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.

Any tips on what to look for when buying a used lathe would be
appreciated. 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.


Thanks
Jon

In article .com,
JonJonJon wrote:


Seems like at lot of money to me. I purchased a similar on minus the
factory cabinet a few years back for $450 US. I would say that it is at
least 30 years old if not older.

Chuck P.

MOP CAP wrote:
In article .com,
JonJonJon wrote:

Given that you have no other American option I would offer about $1800.
American and see where it gets you. I have a very low opiniion of Atlas
lathes but this one has lots of tooling and looks like it was in a
hobby shop all its life. No wear on those miserable flat ways makes it
a good machine. Some wear and its is junk. Leigh@MarMachine

You are correct, it is a Craftsman 12" metalworking lathe, manufactured
by Atlas for Craftsman, with a 48" bed. Our robotics team inherited
one, and although it is an ok machine, there are a few caveats. The
quick-change gearbox is good, but the belt-drive is kinda funky. Do
you have the manual? There are some weird parts in the belt drive and
back-gear assembly. You should also check the thing in person. The
chuck on mine is kinda old and worn and has 3 thou runout, okay for
most work. The 4 jaw chuck on the wall would eliminate this issue.
Another issue is the relatively small through hole, less than 3/4".
The steady rest on the wall should eliminate some of this problem. You
are lucky that it has tooling, mine didn't have much in the way of
anything and finding tooling has been miserable (read as "made my own")
I am making good use of it (our team is perenially short on cash), but
I am constantly looking for a larger and better machine. The $2500USD
is rediculous. I would say that the machine, in good condition, with
the tooling indicated, should probably fetch about $800-$1000USD. Feel
free to contact me if you have any questions. I have the original
manual and can try to scan it.

Thank for the great info.

I'll see what he says about the prices you've quoted. Kinda suits me
'cause this is cheaper than the chinese machine anyways, but this one
is obviously stronger.

Correct me if I'm wrong, does the lever just above the gear change
levers reverse the lead screw to cut left hand threads? I've seen
another one of these on eBay and and inside look into the gears looks
like it has that capability (something the chinese machine doesn't
have, though I could build one)....

http://tinyurl.com/cc7es


Jon

JonJonJon wrote:
Thank for the great info.

I'll see what he says about the prices you've quoted. Kinda suits me
'cause this is cheaper than the chinese machine anyways, but this one
is obviously stronger.

Correct me if I'm wrong, does the lever just above the gear change
levers reverse the lead screw to cut left hand threads? I've seen
another one of these on eBay and and inside look into the gears looks
like it has that capability (something the chinese machine doesn't
have, though I could build one)....
Yes. That is exactly what that tumbler handle does. The large black
ring on the right end of the QC box is the overload clutch. It is
designed to prevent crashing the carriage into something solid from
causing disasterous damage to the gear train. Most earlier machines
didn't have this feature.

Jon

On 5 Nov 2005 17:29:09 -0800, "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.

Any tips on what to look for when buying a used lathe would be
appreciated. 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.


Thanks
Jon

I have one exactly like that and payed a $1,000 U.S. Looks good, try
turning a bar on it and mic. it. Mine does great for stuff if I take
my time, but I would rather have a really nice big lathe.

Reminds me, I need to drop over and take a picture of a locals supper
nice lathe from somewhere next to checlovacia.

Jon, I have essentially the same model Atlas Lathe, except mine has a
42" bed, is in clearner, wear fee condition and has the more desirable
rear drive. I paid $1240 for it on eBay, and another $200 or so to have
it shipped from Chicago to the Boston area. I also have complete
specifications and a service manual for the machine, so fee free to
post any specific questions that you have or email me at
.

The 12" Atlas is, in my experience, a much better machine than the
Grizzly or any of the smaller Chinese lathes, plus replacement parts
and accessories are easily available on eBay. It's not as rugged as a
South Bend, but comparable to a Logan. It's perfect for the home shop,
although a little light for doing serious tool and die work with a hard
steel.

