Introduction - New Atlas Lathe Owner

ARC-170 said:
Welcome! I have a similar lathe (101.07403), 12x36. I took the whole thing apart and cleaned and lubed it. It was fun and I learned how the whole machine worked. I also bought belt guards. I have a restoration thread here. In case that doesn't work, here's the whole link:
(https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/arc-170s-craftsman-101-07403-lathe-restoration-thread.74024/

6. (are we on 6? Let's just say yes! Ha!) WAY & BEARING LUBE
I use Mobil Vactra Oil #2 Way Oil for the ways and bearings. You can get it at littlemachineshop.com. Your machine will drip oil. Keep in mind it will leak under the machine. Mine is mounted on a steel top with a wood underlayment and I should probably look and see how much oil is showing. Fill the cups every time you use the machine. The one nearest the chuck needs filling the most.

7. GREASE
I use Lubriplate Gear Shield Extra Heavy on my gears. Comes in a spray can. I got it at my FLAPS. I have covers and it flings off a little, but not much.

8. PAINT
If you want to paint your machine, Krylon Regal Blue is supposed to be the closest color to the original blue. It is my understanding that Atlas painted most of the lathes they made for Craftsman blue, while theirs were all dark gray. For some reason mine is sparkly green. I think it was painted in the 70's while under the influence. I just kept it the same.

9. OTHER THOUGHTS
a. This is not a very stiff machine, so take light cuts.
b. I get some funky patterns and sounds when using the auto feed. I think there is something loose or bent, so I'm currently chasing that. The machine still makes functional parts, though. Turn a rod with the auto-feed and see what happens.
c. I used Simple Green, kerosene and elbow grease to clean everything. The old grease tends to dry and get crusty, so parts seem like they are stuck, but they are just "glued" together with gunk.

BTW: You picked up and carried your lathe?! I'm impressed! I had to use an engine hoist.

Have fun!
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Thank you very much for the information, sir! Sorry for the delayed response... was out of town. I'll peruse your thread for sure!
 
wa5cab said:
Prior to 1957, Sears had Atlas change the color about every 3 or 4 years. Blue was common. So was green. Gold was used during Sears' 50th Anniversary year. And maybe a couple of other colors. Around 1957, Atlas changed the color of both their machines (which had been dark machinery gray) and the ones that they made for Sears to Machinery Gray. The 12" machines remained that color through the end in 1981. But almost all of the MK 2 6" were painted blue except for the first few hundred.

And of course, some recent restorers may have re-painted them in most any color.
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Very cool! I was eyeing this royal blue from rust-oleum since I need to go to HD soon anyways. Seems like a decent match...

www.homedepot.com

Rust-Oleum Professional 15 oz. High Performance Enamel Gloss Royal Blue Spray Paint (6-Pack) 7527838 - The Home Depot

Rust-Oleum Professional High Performance Enamel Sprays provide superior coverage, hiding and corrosion protection. They can be applied to metal, wood, concrete and masonry. Designed to resist abrasion,
www.homedepot.com
 
Well tear down started today... and I found my first broken piece!


I'm not sure what number I'm on so I'm going to move on to letters!....



A.) Broken Piece - I'm guessing someone was a little rough with this guy, because I was not applying barely any force when taking this apart and it came out in pieces. How do yall recommend me repairing this piece? I think it's aluminum. Can I braze it?

B.) This lever doesn't come off right? It looks like it's peened on there!
 

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I think you're on #10 (#9 was "OTHER THOUGHTS"), so let's say A should be 10 and B should be 11. You're gonna run outta letters real quick! AMHIK. BTW. I really don't care what you use, just trying to be helpful! :)

11/B. My lever has a pin through it. Maybe yours does too, but it's hidden behind the handle? Or, yours IS peened on. I can't see it very well. I left anything on that I couldn't easily or obviously remove and it still got clean.
 
A. No, the gear case is not aluminum. It is Zamak V, which a Zinc based die casting alloy. Zamak parts are not usually considered as being repairable.

B. The lever is either pressed or peened on at the factory. If a PO replaced it, it could have a groove pin installed. But in either case, if there is nothing wrong with it, don't attempt to remove it. And BTW, the half-nut assembly will install with the actuating lever in either of two positions (if it was replaced by a PO, assuming that he/she installed it properly) , with the lever to the left as shown in your photo and to the right. The latter one is correct.
 
wa5cab said:
A. No, the gear case is not aluminum. It is Zamak V, which a Zinc based die casting alloy. Zamak parts are not usually considered as being repairable.

B. The lever is either pressed or peened on at the factory. If a PO replaced it, it could have a groove pin installed. But in either case, if there is nothing wrong with it, don't attempt to remove it. And BTW, the half-nut assembly will install with the actuating lever in either of two positions (if it was replaced by a PO, assuming that he/she installed it properly) , with the lever to the left as shown in your photo and to the right. The latter one is correct.
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A (continued) - Think I could try to braze it with aluminum brazing rod? :chemist:

(interestingly enough I didn't see or feel any issues with operation... even with the broken piece in there..)

B - Thank you sir! I won't mess with it.
 
A Well, you've certainly got nothing to lose but a little time! It certainly isn't usable as-is.
 
Well.... that didn't work. The ZAMAK melted way before I could get it all hot enough for the aluminum brazing rod.

I imagine finding a replacement part here is going to be difficult...
 

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Thinking back over the results/failure.... I should of just JB-Welded this connection.

And I should of looked up the melting point of ZAMAK... I may be able to figure something out with fabricating a repair here, but it won't be as easy now. lol
 
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