141272947 DSCN1310.jpg DSCN1308.jpg DSCN1307.jpg DSCN1309.jpg DSCN1306.jpg DSCN1305.jpg DSCN1303.jpg DSCN1304.jpg ------- Atlas QC54 mods (3) - replacement compound slide Posted by: alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com alan.suttie Date: Wed Aug 12, 2015 7:05 pm ((PDT)) Atlas QC54 mods – replacement compound slide: Probably the most extensive mod I’ve carried out was the replacement for the compound slide. This was done just after making a new cross slide with T slots. The swivel base was retained for the new slide as was the top part of the old cross slide which was machined down to fit on top of the T slotted cross slide. It locates with dowels and T bar style nuts to the top of the T slotted slide. The new compound slide was machined from a piece of steel bar, probably A1018 as it was cold rolled material. I hand scraped the entire thing so I had nice reference surfaces to work from and also because I like the look of a checkered scraper job. The reasons for doing this mod were: Increase the travel so I could machine a #3 Morse taper blank, Lower the height of the tool post mounting surface so I could use a B size QC tool holder system. Get the gib strip screws on the less loaded side and get them away from rubbing the tailstock. Incorporate a much longer nut on the feed-screw (4 diameters long) As well, I added my existing George Thomas’ designed quick retract feature for screw-cutting. I already had one of these fitted to the original compound slide, it just fitted a lot better to the new one. I adapted the GHT design and increased the dimensions approximately 25% to suit the Atlas. I also eliminated the backlash adjustment provisions from the GHT design as, rather than use stock gears as he recommended, I cut a pair of backlash free ones with an increase in tooth thickness at the pitch line. Kudos to the late GH Thomas for a great design, it works really well for screw cutting at higher speeds. All the milling was done on my round column mill, the major surfaces being done with a 2 1/2” diameter high positive rake inserted cutter (SEKT inserts). Scraping was done with mostly old school scrapers made from files although I’ve now acquired an Anderson carbide scraper which had replaced most of my older ex file ones. I took a picture of some of the parts when I was building the slide, the feed screw and the Acme screw pitch gauge I made are also in the shot. The scraping on the body was almost done when the picture was taken. The Acme thread is the opposite hand to the stock one as the rotation is reversed by the gears in the GHT quick retract attachment. The second picture shows the overall slide with the B size tool-post. I have made an alignment parallel which goes between the step on the compound slide and the back of the tool-post so I can regain alignment if I have to angle the tool for any reason. Normally the parallel lives in its position behind the tool post. The third shot is of the fabricated bronze nut for the new slide. I'd a lot more room to increase the contact length to 4 diameters. Also in the shot are the two alignment blocks I used to set up the nut in the 4 jaw chuck to machine the spigot fit for attachment to the slide base. The tap is a finishing tap only, the thread was screw-cut to within a few thousandths of an inch of full depth before easing the tap through. Yet again, no drawings or sketches, just a few key dimensions scrawled on the sheets of white card I normally cover my bench top with for finished parts. Thanks to other posters for their interest and kind words on my modifications. Alan S 3 of 3 Photo(s) https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/atlas_craftsman/attachments/458087731 new compound slide 006.JPG longer compound slide 004.JPG compound slide nut 001.JPG ------- Re: Atlas QC54 mods (3) - replacement compound slide [3 Attachments] Posted by: jerdalx~xxsbcglobal.net jtiers Date: Wed Aug 12, 2015 7:19 pm ((PDT)) Hand scraped steel? That's a nasty job, I don't like doing steel, it doesn't scrape nicely like cast iron. Have done it a few times, once for the replacement topslide on the Rivett, and it was un-fun. Jerrold ------- Re: Atlas QC54 mods (3) - replacement compound slide Posted by: alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com alan.suttie Date: Thu Aug 13, 2015 8:42 am ((PDT)) Jerrold: I've probably scraped more steel than iron over the years. I agree that it has its own special problems, particularly build up on the scraper and consequent scoring marks on the surface. If the build up is bad I keep the business end of the scraper lightly moist with WD40 but not enough to transfer to the blued surface. I find that the problem of scraping steel is lessened now that I've added an Anderson carbide scraper to the scraper collection. It doesn't build up as badly as the "old school" scrapers made from old files. Many of the surfaces I scrape are for clean up as opposed to creating reference surfaces. I prefer