Drawbacks include the slip clutch on the feed screw being difficult to
adjust and somtimes slips when doing transverse cuts using the power
feed but other than that it's a wonderful machine that more closely
compares with a South Bend than it does with a Grizzly.

On the positive side, it employs replacable Timken roller bearings in
the headstock, has a conventional 1-1/2 x 8 headstock thread, a #3
Morse taper in the headstock, and a #2 Morse taper in the tailstock.
The flat bed isn't a problem for me, and can be inexpensively reground
if it ever becomes needed (which it probably won't). All in all, I like
it very much and have never regretted buying it over one of the small,
Chinese lathes.

Hope this helps. Harry C.

According to :
Jon, I have essentially the same model Atlas Lathe, except mine has a
42" bed, is in clearner, wear fee condition and has the more desirable
rear drive.

Hmmm ... why do you consider a rear drive more desirable? I've
got a 12x24" clausing with pedestal drive, and I consider this to be a
benefit. The reason? The shifting location of the motor off the back,
and varying stresses can change the alignment of the bed. Turn off the
power, put a master precision level on the ways near the headstock, and
change the belt settings and see what happens.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

DoN posted:

" Hmmm ... why do you consider a rear drive more desirable? "

Don, my comment was specifically about the Atlas. The problem with the
pedestal drive is that it uses twin v-belts to transfer power to the
headstock. Based on all the reviews I have read, this configuration
produces excess vibration when the tension in the belts becomes
unequal. Evidently there is no mechanism provided to allow the
independent tensioning of each belt. In short, the problem is said to
be one of excess vibration.

Please realize that I don't own this model, so I can't speak from
personal experience. Still, prior to my purchase of the Atlas I had
carefully reviewed all of the published criticisms comparing the
pedestal drive Atlas to the rear drive model. From the roughly 10
reviews available at the time, all cited excess vibration as being a
problem with the pedestal drive 12" Atlas.

Like you, I would prefer having the drive mounted in the pedestal of
the lathe, however I am not ready to pay the price of excess vibration
in order to to obtain it. As an afterthought, the diameter of the
headstock pulleys in the pedestal mounted drive configuration are
considerably smaller that that in the rear drive version of the same
machine. This could be another design issue that contributes to the
excess vibration claims.

Then too, there may be no excess vibration to speak of, since I doubt
that any of the critics ever did a side by side performance comparison
of the two configurations.

Bottom line is that my 12" Atlas does everything I ask of it, including
some milling using the Atlas milling attachment. Since purchasing the
lathe, I've added a collet draw-bar and a collection of 3AT collets, a
milling attachment, face plate, 4-jaw chuck, steady rest, a cut-off
tool, a #2 Morse tailstock chuck with the traditional tang to keep it
from turning, an attachment that allows a Dremel to be used as a
toolpost grinder for small, ground shafts, and the list goes on. I'm
still watching for a good buy on a follower rest, a Jacobs 59B
headstock chuck, a threading toolholder, and possibly a top quality
quick-change toolholder like an Alorus (sp?).

I've already spent more money on tooling and accessories than I did for
the lathe itself, and expect to buy more in the future. One very nice
thing about the Atlas and Clausing lathes is that accessories and spare
parts are so readily available on eBay and other sources, unlike many
other brands.

One last comment about the age of a lathe. It doesn't matter. My Atlas
is about 30 years old, and both looks and runs like or better than a
new machine. The machine's history is far more important than its age,
and the wear and abuse it has seen thoughout its service life is what
really matters. When you chose to purchase a lathe because of price
alone, you are really asking for trouble. For example, you can pay
anwhere between $300 and $2,000 for a 12" Atlas, but don't expect a
$300 machine to be in the same condition as a $2,000 machine of the
very same model. The reputation of the firm that produced the machine
is another factor. Given reasonable care and the availability of
replacement parts, a South Bend, Clausing, Logan, or Atlas lathe should
last nearly forever. The same cannot be said of inexpensive offshore
produced brands, many of which have a useful lifetime of only a few
years. Pretty much the same thing can be said about mills and shapers,
where if you can handle their weight and size, a used Brigeport or
Cincinatti is arguably your best starting point for comparison
purposes. With reasonable care, either of these brands should last
nearly forever, at a price usually less than a miniature, offshore
produced model.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

Kindest regards, Harry C.

