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Building/modifying An Atlas Th42
- Thread starter great white
- Start date
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2015
- Messages
- 2,558
Success!
Pulled the caster apart and after a few rounds of hammering on the anvil I got it all back into shape. Case, swivel, locks and ball bearing races.
Put it back together and bolted it to the stand and it all sits dead nuts level. Rolls smooth as glass and even the wheel/swivel lock works again. There's a hint of "ratchet feel" when the assembly swivels, but that's because of missing ball bearings (were missing when I got it). I can live with that just fine!
Awesome and saved me near 100 bucks on a replacement swivel or accepting less functionality.
Pulled the caster apart and after a few rounds of hammering on the anvil I got it all back into shape. Case, swivel, locks and ball bearing races.
Put it back together and bolted it to the stand and it all sits dead nuts level. Rolls smooth as glass and even the wheel/swivel lock works again. There's a hint of "ratchet feel" when the assembly swivels, but that's because of missing ball bearings (were missing when I got it). I can live with that just fine!
Awesome and saved me near 100 bucks on a replacement swivel or accepting less functionality.
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2015
- Messages
- 2,558
No worries my friend. Its hard to visualize the part unless you're looking right at it. One of those "gotta see it" things.
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2015
- Messages
- 2,558
Little bit of work with the cutoff wheel and:
Its just sitting on there right now, bit the mig is ready and waiting....
The two top surfaces are true to each other, checked with a 6 foot level/straight edge. For some reason, the picture makes on side look "warped" but its just an illusion.
I also can't get over how solid this thing is, even with pieces removed and all cut up. Smallest piece of square tube on the thing is 1.5x2".
Lock the 4 wheels and it isn't moving at all. Not even a wiggle. You can really tell it was medical grade built. Solid.
I may just leave it as is and not bother with a retractable leg installation.
I'll have to get it all together and see how it is once done. Adding a set of legs isn't a big job, easily added afterwards if the wheels turn out to be an issue.
Its just sitting on there right now, bit the mig is ready and waiting....
The two top surfaces are true to each other, checked with a 6 foot level/straight edge. For some reason, the picture makes on side look "warped" but its just an illusion.
I also can't get over how solid this thing is, even with pieces removed and all cut up. Smallest piece of square tube on the thing is 1.5x2".
Lock the 4 wheels and it isn't moving at all. Not even a wiggle. You can really tell it was medical grade built. Solid.
I may just leave it as is and not bother with a retractable leg installation.
I'll have to get it all together and see how it is once done. Adding a set of legs isn't a big job, easily added afterwards if the wheels turn out to be an issue.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2015
- Messages
- 2,558
Couldn't resist dropping the 10F on the stand to see how it looked and how the height was going to work:
Fit is perfect. The lathe feet fit the top with about 2" to spare on either side and its wide enough to fit the motor over the steel top.
It looks great. Black plexi doors look pretty snazzy too. I'm now thinking I'll leave the steel doors functional to allow me to flip the lathe around if my next work space requires a different orientation.
I'm not completely certain if its too high or not. The carriage hand wheel falls right at my hand when my elbow is 90 degrees. I'm looking almost right at the tool/work contact point when standing straight, only a slight tip of the head to look right at the tooling tip.
Behind the bed on the rh side is a large flat area. It will be pershappinga to make a stand to hold chuck keys, collets, etc and other assorted tooling.
I've decided to use the "open" danfoss cycletron 150 and mount it inside the stand. There will be a small box mounted on the table top that will house the start/stop/jog switch, the speed pot, the power light the emergency stop "slap button" button and maybe the tachometer. The circuit breaker protection will be provided by the med grade power bar that came with the machine. All this will happen once I move to a DC motor.
I can't get over how great the casters are. The whole things moves effortlessly and when you hit the wheel locks its like its bolted to the floor.
Still need to get the welding done refit the cut down doors and then it's on to fresh paint.
Yep, its shaping up to be one heck of a nice piece of kit!
Fit is perfect. The lathe feet fit the top with about 2" to spare on either side and its wide enough to fit the motor over the steel top.
It looks great. Black plexi doors look pretty snazzy too. I'm now thinking I'll leave the steel doors functional to allow me to flip the lathe around if my next work space requires a different orientation.
I'm not completely certain if its too high or not. The carriage hand wheel falls right at my hand when my elbow is 90 degrees. I'm looking almost right at the tool/work contact point when standing straight, only a slight tip of the head to look right at the tooling tip.
Behind the bed on the rh side is a large flat area. It will be pershappinga to make a stand to hold chuck keys, collets, etc and other assorted tooling.
