Atlas Horizontal mill

The original spindle belt for the B and C model mills was 5L280, which is 5/8" wide at the top. If the cheap link belt runs low in the pulley, it is because it is too small, not because the pulley is worn out.

Given that the spindle was removed from the mill, there is no excuse for using a link belt. The only valid excuse for using a link belt instead of a proper size V-belt would be if the mill was in a mission critical operation and the primary requirement was to return the mill to operation in the minimum amount of time.
 
Wheels17 said:
I think you addressed my oil question in your description of the spindle work. When you say you "pushed" a 1/8" drill through, did you really just push it through or did you drill it? Did your countershaft bearing look like solid bearing material or sintered (oilite)? I think I'm going to take one of my smallest number drills and drill a hole through the bearing. I can always make the hole bigger later, and clean up the extra oil that drips out.
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As a general statement, if the original Atlas installed bushings are solid brass, the assembly should be equipped with grease cups. If the original assembly has oil cups. then the original bushings were sintered bronze (Oilite). There should never be any need to drill oil holes through replacement bushings in any Atlas machine.
 
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If the gouges in the bushing and shaft are any indication.. there is a definate need for lubrication. Will the shaft still turn easily in the bushings? Of course, but they'll turn easier and run longer with a lubricant added.
And I know the name says "Oilite".. and the lube is "built in" but it appears to have "weakened" over time as the shaft and bushings were in a less than pleasing condition.


Anytime 2 components are in contact with each other, there is a need for lubrication.
 
wa5cab, what should I expect for oil consumption with the oil cups? I had the bracket sitting for two weeks with no countershaft in the bearings, and the oil level didn't change a bit. I oiled everything up when I reassembled the machine, and still see no change in the oil cup after another 3 or 4 weeks.
 
Wheels17 said:
wa5cab, what should I expect for oil consumption with the oil cups? I had the bracket sitting for two weeks with no countershaft in the bearings, and the oil level didn't change a bit. I oiled everything up when I reassembled the machine, and still see no change in the oil cup after another 3 or 4 weeks.
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Is it possible that the oilite bearings have been replaced by someone with just bronze bearing material in the past? I know that on all my oilite bearings with oil cups the oil will not stay that long. It might be worth replacing the bearings with new ones. They are readily available at most hardware stores fairly cheap.
 
Could the oilite bushings become clogged over many years? I have a similar situation. The oil in the cup seems to just sit there forever. This makes me wonder if the porosity of the oilite has degraded.
 
It's an old machine. Anything is possible right? I have no idea if the bushing was replaced or original. I searched for a hole but couldn't see any. Fastest way to solve the lube problem? Pop a hole in it! It hurts nothing and the lubricant can only help imho.

On another note, I got it all back together and ran a bit across the edge of my workpiece to start a bevel.

Thanks to Rob for the belt info and Thanks to Wheels17 for locating the gear for me. Worked like a charm. With all the cleaning - fresh lube - adjusting, the machine is so much quieter!
Until you engage the table feed.. all those straight cut gears really like to chatter.. LOL..

I did discover the tumbler handle had been broken in a previous life. Brazed back together and works just fine. I'd never know if I hadn't dis-assembled. I also looked closely and my auto feed doesn't have a kick out feature.. but a bracket could be added to accomplish it.

And thanks to all of you for adding in the tips and tricks.
 
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Wheels17 said:
wa5cab, what should I expect for oil consumption with the oil cups? I had the bracket sitting for two weeks with no countershaft in the bearings, and the oil level didn't change a bit. I oiled everything up when I reassembled the machine, and still see no change in the oil cup after another 3 or 4 weeks.
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Wheels.

I would guess that either your bushings have been replaced with solid brass ones or that the ID is well worn and no longer porous. I have often wondered about whether or not smearing of the pores on the ID might affect the porosity of the bushings. And what the degradation rate is. Plus I would expect that bushings that hadn't been used in half a century would tend to have the pores plugged up because the lighter fractions would have all evaporated, leaving only the fractions that look and behave like cured shellac. Simple solution is to replace the bushings with ones recently manufactured.
 
34_40 said:
If the gouges in the bushing and shaft are any indication.. there is a definate need for lubrication. Will the shaft still turn easily in the bushings? Of course, but they'll turn easier and run longer with a lubricant added.
And I know the name says "Oilite".. and the lube is "built in" but it appears to have "weakened" over time as the shaft and bushings were in a less than pleasing condition.


Anytime 2 components are in contact with each other, there is a need for lubrication.
Click to expand...

34-40,

I think you misunderstood. In all probability, a previous owner ignored the lubrication instructions. So long as you don't drill a hole through the bushing while the shaft is installed, and you properly deburr the ID end of the hole, drilling a hole won't hurt anything. But with properly functioning sintered bronze bushings, a hole isn't necessary. The material is porous and oil in the oiler cup should migrate through it. If it doesn't, either the bushing is a solid one (not original) or the pores are plugged up from decades of disuse and the bushings should be replaced.
 
Robert, I believe the scenario is the latter description. And the play isn't excessive so, I'll add oil before each use and continue along.
 
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