SCORE!!! (lathe) and lathe advice/question/answer session

[atch]

This was on Craigslist for about 3 minutes. Now it's in my shop. I've been looking for a lathe for a couple of years and have a pretty good idea of what they go for around here. For anywhere in Missouri this was a steal, and it was less than 30 miles away. I've never ever used a metal lathe, but will learn. That learning will be; in no particular order:

• watching YouTube
• reading
• having friends over to teach me
• going to friends' places to learn
• reading what you folks on here tell me

So the point of this thread is to ask for any advice you all can/will give me. i.e., good beginner projects, tips, things I need to know, etc.

Before any of you tell me that I have to tell you what I plan to use it for I'll tell you my answer is nothing in particular. After I do some learning I'll start making useful things but for now I just want to learn how to use this thing.

I will say that the knobs I've seen on here to turn the valves on hydraulic jacks are something I'd like to make some of early on, if they aren't too complicated for a beginner. The engine hoist and press both would be easier to use with handles/knobs instead of having to use the jack handle to turn the valve. b-t-w; there is a knurling attachment with it.

It's just sitting on an old table in these pix and I'll be building a permanent home for it. If you want to give me ideas about the design of such a lathe bench I'm all ears. I might just stand in front of it a few times just to help me decide the ideal bench height to build. If any of you know of a good way to find that ideal height I'd sure like to hear it. Of course it will depend on my height, arm length, etc. I would assume that most lathes that have a built in stand would have the chuck/spindle at about the same height. Would someone measure yours and tell me how high above the floor your chuck/spindle is?

The electric motor and belt are both very new. I bought this from a friend of a friend and my friend knows the lathe. He also knows that it's a good one and not all worn out. The seller just bought a larger lathe and a Bridgeport mill and this thing was getting in his way.

 

[brownbagg]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

i got the exact same lathe

 

[jmarkwolf]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

Join Home shop machinist, and Hobby machinist:

http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/forum.php

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/forums/

There are others as well.

 

[Millwrong]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

That's a sweet little machine, and an impressive mound of tooling!


How much?

 

[cvairwerks]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

Three things you need to do before going wild with it:

1. Get a copy of the manual for it and do some cleanup and a proper lubrication. With oil cups on the headstock, that means babbit bearings and they do not tolerate improper or scatteshot lubrication.

2: Get a copy of the the South Bend book, "How to Run a Lathe"

#: Since it has a lantern style tool holder, spend some time reading here: http://www.steves-workshop.co.uk/tips/toolgrinding/toolgrinding.htm
After you gain a bit or experience, you will want to change over to an Aloris style tool system.

 

[lis2323]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

Nice!!


Good advise from the previous posts.

Here’s the bench I built for my Clausing. I mounted the motor under the lathe to save on space.







Enjoy your new journey!

 

[rsanter]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

Good deal. Lates are fun

I like using a toolbox as a base. I have my small lathe mounted to a harbor freight 44” box and it works great. The mass of the box and contents is a good thing plus you will have storage for all the tooling and pieces.

Get some nylon/delran and some aluminum. They are good to start learning on in a small lathe..
Try some small simple,projects like a little “wobble” air powered engine and such to learn how to approach things and get the finish and clearance you want.

After you learn some stuff I would recommend you upgrade from a lantern toolpost to a small interchangeable one, or even build your own.

See if there is someone near you that has a lathe and will,work with you for a couple hours. (Or if you want to take a trip to CA you can stop by my shop)

That atlas is a popular small machine, it is kind of limited in what it can do but if you go slow you can do almost anything. Some people may say that you can’t do steel or stainless and that BS. You just have to go very slow.
For a small lathe like that, underpowered is a good thing. You want things to slip or stall verses break.

Looks like you have multiples of some of the gears and such. Those can be good spares for the future or bring a little money to sell

Bob

 

[VocaTexas]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

Congratulations on the 'new' lathe! Have fun with it!

As someone who is relatively new to lathes and machining, the best thing you can do is read the book you got with the machine and just start making larger pieces of stock into smaller pieces. Get some 3/4 or 1 inch cold rolled steel rod and just practice making cuts. Set a specific size to turn to and practice that. Practice turning to a shoulder, and then practice parting.