I've decided to use the "open" danfoss cycletron 150 and mount it inside the stand. There will be a small box mounted on the table top that will house the start/stop/jog switch, the speed pot, the power light the emergency stop "slap button" button and maybe the tachometer. The circuit breaker protection will be provided by the med grade power bar that came with the machine. All this will happen once I move to a DC motor.
I can't get over how great the casters are. The whole things moves effortlessly and when you hit the wheel locks its like its bolted to the floor.
Still need to get the welding done refit the cut down doors and then it's on to fresh paint.
Yep, its shaping up to be one heck of a nice piece of kit!
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2015
- Messages
- 2,558
Finished up cutting the stand down, mounted the lathe and rolled it into its future permanent spot:
Looks pretty good!
I've still got some details to work out like making sure its squared up, a removable chip tray, sealing up the seam between the two tops, etc.
There's a piece of 1/4" plate under the headstock+motor as well as a piece under the tailstock mount. Plan is to tie them together with some square tube or heavy angle. Haven't decided yet. Not sense squaring the lathe away until that welding is done.
I still have one steel door to cut down and mount on the back, but that is a project for another day. Low priority on that one.
I'm considering something to fit in the space behind the lathe:
Not quite sure what though. I was thinking a flat piece on a stand to hold my chuck keys and maybe collets, maybe the dead and live centers but I just can't decide.
I've got so much ctorage space inside its actually hard to figure out where to store things!
I chucked up an old scrap bolt I had lying around and made my first chips. The lh tool holder had an old HSS cutter in it and it did a pretty messy job. It also seemed like the carriage moved around a bit as I entered the work piece. Carriage seems tight, might have just been my eyes. Seems like lots of backlash in all the carriage feeds, might need a few new things like half nuts. The dials on the cross slide don't turn with the handle, I think its just the set screw. The thread dial doesn't turn at all. It looks like it should be engaged in the lead screw, but its nowhere near close to it. Have to investigate that. Feed speed seems kind of quick, it seemed to groove more than anything else. In all fairness, i didnt even look at what gears are in the train. I just wanted to see it run for the first time since i bought it.
For sure the whole machine is going to need a good going through.
That's part of the fun for me though.
I just hope it doesn't need a lot of parts to bring it back up to snuff.
Looks pretty good!
I've still got some details to work out like making sure its squared up, a removable chip tray, sealing up the seam between the two tops, etc.
There's a piece of 1/4" plate under the headstock+motor as well as a piece under the tailstock mount. Plan is to tie them together with some square tube or heavy angle. Haven't decided yet. Not sense squaring the lathe away until that welding is done.
I still have one steel door to cut down and mount on the back, but that is a project for another day. Low priority on that one.
I'm considering something to fit in the space behind the lathe:
Not quite sure what though. I was thinking a flat piece on a stand to hold my chuck keys and maybe collets, maybe the dead and live centers but I just can't decide.
I've got so much ctorage space inside its actually hard to figure out where to store things!
I chucked up an old scrap bolt I had lying around and made my first chips. The lh tool holder had an old HSS cutter in it and it did a pretty messy job. It also seemed like the carriage moved around a bit as I entered the work piece. Carriage seems tight, might have just been my eyes. Seems like lots of backlash in all the carriage feeds, might need a few new things like half nuts. The dials on the cross slide don't turn with the handle, I think its just the set screw. The thread dial doesn't turn at all. It looks like it should be engaged in the lead screw, but its nowhere near close to it. Have to investigate that. Feed speed seems kind of quick, it seemed to groove more than anything else. In all fairness, i didnt even look at what gears are in the train. I just wanted to see it run for the first time since i bought it.
For sure the whole machine is going to need a good going through.
That's part of the fun for me though.
I just hope it doesn't need a lot of parts to bring it back up to snuff.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2015
- Messages
- 2,558
Well, I'm a bit overly proud of such a simple item, but it is the first recognizable thing off the lathe:
Its just a bit of black pipe that I reduced the diameter on and used the cutoff tool on.
I call it a success as I was able to true it up in the 4 jaw chuck, turn it down with the rocker tool post and crap cutter that can with it (carbide bonded tip that was chipped up), not come ash then cutter into the shoulder and cut off the end without binding or sticking on the HSS cutter.
I also made use of the power carriage feed. So much nicer to just watch it than to crank it along your self.
Was too chicken to use the power crosslide feed on cutoff though. I did that by hand feel.
No idea on the diameter or length. I was just getting the basic feel for the lathe.
Its rough because it was a very sharp pointed carbide tip. Not rounded in any way (well, except for the missing little ***** of carbide)
Its not much, but I'm somewhat proud of it. I'll probably find a little out of the way spot on the wall behind the lathe and keep it there as a little reminder of where it (and I) started.
*Edit: whoops, I guess the ch-eye-nk word is edited out by the forum. I meant like the missing piece or weak spot in armor, not the racial slur.....it honestly didn't occur to me until I looked at my post with the 5 *'s in it.
