Found an old unmarked lathe

[agshooter]

Trying to decide if I should take it home. No compound, just crossfeed. One concern is no graduations on the wheels to know how deep of a cut I’m taking or how much I’m moving on the crossfeed. No thread dial either so not sure how you take repeated cuts on threads. I’d estimate it’s a 6”x24” lathe. Screw on 3 jaw chuck and some collets, and cutters included.

 

[benmychree]

Back in the day, with no thread dial, you had a forward/reverse countershaft above the lathe with a shifting lever controlling clutches on the countershaft, when you got to the end of the thread, you pulled the tool out of the cut and reversed the spindle and ran the tool back to the starting point and took another cut. Without a compound, it would not be too handy to cut coarse threads, but for finer threads it is possible.
The machine looks to be in pretty good condition; I have never seen a tool post like that one.

 

[matthewsx]

Depends on the price and what's in those boxes underneath it.

Do you like old tools? Your first machine or have a whole bunch of others?

It looks similar to my Seneca Falls Star that I bought for $300, for that price you won't be hurt but for $1000 I'd keep looking.


John

 

[agshooter]

Would be my first machine. I’m thinking I’m better off getting a little more modern lathe as my first lathe. Even if it’s an atlas

 

[matthewsx]

Patience is your friend here. Money spent on something not up to the tasks you want is money you can't spend on other things.

John

 

[graham-xrf]

The phrase "even if" in the same sentence as "Atlas" ? That confuses me a little because this site is full of good looking Atlas machines, and I am sure they have proud owners.

I don't know Atlas, but then again, neither do I know what a $10K+ Precision Mathews or Grizzly is like.

Agreed @matthewsx . There is fine old iron that if cleaned up and used today that will produce precision work, and has all the features that make it useful, and there is possibly younger iron, however fine, that might only make an interesting conversation piece. Hang in there, and keep looking.

 

[agshooter]

Did not mean to degrade Atlas. I’ve just been told they are lower end lathes. The more I research though, I’m taking another look at them

 

[graham-xrf]

Nah - that's OK.
Nearly all brands have their range, which includes their "lower end"
We all watched @DavidR8 stick at it for ages, checking out every new find, and turning them all down.

 

[benmychree]

The Atlas lathes have flat ways rather than vee ways, that indeed makes them lower end, not to mention all the pot metal used on them, they are subject to wear that cannot be adjusted out. What is the asking price of the machine pictured?

 

[Superburban]

I have only seen one Atlas with noticeably worn ways. But I haver seen several Southbends with ways so worn, they are all but useless for doing anything longer then a few inches. Atlas lathes may be lower end, but often better cared for, and not used hard, and put away wet.