# Atlas 10-F Lathe Questions on Re-furb



## yendor (Jan 18, 2015)

My New to me Atlas 10-F lathe has a few issues.

1 - I'm very happy to say I don't have a lot invested in the lathe but want to get it working for reliable use.

Ok here are the issues:
A - The Forward/Reverse Gear box seems very loose.

The lever has a lot of slop in pretty much all directions. Left-Right and In/Out.
The directions seems almost random and there doesn't seem to be a neutral position at all.
I removed the Lead Screw and the Gear box other than being full of crap and old gooey grease I can't see any thing that would cause it to not have a neutral position.
Does the slop in this come from simply gear mesh wear?

B - The Power Cross-Feed - Doesn't feed.

Again I've removed the entire cross-slide carriage and looked at the gears and all in the back side but am not exactly sure what to look for.
If I pull the knob out it engages the gears and will cause the manual handle to turn if I rotate the gears but when in the lathe I can feel the knob pull the gears into a meshed position but nothing?

SO- I'm a little stuck and confused. I'm pretty new at these machines but not unfamiliar with rebuilding things.
I've recently restored a pair of 1972 Honda CB350 twins from the frame up. Total strip to nothing and rebuild, and have re-built MGB Motors and transmissions in the past. 

I can post pic's if that will help but not sure what to take a picture of that would provide someone with a view they need to help.

Ideas anyone?

As an FYI - The entire Change Gear area was coated in nearly solid grease that looked like someone had thrown a cat in after they greased it. The grease looks like it's filled with fur. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find out it's mouse hair as the lathe was stored outside in a garage and they may have been eating the grease.

I'm currently working on just cleaning everything up so I can actually SEE the parts that are under the grease.


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## Dranreb (Jan 18, 2015)

Referring to the cross slide power feed, it sounds like the key inside the gear that engages in the lead screw slot has worn away, this can be fixed quite easily, it's been discussed before on here, not able to find it right now though.

Bernard


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## pdentrem (Jan 18, 2015)

Like Bernard stated, you will have to look at the miter gear that has a key to engage the leadscrew. This mitre gear drives the powerfeed and the original gears were just cast Zamac while the new gear is steel with a steel key. The part number that you are looking for in the diagrams is 341-051.

As for the gear box. I would strip it down and clean/inspect based upon your comment of gear grease and debris being an issue already. The shift collar splines might be packed with junk that is preventing proper engagement. The shift collar 9-50A slides on the lead screw and engages one of the 2 gears 9-48A/9-48B. The transfer gear 9-47 that drives 9-48A from 9-48B and these two mentioned gears are fragile. I had purchased 2 sets of each after I had the set that was installed shear most of their teeth while doing a job.
Pierre


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## yendor (Jan 19, 2015)

After a complete cleaning and disassembly of the Cross Slide / Saddle /Apron I find the miter gear has a slot that with (Something a key or ?) it would engage the slot in the lead screw, and drive the power cross feed.

The gear in the Forward/Reverse box has a pin that engages the slot in the lead screw so I'm thinking this means the gear must be replaced since I don't see anyway for a Keyway to be held in position the way the gear is made. 

I took a picture of the gear/slot but I'm traveling this week and won't get around to posting it.

On the Forward/Reverse a good clean out and re-assemble tightened things up.

I actually think most of the slop in it was simply the screw holding the handle on the yolk shaft was loose. But that part works well now.

Anyway forward progress - little by little. I'm waiting on some anti-vibration leveling feet to come in then I'll get it leveled out and try a test cut to see how it performs.

I understand there are very accurate machinists levels for this job. However, they are a good chunk of change. Can I use a basic level to get it at least close until I can layout some approx. $100 for a more accurate one.

I guess what I'm saying is how level is level?

I saw a couple of other methods one using a plumb bob suspended over the bed with a 4 foot pole mounted to a piece of steel stock, the point where the plumb bob centered was marked and the point where the bar rested on the ways was also marked on the steel stock to so the same points could be used as reference knowing the steel stock wouldn't be flat enough to just move around randomly. The steel stock was then moved to different locations of the bed to see where the plumb bob centered. This was used to take side ways twist out of the bed not side to side level.

Any comments - anyone used this method before?


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## wa5cab (Jan 20, 2015)

Yendor,

If the 341-051 miter gear has a slot cut in it, someone must have tried to fix it once before and the key came out.  If the gear isn't cracked and the slot isn't wallowed out, you can try it again.  But adhesive won't work for long.  You will need to pin or screw the key into the slot.

On leveling, before someone brings up shipboard use, the lathe doesn't actually have to be level in order to work properly.  The requirement is that the front and rear ways must be in the same plane.  And the easiest and cheapest way to achieve that is to level the bed.  A good carpenter's level is good enough to level the bench or cabinet before you set the lathe on it.  But not really good enough to satisfactorily level the bed.  I don't recall where I read it but in one of the Atlas pubs they give a definition of "good enough".  The length of the level wasn't specified but the drawings in the leveling instructions show a level just long enough to reach across both ways.  So that's probably the acceptable baseline.  Anyway, the spec was that a 0.003" shim placed under one end of the level should move the bubble 1/8".  But anything is better than nothing.

I've never heard of the plumb bob method, so can't comment.

Robert D.


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