Atlas 618 rebuilt, repainted, new screw and half-nut, VFD and hard mounted...

dfwcnc said:
Intriguing comment regarding the chuck size, and I do believe there will be very limited space for the size of the work piece. I may very well ebay it. However, the work pieces I plan to use is no larger than 1/2 inch. But I may go the collet path and sell the Buck Chuck anyway. I have a 4 jaw Atlas chuck I can use when necessary. I appreciate your observations, and will certainly look closely at its fit and future use.

The paint is a hammer finish grey. I tried three colors on a couple of parts before settling on it; silver looked plastic, bronze looked odd (seen on the pulley bracket). Homedepot carries it.

Cheers~
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I think if you look into collets for this machine the very largest you would find should be 1/2" I think. I could always be wrong though too.
 
No, but I did spend a lot of time studying both VFD and DC, and with the line regulator, the VFD is the best route for me.

So the motor is a 220AC Dayton unit.

outsider347 said:
Like I tell my wife, "thats why I work"...

I call it "smiles per dollar" :))

Is the motor 220 v DC?

thanks again
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Anything larger than 1/2 I could use the three jaw chuck.

But I am very interested in a collet system if you have a suggestion I would be very grateful.

AR1911 said:
get an ER collet set with mt2 arbor
Works fine
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I think I wrote all of this a couple of weeks ago, but it may have been over on Yahoo. The cheapest route, I think, is a drawbar and 2MT collets. This gets you up to 1/2". Downside is I don't think anyone makes 2MT collets in 1/32" or 1/64" increments. And you can't pass parts through the headstock. With the same drawbar, you could use 2MT set screw style cutter holders which are available up to 5/8" dia.

Probably the most expensive unless you stumble across an individual with a set for cheap would be the original collet set sold by Atlas for the 618. I've been told that the collets were called 6AT. Diameter limit is about 3/8" but you can pass long stock through the spindle and drawtube.

Atlas sold a milling cutter holder for the 618 that with four reducing bushings would hold 1/4" to 1/2" dia. cutters (1/16" increments).

Beyond those, as mentioned earlier you could go with a 2MT mounted ER (French, I think) collet closer and ER collets. Requires a draw bar (NEVER EVER use a tang type 2MT arbor or holder in the headstock unless what you are holding is constrained on the other end by the tailstock. Sooner rather than later it will come loose and break something). Or I think you can buy front mounted (hollow) ER closers but I don't know what the largest one available to fit the 618 is. This would allow you to pass up to 1/2" work pieces through the spindle.

I don't think that anyone makes a front mounted 5C closer that will fit the 618. And I don't think that anyone ever made a lever operated collet closer for it.

Robert D.
 
I agree with virtually all of this. I am thinking that I found possibly one tooling supplier for 1/32" or 1/64" collets within the last couple years though I am not confident I could find them again if need be.


wa5cab said:
I think I wrote all of this a couple of weeks ago, but it may have been over on Yahoo. The cheapest route, I think, is a drawbar and 2MT collets. This gets you up to 1/2". Downside is I don't think anyone makes 2MT collets in 1/32" or 1/64" increments. And you can't pass parts through the headstock. With the same drawbar, you could use 2MT set screw style cutter holders which are available up to 5/8" dia.

Probably the most expensive unless you stumble across an individual with a set for cheap would be the original collet set sold by Atlas for the 618. I've been told that the collets were called 6AT. Diameter limit is about 3/8" but you can pass long stock through the spindle and drawtube.

Atlas sold a milling cutter holder for the 618 that with four reducing bushings would hold 1/4" to 1/2" dia. cutters (1/16" increments).

Beyond those, as mentioned earlier you could go with a 2MT mounted ER (French, I think) collet closer and ER collets. Requires a draw bar (NEVER EVER use a tang type 2MT arbor or holder in the headstock unless what you are holding is constrained on the other end by the tailstock. Sooner rather than later it will come loose and break something). Or I think you can buy front mounted (hollow) ER closers but I don't know what the largest one available to fit the 618 is. This would allow you to pass up to 1/2" work pieces through the spindle.

I don't think that anyone makes a front mounted 5C closer that will fit the 618. And I don't think that anyone ever made a lever operated collet closer for it.

Robert D.
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Uncle Buck,

I guess that could be (2MT collets in less than 1/16" increments) but I've never stumbled across them. However, Atlas only sold 3AT collets in 1/32" increments and you hardly ever seen any in 1/64" increments on eBay. But I found a place that stocked them in 1/64" increments. If you should happen to come across 1/32" increments in 2MT collets, try to remember to let me know. I have a number of solid carbide end mills that have 1/32" increment shanks.

Robert D.
 
wa5cab said:
Uncle Buck,

I guess that could be (2MT collets in less than 1/16" increments) but I've never stumbled across them. However, Atlas only sold 3AT collets in 1/32" increments and you hardly ever seen any in 1/64" increments on eBay. But I found a place that stocked them in 1/64" increments. If you should happen to come across 1/32" increments in 2MT collets, try to remember to let me know. I have a number of solid carbide end mills that have 1/32" increment shanks.

Robert D.
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Yup, will try to recall and report back. :thumbzup:
 
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