On 2012-02-13, Michael A. Terrell wrote:

"DoN. Nichols" wrote:

On 2012-02-12, Michael A. Terrell wrote:

"DoN. Nichols" wrote:

On 2012-02-11, Michael A. Terrell wrote:

I was offered an Atlas lathe the other day for $50. The owner said
that there were two damaged gears. He is supposed to give me more
information next week. Comments?

Which size? The little one (6x18") uses Zamac (pot metal)
gears, and if they are run with the mesh too tight, they start to

[ ... ]

He said they were 'aluminum', and from his description, they are for
driving the feed.

Those are the Zamac (pot metal) gears, then. They sort of
*look* like cast aluminum, but they aren't. (And just as well, aluminum
gears meshing with aluminum will gall badly over time.) If you *have*
to have aluminum gears, have them mesh with steel or some other metal.


I see some gears for sale on Ebay, and some he
http://www.blueridgemachinery.com/catalog/request_a_catalog/download_pdf_catalog.html

I love that "POR" (Price On Request) marking on lots of them. :-)

He said that his dad was a machinist, and that he's been moving machine
tools for 30 years. He didn't use the word Rigging, so that makes me
think he just drove the truck from site to site.

:-)

Well ... you don't *need* rigging when moving a 6" or even a 12"
Atlas lathe. :-)

[ ... ]

Keep some handy-wipes with an oil cutting filler because if you
keep the gears properly lubricated, you will have black hands after
changing them -- which sort of discourages changing them as often as you
should.


How hard would it be to modify it to use a stepper or servo drive?

Not at all difficult for use while *turning*.

However, for threading, it gets a lot trickier. You need a way
to send the speed and angular position of the spindle to control the
feed. Yes, it can be done, but you are good way towards a CNC machine
by then, so you might as well go the whole way. :-)

FWIW, the back gears are Zamac too -- at least on the 6x18"
which I still have.

Still -- as I said before, at $50.00, it is not a bad price.
And it can get you experience in using a lathe, so you know what to look
at/for when it is time to get a bigger/better one.


The last lathe I used was a worn out navy surplus lathe in high
school. Both of which are long gone.

So -- you should be able to deal with this one as well.
Certainly not be seriously disappointed, anyway. :-)

I doubt that the new high school
even has a metal shop, but they spent millions on the football field.

Sigh!

Good Luck,
DoN.

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