Yes! There is a ML7 up for £500 at the mo' - but to be sold without gearbox. So you'd have to hunt one down... & it's 300 miles from here.
- Thread starter Flowboy
- Start date
we all love a bargain and a cheap one is always so much better, I do think the lathe is rescuable, but you like me want it as cheap as possible. Id still love a look at the tailstock dissmantled. I cant get my head around how low it is and how this may be wear and tear.
Good luck
Stan
I appear to be talking myself into it... Anything's better than having to move it again! Will try & get out to the shed over next few days to look at various suggestions you've all made / take tailstock off Stan / Addjunkie would Timken bearings be worn enough at the back to do that? It would be rattling I would have thought. Babbet might wear but would also rattle. I will inspect.
How do you lock the drive to remove a stuck chuck on the Atlas?
How do you lock the drive to remove a stuck chuck on the Atlas?
penfold
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This chap's video of dismantling the spindle might be of help; is yours the same as his?
There's also this chap who rebushed his tailstock, but I think that's rather advanced for the OP and needs a mill anyway. if you wind the tailstock ram as far out as it can go, how much can you wobble it about?
There's also this chap who rebushed his tailstock, but I think that's rather advanced for the OP and needs a mill anyway. if you wind the tailstock ram as far out as it can go, how much can you wobble it about?
Gareth J
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I think it's worth checking the bores of the tailstock and headstock are more or less parallel before you try shimming. See if you can get two solid, straightish things clamped in both the chuck and tailstock. maybe two 6-8" lengths of the same bit of bright mild steel. Get them close to each other and put a straight edge across them to inspect how they are misaligned.
Not the most accurate but seeing as the chuck is stuck and the misalignment is pretty large, you should be able to see if anything is miles out. If somehow the bed is on the wonk or the whole tailstock is angling down, shimming it up wont work.
Not the most accurate but seeing as the chuck is stuck and the misalignment is pretty large, you should be able to see if anything is miles out. If somehow the bed is on the wonk or the whole tailstock is angling down, shimming it up wont work.
Great thanks folks & gaz1 - the practical machinist one was the 1st thing I found last week but haven't tried yet, partic' as it is for a different lathe. Just getting as much advice as poss. before I start wielding sledge hammers. Not... Penfold - headstock vid was handy & easily within my pay grade. Also the Atlas mods was interesting with some useful pointers but such refinements will have to wait awhile. If they don't accept my offer then I wont have a lathe to work on. Will be asking instead for opinions on various affordable alternatives...
Gritineye
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Before using any brute force you may be able to remove the chuck body from the backplate by undoing the fixings at the back.
Be sure to put a piece of ply or similar on the bed ways to protect them before you start work as the chuck will be surprisingly heavy!
This should enable you to get penetrating oil (not WD40) right onto the threads, apply often over a day or so then use some heat on the back plate to expand it, then use a lever fixed on by using the bolt holes.
Be very careful if you decide to lock the spindle, don't use any of the pulleys or gears as being made of Zamak as they will break, much better to try another method first.
I've had good results by fixing a strong flat bar across the backplate (holes drilled in it to use the bolt holes) then with the V belt in the l/h pulley grooves, hold the big countershaft pulley by both hands and sharply turn it away from you so that the lever strikes against a 10" length of 4 x 2 or bigger timber stood on end beside back of the lathe bed. This eliminates the possibility of damaging anything and delivers quite a big shock.
Best to creep up on these things,
Good luck.
Bernard
Be sure to put a piece of ply or similar on the bed ways to protect them before you start work as the chuck will be surprisingly heavy!
This should enable you to get penetrating oil (not WD40) right onto the threads, apply often over a day or so then use some heat on the back plate to expand it, then use a lever fixed on by using the bolt holes.
Be very careful if you decide to lock the spindle, don't use any of the pulleys or gears as being made of Zamak as they will break, much better to try another method first.
I've had good results by fixing a strong flat bar across the backplate (holes drilled in it to use the bolt holes) then with the V belt in the l/h pulley grooves, hold the big countershaft pulley by both hands and sharply turn it away from you so that the lever strikes against a 10" length of 4 x 2 or bigger timber stood on end beside back of the lathe bed. This eliminates the possibility of damaging anything and delivers quite a big shock.
Best to creep up on these things,
Good luck.
Bernard
addjunkie
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Have you got a piece of decent round dar, ground, or something machined round like the handle in the bits and bobs pictures. As long as possible.
Stick it in the chuck. Put a clock on it, run along its length, see if its lying up hill, down hill or to the side, rotate chuck by hand, see what happens.
Stick it in the chuck. Put a clock on it, run along its length, see if its lying up hill, down hill or to the side, rotate chuck by hand, see what happens.
gaz1
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either your returning it or your looking at another one ?
MattF
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It's easier than you'd think. It's always surprising to see how just nipping a bolt up can cause something which looks so solid to warp. That's why I clamp a piece of rod in the headstock chuck and then set the DTI up on the saddle/cross-slide against that rod, when bolting down. The slightest amount of induced twist anywhere will show as deflection on the DTI.
One way to bolt a unit down without inducing twist is to bolt it down firmly at the headstock end and then just do any other bolts finger tight. That way it's not moving about but you have it somewhat floating .
With regard removing the chuck, I've used this method in the past. You could quite easily use this wooden clamp method on the back end of the spindle where the gear goes though, if you're not disassembling the headstock. The wood gives you something proper to hold to lock the spindle in place somehow, whilst you try working the chuck loose.
penfold
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I'd do that, but float the tailstock end on epoxy or polyester resin thickened with balloons or colloid; then tighten down once it's set.
Useful info re setting bed, thanks.
1st piece of good news is... I've just been given the Lathe! Wasn't expecting that so I'm going to send them a cheque anyway.
2nd is... I got the chuck off! Thanks Gaz1, I used the spin it back against a block of wood method. Boy did it take a lot of whacks to finally crack it, like 100+.
Was a fair bit of crap in there. Threads in chuck are pretty poor but headstock looks good. Cleaned 'em up but screwing back on the whole thing felt loose on headstock thread until it was tight against the stop. I put a bar in & couldnt feel any play in the headstock.
Took tailstock off - how is the base attached to the top? Some kind of hidden screws or dowels? Funnily enough there was a base sold on ebay this a.m. for £4.99. Would have been handy.
Stripped down compound rest & the bronze screw nut is very sloppy & needs replacing methinks. Screw is worn also; thread width is thinner in central area than at ends by about 10 thou'. A bit tricky to measure.
Oh, & the compound rest has crack damage
1st piece of good news is... I've just been given the Lathe! Wasn't expecting that so I'm going to send them a cheque anyway.
2nd is... I got the chuck off! Thanks Gaz1, I used the spin it back against a block of wood method. Boy did it take a lot of whacks to finally crack it, like 100+.
Was a fair bit of crap in there. Threads in chuck are pretty poor but headstock looks good. Cleaned 'em up but screwing back on the whole thing felt loose on headstock thread until it was tight against the stop. I put a bar in & couldnt feel any play in the headstock.
Took tailstock off - how is the base attached to the top? Some kind of hidden screws or dowels? Funnily enough there was a base sold on ebay this a.m. for £4.99. Would have been handy.
Stripped down compound rest & the bronze screw nut is very sloppy & needs replacing methinks. Screw is worn also; thread width is thinner in central area than at ends by about 10 thou'. A bit tricky to measure.
Oh, & the compound rest has crack damage
off to pub now for last minute celebratory snifter 