Mr. Pete 222 has hundreds of videos for new lathe owners. He is a former shop teacher and you can learn a LOT by watching him. There are lots of others as well. Abom 79, Keith Fenner, Keith Rucker, Steve Summers, Brian Block are some I watch.

 

[atch]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

i got the exact same lathe

Have you found any limitations with it?

What does it do well?

And conversely what does it not do well?

 

[atch]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

Nice!!


Good advise from the previous posts.

Here’s the bench I built for my Clausing. I mounted the motor under the lathe to save on space.







Enjoy your new journey!

What is the distance from the floor to the centerline of the chuck/headstock?

I'm 6' - 0" tall. In your opinion would that height be good for me?

 

[CraigStu]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

I got one very similar 2 yrs ago. In the last 30 yrs my only lathe experience was w/ a brake rotor lathe. That convinced me that I wanted tools w/ the small triangle replaceable tips. So I got some and found all the tool holders that clamp into the lantern have the tool at a significant upward angle which doesn't work real well w/ the triangle tips. So I looked through the 'Little Machine Shop' website and found the quick change type holder.
https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_category.php?category=-419988835
The quick change part isn't important but having multiple holders set up and being able to swap them onto the lathe is really nice. Also, it must be 10 times more rigid which allows somewhat more aggressive cuts. I couldn't figure which one was the one that would fit my lathe so I called and talked to a helpful guy who set me up.
https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1913&category=1208242246
I have a straight, a left, and a right ready to go. The nice thing is that once you set the height, you can swap these off and on and not need to adjust height again.

 

[raddksn]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

Nice!!


Good advise from the previous posts.

Here’s the bench I built for my Clausing. I mounted the motor under the lathe to save on space.







Enjoy your new journey!

love that motor relocate! going to steal that idea for my Logan! thanks!!!

 

[1953mercury]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

Congrats on the lathe. I have basically the same unit, less the QCGB. got it as a pile of parts with no tooling, but rebuilding it was a great way to learn how it worked. Getting yours well tooled is a huge plus, as it's very easy to spend more on tooling than you do on the machine. You won't be taking any .100 depth cuts, but it will do most anything you need with a little patience. I've moved on to much larger machines over the years, but still use my old Craftsman/Atlas fairly often. As said above, keep it well lubed and make sure you know all the lube points. Learn safe work practices, as even the small ones will eat you if you aren't paying attention. Mike

 

[1953mercury]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

Sorry, double post

 

[zhaddock]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

This was on Craigslist for about 3 minutes. Now it's in my shop. I've been looking for a lathe for a couple of years and have a pretty good idea of what they go for around here. For anywhere in Missouri this was a steal, and it was less than 30 miles away. I've never ever used a metal lathe, but will learn. That learning will be; in no particular order:

• watching YouTube
• reading
• having friends over to teach me
• going to friends' places to learn
• reading what you folks on here tell me

So the point of this thread is to ask for any advice you all can/will give me. i.e., good beginner projects, tips, things I need to know, etc.

Before any of you tell me that I have to tell you what I plan to use it for I'll tell you my answer is nothing in particular. After I do some learning I'll start making useful things but for now I just want to learn how to use this thing.

I will say that the knobs I've seen on here to turn the valves on hydraulic jacks are something I'd like to make some of early on, if they aren't too complicated for a beginner. The engine hoist and press both would be easier to use with handles/knobs instead of having to use the jack handle to turn the valve. b-t-w; there is a knurling attachment with it.

It's just sitting on an old table in these pix and I'll be building a permanent home for it. If you want to give me ideas about the design of such a lathe bench I'm all ears. I might just stand in front of it a few times just to help me decide the ideal bench height to build. If any of you know of a good way to find that ideal height I'd sure like to hear it. Of course it will depend on my height, arm length, etc. I would assume that most lathes that have a built in stand would have the chuck/spindle at about the same height. Would someone measure yours and tell me how high above the floor your chuck/spindle is?

The electric motor and belt are both very new. I bought this from a friend of a friend and my friend knows the lathe. He also knows that it's a good one and not all worn out. The seller just bought a larger lathe and a Bridgeport mill and this thing was getting in his way.