In article .com, JonJonJon
says...

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.

The price is a tad on the steep side. The tooling is fairly basic,
there is a collet setup apparently, and a steady rest, a nice bonus.
The collet selection is pretty sparse. There *may* be a milling
attachment under the machine in that box. Maybe.

You would save on shipping if it is local, that's a plus.

Don't be put off by the flat ways. Those work fine.

I don't think it'll move fast at that price, so make an offer,
bring cash to wave under his nose. If he goes for it, be prepared
to move it sraight away. Be sure to understand what tooling goes
with the deal, and be sure to get it all in the first trip.

You should haunt ebay to see what comparable stuff sells for,
that will give an excellent indication of the market.

Jim


--
==================================================
please reply to:
JRR(zero) at pkmfgvm4 (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com
==================================================

jim rozen wrote:
In article .com, JonJonJon
says...

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.


The price is a tad on the steep side. The tooling is fairly basic,
there is a collet setup apparently, and a steady rest, a nice bonus.
The collet selection is pretty sparse. There *may* be a milling
attachment under the machine in that box. Maybe.

You would save on shipping if it is local, that's a plus.

Don't be put off by the flat ways. Those work fine.

I don't think it'll move fast at that price, so make an offer,
bring cash to wave under his nose. If he goes for it, be prepared
to move it sraight away. Be sure to understand what tooling goes
with the deal, and be sure to get it all in the first trip.

You should haunt ebay to see what comparable stuff sells for,
that will give an excellent indication of the market.

Be aware of regional market differences. That lathe can be worth a lot
more in Colorado, Texas, or Oregon, for example, where machines are
scarce. Regions with industrial history have more machines and prices
are cheaper, so look at the location on the ebay sales.

On 5 Nov 2005 17:29:09 -0800, "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.

Any tips on what to look for when buying a used lathe would be
appreciated. 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.


As a reference for you I just had a friend sell his 12" Atlas just
like that. It was in like new condition (he didn't get it that way but
before he got through there wasn't a single thing wrong). It had ALL
the tooling that was available for it. I mean taper attachment,
milling attachment, follow rest, steady rest, collets, carriage stop,
nice Bison 3 jaw chuck (larger than the original), everything. If it
was in the manual then he had it. He got $1800 and this is a machine
starved area where any machine tends to bring a premium price.

He sold it because he got fed up with the lack of rigidity. It just
took to long to do any serious metal removal.

He bought a 14" Logan spending more than he should have (especially
after shipping from NY) and then put a lot more money in it after
getting here (the machine in good shape description can be misleading)
but we've finally got nearly all the problems worked out of it and
he's much happier with it compared to the Atlas.


Wayne Cook
Shamrock, TX
http://members.dslextreme.com/users/waynecook/index.htm

On Sat, 05 Nov 2005 23:17:17 -0600, Wayne Cook
wrote:

He bought a 14" Logan spending more than he should have (especially
after shipping from NY) and then put a lot more money in it after
getting here (the machine in good shape description can be misleading)
but we've finally got nearly all the problems worked out of it and
he's much happier with it compared to the Atlas.


Wayne Cook
Shamrock, TX
http://members.dslextreme.com/users/waynecook/index.htm

Ive got a 14" Logan, needing the compound..that Id take $300 for.
So. California

Gunner

Confronting Liberals with the facts of reality is very much akin to
clubbing baby seals. It gets boring after a while, but because Liberals are
so stupid it is easy work." Steven M. Barry

Gunner, no disrespect intended, but $300 for a Logan in an unknown
state while lacking a major component hardly wets the appetite. Any
moderately discriminating buyer with $300 in his pocket might just want
to know why the compound is missing, and what does that tell him about
the rest of the machine?

