- Thread starter Exuptoy
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Gritineye
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Insomnia, so here's a few pointers that might help you get started easier.
The thing that will cause you most trouble with an Atlas is the relatively flexible the top slide (compound), notice I don't normally use one, first thing I would do is move the tool post from where it is in your pic to the other end of the T slot, then wind the slide right back, this combined with short tool stick out, will reduce overhang and flexing to the minimum.
Then tighten the gibs to completely lock the top slide and ignore it for most work, except taper turning, contra to popular belief, you don't even need it for threading.
Adjust the cross slide gibs quite snugly and use really sharp HSS tooling, avoid those cheap carbide tools like the plague, they really aren't good for an Atlas at all.
Avoid parting off until you have some experience, it's just too stressful for a beginner with a light lathe, just use a hacksaw and re-face the cut end.
I really like HSS tools, that lathe was made for them, and much less power is needed, but if you I have got a few of those small BangGood indxedible carbide types that Doubleboost uses and they have their uses although the lathe works harder with them.
The thing that will cause you most trouble with an Atlas is the relatively flexible the top slide (compound), notice I don't normally use one, first thing I would do is move the tool post from where it is in your pic to the other end of the T slot, then wind the slide right back, this combined with short tool stick out, will reduce overhang and flexing to the minimum.
Then tighten the gibs to completely lock the top slide and ignore it for most work, except taper turning, contra to popular belief, you don't even need it for threading.
Adjust the cross slide gibs quite snugly and use really sharp HSS tooling, avoid those cheap carbide tools like the plague, they really aren't good for an Atlas at all.
Avoid parting off until you have some experience, it's just too stressful for a beginner with a light lathe, just use a hacksaw and re-face the cut end.
I really like HSS tools, that lathe was made for them, and much less power is needed, but if you I have got a few of those small BangGood indxedible carbide types that Doubleboost uses and they have their uses although the lathe works harder with them.
cheb
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I inherited one from my grandfather in the 1980s, ex lend lease AFAIK. He bought an ex army workshop truck just after WW2, lathe, pillar drill, hand wound grinder and some other bits. My first lathe and I learned lots on it.
Light enough to be a one man carry too.
Light enough to be a one man carry too.
Exuptoy
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Will this be easy to spot whenI collect it or will I need to know my way around getting to it? If damaged is it still worth the money?
Gritineye
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Yep just put you finger on it and wiggle the hand wheel, it will most likely work Ok with a lug broken off, mine did, just a bit of slack, still usable.
Still worth the money.
zx9
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@Gritineye Some nice work there and a good illustration of what can be achieved with a smaller machine. I think people often mistake the extra time needed to set up and plan work on a small lathe with a small lathe's inability to turn out good work.
@Exuptoy just take your time to learn it's ways and it should serve you well.
lchris21
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Ha. Please pass on my apologies to Mrs Exuptoy and the children for the reduction in their inheritance funds!!
Great little find, and you will wonder how you did without it when you get to grips with it. Bit of warning though....this is the start...believe me........there's always a bigger fish/lathe
Check out some of the you-tubers like our very own @doubleboost for some great tips to get up and running, also look up Blondihacks on there as well, really back to basics stuff and ideal if your starting out.
As your not a million miles away, hit me up next time you are home and you can call round for a coffee, we can chew the fat, you can have a look at the bike and I'll run you through some lathe basics to get you up and running
Gritineye
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Apparently thousands were imported during WW2, Spitfire parts amongst others.
Exuptoy
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Apparently they also started manufacture of them in the U.K. for a couple of years during the war and just after the war and they actually made a capstan lathe which wasn’t available in the states.
Ha. Please pass on my apologies to Mrs Exuptoy and the children for the reduction in their inheritance funds!!
Great little find, and you will wonder how you did without it when you get to grips with it. Bit of warning though....this is the start...believe me........there's always a bigger fish/lathe
Check out some of the you-tubers like our very own @doubleboost for some great tips to get up and running, also look up Blondihacks on there as well, really back to basics stuff and ideal if your starting out.
As your not a million miles away, hit me up next time you are home and you can call round for a coffee, we can chew the fat, you can have a look at the bike and I'll run you through some lathe basics to get you up and running
Haha, for what it’s cost Chris the kids won’t be going hungry for a while
That’s a very kind offer mate. I may just take you up on that, especially if the weather is favourable, I can stretch the legs on the MT10 the same time, cracking roads over your way and up through Brecon.
I’ll pm you my number.
eLuSiVeMiTe
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It's the tooling that adds up.Apparently they also started manufacture of them in the U.K. for a couple of years during the war and just after the war and they actually made a capstan lathe which wasn’t available in the states.
Haha, for what it’s cost Chris the kids won’t be going hungry for a while
That’s a very kind offer mate. I may just take you up on that, especially if the weather is favourable, I can stretch the legs on the MT10 the same time, cracking roads over your way and up through Brecon.
I’ll pm you my number.
Spent as much on tooling as I have on bothlathes and mill/drill
Gritineye
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I have the cross slide and rear tool post off a capstain lathe on mine, very useful it is too.
eLuSiVeMiTe
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Wish I got to use mine more.
My life seems to revolve around work atm and the garage has been taken over as storage.
Need a decent weekend to get it organised.
Still got tooling in boxes I bought two years ago.
eLuSiVeMiTe
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Compare the atlas (cheapish lathe in it's day) with a Clarke/warco.
What would you have.
To buy the equivalent of my model M today would cost me a new luxury car money.
The Warco's do look like toys in comparison; personally if I had need for a lathe I'd go for something CNC, each to their own.
eLuSiVeMiTe
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For a garage lathe for turning odd single parts it hardly seems worth it.
Electric leadscrew I'd consider though
Exuptoy
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If it’ll turn spacers and allow be to dress or face a square end then it’s a cheap tool. It’s all about justification. Why spend £1500-£2000 on a clean Myford (which is still an old machine) or £3500 for a Harrison or Colchester when this will do what I need and when it’s cleaned up and painted it’ll still fetch £600 when I’m done with it. The milling attachment it has included is on eBay at the moment for £394!
