# Wood cutting on an Atlas metal lathe



## Handyman Don (Mar 23, 2013)

Last week I did something I had never done before. I had a set of plastic mower desk wheels that were well worn out on the inside, but not on the outside. I decided to make bushings from an old hickory shovel handle. First, I chucked the wheels in the lathe and bored them to 3/4". I then cut a 6" piece from the end of the hickory shovel handle. I had to improvise a way to chuck up the wood (rounded end and slight shank taper), so I cut off the rounded end as square as possible and drilled a countersink hole in center of the other end. I then loosely chucked one end in, ran my centering tool up tight into the countersink hole, chucked up tight, and commenced to reduce the diameter of the wood with the same tooling bits as I use for metal. After I had achieved the desired outside diameter, I removed the centering tool and replaced with a bit chuck and 1/2" boring bit. The wood stock was still running true, so I bored throught the center for ID, then removed the wood and cut to desired length for the wheel centers. Worked great and I save about $30 on new wheels.


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## wa5cab (Mar 23, 2013)

I've done a fair amount of wood tuning on my 3996.  I have a ShopSmith these days but for the parts you were making, would probably have still used the Atlas.  Except that I would have used the headstock spike center from the ShopSmith instead of the 3-jaw to cut the oak to the proper diameter.

One thing I'll mention is that when you turn wood, you need to clean the sawdust and shavings off when you are finished as left on machined surfaces it will absorb moisture and pretty quickly cause rust.

Robert D.


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## Handyman Don (Mar 24, 2013)

Yes, I always vacuum wood shavings then blow all the sawdust from the cracks and crevices of my Atlas lathe after doing aproject on it, then usually wipe down the trammel and apply a light coating of oil.

And I would love to own a Shopsmith, just don't have the budget for one.

Handyman Don


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## george wilson (Mar 24, 2013)

I turn wood on my lathes a lot. I try to hold a shop vac hose very code to the work,often tie it on. Yes,be sure to get rid of wood dust. Oak will turn your bright surfaces black if given a chance. I haven't used oak on a metal working machine. Hickory MIGHT be bad,too. It's the amount of tannin that is bad,and oak has a lot.

We made black ink in the museum,with oak nut galls,vinegar,and steel chips from the lathe. Got black as ebony.


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## Wierd Harold (Mar 24, 2013)

Mine had been used almost exclusively as a wood lathe for 40 years . After a while sawdust and oil turns to something resembling "Plastic Wood" and was a bugger to get out of the nooks and crannies .
It didn't look like it had been cleaned much but at least showed that it had been liberally oiled.

Wayne


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## wa5cab (Mar 24, 2013)

Don,

I don't have the budget either.  My father-in-law originally purchased the Shopsmith as a Model 500 with a couple of the accessories (jointer and jig saw) new in 1956.  Over the years he bought most of the other accessories and upgraded the machine to what was technically a Model 505.  When he and my mother-in-law sold their house in 2010 and moved into quarters at Air Force Village in San Antonio, I "inherited" it.  And sold most of the Craftsman standalone units (OT but if anyone in South Texas needs a good 12" Craftsman table saw, contact me).  I've since upgraded it to Model 520.

Incidentally, if you ever need to do a wood job that requires using the steady rest, I would recommend getting a set of the roller bearing jaws.  I didn't have them last time I had to use the steady rest and you can still see in the finished parts where the jaws were.  Because of the grease.

Robert D.



Handyman Don said:


> Yes, I always vacuum wood shavings then blow all the sawdust from the cracks and crevices of my Atlas lathe after doing aproject on it, then usually wipe down the trammel and apply a light coating of oil.
> 
> And I would love to own a Shopsmith, just don't have the budget for one.
> 
> Handyman Don


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## wa5cab (Mar 24, 2013)

George/Wayne,

I've machined a fair amount of oak (I have a bunch of trailer flooring 2x4's from the same source as the Shopsmith) on my 3996.  I recently made a Dremel tool post grinder/drill holder out of oak.  Fits the milling attachment vise which fits the cross slide pintel.  But I did the what would have been mill work on the Shopsmith because it was much quicker.

Robert D.


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