Wooden lathe bed on iron legs, why?

[Dranreb]

Hi Folks, I have the original cast iron legs for my Atlas lathe, I want to use them in preference to the bench I use now to add mass, mounted directly onto the legs the lathe will be a little too low for me so I need to raise it 2 1/2" or so and fit a chip tray.

I have noticed a lot of lighter lathes have a wooden work top between the lathe and the legs, some lathes in the original Atlas factory pictures are shown mounted in this way with thick wood beams fitted, so can anyone answer the following:

1. What is the purpose of this, is it to damp out harshness whilst linking to the mass through the hold down bolts?

2. The tops of the legs have hardly been finished at all, and are quite uneven, is the wood able take this up being softer?

3. How does the lathe stay in level when fixed this way as wood moves and changes with the weather?

4. If I make a 2" metal spacer do I need to put softening between it and the legs?

5. Just one more, I need a chip/oil tray under my lathe, how do users with wooden worktops keep them clean?

Sorry to be so dumb, but I'm a bit mystified by it all.

Bernard

 

[FarFar]

Hello Bernard


Wood is no good.
Granite or concrete is .
Stiffness and mass is everything

Regards

Farfar

 

[george wilson]

Yes,wood is bad,but they either thought it looked cool,or it was cheaper than metal. Some turn of the century smaller lathes were mounted on real nice quartered oak cabinets,even fine lathes like Rivetts. But,these lathes we're so heavily built in themselves,they got away with it.

 

[Dranreb]

Thanks for the replies guys,

A couple of examples of wood under Atlas lathes mounted on similar legs to mine. However this one is a factory picture I believe, with a thick wooden beam, Atlas lathe..

http://www.lathes.co.uk/atlas/img53.gif

The pair of legs I have are very uneven on the top, and have no rigid cross bracing between them, only two fixing holes, plywood was on top I on top when I bought the lathe.

I will most likely make a metal spacer/tray as from what I read these lathes are often derided and need all the help they can get, but mine where cheap and good to learn on, which I like :thumbzup:

Bernard

 

[george wilson]

I think the OLD Atlas lathes are wonderfully artistic in their designs. Too bad they are just too light,and use a lot of die cast. My first lathe was a 12" Sears Atlas. I kept it for a year and made quite a few nice,smaller projects with it(while pulling my hair out!!). Then I discovered the new Jet Taiwan made(NOT CHINESE) imports,and got one. I didn't like the boxy casting designs,but it was rigid and very accurate.

All of the Atlas machines-shaper and milling machine- were beautiful in design. They must have had a designer with an artistic bent!!

In the time I first got my Sears,at $850.00,on sale,the price jumped to something like over $1200.00 in 1 year. I was able to sell it,still like new,to a motor rewinding shop. The Sears WAS really conceived as an armature lathe,by the way,and I got all my money out of it,versus the new catalog price,so all was well. By then,I had added milling attachment and other stuff,so they were glad to get it. My first Jet was about $1700.00 at that time(I might could have done better,if I knew about other dealers),but it was a great,heavy little lathe,vastly better. I could make in an hour what was a 10 hour job on the Sears,and be more accurate,too.Milling machine arbors for my #4 Burke took all day to make in the beginning,not including the collars.

 

[swatson144]

My 2¢.
Notice that the wood is actually butcher block type of construction which is much more stable than a plank or plywood. I'd have no problem at all using a 4" (actual thickness ~ 3 1/2") maple or oak top for your machine. I think it'll be so sturdy that if it did warp (unlikely) it'd raise a leg off the floor. Finish it well and put a commercial baking sheet under the lathe to catch swarf.

Steve

 

[george wilson]

If I recall correctly,the original plank that Atlas lathes were fitted to were varnished Douglas fir,so the butcher block is an improvement. I had mounted my first (Sears) lathe on a bunch of glued up and through bolted fir 2"X4"'s,which is still atop the heavy steel cabinet I had. If I had known better at the time,I'd have tried to get a heavy plate of steel,block of granite,or something else. That was long ago. I had thought of putting a sturdy block of steel under the center of the lathe bed,too(36" between centers).

That might have helped make the bed less bendy,but I'd have had to have suitable material UNDER that block,too. I like the granite block under the Boxford above!! The biggest problem would be to manage to securely bolt the lathe to it. Some heavy duty drilling and anchoring that would EQUAL in strength what rigidity the granite would provide would be in order. If not done strongly enough,the granite could be overkill,I'd think.

 

[Dranreb]

I agree with you on the look off these lathes George, and the wood adds to the look, more friendly somehow..which is swaying my judgment a little woodwards..

Steve, like the baking sheet/tray idea, but I have some metal shelving that is long enough and will work upside down.

So it seems opinions are divided and the Atlas idea of using wood has some merit, hmmm....:think1:


Bernard

 

[Dranreb]

Well, much as I like the look, wood is no longer the preferred option, I remembered that I have a spare worn bed that was among the stuff that came with my first Atlas lathe, just got to check it's still in the scrap pile and dig it out!

This bed is 3" shorter each end, but I can fit the feet to it, and as the ends of the ways are still true, bolt it under my new longer lathe, a chip/drip tray can be sandwiched between the feet and the legs.

Height works out about right, just a few holes to drill and job done and I reckon it will be as stiff and heavy as anyone could wish for..

Will post some pics when I have something to show.

Bernard

 

[george wilson]

I LIKE the look of the old wood in the Atlas stands,BUT,be sure it is not the best material!! If you could find a 1" or thicker plate of steel at a junk yard,or possibly even an "H" section large steel beam wide enough to accommodate your lathe feet,it would help a LOT. Might be a foot tall,though.