# to part or not to part (out a lathe)



## guckrob (May 13, 2019)

So I've got my atlas for sale and a gentleman here locally has offered me $600 for my QC gearbox.  I'm inclined to take it and part the lathe out, but since it is a working lathe that seems terribly impure.  Will that machinist gods forever be against me for this transgression, or is giving life to dozens of other old lathes out there a noble endeavor?

In all seriousness I think parting it out is a lot of trouble, but it certainly seems like a higher value prospect since most everything is in great condition.  The QC box alone at $600 would be about 1/2 what I paid for the machine.  It wasn't in great shape at the time, but it cleaned up pretty well.


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## matthewsx (May 13, 2019)

Pictures?


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## benmychree (May 13, 2019)

Seems a shame to part out a complete machine in decent condition, and likely you would be stuck with unsold parts.


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## guckrob (May 13, 2019)




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## guckrob (May 13, 2019)

pics as requested.  I agree it seems like a shame--Just based on my part buying experience, though, I think the parts would move pretty well on ebay, for instance. 

I just hadn't really considered this route previously, but checking ebay it looks like they move pretty well.


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## Jason280 (May 13, 2019)

No point in getting attached, unless it has some sentimental value.  I think you would definitely get more parting it out, just be aware it can be a pain.  Your best customers will be on eBay, _which will also be your worst customers_.  Selling on eBay can be hit or miss, but still your best bet.

I would be interested in the 3 jaw scroll chuck if you do part the lathe out...


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## Moderatemixed (May 13, 2019)

I’ve had 4 Atlas 10F lathes. I rebuilt two and then had a bunch of spares which I decided to part out. BAD IDEA! You will find prices on eBay, but people will “actually” pay about half of what most listings suggest. Your lathe as it sits is worth $1500 to $2000 (Canadian) depending on when you decide to sell it. August is the WORST time, November and February are the best, historically. Wait until November, put $2000 on it and see how fast it sells, or take your $600 now (which is a steal unless it is in US funds) and then you’ll be stuck with an agonizing process of peddling part after part to cheap guys who cherry pick the best pieces, grinding your prices down. Then, once you’ve moved box after box of cast iron pieces from one side of the basement/garage to the other for the fifth time, your put the lot onto Craig’s List/Kijiji and give them away..... only to count the proceeds and find yourself with $1000 total. Ask me how I know, lol. Sell the lathe as a whole, unless you are really really bored. Just my 2 cents.

Cheers 


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## Moderatemixed (May 13, 2019)

Jason280 said:


> No point in getting attached, unless it has some sentimental value. I think you would definitely get more parting it out, just be aware it can be a pain. Your best customers will be on eBay, _which will also be your worst customers_. Selling on eBay can be hit or miss, but still your best bet.
> 
> I would be interested in the 3 jaw scroll chuck if you do part the lathe out...



See..... I’m going to speculate that Jason wants to give you $75 for the 3 jaw chuck, lol. That’s $675. Only $1300 to go!


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## guckrob (May 13, 2019)

ya I did think about the timing.  Part of the reason I want rid of it is to open up my shop because I don't plan on holing up down there much in nice weather turning metal and it is a constant battle between wood dust and metal chips.  Also the thought of boxing and shipping dozens of the smaller parts for a few bucks isn't very appealing.  I'm going to let it sit on CL and the trading post here for a while and think about it.


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## Moderatemixed (May 13, 2019)

If you are just looking to move it, put it on for what you have into it, put “firm” on the listing and it will sell..... you bought it for that, so someone else will. Just patience..... too, when selling on eBay you have to deal with returns, negative feedback, waiting in line at the post office, packing material..... not to mention paying eBay for the privilege. Good luck with the decision, but sell just one part and you are committed..... 


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## benmychree (May 13, 2019)

Note that ebay will line its pockets wit at least 10% of the selling price, including paypal;  The only way to make a profit on e bay sales if you consider your time as worth something is if you got the item at no cost and your wife will do most of the work involved in selling/packing and taking the item to the P.O.


