# Craftsman 6 x 18 Threading Help



## Pat of TN (Jan 21, 2014)

*Craftsman 6 x 18 Threading Help (Solved!)*

Hey folks! How's it going?

I've got myself a Craftsman / Atlas 6 x 18 lathe, and I've been trying to figure out how to thread with it. I've been able to swap gears fine, but here's the issue - my threading dial doesn't spin, so I have no way to engage the half-nuts in the same spot.

I noticed that the threading dial swivels back and forth, and has a small gear on the bottom. If I loosen it and press it into the lead screw while the lathe is running, it basically acts like I'm engaging the auto-feed. It starts to feed while I keep it engaged in the lead screw.

Not sure what's up here. Seems like if it has a threading dial, it should spin, or else it's more or less useless... if anyone can he'p me out here, I'd greatly appreciate it.


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## David S (Jan 21, 2014)

Pat I have an atlas 618 and the threading dial turns freely.  I suggest that you try and turn the gear on the the threading dial manually by hand and see if it is seized.  This is of course when it is not engaged with the lead screw.

David


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## schor (Jan 21, 2014)

I think your describing the proper operation of the threading dial. You say it feeds, but are you really saying it is turning? There are some good videos out there on threading with an atlas lathe. Here's a great one by Tom. This is the first of 4 parts.

Check out his site and SUBSCRIBE, as a beginner this is a great site.

[video=youtube;nbpUb827wnY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbpUb827wnY[/video]


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## Pat of TN (Jan 21, 2014)

David S said:


> Pat I have an atlas 618 and the threading dial turns freely.  I suggest that you try and turn the gear on the the threading dial manually by hand and see if it is seized.  This is of course when it is not engaged with the lead screw.
> 
> David



Thanks for the suggestion. I'll give it a shot tomorrow.



schor said:


> I think your describing the proper operation of the threading dial. You say it feeds, but are you really saying it is turning? There are some good videos out there on threading with an atlas lathe. Here's a great one by Tom. This is the first of 4 parts.
> 
> Check out his site and SUBSCRIBE, as a beginner this is a great site.
> 
> [video=youtube;nbpUb827wnY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbpUb827wnY[/video]



No, the dial does not turn. I'm sorry, I'll try to be more clear... the threading dial swivels back and forth. I can push it back to where the gear on the bottom of the dial engages the lead screw. If the lead screw is turning with the thread dial gear engaged, the dial does not spin, which to me seems right. However, with the thread dial gear pushed into the lead screw, it feeds the carriage just as if I engaged the auto feed lever.

With the thread dial gear not engaging the lead screw, it does nothing - the dial doesn't turn or anything. And again, with it pushed into the lead screw where it engages, all it does is feed the carriage.

I'll try to watch that video tomorrow when I have access to high-speed 'net. Thanks for that!


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## schor (Jan 21, 2014)

Pat of TN said:


> Thanks for the suggestion. I'll give it a shot tomorrow.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Watch video #2 close to the end where Tom talks about the threading dial.

Here's how mine works.

Mine is always engaged to the lead screw.
When the carriage is not engaged by the half nuts the threading dial spins.
When the carriage is engaged the dial stops spinning.
You want the dial to spin when the carriage is not engaged so that you wait for the dial to rotate to the proper position which means the half nuts will engage the lead screw at the right place to continue your thread at the same starting point.


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## rafe (Jan 21, 2014)

The dial stays on (engaged with the screw) all the time when threading it will spin when the half-nuts are not engaged when it reaches the number you want you engage the half nuts and it will no longer spin....you disengage the h-n retract the croosfeed and go back to the beginning HTH


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## littlejack (Jan 21, 2014)

Mine works exactly as Steve describes.
  At first, when checking out my machine I thought, What the hey? Then after running it for a while, realized that, that is the way it is  
 supposed to work. 
  I messed with cutting threads last evening, and everything worked perfectly.
  Regards
  Jack


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## kd4gij (Jan 21, 2014)

I had the same problem with my lathe. Your dial is frozen. Take it of soak in PB blaster clean it up. get it so it turns freeley. Hope that helps.


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## stevecmo (Jan 21, 2014)

I agree with kd4gij.  If you engage the threading dial gear to the lead screw and it powers the carriage, the threading dial gear is locked up.  Take it off the lathe and disassemble it.  It's a simple device.  There is something that is not working right.  Should be an easy fix.

Steve


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## David S (Jan 22, 2014)

Steve the threading dial should swing back and forth in order to engage / disengage from the feed screw.  However when it is disengaged you should be able to grab the small gear and spin the dial manually ..freely.  It sounds like yours is seized, so that soon as you try and engage it to the lead screw it starts feeding, just like engaging the half nuts.

David


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## Pat of TN (Jan 22, 2014)

Good news, guys! I sprayed some WD-40 all around it and turned the gear with a pair of pliers - and the dial moved with it! Slowly but surely, it loosened up. Kept twisting it around, and got it to where I can turn it with my fingers. Engaged it in the lead screw and turned the lathe on... success! It don't feed the carriage, and it does feed the dial.

Problem solved! Thanks so much to everyone who helped out, I really appreciate it.

Just to make sure - how easy should the dial be able to spin by hand? Real easy, or have some resistance?


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## kd4gij (Jan 22, 2014)

Some resistance is fine.


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## wa5cab (Jan 23, 2014)

But essentially zero resistance to turning is normal.

Robert D


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## MedfordChris (Jan 23, 2014)

kd4gij said:


> I had the same problem with my lathe. Your dial is frozen. Take it of soak in PB blaster clean it up. get it so it turns freeley. Hope that helps.



I had the exact same problem with mine! Cleaning really well only freed up my dial about 90%, it would still stick at one certain spot in the rotation. I had to actually disassemble it and stone down a rough spot on the rod.


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