# Absolute Rookie Needs Restoration Advice



## madsweeney (May 25, 2016)

just got my first lathe; a 1970's Atlas/Craftsman 6 incher. It seems to be in good shape but needs a good scrubbing as a minimum.  It's got a lot of "patina," which I think is latin for "I forgot to oil my lathe." It was used most recently  for wood turning and is covered in very fine oily sawdust.
The only documentation I have for it so far is a reprint of the 16 page Atlas operator's manual/parts list.

While I have had some machining training, it's all been on big, modern machines, and the only maintenance discussions were along the lines of "if you don't clean up them chips you're gonna flunk this course!"  So I'm looking for any sources of more detailed tear-down and reassembly, advice on what cleaners and lubricants to use (or not use) alignment techniques, etc.  Assuming I get'er going, then I need input on stuff like replacing the toolholder with something easier (It came with a box of what looks like all of the parts for a lantern type.)

Any advice, encouragement, documentation is gratefully accepted


----------



## skipmeister (May 25, 2016)

Morning, That is a good starter lathe! 

If you haven't discovered the http://vintagemachinery.org website, go check it out! They have an excellent library of machine manuals that you can download for free.

Warning! That site can become as addicting as this one! So enter at your on risk!


----------



## CluelessNewB (May 25, 2016)

Everyone has an opinion on what to clean with.   My personal choice is odorless mineral spirits (paint thinner).    Diesel fuel and kerosene also work and are less expensive.   I use the odorless mostly to make my wife happy since kerosene and diesel both stink.   Since I have a friend who was burned real bad using gasoline, I personally think it is a very, very bad idea.  Some people use water based cleaners like Zep purple degreaser.  This works it seems to take the gloss off paint and you must rinse and dry everything real well to prevent rust.  If you are repainting loss of gloss might be a good thing.  

Take lots of pictures!  They can be real helpful when you go back to reassemble your machine.   Bag and label small parts.   

Get a copy of the Atlas / Craftsman "Manual Of Lathe Operations" (MOLA)   Check this link out to find a version that best matches your lathe: 

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/thre...on-selection-chart-with-files-attached.24714/

As mentioned above the Vintage Machinery site is a wealth of knowledge. Make sure to check out the "Publication Reprints" : http://www.vintagemachinery.org/mfgIndex/detail.aspx?id=51 

And last be certainly not least check out the  Atlas/Clausing/Craftsman Forum right here on Hobby Machinist: http://www.hobby-machinist.com/forums/atlas-clausing-craftsman.86/


----------



## T Bredehoft (May 25, 2016)

In case you're anxious to get started, clean the top of the ways (the two horizontal bars everything rests on) on the right end, down  to clean metal.  Once  you have cleaned a section, lightly oil it so that any movement on it is lubricated.  then loosen and slide off the "_Tailstock_" that' the piece with the hand wheel on the right end. Now clean the ways up to the "_saddle_" that's the part with the several hand wheels on it. Before moving it, verify that the "_engage leve_r" toward the right, on the _apron_ is horizontal and that the head of the _clamp screw_ (a 7/16 hex,) is loose.The hand wheel on the left, when rotated will move the carriage to the right, onto the newly cleaned and lubed ways. You may notice as it moves onto the clean ways that it is leaving dirt/rust behind. If so, it should be removed, (another day, another lesson) and cleaned thoroughly inside. With the _saddle_ moved you can clean and oil the rest of the ways. 
Turn the chuck, if is doesn't make a grinding sound, you should be OK to go. You may not have to engage in_ restoration_, just use your lathe. 

Yes, the lantern post is 19th century technology, there is 20th and even 21st century stuff available.


----------



## mattthemuppet2 (May 25, 2016)

congrats on your new lathe, I love mine to bits.

Here's my tear apart and repaint of a sleeve bearing 6 incher, since passed on to a cousin-in-law. Slowly doing the same to my 618

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/thre...-and-rebuild-thread-and-some-questions.32120/

and

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/atlas-618-mods-thread.40252/

any Qs, feel free to ask!


----------



## intjonmiller (May 25, 2016)

Sometimes I get carried away and write a lot...  

I'll second the recommendation for the MOLO guide. It was, I think, the 4th book on lathe operation that I read, and by far the best. It also convinced me that the Atlas lathes were great machines. My father grew up using his father's Craftsman-branded Atlas, and the fact that his half-brother who never even learned to use it got it when their father passed away is still a sore subject. He ended up with a couple of Logans, and I have one of those now. Also a great lathe, but I am jealous of the reverse feed mechanism of the Atlas lathes which can be changed without stopping the motor first. That's cool! 