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## martik777 (May 14, 2019)

I am in the same boat with a South Bend 9A. I'd rather sell it whole for a few less $$$.

I have no problem with ebay fees - wouldn't be able to sell much without it.


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## projectnut (May 14, 2019)

Moderatemixed said:


> I’ve had 4 Atlas 10F lathes. I rebuilt two and then had a bunch of spares which I decided to part out. BAD IDEA! You will find prices on eBay, but people will “actually” pay about half of what most listings suggest. *Your lathe as it sits is worth $1500 to $2000 *(Canadian) depending on when you decide to sell it. August is the WORST time, November and February are the best, historically. Wait until November, put $2000 on it and see how fast it sells, or take your $600 now (which is a steal unless it is in US funds) and then you’ll be stuck with an agonizing process of peddling part after part to cheap guys who cherry pick the best pieces, grinding your prices down. Then, once you’ve moved box after box of cast iron pieces from one side of the basement/garage to the other for the fifth time, your put the lot onto Craig’s List/Kijiji and give them away..... only to count the proceeds and find yourself with $1000 total. Ask me how I know, lol. Sell the lathe as a whole, unless you are really really bored. Just my 2 cents.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> ...



I think a value $1,500.00 to $2,000.00 is extremely optimistic.  There are currently a couple similar size machines on eBay with an asking price of $1,200.00.  If you do a an advanced search there are a few that have sold in the $900.00 to $1,000.00 range.  However the OP's assessment on the value of parts seems very close looking at what has sold in the last 12 months on eBay.

As a point of reference I was able to purchase a Sheldon MW-56-P (13"x56") machine in the Chicago area for only slightly more than the price mentioned by Moderatemixed.  The machine I purchased machine had been rebuilt including  grinding of the bed and cross slide ways.  It also included 3 chucks, a collet drawbar system, a QCTP, steady rest, follow rest, several drill chucks and other assorted tooling.


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## matthewsx (May 14, 2019)

As has been noted in other threads there are a few young folks out there looking to get into machining as a hobby or possibly a "hobby" business that would love to get a hold of your lathe. If you have a community college near you, or a trade school that teaches metalwork it might be worthwhile talking with the instructor to see if any of their students have been looking for a manual machine. Depending on your financial circumstances it might be more gratifying to sell at a slight loss to someone who really wants and will use it than making a profit by parting it out.

If you've never had the pleasure of dealing with eBay as a seller you'll be in for a rude surprise should you go for the "parting out" route. People don't read descriptions, or maybe they just can't read. But my experience is by the time I've made a sale there I usually come away frustrated and feeling kinda dirty if you know what I mean.

When it comes to a hobby I've found it best to consider the enjoyment I've gotten as part of the expense. If I can share the fun with someone else when I sell off my toys it's a bonus

BTW, have you tried a for sale listing on this site?

Cheers,

John


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## matthewsx (May 14, 2019)

projectnut said:


> I think a value $1,500.00 to $2,000.00 is extremely optimistic.  There are currently a couple similar size machines on eBay with an asking price of $1,200.00.  If you do a an advanced search there are a few that have sold in the $900.00 to $1,000.00 range.  However the OP's assessment on the value of parts seems very close looking at what has sold in the last 12 months on eBay.
> 
> As a point of reference I was able to purchase a Sheldon MW-56-P (13"x56") machine in the Chicago area for only slightly more than the price mentioned by Moderatemixed.  The machine I purchased machine had been rebuilt including  grinding of the bed and cross slide ways.  It also included 3 chucks, a collet drawbar system, a QCTP, steady rest, follow rest, several drill chucks and other assorted tooling.
> 
> ...



That's a sweet looking machine....


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## Moderatemixed (May 14, 2019)

Which is why I stated “Canadian Dollars”. 30% less than USD. These machines sell REALLY well up here. 


