I'm making a CAD model of my Atlas 618 and need some help

[mvagusta]

Are you asking about color or brand of airbrush gun?

Because short of a total strip and taking it to the local low rider shop, you'll never be satisfied with the finish. There's bumps and pit and all manner of inclusions throughout. And like a car, the brighter and shinier the color and coating, the more these stand out. It's designed to always be, and therefore look, industrial. Flat finish is probably the way to go, but to each his own.

I think i've seen machines (including Atlas lathes) in about every color there is. So it's out there if you want it. But you know what else is out there, more than any other color? Gray. Sure, there's 50 shades of gray <snicker> but it all comes out gray. Why does it end up that way? It's not because these guys lack imagination or designer taste. It's just gray seems to hold up over time.

Certainly you (and others) are welcome to be the exception. Always up for seeing whatever a guy ends up with... that he enjoys.

Mostly, I am asking about preparation (how do I keep the unpainted surfaces from rusting while the paint is curing?), and source of industrial machine paint. I started out doing the low-tech stuff in my dad's shop, like sweeping up chips and cleaning the machines. Every so often my dad would decide a machine needed to be cleaned and repainted, so I would clean it, light sand the painted surfaces, clean it with TSP to get a mild etch, and then carefully brush paint it. I don't remember what brand of paint it was, whether it was latex or petroleum based. It was semi-gloss and thick, and when it was dry it was very hard. I don't care about the roughness of the casting surfaces or the grinding marks from removing the sprues and casting lines, that is part of what the machine is. I am looking for a hard paint that is fairly thick in application and will not flake off later. I find that the paint on the lathe I have, which was applied by a previous owner, scrapes off rather easily if a tool is dropped or dragged on it, and it dissolves in biodegradable SuperClean degreaser if left in there for an hour or more. So I guess I am looking for a brand of industrial machine paint that is tough and long-lasting.

 

[Mill Lee farm]

But you know what else is out there, more than any other color? Gray.

There’s also re-sale to consider.
I think gray is similar to some neutral shade of white on the interior walls if your house. seems to sell your house better.

Some shade of gray seems to be the go to for machines. You can paint it whatever color you like, but John Deer green and yellow may not be attractive to buyers in the future.

What paint to use is another rabbit hole. A good paint with a hardener (ex: automotive) is probably best but not everyone is capable of that. Plus that paint is $$$

Some like basic Rustoleum because machine paint gets chipped and worn in use. Real easy to touch up out of a Rustoluem can.

 

[mvagusta]

Here’s the rocker on my Craftsman

Thanks for the excellent photos. It was helpful to have images from different angles, too, and there was enough info to allow a reasonably accurate model to be made. Close enough.

 

[Mill Lee farm]

That is definitely impressive! Great work!
So is that photo/measurement ability built into SolidWorks or are you using different software for that process?

Someday I’ll start on my journey of learning Fusion 360…..

 

[mvagusta]

The version of SW you have has the ability to pull an image into a sketch so that it can be drawn upon, but apparently it was not possible to scale the image until 2014. The feature is called "Sketch Picture" and can be found under Tools\Sketch Tools\Sketch Picture. I discovered it online in the process of figuring out how to model the castings.

 

[Mill Lee farm]

Very cool... Someday I'll make some time to begin leaning. A quick search shows that Fusion 360 apparently has that fuctionality as well.

 

[WobblyHand]

FreeCAD has a similar capability. Used it to create a set of plans for a book tree shelf unit, from a photo.

 

[romanjcg]

Why am I doing this? A number of reasons. I have loved machines since before I could talk. My first word was "wheels." My working life was spent inventing on demand and designing machines, tooling, and assembly/manufacturing processes. My father was a machinist with his own shop and I grew up making things with my hands and doing work for my dad. I am using my father's micrometers, dial calipers, machinist scales, squares, and other measurement tools, most of which are older than the lathe, and that is pleasant because I think of him often.

I was given this lathe and it was missing some parts so I started joining groups like this, trying to find out more about the lathe and what parts were needed and how to acquire them. I noticed that there was a fair number of people wanting to know dimensions for things like the pulleys.

So I thought I would get a seat of Solidworks, model the lathe, create drawings of things that people might make for themselves, and learn something about the machine in the process. And have fun. Eventually I hope to get into 3D printing and create and test STL files so that people can make parts that might function if they were made out of plastic. I know folks have already done the change gears and put them on sites like Thingiverse. Maybe they have done the other parts, also. I plan to go that route anyway because I think it will be fun.

It has been a blast so far. Besides the modeling, there is also pleasure in documenting a machine that was first sold in the form that I have in 1939 and was produced unchanged for almost 40 years. How many products can we think of that have been on the market for that long with undergoing significant design changes? And many of the parts have features that were hand-ground and when I am measuring them it brings to mind that quite some time ago some person held this in their hands and shaped this part. So the modeling process feels like it's preserving a piece of history and honoring those who designed and manufactured it for all those years. I know, that's a bit out there, but it is another one of the reasons I enjoy doing this.

Great work sir! So are you willing to share? (fingers crossed).

 

[mvagusta]

Great work sir! So are you willing to share? (fingers crossed).

Thank you. You aren't the first person who asked me about whether or not the 3D models of the Atlas 618 will be shared. The short answer is yes, I intend to share.

But not at the moment. I plan on releasing 3D models at the end of the process I am going through and there is still quite a bit more work to be done before that happens. There are four steps in the process.

1. Create the basic model. Almost done. ( See the images below )
2. Check for fits and interferences in the assemblies and correct. Just started.
3. Create drawings of selected parts and assemblies and release to the public domain.
4. Release 3D models and tested models for 3D printing.

This project was started in late January and I have spent between 400 and 500 hours during the winter months working on it. Now that spring is here I will have less time to devote to this because of landscaping, painting, and various home maintenance items that couldn't be done in winter. Also there is family life, motorcycle riding, hiking, fishing, and backpacking on the agenda.

It probably seems like it would be a simple thing to release the models now, but I have quite a bit of experience doing this kind of thing and have learned that releasing models and drawings early creates a great deal of chaos and thrashing, which takes the form of dealing with revisions, questions about why something doesn't fit, pressure to finish updates, and so on. Which is unpleasant for me. If that happens I won't be having fun and I won't want to work on it anymore.

It is not clear at this point how to share, either. Right now there are 194 solid models in the assembly and by the time it is complete there will be over 200. That's 200 3D model files, and if half of those were shared in drawing form that would be 100 more, and if a quarter of them were shared for 3D printing that would add 50 to the total. Any way I look at it there will be hundreds of files. And a need for revision control. As far as I can tell, none of the hobby and vintage machinery groups that I belong to are set up for this sort of thing. So I don't know how I will actually go about the sharing. But for now, I am not worrying about it. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

So this is a long way of saying that the sharing of models is coming but a ways off.

 

[Mill Lee farm]

Personally, I agree with your theory on releasing after its finished and vetted.
I also think this could be a great resource for the future and it will only get completed if you continue to enjoy it!!! So do what feels right for you!

If you need any more parts info/details from a fellow 618 (Craftsman) owner let me know!