# Atlas modifications



## iron man (Feb 8, 2013)

Hi I am new to the forum I have made some modifications to my 10 inch atlas lathe I thought I might start a new thread. Here it a picture of the new crossfeed screw mount it has double bearing's the nut on the end sets the pre load and the dial is a direct read dial that floats freely. The stock one use's the dial for preload and tightens up under load. The new mount tightens up with a spanner wrench under the dial.. Ray


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## iron man (Feb 8, 2013)

This is a picture of the acme tap I made to tap a new crossfeed nut crude but it works well. I made the nut twice as long as stock with wear adjustment I also made a shouldered bolt to secure it so I can quickly remove it for a taper attachment I will build next. I have zero back lash now... Ray


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## iron man (Feb 8, 2013)

My next project will be a taper attachment and I will also dis-assemble the cross feed to get better pictures for those who are interested. It really mad a big differance in the lathe I also scraped the cross feed dove tail with a 60 degree carbide cutter to make it nice and straight again. Ray


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## oldgoaly (Feb 13, 2013)

Thanks for posting something I will need to do in the future, I too need to add a taper attachment to my 12" Craftsman, I have most of one, think it is just missing a mount.  Welcome to the forum!


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## GaryK (Feb 13, 2013)

iron man said:


> Hi I am new to the forum I have made some modifications to my 10 inch atlas lathe I thought I might start a new thread. Here it a picture of the new crossfeed screw mount it has double bearing's the nut on the end sets the pre load and the dial is a direct read dial that floats freely. The stock one use's the dial for preload and tightens up under load. The new mount tightens up with a spanner wrench under the dial.. Ray
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Back when I first got my Atlas (About 20 years go) I realized real quick that I hated the small dial and it working in "Radius mode".
So I made a large dial and doubled the graduations giving me 200 per rev. Thia means I moved .001" the diameter decreased .001"

It was the best improvement I ever did on that lathe.

Gary


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## iron man (Feb 13, 2013)

That is one nice dial I hope to start making my own soon. The dial that is on mine now is a 200 that I bought from Tallgrass tools it is 1/1/2" Dia. I just installed a 1/1/2 dial from a southbend onto the compound until I can make a new one. I just made a carriage stop it turned out nice and so did the dial I will post a picture soon.. Ray


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## iron man (Feb 13, 2013)

Here is my carriage stop I just finished this is also my first attempt at making the dial so be nice I put a lock on it so I would not accidently bump it and turn the dial.. Ray


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## iron man (Feb 13, 2013)

Just a side shot I hate to admit this but I did not have a cutter to cut a radius and being the kind of person that cannot wait I grabbed a carbide cutter from my router put it in a 1/4" R8 collet stuck it in the mill and cut the radius all joking aside it worked pretty good. Ray


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## wa5cab (Feb 14, 2013)

Ray,

That lock is a good idea.  Don't know why I never thought of it.  I'm going to mod my factory stop for one.

Robert D.


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## cbtrek (Feb 14, 2013)

Ray,
Very nice improvements to a older machine. I shows you can improve a older design to make parts more accurate and faster!

Great job.

Craig


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## Old Iron (Jun 3, 2013)

Really nice job on the mods.

Paul


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## Kroll (Jun 3, 2013)

Dang those looks good guys,alot better than what a factory setting would do and looks classie.But how did ya'll do your graduation marks and numbers so perfectly?If you have pics and feel like posting cause I would like to make me a carriage stop that looks that good.Been looking at them on ebay and upper 30-50 price range,seeing ya'll I now want to make one.
Thats one of those section I was was here is a tutorial section for talented people could post pics and explain the how to's and don't.Admiring the fantastic work---kroll


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## kd4gij (Jun 3, 2013)

Kroll said:


> Dang those looks good guys,alot better than what a factory setting would do and looks classie.But how did ya'll do your graduation marks and numbers so perfectly?If you have pics and feel like posting cause I would like to make me a carriage stop that looks that good.Been looking at them on ebay and upper 30-50 price range,seeing ya'll I now want to make one.
> Thats one of those section I was was here is a tutorial section for talented people could post pics and explain the how to's and don't.Admiring the fantastic work---kroll



Kroll
 We do have a section for projects like this. It is called Articles and is at the top of the page. http://www.hobby-machinist.com/content.php/257-articles_1?tabid=8


  Marty


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## ML_Woy (Jun 7, 2013)

iron man said:


> That is one nice dial I hope to start making my own soon. The dial that is on mine now is a 200 that I bought from Tallgrass tools it is 1/1/2" Dia. I just installed a 1/1/2 dial from a southbend onto the compound until I can make a new one. I just made a carriage stop it turned out nice and so did the dial I will post a picture soon.. Ray



Ray:

Thanks for mentioning Talgrass Tools, I went to their web site after reading your post and purchased there mods for the corssfeed and compound. Great tips from this Forum.

