Atlas Lathe

If nothing else you can part it out for a profit . -- Snag Learning keeps you young !

Definitely take it. Use i if you need it, sell or part out if you don't.

i

A few years ago I found 1/2 of an Atlas at the dump (missing carriage & tailstock). With that much missing, I decided to part it out. When I was well into the parting out, the other half turned up at the dump. When I was done, my eBay sales totaled $1700! And it was a change-gear lathe.

Bob

Which size? The little one (6x18") uses zamac (pot metal) gears, and if they are run with the mesh too tight, they start to crumble. My example was a Craftsman rebrand of an Atlas 6x18". The early ones were bronze bushing bearings, the later ones had Timken roller bearings. Even with that, they aren't rigid enough for serious work. And the beds are box not inverted V, so things aren't kept as straight. The 12" is better, but still not the same as my 12x24" Clausing with a bore big enough to handle 5C collets and lever drawbars for them.

But at $50.00, that is not a bad price. The question is --

*which* gears. If it is the back gears, it is part of the heart of the lathe, and you will either have to hope that Clausing (who merged with Atlas at some point) still has those parts. If it the thread cutting gears, especially on one without a quick-change gearbox (and *all* 6x18 lathes had no quick-change gearbox), you can likely find replacement gears -- or make them with the right tools. They are plain spur gears with a double key, and you could make them of something other than Zamac so they will outlast the rest. :-)

Good Luck, DoN.

I was offered an Atlas lathe the other day for $50. The owner said that there were two damaged gears. He is supposed to give me more information next week. Comments?

I was offered an Atlas lathe the other day for $50. The owner said that there were two damaged gears. He is supposed to give me more information next week. Comments?

I have an Atlas book - let me know what model and gears - maybe Scott makes them for some of the Southbend machines.

Lots of gears out there for sale and just stacked up.

Mart>

I haven't bought one in at leat ten years, and rarely any before that.

He said they were 'aluminum', and from his description, they are for driving the feed.

I will post more information when I get it. :)

I haven't bought one in at leat ten years, and rarely any before that.

I won the draft lottery, and almost ended up in Vietnam. :(

Shoot, I couldn't even win that. I drew number 312 and didn't get to go :) I did go out and tie one on that night.

Karl

Well, I don't drink, and I had wanted to go Air Force to get Avionics Electronics Training, but I got 5 4F ratings, instead. Then I won the draft lottery.

I won, too. My number was 53, the same as my year of birth. I got my Report For Induction Physical letter while I was getting ready to head home from tech school, so they told me to reapply at the local Draft Board when I got there. Luckily, the area was full of Marine, Navy bases, so they had filled their quota already and I got a pass. I didn't go to Vietnam, either. (Whew!) I didn't believe in the war, but I was appalled at the treatment the 'Nam soldiers got on their return. I've never been more disgusted in my fellow countrymen, who spit on brave men who had just risked their lives for us.

Ditto.

-- To use fear as the friend it is, we must retrain and reprogram ourselves... We must persistently and convincingly tell ourselves that the fear is here--with its gift of energy and heightened awareness--so we can do our best and learn the most in the new situation. Peter McWilliams, Life 101

I got #35 . I joined the Navy to stay out of 'Nam . Guess where they sent me ?

In 1970 I joined the Army to beat the draft.

It worked, too. They offered me a year of electronics schooling on a 3-year hitch and then sent me to Germany, where I soon made Spec5 (E-5).

jsw

I tested out of the Army's three year broadcast engeneering course while in Basic. I made E4 at about 18 months, and only served two years active duty.

If it weren't for bad luck? ;-)