Help me identify this lathe and assign a value.

[Earlkonig]

Gentlemen, I’m looking at purchasing an Atlas lathe from a gentlemen that’s about 1.5 hrs away. He doesn’t know what model it is other than it’s an Atlas lathe and it’s covered in protective grease. He said it’s been in storage for 15 years. Looking at pictures I think it’s an 10D, but not for sure. It also looks like it’s a Babbitt bearing lathe. Is there anything I should look for on this lathe or anything of concern you guys see from the pictures? He is asking $800 for the lathe, but I’m not sure if it’s worth it. Thanks!

 

[pdentrem]

There should be a tag on the bed, usually on the far end, tailstock end, that will have the serial number etc. it is a 10F as it has the power crossfeed. Do you have all the change gears? The gear chart inside the end cover will show you what you need. You have a few items that many are lacking such as steady rest and milling attachment, spindle nose chuck.

I would say that in my area 800 is a fair price, many will go for more that that. I sold my 10F24 for 600 with far less accessories.

Look here for the change gear listing.
https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/change-gears-for-10d-and-f-series-lathes.10495/

 

[Earlkonig]

Any concern with the Babbitt bearings? I’m trying to ease my way into lathe work before doing what I usually do and spend a lot more money than I need too.

 

[pdentrem]

There should be a shim pack that was put in place on either side of the bearings. As the Babbitt wears one removes a shim to tighten it up. To do so remove the 2 bolts that hold the main caps and investigate. Many times past owners had no clue the shims even existed. With the Git’s oilers the bearings will likely have been well taken care of.

 

[Uncle Buck]

In my region that would be about a $500 machine. Not heavily tooled, from what I see not even including a 3 jaw chuck. Granted, if you have to select either a 4 jaw, or a 3 jaw the machine does have the better choice between the 3 or 4 jaw chuck. That said I use my 3 jaw much more than my 4 jaw simply do to convenience. More important to the asking price is the absence of a QC gear selection box. Team that up with a much older Babbitt bearing machine, plus the fact that it is an Atlas, and this really starts looking like about a $500 dollar machine to me.

(No slight intended to Atlas machines, my lathe is an Atlas too and I love it!)

 

[Earlkonig]

That was going to be my upper end offer. Thanks for the comments validating my thought process. The lack of the qc gear box and Babbitt bearings brought the machine down in value.

 

[mmcmdl]

I just sold the identical lathe a few months back that was in perfect condition with the table , an overhead light , a work light . Yes , it is a 10D . I sold it for $500 with a few extra chucks , all change gears , collett drawbar , steady rest and other tooling . The lathe never cut metal as it was in a woodshop . My ad for the lathe is probably still on this website . I would offer him $500 and go from there .

 

[hss cutter]

I see a milling attachment a steady reast a four jaw a drill head lots of little things in the boxes I be more in the 6 buts that's me

 

[pdentrem]

10D = no crossfeed
10F = with crossfeed
Babbitt and Timken lathes were sold at the same time as Timken was an upgrade, later the Babbit versions were discontinued but much later then one would think.

I bought my clone of a Jet BDB1340A for 1500, but is an early one as it has a threaded spindle.

 

[cjtoombs]

Those milling attachments regularly go for 300 or so on Ebay, so that 800 is probably not a bad price, 500 for the lathe, 300 for the milling attachment. I'd still offer him 500, but if he knows what he has, he won't let it go for that.