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## CluelessNewB (May 14, 2019)

I have parted out 2 machines myself.  One was an Atlas MF Mill that had been damaged and parts to repair exceeded the cost to replace the machine.  The other one was a Craftsman 109 lathe that had been left standing on one end in a wet basement.  About 1/3 of the bed was heavily corroded.  This was a few years ago before eBay and Paypal got all greedy, so those costs weren't so bad.  Shipping costs have gone up significantly which also makes online selling less attractive.  Between eBay and paypal fees it typically ends up being about 30%, don't forget they charge final value fees on the selling price + shipping charges.  Depending on how you ship you will also be paying for tape and other packing supplies + paper and printer ink for printing shipping labels, add fuel to get to the post office etc.  

Given those same machines I would probably part them out again but I really hate to see complete functional machines parted out.


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## markba633csi (May 14, 2019)

I paid 840$ for a Craftsman just like that, and the seller was almost going to part it out- the parting out phenomenon makes it harder to buy whole lathes but does provide spare parts, so it's a tradeoff. 
When he said he could get 600 for the QC gearbox I didn't quite believe him- I do now
M


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## JPMacG (May 14, 2019)

eBay gets 10%, PayPal gets about 3%.  That is on both the item cost and the shipping cost.  

But selling on eBay is a lot of work.  If you value your time it is just not worth parting out.  Think about making all the trips to the post office and all the packing.


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## jwmay (May 14, 2019)

I think the Atlas in question will sell as a whole unit just fine.


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## Nogoingback (May 14, 2019)

projectnut said:


> As a point of reference I was able to purchase a Sheldon MW-56-P (13"x56") machine in the Chicago area for only slightly more than the price mentioned by Moderatemixed.  The machine I purchased machine had been rebuilt including  grinding of the bed and cross slide ways.  It also included 3 chucks, a collet drawbar system, a QCTP, steady rest, follow rest, several drill chucks and other assorted tooling.



I bet that prices and machine availability in Kentucky are quite a bit different than Chicago.  You guys in the upper Midwest forget
how good you've got it compared with other parts of the country.


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## wa5cab (May 14, 2019)

I hate to defend either PayPal or eBay but in all fairness, PayPal's rates haven't changed significantly and the only significant increase by eBay has been adding the cost of shipping to what they charge their fee on.  And  that change is the fault of a minority of greedy sellers, who would sell items dirt cheap and charge 3X to 10X for shipping.  eBay made several attempts to stamp out that practice but all failed.  So the majority suffered for the greed of the minority.  I almost forgot to add that my wife and I sold full time on eBay from 2002 until about 2016.  And only stopped because of health issues.  Our feedback is currently 20892.


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## projectnut (May 14, 2019)

Nogoingback said:


> I bet that prices and machine availability in Kentucky are quite a bit different than Chicago.  You guys in the upper Midwest forget
> how good you've got it compared with other parts of the country.



I live about 150 miles from Chicago, but I do keep my eyes open for good machines usually within a 300 mile radius.  When I find one that meets my needs I contact the owner to see if an inspection is possible.  I looked at the lathe in Chicago twice before I made the 3rd trip to pick it up.  Over the years I've purchased machines in Milwaukee, Chicago, Davenport, Waukesha, Oshkosh, Waupaca, and a few other places. 

Good machines don't come up that often at prices I'm willing to pay.  When they do I have to be willing to inspect them with little or no hesitation.  Over the years I've missed my share of machines because I wasn't willing to make the trip in a timely manner.  The one machine I do regret not buying was a Linley Jig Bore in Green Bay.  The company had it for sale for less than $900.00 with tons of tooling.  A friend of mine in the area inspected it and found it to be in almost new condition.  I hesitated and lost out. 

It's good to have a network with people in the business, especially shop owners and used equipment dealers.  Often times I've bought machines that never got to a bulletin board, showroom floor, or craigslist.  A shop owner would be in the process of upgrading, or a  or used equipment dealer would be buying out a shop and ask if I was interested in some of the machines.  More often than not I was, and we were able to make a deal.  There have been a few machines I passed on mainly because of their size.  I have no room for a Rockford 24" shaper, a 25" x 150 American Pacemaker lathe, or a Cincinnati 330 milling machine.  They're all great machines, but outside my envelope of interest, or ability to transport at reasonable cost.


