I just joined the hobbiest lathe crew!

[nine4gmc]

Finally!! I have been wanting a lathe for years but never ran into the right deal. Today, I refresh my CL as usual and up pops this $300 Craftsman lathe ad. I call, rush over to check it out and I am the first one there. Looked it over, not knowing wtf I am looking at but did not see any broken parts and he mentioned the tooling, table, box and parts all go with it so I handed over the deposit to hold while I ran to the atm for the rest and to pick up some dollies and partner to help. I have never owned/operated a standard lathe but have turned brake drums/rotors at several jobs so I am somewhat familiar with metal turning, just not this format.

Anyone have any pointers or sites or suggestions, please feel free to post up. I know some machinist sites shun these hobby machines and I do not want to get put down while trying to learn something. Just want to make some chips and hopefully have a lil fun in the process.

 

[sumner52000]

I wish i had a lathe to play with. When i get some more space it will be on my list of tools to add.

 

[hdshinn]

Cute little machine!

That looks like a four jaw independent chuck. I'm no more, really less a machinist than you are but I do a lot of wood turning. All my wood lathe chucks are 'scroll' chucks meaning they're self centering. I've never understood how to use a chuck with independent jaws. I'm looking forward to someone describing how it's done.

As for comments/suggestions the only thing I'd want to verify is that the tail stock is well aligned with the head stock.

 

[ChevyEFI]

Congrats and enjoy it!

 

[Steevo]

Looks like a 12x36 Atlas.
That is a pretty fair deal for $300.
The quick change gear box alone is worth most of that price.
The model/serial number should be on a plate on the right end of the lathe bed.
That will give you enough info to find a manual for it and identify age.
Probably 1960's.

This is a site where you won't get harassed for being a new lathe owner:

http://hobby-machinist.com/index.php

 

[454ragtop]

Definitely a "you ****" deal with the quick change, steady, and follower rest. Join the Atlas Craftsman lathe group for tons of info.
Good luck, Jim

 

[d.mcfarland]

Love how tools of that time period were beautiful beyond their time. Great buy at that price.

 

[87Pomona]

I'm jealous!

I want a Craftsman Lathe now.

 

[1953mercury]

Very decent price. Mine is considerably older and not quick change, which you will find very convenient. A good machine to learn on and does most things I need, but I am looking to upgrade, and I guess when the time is right I'll stumble onto my next one. Congrats on a nice score. Mike

Spent quite a few hrs cleaning, painting, and adjusting, but she does pretty well for what she is.

 

[e-tek]

I like the tool box too!!

So what kinds of things would you make on a lathe in your home shop/garage? I could always use a cool new tool, but can't think of what I'd use one for....

I finally bought a 12Ton press (on-sale) but haven't even put it together yet! I recall asking the same question a while back (about the press) and guys were like "Oh, I use mine all the time - for bearings, U-joints, blah, blah....." Sure.....

A lathe looks more useful.

 

[lowbucktruck]

I think that machine deserves a "you ****"! Congrats!

 

[nine4gmc]

Thanks guys, the model is a 101.27440, idk the year.

 

[Steevo]

PM me your email address and I'll email you a bunch of PDF docs on Atlas lathes.

 

[d.mcfarland]

101's are pre-1950ish but probably later than late 1930's. Unless they somehow carried that model pretty far. I've never researched metal lathes, just going off other Craftsman 101's.

 

[jeffmoss26]

Awesome!!

 

[Cedge]

http://www.modelenginemaker.com
Very hobby machinist friendly forum and willing to share information with a new guy. Small engine oriented, but they certainly don't mind helping you get your feet on the ground and the lathe up and running.

 

[mrbreezeet1]

there is an atlas yahoo group too. You did good for $300.00.

 

[V70R]

Kickass find! We had older Atlas lathes in our high school shop class, awesome machines. $300 is a great deal.

 

[Outlawmws]

101's are pre-1950ish but probably later than late 1930's. Unless they somehow carried that model pretty far. I've never researched metal lathes, just going off other Craftsman 101's.

They made the Atlas craftsman's from early on to the early to mid 70's at least. I have the "pro" model which means it has the metal stand and the motor below the spindle in a cabinet, instead of behind it and in the way of things like walls...


I know Steveo also has the same basic model too.

It's a good lathe, although I think the 24" model is a bit less apt to chatter than the 36" that is really my only complaint with mine is that some cutting operations are harder to keep tool chatter from happening.

Nice find and good deal!

 

[Provincial]

Atlas came out with the quick change soon after WWII, if I remember correctly. The 12" models of your style (looks the same as the old 10" models, but 1" taller) came out before/during WWII. Atlas never sold this lathe under their own brand. The 12" Atlas (and it's Craftsman twin) came out in the mid-1950's. I would date your lathe between 1947 and 1955.

