# Atlas 618 restoration finished



## jster1963 (Feb 12, 2014)

I finished the restoration of my dad's Atlas 618. Also, I did an 8 part series on youtube of this restoration.  If you care to see part 8 with it running, here is the link......thank you
http://youtu.be/MAGqiJyrhaY


----------



## schor (Feb 12, 2014)

Looks great, will watch the youtube. I hope you run the machine in the vid. If not, let's see some chips fly in your next youtube.


----------



## schor (Feb 12, 2014)

I saw a couple of your vids. That 3jaw chuck needs to mate right up to the spindle. You showed a fateplate and 4jaw that fit snugly, but the 3jaw is at least .05 out from touching. You need to take the backplate off your 3jaw, turn it backwards on your spindle, indicate and shim it to the spindle and then face off the part of the backplate that will mate to the spindle. I hope I am explaining this correctly.


----------



## Wierd Harold (Feb 13, 2014)

Very nice job on the lathe and an excellent video.
I just missed getting a 618 last year and really wished I had not thought about it so long.
I think a 618 would handle most of my needs better then the 2 10" that I have.
HWF


----------



## chuckorlando (Feb 13, 2014)

Good looking lathe


----------



## jster1963 (Feb 13, 2014)

*schor*: Thank you very much! I hope to be making vids on chips flying soon. And you are right. I can't get the 3 jaw to mate on the register. I don't quite understand what you mean about the backplate of the chuck. This is an Altas chuck and the backplate is part of the chuck. I hope I can figure it out.

*Wierd Harold*: Thank you so much! I'm just getting into hobby machining and I love this machine. I'm trying to get it dialed in rite now and hope to have chips flying soon. ps. 2 10" lathes can't be all that bad)

*chuckorlando*: Thanks so much and I hope I can get it dialed in and cutting true soon.......


----------



## schor (Feb 13, 2014)

In one of your videos I saw there were 3 screws on the face of the chuck. What happens when you remove those screws? I am guessing the backplate will come off.

If I get a chance, I'll go out to the shop (cold today) and make a vid of what I am talking about to face off your backplate so it mounts nice to your spindle register.



jster1963 said:


> *schor*: Thank you very much! I hope to be making vids on chips flying soon. And you are right. I can't get the 3 jaw to mate on the register. I don't quite understand what you mean about the backplate of the chuck. This is an Altas chuck and the backplate is part of the chuck. I hope I can figure it out.


----------



## jster1963 (Feb 13, 2014)

*schor*: I guess what I mean is my backplate is not a seperate backplate/chuck. It seems integrated. Those 3 screws on the front does remove the backplate. Here is what the back of the chuck looks like. Please don't go out in the cold. I still have Miami blood flowing in my veins and I hate the cold)  That's 1/2" bar chucked in it....


----------



## Wierd Harold (Feb 13, 2014)

Just going by the pictures , the screws seem to be about in the right place to screw into the inset "back plate" .
In the picture of the back of the chuck you can see "witness marks" along the seam line as though it has been separated before.
It doesn't look like a normal plain back chuck but still looks like it comes apart. Not an expert but just my thoughts.

HWF


----------



## jster1963 (Feb 13, 2014)

*Wierd Harold*: You are rite, I can get the back plate off. I just don't know how to fix it. Here are pix of it apart and backplate on the lathe without the chuck. You can see there is still a big gap between the backplate nd register.


----------



## schor (Feb 13, 2014)

So now you need to flip the back plate around on the spindle and indicate it up true. You may need to turn a off a bit of the threads to have it mate up to the register. Mate it up then indicate it to whatever part is registering the backplate to the chuck. (hope you understand) your actually going to be indicating the face that is facing the spindle. You might need shims to get it tight and indicated to 0, then face off the back side of the backplate that registers to the spindle and you should now have a perfect mating.

Hope I explained that right.

- - - Updated - - -

One other thing, can you take a picture of your spindle and a picture of the backplate end that normally goes onto the spindle? Perhaps your spindle is threaded up to the register and you just need to take a bit of thread off the backplate to have it mate up. Then we can check the runout.


