# And So It Begins...



## ThunderDog (Aug 18, 2016)

Hello all,

I recently finished working on a horizontal mill of some unknown origin.  You can check it out over at the Antique and Vintage Sub-forum.  Here is the link.  But, no sooner did I finish it is when I found the mill I really wanted, an Atlas Horizontal Mill.  I've heard good things about them and they seem to have more options than my unknown mill.  At least I can find documentation about an Atlas.  I don't have much space in my garage, so a benchtop milling machine fits the bill.

There are a few downsides to it.  First, the overarm and overarm support were missing when I bought it.  Actually, the remnants of the overarm were included.  The previous owner had the overarm welded to a vertical attachment.  And to add further insult to it they cut off a portion of it.   Finally, the coveted arbor was also missing.  I've already started collecting diagrams/drawings for the arbor over at the Yahoo groups.  Regardless, I am determined to put this thing back into good working order.



Anyway, just thought I would share my recent progress.  It will be an ongoing process.





Putting Part 2 up so it's easy to find in the thread.





Here's Part 3 for easy finding.


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## roadie33 (Aug 18, 2016)

Nice job on the "New" Mill. 
I've been looking for one of those also.
Hope you find all of the missing pieces.


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## Billh50 (Aug 18, 2016)

I'd love to have any benchtop mill because all I have now is drill press with a cross slide for milling. But unfortunately I have no money left for such extravagant items.

But I am glad you found what you wanted. As well as the one you rebuilt.


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## wa5cab (Aug 18, 2016)

TD,

Cleaned-up PDF's of the factory drawings of both size arbors, arbor nuts, and one width of each diameter spacer are in DOWNLOADS here.  And in FILES on the main Atlas_Craftsman Group and the Atlasmillingmachineandshaper Group on Yahoo.  Also included is an original (uncleaned) factory drawing of one of the arbor nuts showing why I didn't spend the time to clean up the other spacer size drawings..  All of the spacers in each diameter are the same except for width.  None of them show a keyway.


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## ThunderDog (Aug 18, 2016)

This is why I like this forum.  So much help from the community.  Spiral_chips, I was already thinking the same thing with speedymetals.  I've ordered from them several times and I'm very satisfied with their service.  In fact the arbor I made was 1144 Stressproof from speedymetals.

Wa5cab, appreciate the info that is here.  Thanks.


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## ThunderDog (Jan 14, 2017)

It has been entirely too long, but I have an update for you.  A little "artsy" on this one, just enjoying what I do.


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## CluelessNewB (Jan 14, 2017)

Been there done that!   I purchased mine sometime during the summer of 2015 but didn't finish it until December 2016.  I like your nail and pliers trick to get the drive screws out of the tag.   

I believe you want to flip one of those two stacked table feed M6-101-64 gears over so the teeth line up.


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## 34_40 (Jan 15, 2017)

Hi ThunderDog, man you do some nice work!  The Atlas looks like new, almost to good to turn back on... LOL.

You also have some really nice videos too. I'm lovin' the lathe projects right now.  Thanks and it's great to see you here.


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## Uglydog (Jan 15, 2017)

Just now stumbled on this thread.
Excellent. I like usually use Van Norman mill horiz mode!!
You are gonna like this....

Daryl
MN


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## ThunderDog (Jan 16, 2017)

Thanks everyone. 
34_40, I wish I could do better.  There are more mistakes and screw-up's than those videos let on.￼  But, it's the mistakes that keep teaching the most.

Uglydog, I'm almost there.


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## ThunderDog (Feb 24, 2017)

THE CLEAN UP IS DONE!!!!






Get to take a break from scrubbing parts and turn my attention to making chips.  I have to say, the Atlas Mill has a ton of parts...  a ton of teeny tiny little parts.


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## Billh50 (Feb 24, 2017)

Very nice videos. If I owned the one that is here I would do the same thing to it mainly because it is something I love doing.


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## WindShooter (Mar 15, 2017)

Ahhhh, I'm finely done!

Before,




After,







Clean up the arbor, then time to make chips.


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## wa5cab (Mar 16, 2017)

Looks good.