I'll also second the recommendation for mineral spirits if you aren't set on truly restoring the machine. It won't strip away every bit of oil, so it's arguably better than the Purple Power type cleaners which break down the oil. As said, if you do intend to repaint it then you do want to eliminate every bit of oil, in which case Purple Power, acetone, and trisodium phosphate or other "liquid sandpaper" product would all be advisable. Purple Power goes A LONG way (I'm still using the supply I bought in 2008). Use it for the heavy cleaning, then acetone to finish up, and a fairly heavy concentration of the ultra-cheap TSP if any gloss remains. 

When you're done cleaning, lube it up. I like graphite-molybdenum grease for the gears. I have been using a tube of "engine assembly lube" which is a slightly thinner, squeezable form of that. It was on the clearance rack at O'Reilly's a couple years ago for 50 cents per tube, so I bought both. MUCH easier to apply than the kind in the tub. For my woodworking machines I've always used white lithium grease in a spray can, but the manual for mine says graphite grease for the gears so that's what I use. Same in the chuck, which may need to be overhauled. No lightweight oil in an open centrifuge, thank you! I do use the white lithium for the leadscrew. I have been using "zoom spout oil", a lightweight machine oil of very simple composition, for spindle oiling points (lathe and surface grinder) and most everywhere else. It's comparable to the typical machine oils that were ubiquitous when these machines were made. 

Finally I use "WAY LUBE" for the ways. I have no idea what variety. That and its blue-green color are all I know about it. I went to a machine shop we used for a number of projects at a place where I was working at the time and asked them about it, as I was frustrated that I couldn't buy less than 5 gallons locally or 1 gallon online, and a quart would last me for years at the rate I would use it. They happily gave me about a half gallon from a big barrel with "WAY LUBE" printed on the side. They had no idea what Mobil Vactra or Chevron Vistac was. They said they have a commercial supplier who refills their fluids for them, so they leave the decisions to them. If it's good enough for their Mori Seiki CNCs then it's good enough for my mid-century screw lathe.  

One more recommendation, if you have any inclination to keep a mixed shop environment as I do: get a tarp for each of your machines. I just use the Harbor Freight free-with-purchase tarps. Only one machine is uncovered at any time. No surface grinding dust on my lathe ways. No table saw dust on the lathe or surface grinder ways. Air is clean and dust is settled before uncovering a machine. As you've seen, wood shavings/dust is not compatible with proper lubrication of your machines. 

Good luck, and don't forget to post photos! (I find it easiest with the Tapatalk mobile app.)


----------



## GLCarlson (May 26, 2016)

Way lube: Vactra 2 or equivalent (Mobile 68 etc). Grease: I use the pink Mobile One stuff, but any good grease is fine. MoS helps, so does a lithium soap, but  for a tool like this,  grease is grease. You could use pig fat just as easily, except it stinks in the summer. Guy Lautard wrote a treatise on oiling- if you can find it, that'll help. Remember! 30 weight ND oil, not the stuff you put in your car! (NAPA still carries ND oil)

EDIT: ND oil is used because it will NOT suspend metal particles. Detergent oils do. One wants the detritus to settle, not circulate, in a machine tool. In this case -belts, not gears in the spindle- it probably doesn't matter. It's one of those according to the art things.

Tool post: that lantern mount is a great fishing weight. Buy or build the equivalent of a BXA QCTP.

EDITED TO ADD: <blushes> Oops. Yes, BXA is too big!  Running on memory, shoulda looked it up.

Clean-up: any good organic solvent, from kerosene to WD40. Don't use gasoline. 

Tarp comment is world-class advice; take it.

And, while you're at it: tear down/strip everything, and clean and repaint. You will be glad you did. First, you'll find a whole bunch of things that need attention. Second- a clean machine gets treated well.

And, finally, to quote my first teacher: if you leave the shop with chips on the machine, you should consider whether you have the qualities needed to be a machinist. I can walk into a shop and tell you at a glance whether the operator is a machinist or a potzer.


----------



## mattthemuppet2 (May 26, 2016)

I think BXA would be a touch too big on a 6in lathe  OXA is just right. Don't be in too much of a rush to buy a QCTP, you can do plenty of fine work with a lantern tool post, it just takes more time setting up the tool.

I use hydraulic oil for the spindle and ways, lots of it every use, works fine for me. Can't remember if it's ISO32 or 68, too lazy to get out of my hammock to check. Before that I used 20W motor oil and that worked fine too. One day I'll probably get proper way lube, but it's working just fine as it is right now.

I second tearing it down. They're small and simple lathes, but they also get somewhat abused so getting everything tight, clean and oiled will do it a lot of good. You'll also understand much better how they work too.


----------



## Charles Spencer (May 27, 2016)

GLCarlson said:


> 30 weight ND oil, not the stuff you put in your car! (NAPA still carries ND oil)



So does Dollar General and Family Dollar.

I saw a news report that said some people are buying it and putting it in their cars 'cause it's cheap.