----------



## jster1963 (Feb 13, 2014)

*schor*: With the back plate off of the chuck, I still can't get it all the way on. It is tapped all the way through. I don't see how doing anything to the back will make it screw all the way on the spindle. It is a brand new spindle from Clausing. I bought it because I thought my old spindle was the problem. It wasn't.  I even bought this tap....ps Thank you for taking time to trouble shoot this with me!


----------



## schor (Feb 13, 2014)

Ok, I see now. I thought your backplate would not meet the register only at some part, not all the way around.

So you need to remove a bit of the thread on the side that meets the register. Flip the backplate on the spindle so you can turn off a bit of the thread. The thread is hitting the end of the thread on the spindle stopping the backplate from meeting the register.



jster1963 said:


> *schor*: With the back plate off of the chuck, I still can't get it all the way on. It is tapped all the way through. I don't see how doing anything to the back will make it screw all the way on the spindle. It is a brand new spindle from Clausing. I bought it because I thought my old spindle was the problem. It wasn't.  I even bought this tap....ps Thank you for taking time to trouble shoot this with me!


----------



## rustychuck (Feb 13, 2014)

schor said:


> Ok, I see now. I thought your backplate would not meet the register only at some part, not all the way around.
> 
> So you need to remove a bit of the thread on the side that meets the register. Flip the backplate on the spindle so you can turn off a bit of the thread. The thread is hitting the end of the thread on the spindle stopping the backplate from meeting the register.



Hey all,

I believe schor is correct. A pic of my 3 and 4 jaw chuck side by side. Craftsman 101.7301 6"




It looks like there is a little more relief before the threads start on my chucks.

Hope this helps.

jster1963 good work on the lathe looks great.


----------



## jster1963 (Feb 13, 2014)

schor: I GET IT! You are a GENIUS! Thank you so much. I will do that and make a youtube vid to hopefully help another novice like me. Thanks again.....

rustychuck: Thank you for the pix! Now I get what you guys are talking about! Wow! I will try my best to get that done in the next day or 2. However, tomorrow (Valentine's Day) is my anniversary so I'm not sure if I can sneak away and make chips. Keep you fingers crossed)

Thanks again guys......


----------



## pipehack (Feb 20, 2014)

Nice work! Where did you get those belts? Part# and or price? Please.


----------



## schor (Feb 20, 2014)

Where's the vid? :whistle:

All kidding aside. I just picked up a parts qc54 and it came with a chuck with the same problem you have.

Let's see who get's their vid done first. 

I'm hoping to do it Saturday.



jster1963 said:


> schor: I GET IT! You are a GENIUS! Thank you so much. I will do that and make a youtube vid to hopefully help another novice like me. Thanks again.....
> 
> rustychuck: Thank you for the pix! Now I get what you guys are talking about! Wow! I will try my best to get that done in the next day or 2. However, tomorrow (Valentine's Day) is my anniversary so I'm not sure if I can sneak away and make chips. Keep you fingers crossed)
> 
> Thanks again guys......


----------



## jster1963 (Feb 21, 2014)

pipehack: I got the belts from McMaster-Carr.  I use 5/16"(part #59725K705 $1.81 per foot.  I got 6') belt for the spindle and a 1/4"(part #59725K705 $1.11 per foot.  I got 6') for the motor.  You can use either size for both.  I just like the fit better the way I have it.  This is just a test to see if I like it cuz I have a green segmented link belt too.  The orange belt is much quieter.  The green link belt squeaks all by itself.  It may be just because it's new.  I'll show that in a vid soon.

schor: LOL!  You will probably beat me to the vid because I'm putting together a new blast cabinet rite now while I'm thinking about the lathe chuck.  I was able to get the chuck all the way on the register now with your help (THANKS A TON!!) and cut the runout to .002.  I'm going to face the back plate and hopefully get it to .0005 or .00025.  Vid soon)


----------



## wa5cab (Feb 22, 2014)

jster,

0.002" TIR is better than average for most 3-jaw chucks.  If you do manage to get it under 0.001" at one diameter, it probably won't hold for double or half that diameter.  Also, to confirm that it is actually that good, chuck and remove your standard three times and see whether you get the same reading each time.  If you do, I'd quit while I was ahead.

In the real world, standard tolerance for non-precision fitted interchangable parts is +/- 0.005" anyway.  An engineer who specifies tighter tolerances than that when they aren't really needed won't keep his job very long because he'll cost too much.

