Atlas MFC

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bug_hunter

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Hey Guys,

Considering the local purchase on a Atlas MFC. Unfortunately it needs a new Gear Assembly Bracket (MF-30). Can anyone give me a little insight on acquiring one, or if I would be better off having one fabricated out of aluminum?

Thanks,

Greg
 
No idea how to get one, or to the availability of them, but worst case you/someone you know could make one: http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/51/6725.pdf

That drawing is a little difficult for me to read, but I suspect from what I can see it SHOULD be makeable out of some 6-1/4" round bar drop, since it only needs to be 2 1/4" long? Or at least something functionally identical. Original I suspect was a casting.
 
Just about every part for an MFC shows up on ebay. If you are patient (maybe very patient) one will eventually be listed. You may need to buy the entire change gear assembly and resell the pieces you don't need.

Having one fabricated by a professional shop would likely be costly. Maybe more costly than your MFC.

I don't think Clausing/Atlas carries any parts that are unique to the MFC, but you might check with them.
 
JPMacG said:
Just about every part for an MFC shows up on ebay. If you are patient (maybe very patient) one will eventually be listed. You may need to buy the entire change gear assembly and resell the pieces you don't need.

Having one fabricated by a professional shop would likely be costly.

I don't think Clausing/Atlas carries any parts that are unique to the MFC, but you might check with them.
Click to expand...

While a pro-shop might be costly, someone here might be willing to do it cheap enough as a last-resort... It is mostly lathe work with a touch of mill work at the end.

If I had a clearer drawing and a picture of a complete one, I might be willing to do it for the lathe practice, as someone with a big lathe the lathe work is not a problem for me, and the hole-drilling is easy enough on a DRO. Only problem is the importance of the 'ribs', which I suspect are only important because it is a casting?

BUT, that is perhaps a last resort.
 
If the rest of the machine works, just use it as is, and either wait for one of these to show on eBay or start looking at making one.

5/8" Flat Al plate, add bosses for the central shaft and a few of the gear shafts, and bolt/rivet a upright surround. The surround/vertical periphery is mostly for the labels showing feed rates. You can even match drill from the original.

If you need photos we can help.

The good news is that you have all the other bits to make it work, and a drawing to work from.

gerrit
 
ub27Rocks said:
5/8" Flat Al plate, add bosses for the central shaft and a few of the gear shafts, and bolt/rivet a upright surround.
Click to expand...
How could I add the bosses to the 5/8" plate? 5/8" plate is quite a bit more reasonable than 3" plate and mill it down to the boss surface.

Ideally I would think a vertical mill with a DRO would make quick work of this. I do not have access to one, but may be able to join a local Maker" for a month and "rent" one for $40. I am concerned that eyeing a drill press, even with the use of a wiggler would not be accurate enough.
 
Wow it looks like the pigeons "welded" that.
I probably would wait for a used one, and I typically jump right in.
 
Another option would be to rig up an external drive motor with variable speed. The table feed does not need to be driven from (synchronized to) the spindle like for cutting threads on a lathe.

The MFC table feed is intended for operations where you engage the back gear. It travels too fast when you have the spindle in direct drive, as one would do when using an end mill in the spindle. A direct drive motor would solve this problem.
 
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