# Atlas / Craftsman 12'' Metal Lathe Restoration [1937]



## Red Beard Ops (Oct 15, 2020)

Hey guys, I felt like this post would make sense as it's own thread. I wanted to thank everyone here for helping me out with the identification and tear down of this piece of vintage machinery. It's awesome to find a community so passionate about these pieces of history. According to @wa5cab this lathe was manufactured in 1937, so it's really cool to get it back in service!

My Original Introduction and Questions Thread - https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/introduction-new-atlas-lathe-owner.86760/

My Full Restoration:






I still have a few things to iron out with this machine. Specifically the "smooth-ness" of the power feed gears _(I think I have some slop somewhere)_, the shimming of the back gears_ (so they're not as tight to accurate)_, and the fabrication of a sleeve on the counter shaft / swing arm pulley section so that the collar doesn't impact my back gear cover when disengaging the belt tension.

Anyways, thanks again for all the help!
JKeeton-RBO


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## HarryJM (Oct 15, 2020)

Great restoration and hope you enjoy using it.


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## kcoffield (Oct 15, 2020)

It takes a lot more effort to strip and repaint a vintage machine as opposed to only mechanical restoration but when completed, it really creates the impression that it is well cared for and appreciated, and that the same level of effort was put into set up and dialing it in. -Nice job.

Best,
Kelly


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## vtcnc (Oct 15, 2020)

Great video and nice save on the gear case!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Red Beard Ops (Oct 15, 2020)

vtcnc said:


> Great video and nice save on the gear case!
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Thank you, sir! We'll see how that holds up... If I have to do it again, I'll likely cut the time in half with learnings. It fought me the whole time!


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## Red Beard Ops (Oct 16, 2020)

How would yall recommend holding smaller stock in this lathe? (3/16'' - 1/4'' diameter)

A smaller chuck or collets?

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I've also seen some solutions like this?





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And this is a Morse taper #3 set of collets - https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=1948&category=874479994


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## wa5cab (Oct 16, 2020)

The simplest solution and most likely the cheapest would be one of the two spindle chucks that Jacobs made.  They look like a typical drill chuck except that the back has female 1-1/2"-8 threads.  There were two made, one that covered if memory serves 0-5/8" diameter and one that went up to 3/4" but didn't quite go to zero.

They also had one for the 618 and one for the 101.07301.


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## wa5cab (Oct 16, 2020)

One word of warning about the 2MT and 3MT collets is that so long as you are wanting to hold parts or material that comes in diameter increments of 1/16", like milling cutter shanks, they would be cost competitive with the spindle chucks.  But they are only available in 1/16" increments and do not give continuous coverage between increments.  The 3AT and 3C sets in 1/64" increments just barely do.  The only ones that I know of that have any overlap are the ER collets.  So if you expect to do a lot of work that requires full coverage, go with the ER type and a threaded type collet holder/chuck, not one with a 2MT or 3MT arbor.


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## Red Beard Ops (Oct 16, 2020)

wa5cab said:


> The simplest solution and most likely the cheapest would be one of the two spindle chucks that Jacobs made.  They look like a typical drill chuck except that the back has female 1-1/2"-8 threads.  There were two made, one that covered if memory serves 0-5/8" diameter and one that went up to 3/4" but didn't quite go to zero.
> 
> They also had one for the 618 and one for the 101.07301.



Very cool! So to be clear. Are you suggesting a drill chuck with a #3 MT or a Jacobs Chuck without the shank that I will chuck up in my current 4 jaw?



The real question is:
_How much chuck could a lathe chuck, chuck, if a lathe chuck could chuck small diameter stock?_


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## wa5cab (Oct 17, 2020)

Neither one.  I was suggesting either of the two Jacobs Spindle Chucks.  They each screw directly onto the spindle threads and you wouldn't have the 3-jaw chuck jaws whirling around to worry about and would be closest to the end of the spindle, so no additive runout.  And you wouldn't need a drawbar to be sure that the MT arbor wouldn't come loose and ruin the part that you're working on.


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## tq60 (Oct 17, 2020)

Those style chucks were for starter and generator service.

They came with the automotive shop package

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## wa5cab (Oct 17, 2020)

They were certainly usable on the pulley end of the armature, or at least the 59B was.  But what actually came with the Jacobs  armature chuck kit was the 75A for the pulley end and the 100CR for the commutator end, with two 2MT to 3JT arbors.  With the 2MT arbor in the 75A, you had to use the 2MT/3MT adapter sleeve that came with all three of the larger lathes.  Or you could special order the kit with a 3MT to 3JT arbor instead of one of the 2MT to 3JT ones.


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## mikey (Oct 17, 2020)

Nice job on the restoration. I enjoyed the video and hope this lathe brings you many years of useful service.

If you can, I would certainly consider an ER chuck for small parts.