Did you get that off Facebook Marketplace? I'm in KC and I saw that same lathe on there for $250.00. You got a steal if that's the one.

 

[GMCGarage]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

This was on Craigslist for about 3 minutes. Now it's in my shop. I've been looking for a lathe for a couple of years and have a pretty good idea of what they go for around here. For anywhere in Missouri this was a steal, and it was less than 30 miles away. I've never ever used a metal lathe, but will learn. That learning will be; in no particular order:

• watching YouTube
• reading
• having friends over to teach me
• going to friends' places to learn
• reading what you folks on here tell me

So the point of this thread is to ask for any advice you all can/will give me. i.e., good beginner projects, tips, things I need to know, etc.

Before any of you tell me that I have to tell you what I plan to use it for I'll tell you my answer is nothing in particular. After I do some learning I'll start making useful things but for now I just want to learn how to use this thing.

I will say that the knobs I've seen on here to turn the valves on hydraulic jacks are something I'd like to make some of early on, if they aren't too complicated for a beginner. The engine hoist and press both would be easier to use with handles/knobs instead of having to use the jack handle to turn the valve. b-t-w; there is a knurling attachment with it.

It's just sitting on an old table in these pix and I'll be building a permanent home for it. If you want to give me ideas about the design of such a lathe bench I'm all ears. I might just stand in front of it a few times just to help me decide the ideal bench height to build. If any of you know of a good way to find that ideal height I'd sure like to hear it. Of course it will depend on my height, arm length, etc. I would assume that most lathes that have a built in stand would have the chuck/spindle at about the same height. Would someone measure yours and tell me how high above the floor your chuck/spindle is?

The electric motor and belt are both very new. I bought this from a friend of a friend and my friend knows the lathe. He also knows that it's a good one and not all worn out. The seller just bought a larger lathe and a Bridgeport mill and this thing was getting in his way.

To really learn and/or waste time, follow the following guys on Youtube:

Abom79
Keith Rucker
keith Fenner

And if you really have alot of time to waste,

Mustie1

They all post regularly, and have good content.

 

[lis2323]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

What is the distance from the floor to the centerline of the chuck/headstock?

I'm 6' - 0" tall. In your opinion would that height be good for me?

I can measure later when I go out to the shop, but I’m a shortass.

You’re already on the right track mentioning standing in front of it and determining your own preference for comfortable working height.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[brownbagg]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

Have you found any limitations with it?

What does it do well?

And conversely what does it not do well?

it been sitting in the corner of the shop the last 27 years, I did make a wooden concrete truck one with it

 

[larry_g]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

To really learn and/or waste time, follow the following guys on Youtube:

Abom79
Keith Rucker
keith Fenner

And if you really have alot of time to waste,

Mustie1

They all post regularly, and have good content.

The above recommendations are good for the more experienced machinist. What will be a problem for the OP is that these posters are all working with big heavy lathes and big cutters that would cause that Atlas to bow in the middle. I'd suggest that you save these 3 for when you are ready to move up in the world and have the basics mastered. mrpete222 is more suited to the beginner where the OP is. Mrpete works with these lighter machines and gives information more applicable to the beginning user of these machines.

I have 2 lathes with spindle heights of 44 and 46" I definitely prefer the taller one. Another measurement is to get the carriage handwheel at a height about bellybutton height. You don't want to be hunched over to operate the controls. If I were to build a stand again I would start with the handwheel height and let the the spindle fall where it may.

I'd mount the lathe on a top that is at least 3 inches thick, and solidly supported. You want to combat chatter as much as you can, and a rigid base is an essential start for that. I can measure the height of mine tomorrow or in the next few days, as well as take a picture. You want to make your base adjustable, and get it perfectly flat in both directions before you put the lathe on it. Do that with a machinists precision level. That way, you can use the machinists level to install the lathe on the bench, and get it perfectly straight and square and plumb, without any twist to the ways. That is essential to getting a good cut.