the look of scraper hatching rather than machine marks, although since completing my home built travelling head shaper I can get a nice wet scraped machine finish from that. I've never been able to produce nice uniform rows of crescent moon frosting from a scraper, no matter how much I practice. Regards, Alan S ------- Re: Atlas QC54 mods (3) - replacement compound slide Posted by: "Jerrold Tiers" jerdalx~xxsbcglobal.net jtiers Date: Thu Aug 13, 2015 12:14 pm ((PDT)) That must be it. The only reason I scrape is to create a sliding surface, a mounting surface, or a reference surface. So I'm always taking off a significant amount, and trying to get the surface flat. I can scrape steel, but I surely don't like it. Makes bad burrs, requires more pressure, needs a sharp edge, is gummy, etc. Takes longer for not as good a job. Might depend on the grade os steel, and I usually don't know what grade it is. I really only use carbide, although I do have a few HSS blades that I could use. Jerrold ------- Atlas QC54 mods - stuff which doesn't show [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: alan.suttiex~xxyahoo.com alan.suttie Date: Fri Aug 14, 2015 11:31 am ((PDT)) Atlas QC54 mods – stuff that doesn’t show: There are quite a lot of parts I have replaced with alternative materials over the years. With the exception of my seldom used back gearing, all the zamak gears are long gone. The spindle gear is steel, the high speed tumbler reverse gears are bronze and micarta, the transfer gears to the QC threading box are steel or micarta. Several of the gears in the QC box were replaced after a catastrophic jam up distorted the teeth, replacements were all made from A1020 cold rolled steel My metric conversion gears are aluminum as they don’t get much use. They are based on a coarse conversion for inch to metric using a 51:40 ratio which gives a 127.5 rather than 127 for the conversion. Selecting specific thread per inch settings on the QC box lets me cut a range of the more common metric pitches. I have found that for short threads, mainly for automotive stuff, the error per pitch is irrelevant. Flipping the leadscrew end for end is another “mod” which I did to use the less worn part of the screw. I cut both the ends off to leave the threaded centre portion, made new ends and attached them with close fitting spigots secured with taper pins. The leadscrew bracket on the tailstock end was replaced in the process with a 6016 aluminum one. I kept an unworn one inch length of leadscrew to make a thread gauge for screw-cutting replacement half nuts. My leadscrew half nuts have been replaced several times with fabricated bronze ones. Next in line behind the saddle for replacement will be the cross feed bevel gears, they are getting a tad sloppy and will benefit from being converted to machined steel gears. Not really a modification, but a rehabilitation, was scraping the bed to remove a .0015” hollow at the chuck end. The saddle was only making contact at the ends of the H shape; once the bed was scraped flat the saddle was bedded in to full contact. I didn’t have to do too much on the sides of the ways, two or three passes on the outside surfaces. The .0015” hollow took fifteen passes to remove. Each pass, after bluing with surface plate and straightedge, took about 20 minutes. The job was done in two evenings, the blue stain on my fingers persisted longer than that! Regards, Alan S ------- Re: Atlas QC54 mods - stuff which doesn't show Posted by: "Pete Mclaughlin" pete_mclaughlin_93555x~xxyahoo.com Date: Fri Aug 14, 2015 11:56 am ((PDT)) Hi Alan. Well done! I also hand scraped the ways on my Atlas 10F and was very happy to get the saddle to slide smoothly with even tension from end to end of the bed. My next area of improvement is to change the cross feed and compound dials to 1.5 inch diameter aluminum so the marks and numerals are legible without eyestrain. Sincerely Pete Mclaughlin ------- digital read out for Atlas lathe [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: dansereau.rickx~xxyahoo.com dansereau.rick Date: Fri Oct 16, 2015 5:55 am ((PDT)) I am looking to purchase a digital display for my lathe as the etched numbers on spindle turret are becoming difficult to read. I am looking for something similar to the picture. Anyone done this before? 