JonJonJon wrote:
Someone in my area is selling an Atlas/Craftsman lathe. He couldn't get
a model number, but I've seen this model before. He says it must be 20
years old at least. Here's a pictu

http://jonjonjon24.tripod.com/lathe.jpg

Would anyone have any specs on this machine, pros and cons that come to
mind? He is asking 3000$ CAD (about 2500$ USD right now) It comes with
the tooling that's hanging on the wall behind the machine and a milling
attachment. All I know is that it has 12" swing over bed and the bed is
about 4 feet long.

That's a 12" Atlas/Craftsman, probably made around 1972 - 1978.
I notice the half-nut handle is homemade, so the original probably
got broken off. The right-end bracket for the leadscrew is also
homemade, so that almost certainly indicates the machine has had
a crash. The level of damage can go from zero to lots, like broken
gear teeth in the QC box. You might check that the threading mechanism
is working correctly.

$2500 USD is VERY high for a 12" Atlas, even in fine condition with a
lot of tooling. Price varies according to area, though. In the rust
belt of the US, every third basement has a usable lathe hidden in the
corner, and the values are depressed due to supply. In areas that never
had a heavy manufacturing base, small machines may be quite rare, and
thus the price much higher.

The model number is, I think, a 101.28990

Any tips on what to look for when buying a used lathe would be
appreciated.
Wear on the bed, near the headstock, is the biggest problem to watch out
for, after actual broken parts. Major grooves in the top of the bed
ways are not actually such a serious problem in themselves, but indicate
that the sides of the ways are likely to be worn, too, and the sides
constrain the carriage in the front-back direction, controlling the
diameter of the cut.
The other option I have is to buy a much smaller 9x19"
from BusyBee Tools (same thing as Grizzly). It's a smaller machine, but
closer to my price range considering I also want to buy a small milling
machine.
If you can talk this seller down on price, and the machine is in good
condition with a lot of tooling, this is likely a much better lathe.
The Chinese imports are often poorly designed and made, and repair parts
may be hard to come by. Servicable Atlas parts will still be available
well into this century due to the sheer number of machines still in
existance.

On any machine tool purchase, NEVER underestimate the cost of the
tooling you need to do varied work. It often costs more than the
machine, over time. You spend YEARS aquiring all the clamps, collets,
tool holders, chucks, centers, boring bars, etc. If all of the
lathe-related stuff in the photo comes with the lathe, and you don't
already have many of these items, that alone can make a bad deal
suddenly a good one. (I'm not trying to say that that tooling makes
this a good deal at $2500 USD, but it at least makes it closer.)
About 10 years ago, I paid something like $1400 for a VERY clean
and unworn machine almost identical to this, with a little
tooling.

Jon