Its just a bit of black pipe that I reduced the diameter on and used the cutoff tool on.
I call it a success as I was able to true it up in the 4 jaw chuck, turn it down with the rocker tool post and crap cutter that can with it (carbide bonded tip that was chipped up), not come ash then cutter into the shoulder and cut off the end without binding or sticking on the HSS cutter.
I also made use of the power carriage feed. So much nicer to just watch it than to crank it along your self.
Was too chicken to use the power crosslide feed on cutoff though. I did that by hand feel.
No idea on the diameter or length. I was just getting the basic feel for the lathe.
Its rough because it was a very sharp pointed carbide tip. Not rounded in any way (well, except for the missing little ***** of carbide)
Its not much, but I'm somewhat proud of it. I'll probably find a little out of the way spot on the wall behind the lathe and keep it there as a little reminder of where it (and I) started.
*Edit: whoops, I guess the ch-eye-nk word is edited out by the forum. I meant like the missing piece or weak spot in armor, not the racial slur.....it honestly didn't occur to me until I looked at my post with the 5 *'s in it.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2015
- Messages
- 2,558
took a few breaks from building the garage shop and fiddled with the atlas a bit.
Figured out why the compound slide was so freaking tight; two for the three gibs screws were not OEM. Someone had jammed a plain screw in each and had gotten them stuck. After getting stuck, apparently they had a serious go at getting them out and buggered up anything that looks like a proper screwdriver slot. One was so destroyed that I had to hacksaw a groove in it and slowly work it back and forth (with lots of penetrant) to get it out. I'll have to build some proper gibs screws to put back in there.
The cross slide had a seriously tight spot in it's rotation, turns out someone had crunched down the handle nut and bound it all up. I loosened it and cleaned all kinds of crud off the mating surfaces. The dial was loose and didn't turn with the shaft, a littel tightening of the set screw and light torque on the handle nut and it turns super smooth now. Only thing is, cleaning hte crud out seems to have revealed lots of play in the dovetails. Didn't mess with the gibs screws on the cross slide, so it may not be a big issue. I'll have to see if the play can be adjusted out.
The screw cutting indicator was locked solid. After some work with a very thin dental pic and pulling brass swarf out of the indicator, I could turn it with effort. Lubrication and cleaning freed it up more and I have it sitting in penetrant right now to see if it will clean up a little better before more aggressive methods are employed.
Basically, the lathe has been neglected for quite a while. I think the last owner (who had it for ten years) was well intentioned but just didn't keep up on the maintenance or he just didn't know.
So, lots of work to do. I'll get it running right before I tear it apart to make it pretty and add the Dc motor/controller.
Looks like it's going to be a slightly bigger project than I thought.....
Figured out why the compound slide was so freaking tight; two for the three gibs screws were not OEM. Someone had jammed a plain screw in each and had gotten them stuck. After getting stuck, apparently they had a serious go at getting them out and buggered up anything that looks like a proper screwdriver slot. One was so destroyed that I had to hacksaw a groove in it and slowly work it back and forth (with lots of penetrant) to get it out. I'll have to build some proper gibs screws to put back in there.
The cross slide had a seriously tight spot in it's rotation, turns out someone had crunched down the handle nut and bound it all up. I loosened it and cleaned all kinds of crud off the mating surfaces. The dial was loose and didn't turn with the shaft, a littel tightening of the set screw and light torque on the handle nut and it turns super smooth now. Only thing is, cleaning hte crud out seems to have revealed lots of play in the dovetails. Didn't mess with the gibs screws on the cross slide, so it may not be a big issue. I'll have to see if the play can be adjusted out.
The screw cutting indicator was locked solid. After some work with a very thin dental pic and pulling brass swarf out of the indicator, I could turn it with effort. Lubrication and cleaning freed it up more and I have it sitting in penetrant right now to see if it will clean up a little better before more aggressive methods are employed.
Basically, the lathe has been neglected for quite a while. I think the last owner (who had it for ten years) was well intentioned but just didn't keep up on the maintenance or he just didn't know.
So, lots of work to do. I'll get it running right before I tear it apart to make it pretty and add the Dc motor/controller.
Looks like it's going to be a slightly bigger project than I thought.....
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2011
- Messages
- 10,552
The gib screws are just what are known as Extended Point or Dog Point set screws. However, finding slotted Dog Point may be an issue. McMaster has them in Allen and square head (you don't want square head) but not slotted. However, being an old military radio guy, I'm used to Allen and Bristol set screws, and prefer them to slotted. Wherever you get them from, you should check the depth of the hole on the deep side. If necessary, you can also get extra length Dog Point, which are twice as long as regular. On #10-32, they are .049" and .098".