Found an old unmarked lathe

[matthewsx]

I have a 6" Craftsman/Atlas lathe that I have probably $500 into. It's a cute little thing but no where near as capable as my 9" Star, neither is what I would call great but both are probably better than I am.

If I were looking with what I know now, I would be shooting for 12" + swing, QCGB, 3+ hp, cam lock spindle, floor model that weighs at least 1500lbs. There are good used machines out there in the $4k range and new from $6k. Yes, that's more than I have into both of my machines put together but I would be confident of not needing more machine if I went with these specs.

There are new 10" machines out there for ~$2k that are probably about right for most hobby shops. Sure they will require some work to be as good as they can be but they come with a 3 jaw, 4 jaw, steady & follow rests, faceplate and all the change gears. Adding that stuff to a used machine that didn't come with it can easily push the cost over $2k.

Everybody has an opinion on what is the right thing but ultimately we all get to make our own decision about that. The only thing I know for sure is waiting and saving your money will get you a better machine whether you buy new or used....

John

 

[benmychree]

I have only seen one Atlas with noticeably worn ways. But I haver seen several Southbends with ways so worn, they are all but useless for doing anything longer then a few inches. Atlas lathes may be lower end, but often better cared for, and not used hard, and put away wet.

I think that those SB lathes have worked quite hard over their long lives, where the Atlases have been hiding in garages for the most part, a lot of the SBs have been working hard in production and training situations since before WW-2.

 

[Buffalo21]

My first Atlas was worn so bad, you could feel the dip in the ways, with you fingers, the carriage rattled under load. I bought whole new bed from Atlas/Clausing, that solved the way wear issues, but not all of the lathe problems. I found later the lathe was used in a production shop mode, with a tool post grinder, for a number of years.

 

[agshooter]

$250

 

[Shootymacshootface]

One concern is no graduations on the wheels to know how deep of a cut I’m taking or how much I’m moving on the crossfeed.

You just use a dial indicator between the apron and the cross slide.

 

[ericc]

This lathe is inferior to the aforementioned Star. I don't think it is worth $250. The lathe appears to have change gears and a lead screw, but no compound. Maybe if it is in great condition with a lot of tooling.

 

[Superburban]

I think that those SB lathes have worked quite hard over their long lives, where the Atlases have been hiding in garages for the most part, a lot of the SBs have been working hard in production and training situations since before WW-2.

Exactly, It just proves that Atlas/Craftsman lathes should not be snubbed for a hobbyist. I saw a 9" Atlas in an electric motor repair shop, that had been used several times a day since they bought it back in the 60's. You could see the wear in the ways, but it was still in great condition for their needs. I would not be surprised if they are still using it.

 

[matthewsx]

$250

You probably won't be hurt by it at that price, unless you drop it on you toe of course

Clearly the desire for a lathe is strong in you and if you're creative and persistent this one might work out. If not you can most likely get your money back out of it at a later date. As long as everything turns freely and there's no noticeable movement in the spindle I'd probably pick it up for that price. You're unlikely to find anything cheaper and sometimes it takes bringing something home to open up the door to something better.

For reference I paid $280 for this lathe.



Probably not the smartest purchase I've ever made but when ya gotta have a lathe you'll go to extreme measures sometimes.

So, go get it and be smart about how much money you put into it. Later on it might make a great toolpost grinding machine when you don't want to get grit into your "good" machine.

John

 

[Nogoingback]

That's a cool old lathe, and at that price might make an interesting addition to your shop if you already had a more modern parts making machine. As a first lathe, you can do better. Don't let the low price suck you in.

 

[Tim9]

That’s a quality lathe. It has four v-ways. But, it real old too. It would be a restoration project for me because I prefer newer machines with more capabilities. At least complete change gears and threading capabilities plus easy access to parts.