Robert D.


----------



## jster1963 (Feb 22, 2014)

wa5cab: HOLY MOLY!  Before I mess up something else, I have to show my ignorance.  I didn't use a test bar for the run out.  What I mean is I put a dial indicator on the face of the chuck (while on the spindle) and it shows .002 run out on the chuck face.  Before I go and face the back plate, I need more info.

Is what I did a valid test?  I thought that if the face of the chuck was true, then I could do a test bar and see if it is cutting a "cylinder."

Any help would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you in advance.......


----------



## wa5cab (Feb 22, 2014)

Jster,

I'm trying to think how to put this...

Robert D.


----------



## jster1963 (Feb 22, 2014)

I know I'm a DORK so you don't have to sugar-coat it......


----------



## wa5cab (Feb 22, 2014)

Jster,

Oh.  Okay, that might be called wobble.  If certain criteria are met, it's an easy fix.

Ideally, the chuck body is machined perfectly and the planes containing the front of the chuck, the area in the back around the three bolt holes, and the inner surfaces of the jaw slots are all parallel.  The equipment necessary to measure and confirm this isn't complex but few of us have it (I don't, in fact).  However, there is a measurement that you can make from which you can infer it.  Repeat the front face runout check but do it at a distance off of the spindle axis that is just inside the OD of the front face of the back plate (the surface containing the three tapped holes).  Mark the angular location of the high spot on the back plate.  The reading should be less than .002" because the radius is smaller.  Remove the chuck body from the back plate and repeat the test on the front surface of the back plate.  If the high spot is the same magnitude and at the same location as on the chuck front face, make sure that the carriage and cross slide gibs are snug and take a minimal depth truing cut across the face of the back plate.  If the high spot is definitely in a different location and/or a different magnitude, report back.

Robert D.

- - - Updated - - -

No, I had noticed that you were reading the thread and meant give me a minute to organize and write something.  

Robert D.



jster1963 said:


> I know I'm a DORK so you don't have to sugar-coat it......


----------



## jster1963 (Feb 22, 2014)

Robert D.

Ok!  It will take me a day or 2 to do that.  Thank you so much for your time.  I'm so new to this hobby, that my verbage is questionable at best.  I'm try my best to learn, so bear with me.

Thank you again, and I'll let you know.  In the meantime until I know what I'm doing, I AIN'T CUTTIN' none of my chuck back plates!


----------



## jster1963 (Mar 21, 2014)

Ok guys,

Here is the latest.  I got the lathe almost running like a Swiss watch.  I got the 3 jaw chuck to set correctly on the register.  It seems to have about 1.5 thou run out in 4".  I'm still so new I'm not sure if I'm using the correct verbiage, but I think you call it run out (I'm measuring the diameter of a turned rod at the chuck and out 4").

Also, after facing the back of my 4jaw chuck, I still show .005" (wobble?) on the face.  Using a collet, I'm turning a true cylinder.  

Here is vid link if you care to see what I'm talking about.  Any insight would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you in advance.....jster

http://youtu.be/Qb3wUuKiocM


----------



## CAW (Mar 22, 2014)

I have the same symptoms with my 618.  I have noticeable wobble using the chuck for round stock, but almost perfectly true when using a collet.

Curtis


----------



## jster1963 (Mar 22, 2014)

OOPS!!  This is the real vid
http://youtu.be/Qb3wUuKiocM

ps. CAW  If you find out the fix, please let me know.....
ps. ps.  I fixed the other link too


----------



## fastback (Mar 22, 2014)

Nice job on the lathe.  I haven't seen all of the videos yet, but intend to finish the rebuild.  I think I have seen the first 6.  Again,  nice job you should be proud.

Paul


----------



## jster1963 (Mar 22, 2014)

Paul:  Thank you very much!  What a kind thing to say.  Now I have to figure out how to use it and not break it;-)


----------



## itsme_Bernie (Mar 22, 2014)

WHOH man that is PreTTy!  

Nice color!  


Bernie


----------



## itsme_Bernie (Mar 22, 2014)

Nice video too..  How is it running for ya? 



Bernie


----------



## jster1963 (Mar 22, 2014)

Bernie:  Thank you very much!!  My son picked out the color.  We like it too....and its running very nice;-)


----------