Read the above again, very good information. I'm assuming that SSDAVE meant 3" of wood top and I agree. If going steel then go a bit heavier than sheet metal. Mass and rigidity in the base will greatly improve the cutting ability of this machine which is light and flexible. I had one 10" lathe with a really nice 1" square tube frame with a lighter top on it and the whole lathe and frame would set up a harmonic (chatter). That is why mass is important and wood will damp out harmonics better than steel.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Monza Harry]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

Atch, Congrats, that looks like a pretty nice score right there! There are many on the Home Shop Machinist Forum (that was suggested you join) that are, well … Atlas haters, lots of them over there, my father had one [for a period before he died]and his was without that beautiful QC gearbox that you have, it has it's limitations but when I was a wee lad we used dads drill press with a hack saw and files, by comparison you will think you have won the lottery! The short comings are over come by experience and patients, patients is probably going to help you lots with that "Toy Lathe" as they are frequently refereed to, they are and promise nothing more than to be a "Hobby Machine" I am a mould (tool) maker for almost 35 years now, and while dad's was frustrating to use, compared to no lathe you will be ecstatic with a full featured actual lathe!
Lis2323's bench/stand has a few great idea's there for you to consider, the back splash is a great one his removable chip pan is another one, and using the accessories as "mass" is another. I would consider boxing in that stand for cleanliness, rigidity, (aesthetics) and added mass. leaving the extras loose isn't as great as tying them into the unit isn't as helpful as say using a 1/4" (or more) thick rubber mat [think harmonic balancer on an engine]. I would also consider a shelf on the bottom of that for future project storage [steel] that will also add mass. Also remember that thing cuts steel so flesh will not even slow it down and education is expensive so don't give up at a couple of hundred failures, the only people that don't make mistakes aren't doing anything! Enjoy Harry

 

[atch]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe); and lathe advice/question/answer session

Did you get that off Facebook Marketplace? I'm in KC and I saw that same lathe on there for $250.00. You got a steal if that's the one.

Well, this is a different one and I gave more than $250, but it still was a steal compared to the dozens I've looked at over the last 2-3 years.

As for mass to mount this thing on. I hadn't considered this so I'll be giving it some thought.

Here are the first two options I've thought of:

1. I built a bench top for my brother about 30 years ago where I used 2x4s glued face to face making a 3.5" thick top. Well actually a tad less 'cause we had access to a 48" wide wood planer at the time so we were able to make the top perfectly flat with no "valleys" between boards. Straight-O-Plane, for those of you who have ever worked in a wood factory setting. Using the wood density calculators available on-line that figures out to about 150 pounds (+/-) for the 8' long bench top we made. With the 4x4 legs and other framing/shelves the bench probably weighed 200 Pounds or so. Is 8' long overkill for a lathe? Or would the mass be beneficial and just use the rest of the bench for other uses? Is this enough mass to soak up vibrations?

2. I poured concrete inside a base that I made for a scroll saw about 25 years ago. It totally took all the vibration out of that saw. As most of you know those things require a LOT of mass to keep them from walking around.

Obviously #1 would probably work, as a 3" thick wood bench top was mentioned in a post above. I no longer have access to a planer like I did back then, so if I go this route would it matter if I just leave the valleys between each board? Other than slivers of aluminum/steel getting in them I don't see a drawback. Or how about surfacing it with a piece of Masonite if the grooves would be detrimental?

Anyone used method #2?

AND; OH-BY-THE-WAY; Thank all of you for taking the time to give me advice. As I said, I know absolutely nothing about these things so I'm grasping at every shred of advice I can get.

 

[cvairwerks]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

If I were doing it, I'd find some boxcar floor to create the top, then add a piece of 1/4 or 3/8" plate on top of that. The top should be cut so that the quick change stuff is completely clear of the top as well as the carriage. Then form you up a chip pan that will fit under the ways.

 

[Farmall450]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

Nice!!


Good advise from the previous posts.

Here’s the bench I built for my Clausing. I mounted the motor under the lathe to save on space.







Enjoy your new journey!

Good job on the bench, that looks clean with the motor hidden like that.

 

[Mandres]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe); and lathe advice/question/answer session

+1 on mrpete /tubalcain YouTube channel. He has a ton of info on that specific machine, and small lathes in general. Great buy, over time these atlas/Logan/south bend home shop lathes will only get rarer and rarer, and you can't buy a new machine of comparable quality without spending big bucks.

 

[atch]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

If I were doing it, I'd find some boxcar floor to create the top, then add a piece of 1/4 or 3/8" plate on top of that. The top should be cut so that the quick change stuff is completely clear of the top as well as the carriage. Then form you up a chip pan that will fit under the ways.

