# Just Picked Up A Th54



## slow95gsx (Dec 28, 2015)

First personal lathe, not a ton of experience on lathes in the past. Any tips for this particular lathe? Do's and dont's? Good QCTP to fit it?
Thanks


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## pdentrem (Dec 28, 2015)

Many topics and tips through out the Atlas section. Too many to list here.

A Phase II or a clone AXA Wedge style tool post will fit. Just have to fit the plate to the top slide. May have to modify the top slide to clear the corners of the tool post.


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## schor (Dec 28, 2015)

I have a few videos on the atlas on my youtube channel. Click the link in my signature.


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## Ulma Doctor (Dec 28, 2015)

a good don't...
Don't crash the saddle, compound rest, or toolholder into the chuck,
it will cost lots of money to get your lathe back into operation.
i saved a 50's vintage TH42 lathe from a careless operator,but way too late.


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## slow95gsx (Dec 28, 2015)

Thanks for the info guys. I was looking at those axa tool posts pdentrem, wasn't sure if it'd work though. Thanks for clarifying.


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## wa5cab (Dec 28, 2015)

IFF you happen to have the milling attachment, the compound rest assembly will fit onto the milling attachment slide in place of the vise.  So you can mill off the hump using the lathe.  Just be sure to snug up the gib screws so that the slide can't move.


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## slow95gsx (Dec 28, 2015)

wa5cab said:


> IFF you happen to have the milling attachment, the compound rest assembly will fit onto the milling attachment slide in place of the vise.  So you can mill off the hump using the lathe.  Just be sure to snug up the gib screws so that the slide can't move.


I wish it came with the milling attachment!


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## pdentrem (Dec 28, 2015)

There is not much metal to remove to fit the tool post. Can easily hand file the small area down, as the top slide is not hardened. I have a Palmgren 250V milling attachment but it does not make the lathe a Bridgeport mill. Have to use small cuts and watch the direction of the feed as you would not want the bit to snatch and take up all the backlash and break or ruin your part.
Pierre


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## slow95gsx (Dec 29, 2015)

I ordered the axa wedge tool post, whats a good source for buying tooling for it? Mainly will be working with aluminum if it makes much of a difference.


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## wa5cab (Dec 30, 2015)

Enco, MSC, Wholesale Tools (on the Net as WTTools I think), Travers Tools.


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## slow95gsx (Dec 30, 2015)

http://www.shars.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=404-1052 
I ordered this kit from shars. Is that a pretty decent kit to get started with?


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## wa5cab (Dec 30, 2015)

Probably.  Except that for an AXA which is as large as you need on an Atlas 12", I would have ordered it in 3/8".


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## slow95gsx (Dec 30, 2015)

wa5cab said:


> Probably.  Except that for an AXA which is as large as you need on an Atlas 12", I would have ordered it in 3/8".


Oh ok, I assumed you had to use the size that fit the post. I didn't realize using the smaller size would work better. I'll keep that in mind next time. Thanks


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## wa5cab (Dec 30, 2015)

It isn't so much that the smaller size works better, although as a practical matter I've never found that they worked any poorer.  But there is often a significance cost difference in brazed cutters and in the cutter holders and the inserts themselves.  1/2" just barely fits in a 100 Series tool holder.  At least back in the day, the recommended cutter holder sizes were given as AXA = 3/8", BXA = 1/2" and CXA = 5/8".  Note that in a 100 Series holder, or at least in the 20 or so that I have from various sources (including Yuasa who made my QCTP and original set of holders), the distance from the back of the slot to the centerline of the set screws is just over 3/16".  Which puts the screws almost in the center of the 3/8" square holders.  And that the slot depth is just over 3/8" which puts the outer corner of the cutter holder sollidly on the bottom of the slot.  You can run 1/2" tooling in a 100 Series holder if you need to.  They just cost more.


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