----------



## madsweeney (May 27, 2016)

Lots of good data!! Thank you!  Given the adventures I've had in the past with disassembly/reassembly, I think the first thing I'm gonna do is to take about 42 pictures of each piece in place, then maybe a few more as I yank bits off.  Once I get the project underway I will post pictures (assuming I figure that stuff out-I'm a semi-Luddite - no wireless, no smartphone, and frequently, no clue.


----------



## schor (May 27, 2016)

I use 3in1 motor oil on my atlas lathe for pretty much everything except the ways. It's 20 weight non detergent.

Let's see some pics.


----------



## intjonmiller (May 27, 2016)

Years ago I did a complete motorcycle tear down and rebuild. I took photos from every angle at every stage. And I had a separate camera doing a timelapse of the whole thing (except a couple times when I didn't notice the battery had died), with one shot every 5 seconds or so. I put it up on YouTube under an ancient account. YouTube is blocked at work so I can't grab the link right now. I think I called it "Motorcycle Strip Show" or something like that. Anyway, it proved to be very useful as well as the photos, because it showed sequence better than the individual photos.


----------



## f350ca (May 27, 2016)

If your completely disassembling the machine I find it best to use one of the water soluble degreasers like Super Clean or Spray 9, let it soak a few minutes and pressure wash the parts.You have to use compressed air to blow the excess water off then wipe down and oil the machined surfaces right away. I find solvents alone won't get the dirt out of corners and threads where the pressure washer leaves it spotless. An added bonus is painted sections are ready to spray if youkeep the protective oil off them. 

Greg


----------



## madsweeney (May 27, 2016)

well, I finally got to load a picture. Here it is in all it's grimy glory. Not too bad a deal for 150 bucks, I hope


----------



## mattthemuppet2 (May 27, 2016)

neat, you have a Mk2!


----------



## Skibo (May 27, 2016)

looks great man...you can learn a lot from the site lathes uk...look at the mk2 atlas...there is lots of pics and info there...also if you're looking for a quick change tool post...check a to z cnc they have a really nice one for about a hundred bucks....thats what I use on mine and I love it...but I made my own t-nut for it...I didn't like the way the one that came with the atlas mount kit fit...the round ones came with the kit ...the bigger rectangular one is the one I made...


----------



## madsweeney (May 28, 2016)

Took the tail off,  scrubbed  the ways with mineral spirits.   Had to scrape a bit of dried oil and what looked like dried paint with my brass cabinet scraper.  Ways are now clean and smooth but several dark spots.  Slathered a bunch of 30 wt. ND oil on them just to keep the rust at bay.
The carriage is really rough feeling and the lead screw is so covered with oily sawdust that I think I need to pull them off and get all up close and personal with them.  The screw has a bunch of L to R play (1/8 "). Is that normal? I'm guessing that the way to get it apart is to unscrew the bearing on the right end.  Any hints about parts that might come flying loose if I do that?

Should I be moving this post to the Atlas Forum?  I'm still trying to figure out the etiquette and nav for this site.


----------



## schor (May 28, 2016)

There should not be that much play in the lead screw. At least there isn't on my atls 10. Should be a couple nuts at the end of the leadscrew, you should be able to tighten things up a bit there I think.


----------



## mattthemuppet2 (May 28, 2016)

download the manual off this site and check out the parts diagrams, they'll show you any hidden or unexpected parts. if you take off the rh support you'll need to take a woodruff key from the end of the lh side (and possibly a pinned collar, can't remember) to pull it through the lh support.

soundslike it would be worth tearing it all down for a thorough clean!


----------



## madsweeney (May 30, 2016)

I decided that I REALLY need to make some chips with this  so it wont be a full restoration; just tear down and clean. The  last cleaning step is to get the sawdust that is packed in the gear train out  and to get some gear lube on them.
The only issues I've uncovered  so far are:

 the slop in the screw mentioned above (seems to be a collar on the left side- maybe that can take the play away)
 the gear on the end of the lead screw is missing about a third of one tooth
 the nut holding the handwheel on the carriage is missing - I think it's just a plain 1/4-20 x half inch.
I also don't have anything in the way of tooling.  There are a couple of holders  but they don't have any of the pointy bits in them.  I'm not sure what I would be looking for; the only experience I've had with a manual lathe had Aloris  toolposts and replaceable, indexable carbide inserts that I didn't have to pay for.  I couldn't grind a tool bit if my life depended on it.  Two semesters of CNC programming but virtually nothing on shop basics like how to clean a file - remind me to rant about the deplorable state of technical training


----------



## intjonmiller (May 30, 2016)

Both my bull gear and one of my feed reverse gears are missing a tooth. Everything works just fine. You should have no problem with missing a third of a tooth.