What I've found around here is that I can glue up 2x4s to make a 3 1/2" thick top for WAY less than I can buy truck or boxcar flooring. And all I have to do is run down to the local big box store or lumber yard and have it right now without having to order and pay shipping. I do like the 1/4" or 3/8" steel overlay, though.

 

[atch]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

...You want to make your base adjustable, and get it perfectly flat in both directions before you put the lathe on it. Do that with a machinists precision level. That way, you can use the machinists level to install the lathe on the bench, and get it perfectly straight and square and plumb, without any twist to the ways. That is essential to getting a good cut.

After you get the lathe mounted solidly and shimmed to level in all directions, then you can turn a bar on centers and measure it to further adjust the lathe to cut straight. I believe the manual shows how to do that.

Based on this response it sounds like you would recommend a permanent bench mounted solidly to the floor &/or wall to ensure that it never moves; as opposed to a freestanding bench or a bench on casters. Am I reading this correctly?

Also I caught the word "shim" in the response. Would shims or leveling bolts work better? Or would either work equally well? My gut reaction tells me that bolting using shim stock will be better. In my experience I've seen that huge industrial machines typically use leveling bolts but what say you for a small lathe?

 

[matt_i]

I had one of those when I first started out.

It does well at anything you can chuck up.

It will need some patience when trying to take a lot of material off a part, many light cuts. My lathe had a lot of backlash in the cross slide and this caused me a fair number of problems. Unfortunately I fixed it right before I sold it to someone else, but it became a lot nicer machine to use.

What would drive me nuts about it now (having used other machines for many years) is the cross slide is graduated in "infeed" or "radius" whereas most larger machines have dials graduated in "diameter". So there are times you need to set the pointer right between the hashes to get what you want.

Also I would avoid using the "powerfeed" when turning because that's wearing out the leadscrew. That lathe only has half-nuts, and imo you want to keep the leadscrew unused as much as possible to preserve its accuracy for chasing threads....

...which I would also advise to only chase threads on a part turned with a live center in the tailstock. The extra rigidity will help.

Your lathe will work best if the ways are in the same plane, and this is something that can be achieved with a precision level....like a .0005" per foot tool...that's an expensive tool to get and so I wouldn't worry so much about it. Just adjust to a comfortable height...my lathes are on 4.5" wooden riser blocks for comfort since I'm 6-4.

 

[John in OH]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe); and lathe advice/question/answer session

Well, this is a different one and I gave more than $250, but it still was a steal compared to the dozens I've looked at over the last 2-3 years.
..........

Obviously #1 would probably work, as a 3" thick wood bench top was mentioned in a post above. I no longer have access to a planer like I did back then, so if I go this route would it matter if I just leave the valleys between each board? Other than slivers of aluminum/steel getting in them I don't see a drawback. Or how about surfacing it with a piece of Masonite if the grooves would be detrimental?

Anyone used method #2?

......

In general, lathes love to sling and drip oil and smooth cutting and good machine maintenance require a lot of oil. Add to that the huge amount of chips and/or other swarf that a lathe produces and it means bad news for a wood top bench. Functionally, wood will work but it will always look like **** and be very difficult to clean.

The 2x4 on-edge construction is a good idea but I'd definitely consider covering that with a sheet metal or steel plate.

 

[Falcon67]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe); and lathe advice/question/answer session

In general, lathes love to sling and drip oil and smooth cutting and good machine maintenance require a lot of oil. Add to that the huge amount of chips and/or other swarf that a lathe produces and it means bad news for a wood top bench. Functionally, wood will work but it will always look like **** and be very difficult to clean.

The 2x4 on-edge construction is a good idea but I'd definitely consider covering that with a sheet metal or steel plate.

Hasn't been an issue for my 9x20 bench. Been on that top for nearly 15 years. May not work for that Atlas but this works for me with plenty of storage for tooling. Adding a steel top cover would just make it better LOL.

 

[atch]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe); and lathe advice/question/answer session

Hasn't been an issue for my 9x20 bench. Been on that top for nearly 15 years. May not work for that Atlas but this works for me with plenty of storage for tooling. Adding a steel top cover would just make it better LOL.

