Recent 618 and 109 Find

[BrianT]

Hello all, Ive been playing with my 109 that I rebuilt last year and with the help of the forum members Ive been able to get some decent results on the machine, so thanks again. I periodically check local classifieds for items of interest and came across "Two lathes for parts" Basically it was a Dunlap 109 in pieces and an Atlas 618 in pieces. I saw the 618 came with enough tooling to make it worth my time to check it out. From what I could tell the 618 is complete though the compound tool rest is broken, but had the milling attachment, steady rest, and other misc items so I decided to take it home. Upon inspection aside from the broken tool rest, the 618 looks minimally used and should clean up nicely. The 109 will be used for parts on my 109 as the planetary gear is a lost cause. Looks like I found my summertime project, anything I should checkout on the 618 before I dedicate time and money on it?

 

[wa5cab]

Check the spindle bearings for looseness, and for whether or not some PO put grease in them. If they did, you will have to pull the spindle to clean them. Instructions for doing that are in an Atlas Technical Bulletin down under the Atlas/Craftsman/AA category in DOWNLOADS . Instructions for using DOWNLOADS are in the Sticky block at the top of this forum. The other common thing to check is bed wear.

The 618 doesn't look half bad.

EDIT: Parts manual for the 618 is also in Downloads. Best quality one is the 1950 dated. Some of the other dated ones also have other bulletins included. As do several of the equivalent Craftsman 101.21400 manuals.

 

[BrianT]

Check the spindle bearings for looseness, and for whether or not some PO put grease in them. If they did, you will have to pull the spindle to clean them.

Never would have thought about putting grease through the oil cups. Initially the spindle would not move, ive been adding oil to the spindle and exercising it by hand and it has freed up to the point that it rotates smooth, it doesnt seem loose. I see no indication of grease being used.

The bed looks good, no dents, cracks, etc. I will use an indicator to check flatness once I get the bed cleaned of dirt/debris. When using an indicator to check for flatness, etc is there a common place or method consistent to lathes in general that people indicate would indicate off of?

Ive seen this done differently looking online, the small 109 I fixed up would fit on a surface plate I have so I checked flatness with a surface gauge/indicator off the surface plate.

 

[Charles Spencer]

Great find, especially the milling attachment and steady rest.

 

[BrianT]

Great find, especially the milling attachment and steady rest.

That is really why I went for it. Being that I couldnt see it in operation I knew I may have some junk on my hands but with the attachments and gears if all else failed I could sell that and still be ahead, plus the 109 came with some extra gears. All in all it looked like a rusty pile of garbage...but I saw possibilities.

 

[wa5cab]

Brian,

The place that a worn bed is usually most worn at is up close to the headstock. For a quantitative evaluation of bed wear, put the carriage at the tailstock end of the bed. Run the cross slide to the rear, leaving bare the near end of the dovetail. Mount your dial indicator over (I'm assuming a magnetic base type) the two oiling screws. Indicate the untouched center line of the front way, and zero the indicator. Crank the carriage toward the head stock end of the bed, noting the gauge reading. Note that although the indicator is reading a point to the left of the carriage, the average location that it is reading is under the center of the carriage.

 

[BrianT]

...Mount your dial indicator over (I'm assuming a magnetic base type) the two oiling screws. Indicate the untouched center line of the front way, and zero the indicator. Crank the carriage toward the head stock end of the bed, noting the gauge reading...

Thanks for your reply, just to clarify so I understand this. The "untouched center line of the front way" is on the lathe bed itself? If that is the case, it makes sense. Hopefully the weather is nice this weekend and I can clean the bed and carriage and get some readings...Thanks again!

 

[wa5cab]

Yes. The "ways" on a lathe bed (usually two) are the long straight fully machined areas typically running the full length of the top area of the bed, at or near the front and rear edges. All of the Atlas built machines have flat ways, machined on five surfaces. The headstock, carriage, tailstock, and some accessories like the steady rest sit on the front and rear top surfaces Front to back movement is controlled (limited) by two of the four vertical surfaces. The carriage is supported by (runs on) a little more than the front 1/3 of the front way and the rear 1/3 of the rear way. The tailstock runs on a little less than the rear 1/3 of the front way and the front 1/3 of the rear way. This leaves a strip down the center of the ways that nominally nothing ever touches. Aside from physical damage (dropping something on the ways, which is a big NO-NO), re-grinding or scrapping, and corrosion, this surface should still be as it was when the machine left the factory.

 

[The Liberal Arts Garage]

Never would have thought about putting grease through the oil cups. Initially the spindle would not move, ive been adding oil to the spindle and exercising it by hand and it has freed up to the point that it rotates smooth, it doesnt seem loose. I see no indication of grease being used.

The bed looks good, no dents, cracks, etc. I will use an indicator to check flatness once I get the bed cleaned of dirt/debris. When using an indicator to check for flatness, etc is there a common place or method consistent to lathes in general that people indicate would indicate off of?

Ive seen this done differently looking online, the small 109 I fixed up would fit on a surface plate I have so I checked flatness with a surface gauge/indicator off the surface plate.

It's a few years since I offered this advice, so I'll bring it up again. Dig in your can of
dull files and pick out an un- raped medium sized Nicholson (re peat after me).
Wipe down the ways (or other flat surface) dry. Using two hands, eight fingers,
run the file down the surface in question careful, moderate pressure. This will
pick up high and low spots without affecting basic dimensions. Look for the Shine.
BLJHB.