----------



## intjonmiller (May 30, 2016)

As for grinding bits, there are many excellent resources. The Atlas Manual of Lathe Operations has good info, and should be read by anyone learning about metalworking. Tom Lipton (Oxtools) has a great video series on YouTube called Toolbit Development (1-3), and Tom's Techniques has good ones including Grinding Turning and Facing Tools. 

Finally the article linked to in this post has some excellent insights about how to actually control the grinding and honing process. It's not about the shapes to grind, just the technique. Well worth the read: 

Advanced Tool Sharpening for the Lathe by Conrad Hoffman
http://www.Hobby-Machinist.com/inde...rpening-for-the-Lathe-by-Conrad-Hoffman.3195/


----------



## JH-NWOH (Jun 10, 2016)

Looks like you have a good project. Just to reinforce what others are saying, get the manual so you have something to help you if you forget to take a picture of some tear down procedure. I think you will be able to get all of the help on this site that you would ever need without the judgemental posts on other sites. This really seems to be a friendly place.


----------



## Wreck™Wreck (Jun 11, 2016)

CluelessNewB said:


> Everyone has an opinion on what to clean with.   My personal choice is odorless mineral spirits (paint thinner).
> 
> /



I have worked in machine shops for the last 25-30 years, the best way to clean a machine is by using someone else's money. (-:


----------



## madsweeney (Jun 13, 2016)

Well. it is all degreased, inspected and put back together.  Runs fairly smoothly. I Actually made some chips with the really nasty looking tool that came with it.  Definitely need something sharper/harder/ cleaner. I think 3/8" tools are what will fit in the tool post.
Spent an interesting 45 minutes trying to relearn centering round stock in a 4 jaw chuck. Best I could come up with was about .012 TIR. Guess I need a little practice (or a three jaw--collets would be nice too).  Looked at Shars - they had a 4 inch three jaw and a plate  for not much more than a hundred bucks. No Idea what a collet chuck for this lathe would be - or even if they make one.
Think I'll wander over to EvilBay and see what kind of 3/8 carbide tooling is available


----------



## Tinkershed (Jul 8, 2016)

Somebody mentioned mineral spirits (paint thinner) as a solvent for cleaning.   It is very good but in case no one mentioned it that stuff is very volatile so be careful of sparks.    Best to use it in a well ventilated environment too.    My brother found out about that while cleaning a car engine and he was lucky the burns didn't maim him for life.    Be safe out there!


----------



## Tozguy (Jul 9, 2016)

Tinkershed said:


> Somebody mentioned mineral spirits (paint thinner) as a solvent for cleaning.   It is very good but in case no one mentioned it that stuff is very volatile so be careful of sparks.    Best to use it in a well ventilated environment too.    My brother found out about that while cleaning a car engine and he was lucky the burns didn't maim him for life.    Be safe out there!


Even WD40 is flammable so unless you know for fact how your solvent rates, treat them all with respect.


----------



## GLCarlson (Jul 9, 2016)

madsweeney said:


> I couldn't grind a tool bit if my life depended on it.  Two semesters of CNC programming but virtually nothing on shop basics like how to clean a file - remind me to rant about the deplorable state of technical training



Totally right about the latter, but yes, you can grind a tool. You do not need, and almost certainly can't properly exploit, carbide - for both speed and stiffness reasons. Sure, you can buy it and use it, but there are better options. What you want right now is a 1/4 inch square piece of M2 HSS or thereabouts, held in a Diamond toolholder or equivalent (or build one). The Diamond will cost almost as much as the lathe did, but it'll be your go-to tool for facing, turning, and external threading. High up front cost, dirt cheap to use. I probably spent twice that cost before I had one, on brazed carbide and ruined grind-three-faces HSS pieces. Total cost since has maybe been 20 bucks worth of HSS square stock. Comes with a grinding jig,  anybody can grind the single face. Actually need both the RH and LH versions, if you can afford both. If not, buy the one where the tool bit is aimed at the headstock (LH)- that's what you'll use most of the time.


----------



## dlane (Jul 9, 2016)

someone else's money. (-:
And arms


----------



## Silverbullet (Jul 10, 2016)

Find a copy of how to run a LATHE. South bend I think put them out. It covers all the things you want ,from cleaning and oiling to grinding shapes of the tool bits. Remember wear you eye protection , NO loose clothing , long hair, rings and other jewelry. One trick to clean your lead screw, get a length of string and lay it in the bottom of the thread and hold it while turning the chuck . It will do a good job. It's better then a steal brush. If you can't find tool bits go to eBay lots there. As far as collets I'd get a er40 collet holder with straight 1" shaft 100mm long and a few collets to start . Lots of things can be made on that little LATHE.


----------



## Profkanz (Jul 10, 2016)

I have a couple of lathes in the garage, I use barbeque/grill covers to keep the dust off.


----------