Am I seeing a drip/catch pan under your lathe?

 

[atch]

Oh, yes; LUBE.

I see two oil cups and one grease cup on this lathe. Am I missing anything? i.e., does anyone familiar with this particular lathe know if there are more hidden down inside there somewhere that I've missed?

 

[cvairwerks]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

What I've found around here is that I can glue up 2x4s to make a 3 1/2" thick top for WAY less than I can buy truck or boxcar flooring. And all I have to do is run down to the local big box store or lumber yard and have it right now without having to order and pay shipping. I do like the 1/4" or 3/8" steel overlay, though.

The reason that I suggested the boxcar flooring, is that it's some really freaking hardwood. SYP that you get at the big box stores is generally on the really soft end of what's available, and will dent, damage and distort pretty easily. If you can find some DougFir, that would be much better than SYP. Heck, if you can get bowling lane, that would work about as well.

 

[rattle_snake]

I didn't see a you **** yet so,
You ****!
Nice score with the tooling and whatnot.
As you find a need to make/modify stuff you'll figure out how to use it and what doesn't work. External resource are very valuable for the stuff you won't think of, like 'there is a special tool for that?' and 'what the heck is this thing?'

 

[atch]

I didn't see a you **** yet so,
You ****!
Nice score with the tooling and whatnot.
As you find a need to make/modify stuff you'll figure out how to use it and what doesn't work. External resource are very valuable for the stuff you won't think of, like 'there is a special tool for that?' and 'what the heck is this thing?'

Thanx, man. I've been on here for 13 years and that's my first "you ****."

 

[atch]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe)

The reason that I suggested the boxcar flooring, is that it's some really freaking hardwood. SYP that you get at the big box stores is generally on the really soft end of what's available, and will dent, damage and distort pretty easily. If you can find some DougFir, that would be much better than SYP. Heck, if you can get bowling lane, that would work about as well.

I really do get what you're sayin'. And I agree with it. However, money-wise, and I don't have much of that, I can double up or even triple up on the pine 2x4s, cover it with sheet metal, and still be ahead. I'd love to have doubled up bowling alley floor, but around here that stuff and truck/train flooring is really expensive. I have some sources that Ill be looking into for 1/4" steel to top the 2x4s with. The steel might come cheap or even free if I play my cards right.

One of my local lumber yards keeps some really nice Douglas Fir in stock so I could go that route. I made a 25" x 11' entertainment center top for the living room with it. Turned out really nice and that stuff is really heavy compared to run-of-the-mill 2x4s.

Based on comments above I'll be looking for the visible layer to be some kind of metal; dimension or sheet metal.

 

[Aaron_W]

Sounds like you got a good deal on the Atlas. From what I've seen if you got it for $1000 or less, you did quite well. I've had a little Sherline mini-lathe for a couple years and just recently got a 10" Logan.

Those Atlas lathes get some grief for being a bit lighter and cheaper than other similar sized vintage lathes. They do have a pretty large fan base so must have done something right. While there are better lathes out there, they are perfectly capable of good work.
Getting replacement parts also don't seem to be a problem which can't be said for all older lathes.


Since you said you have very little experience, the Open Source Machine Tools youtube channel may be quite helpful. They have collected a lot of public domain metal shop educational videos. I found the MIT series particularly useful.

A play list with all of the MIT videos collected.

Mr Pete222 / Tubalcain is also very helpful to those of us in the less experienced end of the scale. Of particular interest to you, he does a lot with an Atlas lathe similar to yours.

https://www.youtube.com/user/mrpete222/featured

 

[CraigStu]

As beautiful as lis2323's bench is we really don't need to look at the three pictures 4 times.

 

[John in OH]

Re: SCORE!!! (lathe); and lathe advice/question/answer session

Hasn't been an issue for my 9x20 bench. Been on that top for nearly 15 years. May not work for that Atlas but this works for me with plenty of storage for tooling. Adding a steel top cover would just make it better LOL.

Not to be contentious, but don't you have a sheet metal back-splash panel behind your lathe and a drip pan under your lathe???

 

[jfleisher]

Nothing wrong with these older Atlas lathes, you just have to take lighter cuts with them...