Atlas Horizontal mill

[34_40]

I located a horizontal mill, model MF, ser. number 000556, for sale about an hour away from me and am curious if anyone would have information they might be able to share.

I realize it's a small machine but I'm just a hobbyist and it does have a lot of bits / cutters / tools with it. What might a value be for something like this? I realize that's a bit arbitrary but, it must have some dollar value?

Thanks in advance for any help you might offer! )

 

[Inflight]

Check the QCGB for functionality in all speeds.
Look for any missing or bent hand wheels.

I've seen Atlas mills sell for between $400 and $800.

If this is something you need, then go for it, otherwise it might be worth while to search for something with a universal table which swivels to permit helical milling, like a Burke #4.

 

[cjtoombs]

Around here (California) one in good shape with lots of tooling would probably go for 1000-1200. I purchased one last year that looked pretty bad, but was in fairly good mechanical shape and cleaned up nicely that included the 7/8 Arbor and a vise for about 500, and I was giddy. They are a neat little mill, and in my opinion a step above the Chinese mini mills. Of course, it's easy to be a step above a $500 milling machine when the inflation adjusted price these went for in 1939 was more like $5000. They (most) come with power feed, which I frankly think is essential on a milling machine. I haven’t gotten mine completed and running yet (so many things have gotten in the way), but I am actually working on it now, and hope to have it completed and running soon. There is also a brusque trade in parts and accessories on EBay, if you are missing anything. I was missing a few small parts, and through patience and perseverance managed to score them, as well as a 1" arbor on eBay for reasonable prices. There seems to be a business in buying these mills and parting them out and asking outrageous prices on eBay as well, but if you wait, the parts and accessories will come along at reasonable prices. I'll caveat that by saying you will NOT get an original vise, rotary table or dividing centers for a reasonable price, these normally go at auction for ~150, ~350 and ~350, respectively, on auctions. I expect the machines will be lower priced in your area, as there seem to be more of these tools there, so I would expect 500-1000 depending on what shape it is in and what tooling is included. Good luck.

 

[34_40]

Thanks for all the great advice and info! The seller is helping the owner who is 93 and a former machinist. He has it in his basement and since he's all alone, the neighbor (seller) agreed to help him by listing it on C-list. I cannot get over there until Saturday so we made an appointment.

In the pictures, he has tools and cutters laid out across a table top and since he's a retired machinist who had a small home shop, who knows what else he may have and be willing to sell!

Oh, the price is 1200 and if the unit is as nice as it looks in the pics, I felt comfortable with it and the tooling. And it seems like it's in the ballpark from what is shown above.

 

[wa5cab]

There are three different Atlas horizontal mills, and four versions of each, so a total of 12. The first ones built were

M1 (sometimes incorrectly listed, even in Atlas documents, as the MI) with only manual (hand wheel) table feed.
MF with power table cross feed and manual on the other two axes.
MH with lever actuators on cross feed and table lift and hand wheel on the other axis.

Then there are four variants of each with one major (or obvious) and several relatively minor differences "*" means "1", "F" or "H")

M* 16-speed
M*A 12-speed (most if not all still say M* on the nameplate and can only be ID'd by serial number)
M*B 8-speed
M*C Also 8-speed but with an improved outer arbor support.

I generally agree with the various price comments given below except that on the three main accessories I would have said $250, $350 and $450 or more for vise, indexer and rotary table (the rotary table seems to be the rarest). The mills very seldom turn up on the Texas Gulf Coast. I gave $750 for an MFA in Michigan with index head and tailstock. It had a known problem with the back gears. I also bought an incomplete MFC for parts for $700 because it came with an original steel cabinet and drip pan. So I'm counting the mill as $350.

The fourth major accessory, which Atlas never built, is a vertical head. There are several variants, some driven off of the Atlas spindle and some with a separate motor. All of the latter version that I've seen have been home-built. They tend to cost about as much as the mills.

Robert D

 

[34_40]

Thanks Robert D.! In my original post I mentioned it is model MF, ser. number 000556, do you perhaps know someone/somewhere who can use the serial number to know the year of manufacturer?

Now I'll have to go look at the pictures again to see if the vice is there. )

 

[cjtoombs]

That's a pretty low serial number. I don't know of a way to date by serial number, but only the very earliest (1941-1944) came with the 16 speed drives. Check out Tony's site, there is some good info on it, as well as the shaper and the lathes. Google lathes uk.

 

[34_40]

I just now got an e-mail from the seller and he notified me that they sold the mill to someone else.... sigh... I guess appointments don't mean a thing to some.. :thinking:

 

[cjtoombs]

Bummer. Well, keep your eyes open, you will find another or something similar if you keep looking. I've got a whole shop full with nowhere left to put another machine, and I'm still looking

 

[Dave Smith]

I just now got an e-mail from the seller and he notified me that they sold the mill to someone else.... sigh... I guess appointments don't mean a thing to some.. :thinking:

I find that you have to be ready to act fast and have cash to make a good buy--or others will take it away---you can now maybe put a wanted to buy small mill ad in CL and see what comes up---maybe a much better deal--keep looking---Dave