Atlas 101.21400 used w/accessories, $1,500, plan to buy... thoughts?

[Aaron_W]

Still not sure why Atlas made the 618 belt changes such a PITA, one of the reasons I picked up the Mk.2 was the ease of belt changes.

I think just a carry over from the era they were made. Flat belt the spindle was not a big deal because the belt was stitched together on the lathe, kind of like a modern link belt. The change to Vee belts initially just swapped pulleys from the flat belt era, and seems to have carried over for some time. The 618 dates back to the 1930s, and even though always vee belt as far as I know followed the standard at that time. I have a 1978 Logan / Powermatic and it also requires taking the spindle apart to install a new belt, pretty sure this is the case for most of the major USA brands.

Not familiar with the Mk2 belt change, how is it different from the earlier 6" lathes? Just easier to pull the spindle?

 

[56type]

I think just a carry over from the era they were made. Flat belt the spindle was not a big deal because the belt was stitched together on the lathe, kind of like a modern link belt. The change to Vee belts initially just swapped pulleys from the flat belt era, and seems to have carried over for some time. The 618 dates back to the 1930s, and even though always vee belt as far as I know followed the standard at that time. I have a 1978 Logan / Powermatic and it also requires taking the spindle apart to install a new belt, pretty sure this is the case for most of the major USA brands.

Not familiar with the Mk2 belt change, how is it different from the earlier 6" lathes? Just easier to pull the spindle?

On the 10100 Mk.2 the belt change is more like changing a serpentine belt on your car... There are the pulleys attached to the drive motor and the one on the spindle itself. There is also an idler/tensioner pulley that you loosen and slide upward in it's slot that removes the tension from the drive belt and it is simply rotated to the smallest diameter on both the motor & spindle pulleys. At that point you simply remove the belt from one of the pulleys and then the other and you are ready to install a new belt. Installation is the reverse of removal. Slip one end of new belt over either of the pulleys, the other end will have enough slack to go over the second pulley, pick the speed/diameter slot and rotate the pulleys until the desired combination is reached, then slide the tension/idler pulley back down into position to apply tension to the outside of the belt and tighten it down and you're done.

The Mk.2 doesn't have quite the same range of speeds as the 618 with all it's various belts and pulleys but I've been happy with mine. Both speed & belt changes are easily accomplished by merely loosening the tension/idler pulley nut.

 

[wa5cab]

On all of the Atlas built lathes, any oil put on the spindle bearings or the cone pulley or the back gears will eventually end up on the board that the lathe sits on. So a drip pan between the board and the lathe is always a good idea.

As far as the spindle V-belt is concerned, most people take the lathe apart anyway, And if you use a good quality belt when you reassemble it, the belt will most likely out last you. And if you for example expect to do any grinding or any other job that requires running the lathe in reverse, there won't be any issue with the drive belt.