I'll just take this one part off...

David Pollard

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Hi Everyone,
I just thought I'd look into the problem with the free play with my longitude slide wheel. (Atlas V42 10F)

I had about 1/4 turn of free play and it seemed like the little gears were just engaged by the end of the teeth.

After investigating how to get apron off I realised I needed to remove the lead screw.
I figured what have I got to loose so out it came and sure enough the apron came off after removing just the two Philips head screws on the top.

The amount of crap behind the apron was amazing but I managed to clean it up OK and at least I know what magic goes on behind there now.

Unfortunately I found a multitude of problems.

The Gear Case (10F-11) has been smashed and there is a fudge up of home made bits holding it together.
Strangely when I refitted it just the way it was most of the free play is now gone.

Unfortunately there is a bronze bevel gear with a missing tooth that is part of the cross slide power feed.
It is a bit hard to read my parts list but it looks like a 341-05p (not sure if that is a p or 9 on the end)
The cross feed was working but I think it just jumps the missing tooth by a hair.

Removing the lead screw from the feed reversing gear box meant that I needed to pull that apart as well before I could refit the lead screw.
I found a similar amount of crap hidden in there. I managed to clean that out as well but the Yoke (9-59) has also been smashed and a fudged up welded thing has taken it's place. The feed lever has a had a couple of new v notches carved in the case which I guess is due to the welded up yoke not being the correct size but the little pin doesn't hold the lever in place. It pops out of gear after a minute or two which will pretty much stop me from ever doing any screw cutting unless I figure out how to fix it. It appears that the little key in between the reversing gear and the lead screw can slide along the shaft and snag on the bevel gear which may be where I'm feeling some of the crunchiness. It is really hard to tell what is going on in that little reversing box and behind the apron once it is assembled.

Just to top it off while re-assembling the lead screw it appears that the two lock nuts on the opposite end have been stripped. They just spin around and never tighten or come off.

With the screw and gears all reassembled it is just a bit crunchy. I'd hoped it would be nice and smooth now that it is all clean. I removed the change gears from the end of the lathe leaving a large 128 tooth gear attached directly to the lead screw. I can spin it around but I'm really not happy with the way it feels.

I think I have kicked a hornets nest and am concerned if I'll be able to get it back into working shape now. :(

Any hints and advice appreciated.

Thanks
David
 
I don't think there is any one, quick answer.

The way I would approach this is,
How much of the repair work requires skills you have?
Can you purchase replacement parts?
Is the cost reasonable?
How much time do you want to spend repairing the lathe compared to using the lathe?

If the repairs are too expensive it's probably not within your means to replace it and sell the lathe as a project to someone else. But it might be helpful to think it through that way.

I got myself into a project lathe. The rotary phase converter cost me $700. Unless the remainder of the repairs are minimal, this is going to end up costing more than selling the lathe as is (not running) and applying the difference toward a new lathe. But then I wouldn't have a working Monarch 10EE. Or so I tell myself.

Walt
 
I would bet that you could find parts that arent too expensive. or you might find a donor lathe and amke one good lathe out of 2 bad ones. I think you did the right thing by opening it up and finding out the problem. A tool that you can't use is useless.
 
Hi David, unfortunately it seems that you've got most of the common Atlas problems in one go, those parts do tend to suffer from chip damage, My first Atlas was the same..

Most parts can often be found on eBay if you are patient, but unless you're very lucky buying another cheap breaker lathe means that you just end up with more of the same damaged parts.

The lathe should be usable (no thread cutting) without the power feeds if you fit new lead screw end nuts.

The carriage traverse wheel is usually a bit floppy on a worn lathe but can work like that for ages, I made a crank handle to fit the LH end of the lead screw so it could be turned by hand for fine feeding until I got some spares organized.

Don't give up on it if the machine is otherwise good, there are plenty of Atlas owners on here to advise as you get it sorted..

Bernard
 
Just a thought..... Once as the world began , the answer was to file a suitable groove where the broken tooth was; file up a new one to fit the groove not too tightly,put in with JBWeld(clean, very clean) then adjust the tooth shape to smooth passage probably caught lump between teeth. BLJHB
 
Thanks for the encouragement!
Here is a couple of pics of how the apron looked before and after I cleaned it.
You can see the broken Gear Case Assembly and the fudge up job to fix it. I guess as that is kind of working I'll leave that repair until last.

I don't have pics of the other broken bits at the moment. The gear with the missing tooth in the bronze one on the right hand side. The missing tooth must be at the back. I hadn't noticed it at the time when I took the picture.

I live in Australia and "Out of Town" so it is a bit of an expense to ship anything from the US. It adds about $60-$100 to the shipping when buying stuff on eBay.

I like the old lathe and really only want to use it for fixing stuff around the farm. I have already used it to assist in fixing up an old Tractor Back Blade. Pictures also attached. The part I turned is the Tee shaped locking mechanism. The old locking mechanism was a hunk of angle iron held on with fencing wire. :)

I am a Fitter and Turner that took 30 years off to work in IT :) so I have the skills to make bits. However I don't have a Mill at the moment but I'm handy with a file!

Being in the country I can't get bar stock easily to make bits out of. I still haven't figured that one out yet. Some eBay sellers have crazy process on bar stock.

It took me ages to find this lathe being not to big to get in the box trailer and not to small to actually do useful work. (and not too far to drive to pick it up)
I think I'll stick with it and try and fix it up without spending a bomb on it.

Now I just got to talk the wife into me needing a milling machine with a dividing head.:)
She already knows that a lathe makes round things (mostly) Now I just need to explain about making flat or square things.

I sent an email to Clausing as I have heard here that they stock some parts. Didn't get a response so I'm not holding my breath.

I'll work at it and post again here if I get stuck.

Thanks
David

Apron-Before.jpg Apron-After.jpg IMG_0627.jpg IMG_0692.jpg IMG_0597.jpg
 
I saw this on fleabay LINK, it may be what you need. Though I think is very over priced.

Terry
 
There have ben a very clever fellow Australian named 12 bolts I Think,that improved a southend immensely.
He removed the leadscrew ridning mitre gear completely,and drive the rest of the geartrain with a small Electric engine.
Leadscrew is for threadcutting only.Feed rates transversale and longitudinal is controled by a potentiometer,like in A Real lathe like Schaublin or Hardinge.
I cannot find the link and cannot remember if it was here or there.Please help.It has some Nice pictures.
 
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I saw this on fleabay LINK, it may be what you need. Though I think is very over priced.

Terry

They look like most of the bits I need. The bevel gear I have with the tooth missing isn't there I don't think.

I have to figure out yet if it is my Lead Screw that is stripped on the tail stock end or if it is only the lock nuts. That probably needs solving first.

Thanks for finding this for me. It is a little over prices especially once I add delivery on to it assuming he is willing to do international shipping.
 
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