Have you considered offering it to the nautical crowd on eBay, where it
could make itself useful as a boat anchor or, if sufficiently massive,
a mooring anchor? ;-)

Perhaps harsh, I realize, but with my ultra right-wing mentality, I
have to look back on all the bargain-basement priced lathes that I
wasted my time investigating, before I began to realize that well worn
and rust encrusted junk machinery is simply that, junk! This is
precisely why I was damn glad to be the top bidder on a 12" Atlas in
pristine condition for $1200+, and shipping on top of that. Even at
that price, I left only about $25 laying on the table!

Gunner, am I telling it accurately and like it is?

Kindest regards, Harry C.

On 6 Nov 2005 14:07:32 -0800, wrote:

Gunner, no disrespect intended, but $300 for a Logan in an unknown
state while lacking a major component hardly wets the appetite. Any
moderately discriminating buyer with $300 in his pocket might just want
to know why the compound is missing, and what does that tell him about
the rest of the machine?

Have you considered offering it to the nautical crowd on eBay, where it
could make itself useful as a boat anchor or, if sufficiently massive,
a mooring anchor? ;-)

Perhaps harsh, I realize, but with my ultra right-wing mentality, I
have to look back on all the bargain-basement priced lathes that I
wasted my time investigating, before I began to realize that well worn
and rust encrusted junk machinery is simply that, junk! This is
precisely why I was damn glad to be the top bidder on a 12" Atlas in
pristine condition for $1200+, and shipping on top of that. Even at
that price, I left only about $25 laying on the table!

Gunner, am I telling it accurately and like it is?

Kindest regards, Harry C.

I wonder Harry..how much a person could make by simply parting it out
on Ebay, or to someone with a badly worn Logan 14"?

Perhaps $300?

As to why the compound is missing, I dont have the slightest idea. It
came from a shop that used the large Logans to cut plastic with. Ive
already sold the complete ones for $1800 each, with no complaints from
the buyers. This being only missing the compound, an item that can
be stuck together from something off a Southbend etc etc carcass..I
figured it was a good deal. I guess I could part it out and sell the
slide and tailstock to one of the guys with a 14" Logan Chucker .
Seems carraiges go for about $300 and tailstocks for Logan 14s seldom
go for less than $150 on Ebay...usually more.. hummm I do have a
couple spare 14" tailstocks come to think of it as well. Then of
course there is the quick change gearbox and all the other frufrus
that are still on the lathe and apparently in decent condition.

But hey...Ive never sold a machine tool before to anyone, so us
newbies have to start somewhere. So what would you suggest is a fair
price? Or should I simply have the scrappers come and get it? Along
with the two Boyer Shutze surface grinders (free to whoever wants them
to fix up) and the working Hobart Cybertig 2 tig welder? ($200
obo..3ph, will run on a 10hp rpc)

You are absolutely correct. Since I only swapped the equivelent of
$1000 for the Hardinge HLV-H and the 1500 Clausing (total amount),
they should get me .30 a pound for scrap too. They were both sight
unseen when I made the deal.

And lets not mention all the Myford stuff that went sight unseen too.
Shrug

Respects

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner

On Mon, 07 Nov 2005 03:35:06 GMT, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On 6 Nov 2005 14:07:32 -0800, wrote:

Gunner, no disrespect intended, but $300 for a Logan in an unknown
state while lacking a major component hardly wets the appetite. Any
moderately discriminating buyer with $300 in his pocket might just want
to know why the compound is missing, and what does that tell him about
the rest of the machine?