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## guckrob (May 14, 2019)

Hey John (Matthewsx) it is listed here since a week or two ago in the complete machines section and it was on CraigsList until the other day--That's how the gearbox offer came up.

Some back of the envelope estimation based on other items I've sold confirms what a lot of you have said--depending on how you look at it (i.e. whether you value your time, etc) it's either a decent or a terrible idea to part it out.  The lathe came with two 3-jaw chucks so I sold one on ebay and it went for about $115, which isn't a great price, but that got me a decent chunk of my 4-jaw funds.


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## phubbman (May 16, 2019)

Just to pile on - don't underestimate the time commitment of parting that thing out on ebay, packaging and shipping the various parts, and dealing with the pieces that don't move quickly.  Big heavy parts that are expensive to ship may not sell well on-line.  You might do well.  You might not.
Atlas 618's (smaller and less capable machines) go for that kind of money.  I'll bet you'd be safe selling it whole.  It would certainly be a lot easier.  For C-list or F-book listings, add good photos and description.  
Try selling it whole.  If no one bites within a couple of weeks, you always have the option of parting it out.


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## guckrob (May 17, 2019)

Thanks for the feedback guys.  I'm going to let it ride for another week or two and then see what happens.  I've sold a fair amount of old tools and items on ebay, so I'm fairly aware of the pros and cons, but this would be a pretty major undertaking for sure.  That is aside from the fact that it seems like a shame.  The guy locally says he is still in for $600 on the gearbox so that gets me off to a good start if I go that route, but I do envision a pile of leftover parts that I'm tired of looking at in a few months and that isn't appealing.


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## jwmay (May 17, 2019)

Have you said what you’re asking for it?


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## guckrob (May 17, 2019)

yes it is in the for sale section (complete machines) for $2k with all of the tooling and materials.  There is 3 or more feet of 3" aluminum stock and some steel and it has 10 AXA holders...quite a bit of stuff, although if someone is just looking for a machine they may want just the bare machine for less


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## jwmay (May 17, 2019)

I agree you’re in a dilemma. I guess it depends on how long you’re willing to wait. Your asking price, with everything taken into account, seems a little ok. The last machine like this I have actual knowledge of was purchased for 1800 dollars with no tooling. My own machine sat for sale with not a single call on it for over a month, until I showed up and bought it. It was 2 years old and he was asking half price.  So if it were mine, I’d settle in for as long as it took. After 6 weeks, drop your ad, oil it, cover it, and wait a month. Then list it again. I’d probably do this for as long as it took. I know there’s someone out there that would pay your price, and be happy for it. It may not happen until tax time next year though. Everybody has probably already spent their refund this year.


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## guckrob (May 19, 2019)

well good news, I've got two parts to make for a planer I bought, so the lathe stays for a bit.  It is on a rolling tool chest that is on blocks for stability, but I think I'm going to move it into a more open area of the shop and keep it for a while unless someone buys it up.  hopefully it is still pretty stable on that rolling box, but it should be ok given how heavy that thing is.


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## Moderatemixed (May 19, 2019)

Every time I part with something, be it a machine, a tool, a part or piece, it seems that within days I need it...... funny how the universe plays it’s games eh? 


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## guckrob (May 19, 2019)

yup I was thinking that same thing...


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## welderr (May 22, 2019)

Does the guy offering 600 have the non quick change parts, maybe you could get a deal on them and still get your 600 and still have a functioning lathe to use or sell. TJ


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## wa5cab (May 22, 2019)

Also, be sure that the guy who offered $600 for the QCGB knows that it is the third version of those 12" boxes.  It will not work with the earlier group of 1/2" bed machines without some additional parts.  And it will not fit any of the 3/8" bed machines.  Most of the internal parts are the same in all five of the Atlas QC boxes, but the complete boxes are not generally interchangable, or are not without other parts and/or modifications.


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