I can't tell for certain whether the table it is sitting on is its final resting place or not.  But be sure that you bolt the machine down before actually starting to work.  Else it might eventually walk off.


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## willthedancer (Mar 16, 2017)

Beautiful.


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## ThunderDog (Mar 16, 2017)

Windshooter, I'm having missing arbor envy!!!

Looks very nice.


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## ThunderDog (Mar 16, 2017)

Here is my first project using the mill.

I know it's just a drawbar and I have extremely limited tooling but that feeling of accomplishment is what keeps me going.


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## WindShooter (Mar 16, 2017)

ThunderDog said:


> Windshooter, I'm having missing arbor envy!!!
> 
> Looks very nice.



Thanks,

I have "change-o-matic" nameplate envy from yours, I gave up on mine after about five trys.  Just left it shiny brass.

You probably have a drawing of the arbor, but ket me know if you'd like me to measure or take pictures of the one I have.

Vince


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## ThunderDog (Mar 17, 2017)

Did you try to spray paint and razor scrape on the nameplate?  That's how I had success.  Biggest problem I had was not thoroughly cleaning it before I shot it with paint.  Probably from me just rushing during one of the many week nights when I had a little time to work on it.


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## wa5cab (Mar 17, 2017)

The factory arbor drawings and a representative spacer drawing are in DOWNLOADS.  I didn't spend the time to clean up all of the spacer drawings because the as-received drawings were terrible quality and the spacers are all identical except for length.


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## ThunderDog (Mar 17, 2017)

Yup, I downloaded all of the Atlas mill documents I could find.  Just waiting on material to arrive.


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## Engineerd3d (May 3, 2017)

Wanted to drop by and say thanks for inspiring me there TD. I got my hands on one of these mills myself, by complete chance actually. I am going a different route with mine, its going to be more of a restomod on mine as the mill is a bit rough and I may as well do a few mods.


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## Orangecrush (Aug 22, 2017)

ThunderDog said:


> Here is my first project using the mill.
> 
> I know it's just a drawbar and I have extremely limited tooling but that feeling of accomplishment is what keeps me going.


Hey T-dog,

I know this is a old thread, but how did you get your information about the drawbar? Did you draw it up yourself or did you find a PDF version here on the forum? I need to make one for my mill and any help would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Orangecrush


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## 34_40 (Aug 22, 2017)

As stated  by wa5cab in post 20 in this thread, look in Downloads, top menu on the left.

theres a lot of great documents there.


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## Orangecrush (Aug 22, 2017)

34_40 said:


> As stated  by wa5cab in post 20 in this thread, look in Downloads, top menu on the left.
> 
> theres a lot of great documents there.



You'll have to excuse me, I'm new to the forum and still don't know how to navigate through the download section yet. I can find just about everything but the drawbar for the Atlas horizontal mill.


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## Orangecrush (Aug 22, 2017)

wa5cab said:


> The factory arbor drawings and a representative spacer drawing are in DOWNLOADS.  I didn't spend the time to clean up all of the spacer drawings because the as-received drawings were terrible quality and the spacers are all identical except for length.





34_40 said:


> As stated  by wa5cab in post 20 in this thread, look in Downloads, top menu on the left.
> 
> theres a lot of great documents there.





Orangecrush said:


> You'll have to excuse me, I'm new to the forum and still don't know how to navigate through the download section yet. I can find just about everything but the drawbar for the Atlas horizontal mill.



Never mind I found the drawbar and download it.


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## 34_40 (Aug 23, 2017)

That's great. Hope it helps you get back to making chips with your mill.


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## wa5cab (Aug 23, 2017)

OC (and anyone else new here),

You will find a screed on navigating and using DOWNLOADS (including how to upload something new) in the Sticky area at the top of this and two or three other Fora.

You might want to set up your Signature so that we know what you prefer to be called.  You can also list what significant equipment you currently have.  To get to it, hover your mouse pointer over your User ID toward the right end of the upper NAV bar.  A menu should pop up.  Without clicking, slide the pointer down and left and click on Signature.  You might also want to change the defaults on some of the other criteria.  And that's how you get to all of it.


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