Is The Lathe In This Cl Ad Worth It?

gearhead

gearhead

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I hope I've posted in the right place. Please do move this if I've made a mistake.

Speaking of mistakes, the first lathe I ever purchased was one, and I'm not looking to do that twice in a row. So I found this on Craigslist, and I'm hoping y'all might tell me if it's a fair deal or not, or at least if I should even bother looking at it (It's about an hour drive, so I'd rather not waste the time/gas if it's not!).

The ad says it's a 6" Atlas, but it has a 36" bed. Did they make such a small swing on a bed that long? I haven't seen any in the online references I've looked up, and even though that last photo is pretty lousy, it looks like it's bigger than 6". I'm the new guy, though, so I'm all kinds of wrong with identification often.

Linke: http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/tls/5204640190.html

Thanks so much for your help!
 
It looks like a 10" Atlas. It has the original Atlas legs and also looks like an armature turning attachment. It also has a quick change tool post on it. From the small pictures it looks like it should be worth the asking price.
 
From the condition in the pictures it looks like a good deal.
Be sure to ask about all those other tools he says are for sale. You can never tell what might be hiding in a old box of "junk".
***G***
 
Looks like a a 10x36 or a 12x36. I have one of these and it has served me well for 30 years, but they do have limitations. The hole through the headstock is only .75", and being a light weight machine you can't take real heavy cuts (that has never been a big deal to me).

Some things I don't see that I consider essential is a 4 Jaw chuck and a steady rest. If these two items aren't included, keep in mind that they could cost you several hundred dollars.

In my opinion, it is a good deal if it runs well, isn't excessively worn, and has a four jaw and a steady. It is an okay deal if it doesn't have the latter two items.

For a last thought, you have to determine if this lathe can handle the type of work you want to do. That really should be the primary consideration. I've done a lot of good work with mine but recently replaced it with a heavier machine with a larger hole through the headstock.
 
Check with the seller. He may be reporting the radius of the swing (customary in Europe), rather than the diameter (customary in the US). It kinda looks like a 12" swing (6" radius) in the photos.

+1 on asking about on the 4-jaw and steady rest. Also check that all 3 "outside" jaws for the 3-jaw are there in the blue tool box. Other than that, nothing looks like a deal killer.
 
It does have a quick change gearbox. That is very important unless you enjoy fiddling around with re arranging gears for every thread you want to cut. Yes,it looks worth it. But,be advised,it is a VERY LIGHT lathe that you will take several times longer to accomplish something on. If you are just hobbying around,that might not matter. The pot metal half nuts will wear out. You can still find them on Ebay. I used to change mine every 6 months,IIRC,but it has been a long time. Atlas was my first lathe.

This is an older model Atlas I am not an Atlas expert,so I can't tell you if it is one of those which has an even thinner bed than the later ones that have thicker,but still inadequately rigid beds.

Atlas lathes are popular with hobbyists because they were cheaper than South Bends and other lathes. But also,they weigh less,and hobbyists are often afraid of weight. I was when I got my first Jet lathe at about 600#. But now,I have moved 8000# machines by myself with no trouble since I know how.
 
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Gearhead,
If you look in the classified section I have some machines for sale. (Machines for sale). One is a Sears/ Atlas lathe. It is in fair to good condition. It comes with a lot of tooling; collets, 3-jaw chuck, 4-jaw chuck, drill chuck and a lot of other stuff. I'm asking $300.00. That is negotiable.
I am located northwest of Chicago.

Bill
 
Up my way a lathe with that capacity for $500 is a good deal....even without a 4-jaw chuck.
In fact it looks immediately useful, unlike most of the used equipment around here.

My first lathe was pretty worn-out when I got it. I was never able to do what I wanted with it. However I look back now on it as great worthwhile lesson.
I learned a lot about what wears, why and how to (try to) work around it.

Here's a couple good references for evaluating lathes:
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/how-to-select-and-buy-a-metalworking-lathe.25974/
http://www.mermac.com/advicenew.html

-brino

EDIT: also check all the teeth on all the gears you can see, including the quick-change gear box, take a flashlight and mirror, the gear box is likely open on the bottom.
 
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Thank you, gentlemen, for all the help. I've been watching videos on Youtube and reading up to learn this stuff, but there's a lot to learn! I have emailed the seller and asked the questions you have suggested.

As for usage, George Wilson brings up a good point, and maybe you can help me determine how I should classify my usage. I do kinetic metal art, and it seems to me like it is going to become increasingly necessary for me to either repair or fabricate parts for the mechanisms I want to create. There have been several times I have wanted to create a bushing or a collar, and recently I needed to turn down a 1/4" shaft about .005" just to get parts to fit together. I like to use stainless. This is all sounding like "hobby" to me, but I also know that once you have a lathe and start learning what it can do, then you start wanting to do more. I need to make pieces so that I can create drive mechanisms using things like oddball or mismatched gears and/or pulleys, chain drives, motor-driven mechanisms and things of that nature. Most of my mechanical movements are very low speed. I've yet to use a motor that turns faster than 6rpm.

Here is a piece I made that may give you a rough idea of the sort of pieces I might want to fabricate. The drive for this particular piece was an issue. I had to have someone fabricate a connecting collar between the motor and the sprocket shaft due to space constraints. I also had wanted to use different sprockets, but there was a mismatch issue with the motor shaft size versus the sprocket shaft hole size and that sort of thing. Would have been nice to have been able to turn up some of my own bushes to make the sprockets fit.


Thanks to all for the advice. I appreciate you helping me avoid costly mistakes! Just last night I was looking at a different Atlas in someone's shop that I wanted to put a down payment on, and after checking here I realized it was a pretty bad deal.
 
It is a 10" not a 12" because of the compound. You should have no problem doing the things that you stated you desired to do with it. Even if it is worn doing small items like bushings and couplings shouldn't be a problem. Also even without the 4 jaw and steady rest with the quick change gear box and Atlas legs it is still a good deal. If you don't plan on doing any generator/starter repair you could sell the mica under cutter and us the money to buy one of the items if they are missing. I have a Craftsman 12" by atlas and also do a lot of stuff with stainless and you shouldn't have a problem with this lathe. There is a learning curve for working with stainless which I am still working on.
 
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