Rough estimate on Atlas 10f?

F

Firewood

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I came across what I am pretty certain is a 40's Atlas 10F. It took a bit of searching but I am pretty sure this is what it is. It is for sale, seems to be in reasonable condition (but I am greener than a novice so I'm not even sure how to check how true it is). It has change gears, a 3 and a 4 jaw chuck. The only thing I don't like is it has been welded to a bench (but a very heavy-duty bench at least). I'm in western Canada where there aren't lathes available at any given time so I'm thinking it will fetch a higher price here than other places. I'm looking for a lathe to get started and learn on. Just wondering if people think this would be suitable and what a realistic price range for these machines is?

Thanks so much!
 
I would be cautious about it being welded to the bench. It all depends on how it was done. Lathe beds are normally bolted to a bench so they can be leveled. Welding the bed to anything can induce stress and warpage. that is the last thing to want in a lathe bed. Value all depends on the condition and what tooling is included. In California I have seen an Atlas with a 10 inch swing run any where from 5 hundred to 2 Thousand.
 
Firewood said:
I'm looking for a lathe to get started and learn on. Just wondering if people think this would be suitable and what a realistic price range for these machines is?
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FWIW, I bought a 10" Atlas QC-42 for $675 off Craigslist. That is a California Central Coast price from three years ago. Not sure how comparable the price might be to your location. I think the $675 was a fairly good deal. I have seen comparable machines go for $500 - $1,000 in this area.

The deal included 3 and 4 jaw chucks, drive and face plates, steady rest, lantern-style tool post + 7 holders, plus a number of centers, drill chucks, taps, drills, and ground HSS tool bits. He also threw in "How to Run a Lathe," and other Atlas literature.

The machine was pretty dirty and both lathe chucks and one of the drill chucks were frozen. Other than that, the machine was solid.

I think a used 10 inch Atlas in good shape is a fine machine to learn on. I use mine for smaller, detail work and find it quite capable for that work. Plus it's fun to work on. But if you have a bigger budget and have plans to work on larger projects, I would buy a larger, more rigid machine.

Here is the Craigslist photo of my Atlas QC-42.

Atlas 10 in Lathe.jpg
 
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Firewood said:
it has been welded to a bench
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I hope you don't have your heart set on it because this seems like a deal-breaker to me. That is a terrible abuse--I would assume it is distorted from the heat unless it can be proven otherwise. So as be turning a 12+ inch bar that doesn't taper more than 1/2 a thou from end to end. Who knows what else welder-boy did to that poor machine.

In general, condition and accessories have a huge impact on a particular lathe's value. With a flat-bed Atlas, if you can feel any wear in the bed near the chuck, that means that multiple thous have been worn away. Any broken handles? Missing parts? You'll pay gold-plated prices for replacements--especially with shipping to Canada. Unless the 3-jaw is pristine, you're best to assume that the jaws are bell-mouthed and will not hold stock on centre or straight. Then everything else: tools and tool-holding system, drill chuck(s), live centre(s), steady rest, ... These things really add up if you have to buy them new.

OTOH, if you search and are ready to drop everything and drive--and bring cash--you ought to be able to find something. BTW, the way it works is that as soon as you buy a lathe, you'll see multiple listings for machines that are cheaper, better, closer, etc. No one knows why; it just happens! ;)

Good luck.

Craig
 
WCraig said:
Unless the 3-jaw is pristine, you're best to assume that the jaws are bell-mouthed and will not hold stock on centre or straight.
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Good point, Craig. Precisely what I found on the Cushman chuck that came with my QC-42 and that is shown mounted in the photo above. Of course that led to the need for grinding the jaws, and everything that goes along with being able to do that properly.
 
If it is actually an Atlas 10F, you don't have to leave it welded to the bench (doing this should be considered an absolute No-No). Every Atlas built from 1932 through 1981 had the bed sitting upon two removable legs. Getting at the bolts may not be real easy but finding replacement legs should be easy, as with normal treatment, nothing ever happens to them. So there isn't much of a market to run their price up.
 
Thanks very much for the replies. I figured welding it was a bad idea because you are going to get some degree of force applied to the lathe from the weld shrinkage when it cools. I want something to get started learning basic machining but I also don't want to buy someone else's headaches (I've done that before). I bought an EMCO V10P thinking I was getting a good lathe, but it needs a lot to get it functioning properly (I got hosed on that purchase, stupid me for being in a rush and not doing my homework). I'm not looking for perfection or even a great lathe, just something to start on. I'm going to let him know I will pass on it unless he plans on going down to a very low price.

Thanks again for the replies.
 
chippermat said:
Can you cross the border for one? In Nordland $800 (no affiliation) https://seattle.craigslist.org/kit/tls/d/nordland-south-bend-9-lathe/6960467131.html
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That looks like a good package. I think I am going to have to reign myself in and watch for a good package. It sounds like it pays off in spades to find a good package that includes a 3 and 4 jaw chuck, tooling, steady rest, follower rest etc. instead of trying to source everything after the fact. I travel to different parts of the BC and Alberta to visit family once a year and head down south to the US from time to time and I'll maybe poke around wherever I go. It just seems like anything priced reasonably goes at an alarming rate.

From what I have read it sounds like older machines from the US, England, Germany etc. are the way to go but some people say the better built Taiwan machines are ok. Lots to learn before I even get my hands on the tools!
 
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