M.L.Woy


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## shoeboxpaul (Jun 11, 2013)

Being a relative newbie, I agree with Kroll and would like to know how to put graduation marks and numbers into a dial. I tried searching the Articles and came up empty. Talgrass products are nice. Making your own is so satisfying. How about a link to an article or website if anyone has one handy? 
Thanks everyone,
Paul


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## iron man (Jun 11, 2013)

http://tallgrasstools.com/


http://tallgrasstools.com/AtlasDials.html


http://www.neme-s.org/images/PDF_Files/Making_Graduated_Collars1.pdf


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## pdentrem (Jun 11, 2013)

Towards the end of this topic, I explained on how I did my new dials.
Pierre

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php/708-Replacement-Compound-slide-for-Atlas-10


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## shoeboxpaul (Jun 12, 2013)

Thank you!


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## ML_Woy (Jun 12, 2013)

jamesjinks said:


> :thumbsup: Thanks... I'm glad to see these are well respected, after having stumbled on them while surfing for info on a good starter lathe for a noob (I'm 47, retired from the Army, and teaching now, but I'm def. a rookie here). Does the Atlas/Craftsman have a Primer similar to the total shop series that deals with the peculiarity of Atlas machines?



Craftsman / Atlas published a manual with their laths, similar to the one Southbend supplied with their machines. I believe the Southbend one is stored here on the site somewhere. If you go to the Atlas Craftsman forum on Yahoo you can find the Atlas/ Craftsman manuals, and they are available as reprints on E-bay.


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## pdentrem (Jun 12, 2013)

The current Atlas manual is still available from Clausings for the same price as the used ones on the auctions sites. Parts are available as well but not everything. 

Pierre


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## schor (Jun 12, 2013)

I built a speed reducer for my atlas 42b drill press. I wasn't sure about using the shoulder bolt for the handle so I didn't drill and thread it all the way yet. It's a camlock design and everything was done on the lathe and drill press, including facing off the block. It's a prototype and a second version is on the design table.







[video=youtube;QfhyXh0RgFc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfhyXh0RgFc[/video]


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## wa5cab (Jun 13, 2013)

Schor,

Your speed reducer looks similar to the ones that Atlas offered as accessories.  I have a similar one on my Enco but never thought of its purpose being for speed reduction per se.  Without it, you would only have four speeds.  Like an Atlas 10A lathe (no countershaft).

JamesJinks,

The name of the Atlas manual is Manual of Lathe Operations (MOLO or MoLO for short).  Originally, both Atlas and Sears supplied one with each lathe, plus either a parts manual or an Owners manual which included the parts manual.  If you have or acquire a machine made about 1958 or later, the current edition still supplied by Clausing will have photos mostly of your machine.  There were only about three small changes made after 1958.  If your machine is a 10" or earlier 12", I would personally get an edition from 1955 or earlier, although all of the photos seem to be of the 10"and not the early 12".  Even if the front cover says "Craftsman".  

The reason that you won't find a PDF copy of the MoLO on this site or on the Yahoo ones is that it is still in print and hence still technically copyrighted.  Unlike apparently the similar book that used to be printed by South Bend.  However, you will find parts lists or Owner's manuals for many of the Atlas or Craftsman lathes (and many other makes) in this site's Downloads section.  And as someone else wrote, there are more on Yahoo.

Robert D.


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## schor (Jun 13, 2013)

wa5cab said:


> Schor,
> 
> Your speed reducer looks similar to the ones that Atlas offered as accessories.  I have a similar one on my Enco but never thought of its purpose being for speed reduction per se.  Without it, you would only have four speeds.  Like an Atlas 10A lathe (no countershaft).
> 
> Robert D.



I think the atlas one is a split piece that spreads in the column as you turn a bolt. Mine is a camlock design with a handle so its easy to adjust and remove.

The lowest speed was 420rpm which is fine for woodworking but I want to do some larger holes in metal and need to get lower speeds. I can get down to 104rpm now with the additional pulley, I can also get to 27,600 rpm if my calculations are correct. But I would never dare to do that.


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## wa5cab (Jun 14, 2013)

Schor,

You could be right about the Atlas one being split.  The catalogs don't show any details.

Robert D.


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## iron man (Jun 16, 2013)

Some time back a friend of mine found this brand new motor in a dumpster it had been dropped and bent the shaft. I took it apart cut off the bent shaft protected the windings and welded and machined a new stub shaft. There is nothing better than variable speed. It has tons of torque and is 2.5 horse.

- - - Updated - - -




Here is the variable speed pot and the emergency shut off.


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