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## Red Beard Ops (Oct 17, 2020)

mikey said:


> Nice job on the restoration. I enjoyed the video and hope this lathe brings you many years of useful service.
> 
> If you can, I would certainly consider an ER chuck for small parts.



Thank you sir! Me too

I was thinking of getting one of these ER Chuck Blocks that I could mount in my 4 jaw. I was thinking it could be handy on the mill too.


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## mikey (Oct 17, 2020)

There is this thing called stacking tolerances that you have to be aware of. Every single component between the spindle and the work piece has its own run out and the more interfaces you have, the greater the run out will be. If you use that collet block in a 4 jaw you have:  the run out of the spindle, the lathe chuck, how accurate you are in dialing in the collet block, the collet block itself, the taper inside the collet block, the accuracy of the collet, the collet nut, how accurately you tighten the collet nut and the accuracy of the work piece. All of these interfaces add up, or stack up, to affect run out.

The most accurate way to reduce this stack is to find/make/buy a direct mount ER chuck that threads onto your spindle. You won't be able to eliminate run out but it is possible to get it waaay down. This is not as critical on the lathe as it is on a milling machine but when working on small precision parts, it can make a difference.

Do you happen to know what the size of your threaded spindle is?


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## Red Beard Ops (Oct 17, 2020)

mikey said:


> There is this thing called stacking tolerances that you have to be aware of. Every single component between the spindle and the work piece has its own run out and the more interfaces you have, the greater the run out will be. If you use that collet block in a 4 jaw you have:  the run out of the spindle, the lathe chuck, how accurate you are in dialing in the collet block, the collet block itself, the taper inside the collet block, the accuracy of the collet, the collet nut, how accurately you tighten the collet nut and the accuracy of the work piece. All of these interfaces add up, or stack up, to affect run out.
> 
> The most accurate way to reduce this stack is to find/make/buy a direct mount ER chuck that threads onto your spindle. You won't be able to eliminate run out but it is possible to get it waaay down. This is not as critical on the lathe as it is on a milling machine but when working on small precision parts, it can make a difference.
> 
> Do you happen to know what the size of your threaded spindle is?



Thanks for the explanation, sir! I'm fairly sure my threads on the spindle are 1-1/2''- 8


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## mikey (Oct 17, 2020)

You might consider a Beall ER32 chuck with a 1-1/2-8 thread. It should directly spin on to your spindle and is pretty accurate. I use one on a Sherline lathe and because my spindle is very accurate, this chuck holds about 0.0001" TIR on that spindle. The chuck will also accept aftermarket nuts and I can highly recommend a Rego-Fix HiQ nut if you buy this chuck. There are coated and ball bearing versions from this company and we can discuss that later. 

The Beall chuck comes as a package with some collets but you can also just buy the chuck and nut and wrenches, then buy a complete ER32 set of collets. You do not need high end collets for the lathe; an import set will do. If you add an ER chuck to your mill then buy a set or at least the sizes you most often use from a high quality source like Techniks, ETM, Rego-Fix and others.


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## JPMacG (Oct 18, 2020)

One word of caution with the ER collet blocks.  I purchased a cheap import on eBay.  While the collet taper was nicely made, the square was not.  The sides were not equal distant from the collet center.

I made an ER40 collet adapter for my lathe.  It screws onto the 1-1/2x8 spindle.  It can hold down to 3/32" diameter if I recall correctly.  It was a nice fun project.  If you search on this website you will find a description.

I'd like one of the Jacob's collets chucks that screw onto the spindle but they tend to be pricey.  Even a worn one sells for $100.


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## Grinderman (Oct 19, 2020)

For an Atlas lathe I would recommend the ER32 collet w/1 1/2-8 thread from Tallgrass tools over the Beale for a couple of reasons. I ordered a Beale and was getting .0035 runout at the bore. My spindle runs out .0005. Maybe I just got a bad one but I returned it and bought the tallgrass. This was machined more accurately, has a register that matches the Atlas spindle and has a hex nut for removal/install. This chuck with decent collets runs out at .0005 which is good enough for me.


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## Janderso (Oct 19, 2020)

I really appreciate the work and dedication to making it right.
You have a beautiful lathe there sir.
Well done!!


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## Red Beard Ops (Oct 23, 2020)

Does anyone have a good source for an after market counter shaft pulley?

Or maybe the STL file for 3D Printing one?!? (I bet printing one out of ASA would work pretty well?)


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## wa5cab (Oct 24, 2020)

You are very unlikely to find an after-market equivalent to the 10-80 4-step Cone Pulley.  Too many lathe manufacturers used something similar but not exactly the same.  However, they should be relatively common on the used market as almost every 10" and 12" lathe built by Atlas between 1936 and 1981 used one except for the late 12" cabinet models, and they used two.


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## Weldingrod1 (Oct 24, 2020)

Headstock chucks that screw directly onto the spindle are really nice for small work! Mine had a cracked sleeve and needed a shrunk on tube to fix it. Worth the work!

