General Discussions of Atlas Lathes

CaveBob, l want to see that QCGB.
I know, I know, Get my DC motor going.
I still have to finish the powered leadscrew too.
The thing that always got me about the Logan, you might have gears set up for a nice slow finish cut,( Right to left) but then to do a cross cut, it seemed way faster.
The D/C leadscrew motor hopefully will take care of that. It has started to warm up here, So I either need to get on it, or come up with a new excuse.....................LOL.

I did do some wiring tonight though for the 1/2 HP DC motor.
I might have to go out and buy some 16AWG tomorrow.
 
Touché mrbreezeet1, gotta get that mill running first to cut the slot in the new leadscrew... it's tough being patient when you have to huh...
 
back when I bought my 12x36 atlas I was a welder. so I built a stand out of a piece of 10" h beam. the legs were 3"pipe with 3/8 wall. with bracing I think it weighed a little over 200 lb. with out the lathe on it. never had problems with flex. used that setup for 25 years. then I moved up to a 14 1/2" south bend with a quick change gear box.

nothing wrong with the lathe most problems are how and what they are mounted on.
 
O/P , I read your first post a long time ago & have just re read the whole thread a few minutes ago .

I notice you said you were thinking of getting a QCTP .. hang onto the lantern tool post holder there are some jobs that it is best to use it for .
 
They are not bad lathes, anyone who says that is just ignorant. They have their limitations. But if used within these limitations, they are fine. I have a 12x24 that I've owned for over 30 years. I've made hundreds of parts on it over the years. There have been a few times that I wished for a larger lathe, but only a few. It has served me well and is like an old friend.

By all means, add an AXA QCTP. It will make using the lathe much more enjoyable.

Atcrf.jpg
 
Accuracy depends on the operator, who by experience, will be familiar with the idiosyncrasies of his individual machine. Let me say that as a new member, I hope to be treated with forbearance and tolerance as one new to advanced lathe work on the Atlas 12 - the mere mention of which will invite scorn and derision on another forum I could name. Glad to be here.
 
I recently acquired a Craftsman-badged Atlas 12 x 24 Model 101.07380 (1936 vintage, I believe) and while the machine has a full ton of shortcomings, it's all about context. With skill and patience, one can do marvelous work on one of these simple machines. If I needed to turn 80,000 round widgets on a tight delivery schedule, I'd get Mazak on the phone and let the Atlas sit idle. I believe many bad mouth these lathes because they've pushed them far beyond their design capabilities and when the machine failed to achieve their ridiculous expectations, blame was cast upon the machine. Used within their original design envelope by a skilled operator, they can do some exquisite work.
 
I don't think I can speak to the "flexibility" issue as my 12x36 is a underdrive model mounted to it's cabinet made, primarily, of 3/16" steel. I do think the cross slide a bit shortish and under weight and so could contribute to a problem here.
 
I know many problems occur when lathes are affixed to flimsy tables. On service calls to older (100yrs +) companies in the Mid West or North East I noticed that many, if not all, lathes were mounted to cast iron legs or heavily timbered (6" x 6" oak legs) well braced with 3 to 4 inch thick tops and these were not the big ones!
For Craftsman /Atlas lathes one would do well to consider a welded steel table (not thin wall tubing, not sheet metal) for maximum rigidity.
 
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