Atlas Jewelers lathe

[jwmay]

Well I couldn't get anybody interested in this rare item when the presumptive original owner wanted to sell it for $500. But a new owner would like to sell it now for $700. Any takers? Lol

 

[jwmay]

To finish off this tale: I finally saw this, in a third ad, advertising it as an Atlas lathe for $300 IIRC. It had a full collet set, and a chuck. And it was sale pending. So I think the market prevailed. The end.

 

[benmychree]

I think that an Atlas "jeweler's lathe" is about the biggest joke that I have heard in many a year!

 

[wrat]

I think that an Atlas "jeweler's lathe" is about the biggest joke that I have heard in many a year!

Suppose so.
But this thread had me curious and I started looking at Jeweler's Lathes. What's up? What's going on? How to use one?
After seeing gravers and various processes, I kept scratching my head. If THAT'S all you do with it, why are these things so much money?
Like many (if not most) machines, the investment is as much in the tooling.
So, just being fair, I can see where a guy might do this. I really can.
I won't be doing it to mine, I don't think. But I can see how this may have come to be.
Many of these Atlas lathes find themselves changing hands for free, or nearly so. (Not MINE, of course, but other lucky guys.)
If a fellow was preoccupied with watchmaking or clockmaking, why plop down 4 digits of greenbacks on a tiny little lathe when a trip to the bandsaw gives you this?
He could even put new bearings in it, nice and tight, and it will never see much of a load under watchmaking processes. The bed doesn't have to be all THAT square - you're just buying a spindle with a tool rest, which is often done manually like a wood lathe (!)
Anyway, I can see it and can now see why it was done.
$300 would certainly be top dollar for it.

 

[Ulma Doctor]

I would pass this abomination up and look for better equipment