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## Weldingrod1 (Oct 24, 2020)

There are three on Ebay right now...

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## wa5cab (Oct 25, 2020)

Weldingrod1 said:


> Headstock chucks...  Mine had a cracked sleeve and needed a shrunk on tube to fix it. Worth the work!


If you look on eBay, CL and similar places you will usually find Jacobs chuck parts such as sleeves, jaws, etc.  You will need to first check a vintage Jacobs catalog (I think that I put a PDF of one under the Atlas folder in Downloads) for the correct sleeve part number.  And repairing it with the proper replacement part, besides being probably cheaper (at least if you value your time at anything above zero) and the repaired chuck would be salable if you ever chose to do so.  Whereas repairing the chuck by putting a home-made fix on it probably wouldn't be.


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## Red Beard Ops (Dec 7, 2020)

Hey yall, a guy on Instagram sent me this link. This countershaft pulley has the same dimensions as the original... just need to mill in a 3/16'' key way into the shaft.









						Item # SCA600-4X075KW, 4 Step, Zinc Die Cast Step-Cone Pulley On Congress Drives
					

Browse Item # SCA600-4X075KW, 4 Step, Zinc Die Cast Step-Cone Pulley in the Congress Drives catalog including Item #,Item Name,Description,Bore Size,OD1,OD2,OD3,OD4,Step, F,L, C,Keyway,Material,Approximate Weight



					pulleys.congressdrives.com


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## vtcnc (Dec 8, 2020)

Red Beard Ops said:


> Hey yall, a guy on Instagram sent me this link. This countershaft pulley has the same dimensions as the original... just need to mill in a 3/16'' key way into the shaft.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Any idea on pricing?


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## kcoffield (Dec 8, 2020)

vtcnc said:


> Any idea on pricing?



.....and can any Joe buy one with a credit card, or are there minimums, establishing account, etc? I suspect this part likely is still available from Clausing.

Best,
Kelly


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## Red Beard Ops (Dec 8, 2020)

According to the manufacturer; Granger carries it. I've reached out to them via email.


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## Red Beard Ops (Jan 18, 2021)

vtcnc said:


> Any idea on pricing?



I was finally able to get this pulley ordered from Motion Industries. It cost $120 shipped.


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## Red Beard Ops (Jan 22, 2021)

I milled in a 3/16'' key way and this pulley worked great.


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## Red Beard Ops (Jan 22, 2021)




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## wa5cab (Jan 23, 2021)

Red Beard Ops,

We do not have the drawing for 10-107 Countershaft.  However, most of them seem to have a Woodruff key seat cut for the key that the 10-80 Cone Pulley runs against.  And a flat cut that the set screw in the 9-427 2-step pulley runs against.  The depth of the keyway in the cone pulley would be shallower for a Woodruff key than it would be for a square key.  Broach sets in this size range would normally come with two shims.  The second shim would not be used if you were cutting a keyway for a Woodruff key and would be used if the keyway was to fit a square key.


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## Red Beard Ops (Jan 23, 2021)

wa5cab said:


> Red Beard Ops,
> 
> We do not have the drawing for 10-107 Countershaft.  However, most of them seem to have a Woodruff key seat cut for the key that the 10-80 Cone Pulley runs against.  And a flat cut that the set screw in the 9-427 2-step pulley runs against.  The depth of the keyway in the cone pulley would be shallower for a Woodruff key than it would be for a square key.  Broach sets in this size range would normally come with two shims.  The second shim would not be used if you were cutting a keyway for a Woodruff key and would be used if the keyway was to fit a square key.


10-4, I just milled in a slot and dropped in a 3/16'' square key.


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## wa5cab (Jan 23, 2021)

OK.  Did you have to mill the slot in the pulley or the countershaft?


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## Red Beard Ops (Jan 23, 2021)

wa5cab said:


> OK.  Did you have to mill the slot in the pulley or the countershaft?


I milled the slot in the shaft the pulley rides on to accept a 3/16'' square key. It all fit up nice and solid. The hub and set screw are more robust on this aftermarket pulley.


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## wa5cab (Jan 24, 2021)

OK.  Is the shaft an original?  If so, did it originally have a key seat for a Woodruff key for the cone pulley?  Or a flat for the set screw?  Or nothing?

The final (1966) revision of the assembly drawing shows a Woodruff Key.


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## Red Beard Ops (Jan 24, 2021)

wa5cab said:


> OK.  Is the shaft an original?  If so, did it originally have a key seat for a Woodruff key for the cone pulley?  Or a flat for the set screw?  Or nothing?
> 
> The final (1966) revision of the assembly drawing shows a Woodruff Key.


It was an original shaft and it had a 1/8'' woodruff key


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## wa5cab (Jan 24, 2021)

OK.


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