Have you considered offering it to the nautical crowd on eBay, where it
could make itself useful as a boat anchor or, if sufficiently massive,
a mooring anchor? ;-)

Perhaps harsh, I realize, but with my ultra right-wing mentality, I
have to look back on all the bargain-basement priced lathes that I
wasted my time investigating, before I began to realize that well worn
and rust encrusted junk machinery is simply that, junk! This is
precisely why I was damn glad to be the top bidder on a 12" Atlas in
pristine condition for $1200+, and shipping on top of that. Even at
that price, I left only about $25 laying on the table!

Gunner, am I telling it accurately and like it is?

Kindest regards, Harry C.

I wonder Harry..how much a person could make by simply parting it out
on Ebay, or to someone with a badly worn Logan 14"?

Perhaps $300?

As to why the compound is missing, I dont have the slightest idea. It
came from a shop that used the large Logans to cut plastic with. Ive
already sold the complete ones for $1800 each, with no complaints from
the buyers. This being only missing the compound, an item that can
be stuck together from something off a Southbend etc etc carcass..I
figured it was a good deal. I guess I could part it out and sell the
slide and tailstock to one of the guys with a 14" Logan Chucker .
Seems carraiges go for about $300 and tailstocks for Logan 14s seldom
go for less than $150 on Ebay...usually more.. hummm I do have a
couple spare 14" tailstocks come to think of it as well. Then of
course there is the quick change gearbox and all the other frufrus
that are still on the lathe and apparently in decent condition.

But hey...Ive never sold a machine tool before to anyone, so us
newbies have to start somewhere. So what would you suggest is a fair
price? Or should I simply have the scrappers come and get it? Along
with the two Boyer Shutze surface grinders (free to whoever wants them
to fix up) and the working Hobart Cybertig 2 tig welder? ($200
obo..3ph, will run on a 10hp rpc)

You are absolutely correct. Since I only swapped the equivelent of
$1000 for the Hardinge HLV-H and the 1500 Clausing (total amount),
they should get me .30 a pound for scrap too. They were both sight
unseen when I made the deal.

And lets not mention all the Myford stuff that went sight unseen too.
Shrug

Respects

Gunner

Oh..I forgot to mention..I have a Logan (badged powercraft) 10" lathe,
bench top, back drive, complete...missing the compound crank. Some
wear in the crossfeed nuts, but other than that..pretty decent. I was
wanting $350 for it (belongs to a friend), but hey..I guess Ill simply
toss it into the scrab bin too.

Not that anyone would want photos, followed up by a road trip to
investigate it or the other stuff. Shrug..nah..no way. Sight
unseen..thats really bad news..old worn out stuff. I guess thats why
the local machine shop borrows tooling from me. They like old worn out
stuff. I send it in an unmarked box via mexican day laborer.

G

Gunner

"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire.
Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us)
off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give
them self determination under "play nice" rules.

Think of it as having your older brother knock the **** out of you
for torturing the cat." Gunner

In article , Gunner Asch says...

But hey...Ive never sold a machine tool before to anyone, so us
newbies have to start somewhere. So what would you suggest is a fair
price? Or should I simply have the scrappers come and get it?

What you are looking at is the difficulty of making any
money in the used machinery business. Sobel is closing
up shop little by little.

You would think given the complaints about how scare
used machinery is on this board, somebody would take
an interest in a $300 logan. But apparently quite
the opposite, eh?

If it were for free they would make half the lathe if
it were missing.

As a man once said, shrug.

Jim


--
==================================================
please reply to:
JRR(zero) at pkmfgvm4 (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com
==================================================

Gunner Asch wrote:
snip
Gunner, am I telling it accurately and like it is?

Kindest regards, Harry C.


I wonder Harry..how much a person could make by simply parting it out
on Ebay, or to someone with a badly worn Logan 14"?

Perhaps $300?

As to why the compound is missing, I dont have the slightest idea. It
came from a shop that used the large Logans to cut plastic with. Ive
already sold the complete ones for $1800 each, with no complaints from
the buyers. This being only missing the compound, an item that can
be stuck together from something off a Southbend etc etc carcass..