Good score! Even if the lathe is worn out, the quick-change gearbox is worth most of what you paid, the follower rest is worth nearly as much. The accessories in the box add up individually to a couple of hundred dollars.

In short, YOU ****!

PS: This lathe is going to be a good one for you to learn on. It is a little light for steel parts (but quite capable if you are patient) and works great on aluminum and plastic. It has all the features you need to learn on (quick-change, feed dials, threading dial, etc.) and doesn't take up too much room.

Find a copy of the Atlas Manual of Lathe Operation with a publication date later than 1948 and you will have a textbook on how to run it. Many on Ebay.

Have fun! I have two, a 10" Atlas QC42 and one of the last Atlas 12x36 cabinet models ever made.

 

[nine4gmc]

It's certainly not a necessity for me, but I have been interested in tinkering with one for as long as I can remember so I have been patiently waiting for the stars to line up. What helped, I scored a deal on an item earlier the same day that when sold, should cover the costs of both it and this lathe, plus I turn the big 4-0 at the end of the month so it's also kind of early a present for myself too.

sumner52000, put it on the list now, just not high priority. If you keep an eye out for one, you will run into a deal eventually. If you wait till you really want/need one and it will be impossible to find

hdshinn, I'm looking forward to finding out about the four jaw as well. Any suggestions on how to test for alignment?

ChevyEFI, thanks for stopping in!

Steevo, thanks for the link, I just registered. Also PM'd you, seriously thank you for any info you have on these.

454ragtop, Thanks I will check out that group.

d.mcfarland, everything made back then was made with style. It's art whether is working or just sitting there.

87Pomona, don't be jelly, they way you run into deals I can see you picking one up soon!

1953mercury, your lathe looks great, do you have a resto thread? Also, I keep reading quick change gears and I see the label on the lathe but it means as much as reading "fourmatic" on a Benz. Sounds cool but I have no idea wtf it does.

e-tek, idk what I will make with it but I can think of ten times last year I wish I had one to do something I was doing. I'm sure I will find something to make on it, when I figure out all the buttons and knobs... btw, I bought a press a while back too but after about 6 mos of no use, I sold it for a profit so I could get some more wanted/needed tools. Presses are a dime a dozen around here compared to lathes, I can always pick up another press.

lowbucktruck, thanks, I knew it was a deal but didn't realize it was **** worthy!

jeffmoss26, thanks for stopping in Jeff!

Cedge, thank you for the link, small engines etc interest me!

mrbreezeet1, I read some of the yahoo group, need to look at it again when I get some time thanks.

V70R, hs shop class was probably the last time I was this close to a lathe, unfortunately back then I was more into chasing women than machine working.

Outlawmws, this one does have a lot of room between the bed and wall due to the motor. Post up pics of the pro model if you don't mind, I would like to see how it's made.

Provincial, thanks for the info is there a way of knowing the exact year of production? The older guy I bought it from said it was his fathers and that his father used it primarily for facing aluminum parts he cast himself. The son inherited it 20yrs ago and used it once to make a wood plug. He said he had to put this new motor on it to do that one job, wish he had kept the old motor too, oh well.

ducksface, thanks for stopping in. You guys need to post up some things you have made with your lathe so I can get inspired!!

 

[nine4gmc]

Here is where I plan to use it, I had to rearrange my shop and put the finger brake on another wall so I could use the dedicated 15a outlet to run the lathe and lights.

 

[jeep534]

you might want to stop by here and bookmark this site. I purchased one of their collett chucks and was very impressed. http://www.tallgrasstools.com/ they have repair parts as well
welcome to the club

archie =) =) =)

 

[jeep534]

another thought after reading your last post you know that it being a "bench Lathe" you could get a couple of bench height tool boxes (similar to lista) and put a metal tray on top of that and have a place for all the bits and pieces that "will follow you home" for the lathe.

archie =) =) =

 

[jeep534]

also there are two magazines that might interest you
the home shop machinist and the machinist workshop
and their forum http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/forum.php

there is a bunch of interesting stuff here
http://madmodder.net/

happy hunting
archie =) =) =)

 

[steel 35]

Looks like a you **** to me. Here is one of mine that just happens to look like yours. And as mentioned before try to get a atlas manual you can learn a lot with it.

 

[kevin47]

another thought after reading your last post you know that it being a "bench Lathe" you could get a couple of bench height tool boxes (similar to lista) and put a metal tray on top of that and have a place for all the bits and pieces that "will follow you home" for the lathe.

archie =) =) =

I'm in a similar situation...I've got plenty of bed length also, so I just set my small Kennedy tool box with all my bits, etc. on the end of the ways...Works for me...At the right level and if it gets in the way I just set it on the floor for a minute...

