Educate me on MT2

+1 on the spindle type - usually on those lathes the tailstock will be MT2, but the headstock spindle will be MT3. and as mentioned, there are MT3-to-MT2 adaptors which would be your best bet, or get a MT2 mill spindle and keep it simple (I know you already bought the lathe spindle, so may or may not be in your budget/plan, but that's another option).
 
genec said:
you can buy a mt3 to mt2 adaptor should solve your problem
Click to expand...

Keep in mind there will be a downside to using a 3 to 2MT adapter. The use of that adapter will cost you a small amount of verticle room. With the Atlas mill, the work window beneath tooling is so very limited even under the very best circumstances that keeping that distance in mind with everything pertaining to vertical head planning and implementation is just so important. If you can figure out a way to get your vertical head higher than the overarm shaft hole it will work to your benefit in the end.

Also, another consideration, unless you have the original vise that came with your machine you might consider a "LOW" profile vise such as a Palmgren "Lowboy" to be a must have item as part of the strategy to buy some extra work room for your machine. The Lowboy is not cheap these days, plan on over $200 to get the advantage of a low profile swivel base vise for your machine.

My whole point is, be very dialed into preserving as much of your limited working window as you can any machine modifications. It would be a real stinker to make a bunch of mods and spend a bunch of money on mods to only find out when it is time to make chips that you really have no room to work on anything becuse you have no room to!
 
Uncle Buck: Your vertical milling head is one of the inspirations for what I'm doing. I've got a Marvin head but don't like it. I'm going to make a pattern for casting a head that this lathe spindle will fit into and build what will look a little like a Bridgeport head. Your points about clearance and adapter issues are highly valued and will be factored in.

It's really no problem to get a set of MT3 collets if that will give more clearance. I've got the original vise, so I'll be working with that.
 
I belive the Atlas 6" lathes used an MT2 spindle, which is what the milling machine spindle is modeled after.
 
There was a 6" lathe spindle selling at the same time and the ad said it had a MT2. Almost bought it (wish I had now), but the seller of the 12" said he thought his was also a MT2. The spindle is really big, the 6" spindle would have been better sized accordingly for the mill but this one will work too.
 
HalcyonDaze said:
Uncle Buck: Your vertical milling head is one of the inspirations for what I'm doing. I've got a Marvin head but don't like it. I'm going to make a pattern for casting a head that this lathe spindle will fit into and build what will look a little like a Bridgeport head. Your points about clearance and adapter issues are highly valued and will be factored in.

It's really no problem to get a set of MT3 collets if that will give more clearance. I've got the original vise, so I'll be working with that.
Click to expand...


Look at the picture of my mill and attachnment. If you have the skills to cast and pour a casting for a head then you should not have an issue. simply design the head you are going to cast so that it has more clearance than what the Marvin head gives you and the #3 MT should not be an issue because you should have a bit of excess room to play with. With the ability to engineer in a bit of additional room the #3 MT will no longer be an issue and using a redcer sleeve should work just fine with the additional room that you have to spare. My point is simply engineer your casting around the issue.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top