You know, Gunner, the more you talk about this 14" Logan...the more I'm
starting to want it! (but damn, you're far away)

--
Gary Brady
Austin, TX
www.powdercoatoven.4t.com

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.

Any tips on what to look for when buying a used lathe would be
appreciated. 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.


Thanks
Jon

I have a similar lathe with about the same tooling, but a
slightly different bench. I'd say he's asking about twice what
it's worth.

David

In the condition shown, I'd estimate the the value of the lathe and its
accessories to be somewhere between $1500 and $1750 dollars. Were it
me, I'd offer him $1500 for everything, and have the cash with me. A
few hundred one way or another doesn't bother me, however, I'd suggest
that in view of the wrench shown laying across the ways, you would be
well advised to check out the ways and the headstock bearing play very
closely.

If after close inspection, you can work out a purchase agreement with
the seller at the above price, you'll be getting a good lathe and
sufficient tooling and accessories to start doing real projects. The
accessories and tooling shown in the photo are on their own worth more
than $500.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

Harry C.





Harry C.

wrote:
In the condition shown, I'd estimate the the value of the lathe and its
accessories to be somewhere between $1500 and $1750 dollars. Were it
me, I'd offer him $1500 for everything, and have the cash with me.

Remember he said $3000 CND. I think you are talking USD here.

that in view of the wrench shown laying across the ways, you would be
well advised to check out the ways and the headstock bearing play very
closely.

That looks like a valuable (~$200 USD) milling attachment sticking out
of the box below. If that's an indication of the care he takes with
storage.....


If after close inspection, you can work out a purchase agreement with
the seller at the above price, you'll be getting a good lathe and
sufficient tooling and accessories to start doing real projects. The
accessories and tooling shown in the photo are on their own worth more
than $500.

I agree that it's very well tooled.
And Atlas lathes are good tools within their limitations. A very active
enthusiast community supports them. Check out the Atlas_Craftsman
Yahoo group.

Rex B

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

In article , Jon Elson says...

... You spend YEARS aquiring all the clamps, collets,
tool holders, chucks, centers, boring bars, etc.

Indeed. It's a mania. I've been searching for
'just the right toopost' for my hardinge second
op machine. Finally found it I think.

Does anyone else dream about this stuff? Drives
ya nuts it does.

Jim


--
==================================================
please reply to:
JRR(zero) at pkmfgvm4 (dot) vnet (dot) ibm (dot) com
==================================================

I have had the Atlas 10" version for 35 years. It's a good lathe, but,
as others have said, isn't as rigid as a south Bend, etc.. That simply
means that you may have to take 30 thou roughing cuts instead of 50 or
60 at a time. Also, this rigidity issue (at least for me) becomes a
bigger deal when using carbide tooling. I just recently dug out my HSS
cutters and reground a bunch of them to fit my AXA QC tool holders and
things are working much better.
The only thing I can add to all the other posts is that the hole
through the spindle IS slighlty OVER 3/4", so you can chuck up a 3/4" shaft.
If the 3 jaw chuck has a couple of thou runout, I would throw it
away and get a nice new 6" 3 jaw set-true style chuck and be done with
it. When I bought my Atlas lathe, I paid $125, with lots and lots of
tooling.

Pete Stanaitis
-------------------------------------------
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.

Any tips on what to look for when buying a used lathe would be
appreciated. 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.


Thanks
Jon

as others have said, isn't as rigid as a south Bend, etc.. That simply
means that you may have to take 30 thou roughing cuts instead of 50 or
60 at a time.

I use to own a 12 inch atlas. It could not take nearly as heavy a
cut as my 11 inch rockwell. The rigidity really limited interrupted
cuts; the machine would protest in many ways.

The only time I ever used carbide was turning cast iron flywheels.
That machine was just too flexable.

I bought and sold two 12 inch atlas lathes in the 1000 dollar range
depending on how much tooling was included.