# Beginner machinist with an atlas lathe



## mn250r (Jun 4, 2019)

Hello,
I recently got a craftsman atlas lathe with a ton of tools from my neighbor. I do quite a bit of welding and small fabrication. I'm looking to learn how to run it.
I see mrpete222 has a set of videos for the atlas lathe to rent for 100.00. Would this be recommended? Thx!
Model. 101 07403

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


----------



## WarrenP (Jun 4, 2019)

Pretty much anything from mrpete222 is good. Very good teacher and fun to listen to. You can look at his channel and see most things you want to do already on you tube though. I havent boughten any of his courses but im sure they would be good.


----------



## MontanaLon (Jun 4, 2019)

Mr. Pete has some very good videos. There are other videos out there that cover things as well, some good, some not so good. I have watched a crap ton of different videos about all sorts of machining. Some of the makers of those videos are really good and some sound like they are talking with a mouth full of marbles. But that doesn't necessarily mean they don't have good information to pass along so don't dismiss them out of hand just because the video quality is bad.


----------



## martik777 (Jun 4, 2019)

MIT has a good video series:  Part 1:


----------



## thomas s (Jun 4, 2019)

Welcome, We have a member on the forum wa5cab Robert. That knows Atlas lathes maybe he will see this and chime in.


----------



## markba633csi (Jun 4, 2019)

I'd save the 100$, hang out here, spend the money you saved on extra tooling and raw materials 
Mark


----------



## markba633csi (Jun 5, 2019)

We can advise you just as well as some overpriced video, plus you get a never ending supply of quips, jokes and clever ripostes


----------



## Tom1948 (Jun 5, 2019)

The best advice I got was to get some raw stock and just jump in. As mentioned there are some good video's out there with the basic's.


----------



## homebrewed (Jun 5, 2019)

Don't neglect to learn the basic rules of safely operating your machine!  Messing up there can be a life-altering experience, and not in a good way.  As Joe Martin (of Sherline fame) wrote in his book, tools that are capable of cutting metal are equally good at cutting meat.

That said, machining can be a fun and satisfying way of spending your time and $.  I just jumped in and am still learning.  Yes, some scrap has resulted but those were the challenge to do better next time.  Have fun with your new-to-you toy!


----------



## ThinWoodsman (Jun 5, 2019)

Harold Hall's book "Lathework: A Complete Course" is a great way to get started. It's a series of projects, increasing in complexity, and after the first few you'll feel comfortable using your lathe. You can always find youtube videos to demonstrate specific techniques, or the use of your model of lathe, so there's no need to rent.


----------



## pontiac428 (Jun 5, 2019)

My dad bought Mr. Pete's Atlas video set for me as a nice gift.  I received the videos on a flash drive included in the cost (permanent, not a rental), which I think was $60.  They are good videos, and Lyle is a very good teacher.  There is a wealth of info on this site's download section on Atlas, thanks mostly to Wa5cab.  YouTube is full of stuff, as is the wide wide world of web.  Hope you find it interesting, and welcome.


----------



## bill70j (Jun 5, 2019)

Welcome!

Agree with the others.  No need to spend the $100.  Mr. Pete has hundreds of videos that you can watch for free, and you can search his video titles to find what you need. 

I also agree that the MIT video series is loaded with information.  But beware, the presenter has an "interesting" style, and the videos were made back in the mid-90's, so the quality is not the best by today's standards.

Another YouTube creator you might consider watching is ThatLazyMachinist who owns an Atlas Craftsman.  He is a retired machinist and shop teacher.  He covers the fundamentals well and also covers beginner projects to include the drawings. 

And lastly, YouTube creator Tom Griffin (Tom's Techniques) has an excellent series of videos for the beginner, including several projects where he takes you through the drawings and videotapes the machining to go along with it.  Maybe a good project would be the carriage stop he made for his Dad's Atlas lathe.  He includes all the drawings and a number of videos showing how each part is machined.


----------



## wildo (Jun 5, 2019)

I always wanted to buy Tubalcain's flash drive video for the SB lathe, but I'm far too lazy to go to the post office in get a money order. When he finally starts accepting Paypal, I'll be happy to support him and get some great instruction in return. That said, I have invested literally YEARS of watching Lyle Peterson, Adam Booth, Keith Fenner, Tom Lipton (who also has published books) and Steve Summers- and I think I probably have learned everything that is covered in those videos. It would be nice to have them as a reference though for those of us who have actually taught ourselves machining through (more/less) YouTube alone.


----------



## mn250r (Jun 5, 2019)

Thanks for all the replies! Very good information to know!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


----------