1 of 1 Photo(s) https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/atlas_craftsman/attachments/328606783 ------- Re: digital read out for Atlas lathe Posted by: ctb11365x~xxyahoo.com ctb11365 Date: Fri Oct 16, 2015 7:29 am ((PDT)) There are people who've made bigger diameter dials for the various Atlas machines; some are for sale now and again, too. You would find a 2" diameter dial much easier to read. Alternately mount up a dial indicator to use for your cross feed measurements and forget the dials on the screw. Charlie ------- Re: digital read out for Atlas lathe Posted by: "Carvel Webb" carvelwx~xxabsamail.co.za cwlathes Date: Fri Oct 16, 2015 7:45 am ((PDT)) Alternatively one of the small 12” single axis DRO’s –- lots of options on EBay and elsewhere. Regards, Carvel ------- Re: digital read out for Atlas lathe Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Fri Oct 16, 2015 9:39 am ((PDT)) The later Atlas and Craftsman 12" have larger dials which can be retrofitted to the earlier 12", 10" and 9". However, you have to also change the feed screws and some other parts. And there are two slightly different versions, early and late (the late version is on the lathes that came with lead screw slip clutch and lever operated power cross feed). Robert & Susan Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: digital read out for Atlas lathe Posted by: speedoo51x~xxyahoo.com speedoo51 Date: Sat Oct 17, 2015 2:49 pm ((PDT)) You can replace dials with larger diameter ones, like from tallgrass tools. Atlas Compound Dial - Tallgrass Tools http://www.shop.tallgrasstools.com/product.sc;jsessionid=B522962DA4 915908A8A2762D9B0768E5.m1plqscsfapp01?productId=9&categoryId=1 ------- Re: digital read out for Atlas lathe Posted by: wbzx2x~xxyahoo.com wbzx2 Date: Tue Oct 20, 2015 11:18 am ((PDT)) I like that one in the picture, and I don't know how to make one. But there's a YouTube video where a guy uses a usb microscope so he can set his pointer more accurately on his gear-indexing hash-marks. Your post made me think of trying that on the dials. Pete ------- Re: digital read out for Atlas lathe Posted by: "Jerrold Tiers" jerdalx~xxsbcglobal.net jtiers Date: Tue Oct 20, 2015 6:43 pm ((PDT)) That assumes the accuracy of marks is such that very careful alignment with microscope will be better than "by eye" only. That may NOT be the case. Jerry ------- Re: digital read out for Atlas lathe Posted by: mail4samx~xxgmail.com a8050266 Date: Tue Oct 20, 2015 12:56 pm ((PDT)) Here is what I made for mine... easy to make. Atlas Lathe Dial upgrade Pt2 - HYPE®LINKS http://www.hyperlinks.net/atlas-lathe-dial-upgrade-pt2/ ------- [atlas_craftsman Yahoo group -- free copies in the Files there] Re: Where to get a copy of the Lathe Manual book for the Atlas Lathes... Posted by: wa5cabx~xxcs.com wa5cab Date: Sun Nov 15, 2015 9:37 pm ((PST)) There are six different "1937" versions and a total of fourteen different versions of the Atlas MOLO. The first six I have numbered 1937V0 through 1937V5 (not 1 to 6 because I didn't discover that version zero existed until more than a year after I had set up the version numbering system). All versions printed between 1937 and 1954 just say "Copyright 1937" on the copyright page. Atlas did not begin assigning Edition numbers and showing the print history until 1955 with versions 1955V6 and 1955V7. Robert Downs - Houston wa5cab dot com (Web Store) MVPA 9480 ------- Re: Atlas H36 change gears question [atlas_craftsman] Posted by: "Gregg Eshelman" g_alan_ex~xxYAHOO.COM g_alan_e Date: Fri Jan 15, 2016 9:07 pm ((PST)) On 1/15/2016 2:20 PM, fuddie_duddiex~xxyahoo.com [atlas_craftsman] wrote: > I just got an Atlas H36 lathe without the change gears. I do have the > lead screw. Once I got it home, it occurred to me that the seller was > probably trying to partially part out the lathe. I did manage to get the > lead screw off him, but he was going to have to look for the change > gears as they were misplaced. > My question is, can I just get a set of Atlas change gears off ebay, are > they all the same across all Atlas lathes? Does anybody know? If all else fails, some people have successfully 3D printed change gears for Atlas lathes using Nylon. The files are on Thingiverse. NOTE TO FILE: This message is just one out of many in this discussion, with members detailing which gears fit what other Atlas lathes. ------- Happy Birthday to me! [atlas618lathe] Posted by: ksierensx~xxmsn.com ksierens Date: Mon Feb 22, 2016 5:17 pm ((PST)) With my birthday coming up. I decided to treat my self and picked up a nice original M6-700 taper attachment for my Craftsman 101.21200 lathe. I have to admit, this is the first one I have seen, and it cleaned up very well. I know I could have made one, or bought an after market version, but there is just something about the original stuff. I attached some pictures, and also uploaded them to my "Kurt's Toys" photo album. 5 of 5 Photo(s) https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/atlas618lathe/attachments/1705140990 IMG_1412.JPG IMG_1413.JPG IMG_1411.JPG IMG_1415.JPG IMG_1414.JPG ------- Re: Happy Birthday to me! Posted by: egpacex~xxhotmail.com egpace Date: Mon Feb 22, 2016 5:40 pm ((PST)) Kurt, Nice! You got your wish so you just have to blow out your candles and eat the cake. Enjoy it, Ed Pace ------- ------------------------------------------------------------------ This is just one of some 80 files about machining and metalworking and useful workshop subjects that can be read at: http://www.janellestudio.com/metal/index.html ------------------------------------------------------------------