Great find by the way...I had to pay a $1000 bucks for my 9" South Bend but I got his lifetimes worth of tooling and bits with it..And he was 92 years old !lol

 

[larry_g]

another thought after reading your last post you know that it being a "bench Lathe" you could get a couple of bench height tool boxes (similar to lista) and put a metal tray on top of that and have a place for all the bits and pieces that "will follow you home" for the lathe.

archie =) =) =

I had a Logan lathe that similar to that lathe mounted on a metal frame and it had a tendency to chatter. After owning it for a couple of years I bought a second one that was mounted on a heavy wooden bench similar to the OP's setup. I found that the heavy wooden bench damped out chatter much better than the metal bench. I even changed the old lathe to the new bench and it reduced chatter a large amount and the only change was the bench. So I am a believer in the heavy wooden benches.

An to the OP, you ****. I think that with a bit of cleaning you could easily have a $6-8 hundred setup there and in some places $12-15 hundred. I don't think that I see a 3 jaw chuck in there and that may be a blessing in disguise. Learn to run the lathe with the 4 jaw and you will learn the centering and machining processes better. You will really understand what center line of the lathe is. Once you have mastered the 4 jaw then buy a NEW 3 jaw. 3 jaw chucks wear much more than a 4 jaw and the chances of getting a good 3 jaw are a lot less than getting a good used 4 jaw.

One of the u-tube guys I have started watching is Keith Fenner He is easy to watch and has a lot of good things to see on the lathe.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Richard D]

4 jaw independant chuck-you tighten each jaw separatly with an allen wrench. That way you can mount square, rectangle shapes, and turn eccentrics on round stock. Does everything a 3 jaw will do, just slower to set up. The chuck to have if you only have one. Three jaw, you just put in your round stock and tighten her up, similar to a drill chuck. Way faster, but only truns round and concentric. $ jaw is a bit more accurate. Best to have both. They are cheap used check Ebay

 

[onewaydave]

South Bend has a little book, How to Run a Lathe, that is about the same as the Atlas book mentioned above. They also put out a book, Projects for the First Year, or something like that.

My first lathe was/is a 11" Wards/Logan. You'd be surprised what you can accomplish on a small lathe. My biggest was a shaft for a 36" band saw whose bearing had frozen and wallowed out the shaft where the bearing mounted. I nickle welded a build up and mounted the shaft between centers to cut down the weld to mount the bearing. I think that shaft weighed about 30 pounds and was about 24" long x 2" in diameter. I have learned to cut threads, use face plates, 3 & 4 jaw chucks and a whole host of neat things that were useful as well.

Just a little tip here. When cutting threads, pay attention to your forward/reverse lever. Because a right handed nut will not thread onto a left hand threaded bolt. This time I braze on a build up and re-cut the threads to right hand to correct the problem.

The practicalmachinist.com site is full of a lot of machining information. They don't allow hobby machines but phrase your questions without mentioning the machine you are using and you will get a lot of good answers.

I don't know if Atlas used ways that were not hardened, but if they did you might want to check if your ways are hardened or not. In general a machinist will protect the integrity of the ways at all costs. They are what makes a lathe a precision machine. I'm not sure I would put anything on the ways, except way oil.

Chatter could be from a lathe that is not securely mounted, a work piece that is not securely or incorrectly mounted, a tool bit that is incorrectly ground or incorrectly positioned. At least those are the problems I have had to learn to fix. I would think that taking too big of a cut or trying to cut too hard of a material (steel vs plastic) would just bog the motor down rather than causing chatter. I would think an Atlas 12x ** would cut most non-hardened steel or iron. More often than not when I get chatter, my bit is not sharp or is too high/low with respect to center.

Dave, not a machinist by a long shot.

 

[onewaydave]

...The chuck to have if you only have one. Three jaw, ...

I started to object but then read on and you do mention that the 4 jaw is (much) more accurate. So I guess it would depend on if you needed speed and close or accurate.

Not mentioned is a 6 jaw. Fast and accurate. Or collets. Both are a little pricey.

I have seen machinists mount a 3 jaw in a 4 jaw. One reason to do this is to turn a small part in a large machine. Another reason is to get the accuracy of a 4 jaw with the speed of the 3 jaw set up.

Dave.

 

[Richard D]

Look at smartflix.com, they have machining videos you can rent.

 

[Richard D]

I started to object but then read on and you do mention that the 4 jaw is (much) more accurate. So I guess it would depend on if you needed speed and close or accurate.

Not mentioned is a 6 jaw. Fast and accurate. Or collets. Both are a little pricey.

I have seen machinists mount a 3 jaw in a 4 jaw. One reason to do this is to turn a small part in a large machine. Another reason is to get the accuracy of a 4 jaw with the speed of the 3 jaw set up.

Dave.

You really NEED a 4 jaw, if you can have only one, unless you never cut anything but round, and concentric. You will really WANT a 3 jaw, for round and concentric. collet, somewhat of a luxury for a hobbiest; six jaw DEFINITLEY a luxury.

You'll want a face plate as well.

 

[justanengineer]

That looks like a four jaw independent chuck. I'm no more, really less a machinist than you are but I do a lot of wood turning. All my wood lathe chucks are 'scroll' chucks meaning they're self centering. I've never understood how to use a chuck with independent jaws. I'm looking forward to someone describing how it's done.

There are such things as 4 jaw scroll chucks and 3 jaw independents (weird, I know), tho not common. There are a couple of different methods of centering or adjusting the work in the chuck depending upon the accuracy needed, but for real accuracy you need to use an indicator to measure the runout and simply loosen one jaw slightly and tighten the one opposite to move the piece. In reality you can get pretty close just eyeballing it, so its not as bad as it sounds.

 

[Richard D]

You should have asked if he still had the aluminum casting equipment

 

[onewaydave]

You really NEED a 4 jaw, ... You will really WANT a 3 jaw, ... six jaw DEFINITLEY a luxury.

A guy has gotta have a dream.

http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/BUCK-CHUCK-Lathe-Chuck-12A189?gclid=CLDr5vmjnbUCFcGqPAodVEsAeQ&cm_mmc=PPC:GooglePLA-_-Machining-_-Machine%20Tool%20Accessories-_-12A189&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=12A189&ef_id=UNkpJAAAHOftxR5H:20130204182740:s

Dave, who had no clue that there were 4 jaw scroll and 3 jaw independent chucks.

 

[larry_g]

I think if you guys reread my earlier post I said one should LEARN to operate the lathe with a 4 jaw. Once the 4 jaw is mastered then use the 3 jaw.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[nine4gmc]

Thanks for all the replies and links, also I got your emails Steevo, super thanks!! I do not know how to send a 53mb file either, anyone?

I hung a 3 bulb T8 light above it and some nice, thick peg board behind it today and got the Kennedy back in place. For fun, I tried centering a piece of bar stock in the jaws, it's close but not spot on.

 

[Cedge]

Nine
Just take your time. You are about to enter a learning curve that takes patience and the humility to ask questions..... lots of questions. I taught myself to machine all alone at night in my shop. It was often frustrating and often my efforts were not entirely successful, but persistence paid off. It sure helped when I discovered the hobby machinist forums.

Keep it fun and learn from each mistake. In the mean time, burn up some metal and make chips... lots and lots of them. Practice getting a decent finish one day and the next, try to hit a specified measurement. Before long you'll be wondering why it was so difficult to hit your target measurements and you'll come to love a slick shiny surface finish. Each metal is different so give several kinds a shot.

The 4 jaw is definitely the place to begin learning. I learned with a 3 jaw and became frustrated with dialing in a work piece on the 4 jaw. Once mastered, it tended to be my main stay chuck. Tackle it first and then enjoy the 3 jaw later.

Several things can induce chatter. Is the lathe level and mounted on a solid surface? Is the cutting tool sharp and centered on the work piece? High speed steel cutters are easier to learn with than carbide or indexed tools. (you'll need to know how to grind, shape and sharpen HHS anyway)

I'm guessing you're experiencing what most rookies do. The temptation to run the lathe at too high of a speed and too slow travel. Most metals will raise hell if speed and feed are wrong. old machinists rule of thumb for chatter.... Decrease speed (RPM) and increase the feed (tool travel). Cutting oil and WD40 are your friends.

You might also give the chuck a good hands on push and pull inspection to make sure it's secure and that the bearings are still nice and snug. You don't want there to be any detectable movement when you do this. If the saddle and cross slide gib bars are not properly adjusted you can also get chatter and erratic behavior.


If you like miniature engines, drop by my little corner of the web. http://cedesign.net/steam


Steve

 

[Provincial]

If your bed ways are worn, they can be reground. The Atlas/Craftsman uses flat ways, which can be trued up by a good metal grinding shop.

I had mine reground thirty years ago, and it has held up well. The bed had distorted into a "sway-back" as well as the wear from moving the carriage. I think this distortion was caused by improperly mounting the lathe to the bench. The Atlas Manual of Lathe Operation has the instructions for how to properly set up the lathe.