- Joined
- May 19, 2015
- Messages
- 18
Wouldn't I need a torch to do that? If so, that's something I don't have, nor have I ever brazed or welded anything (other than soldering wires).
-Matt
-Matt
-
Welcome back Guest! Did you know you can mentor other members here at H-M? If not, please check out our Relaunch of Hobby Machinist Mentoring Program!
My First Lathe, But It Needs Some Work, Where To Start?
- Thread starter Matthew Nelson
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2011
- Messages
- 4,142
About HSS steel bits softening from heat: That isn't going to happen. HSS can be well above red hot and still cut steel. There used to be an old South Bend lathe advertisement. It showed an welding torch heating a HSS lathe tool red hot while it still cut steel in the lathe. Actually,the ad was for the virtues of HSS,not the lathe. HSS is TEMPERED at 1000 degrees after being hardened.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2011
- Messages
- 4,142
Check the nuts that the crossfeed and compound screws thread through. Those nuts can get loose and cause a lot of backlash in the parts. If they are tight,look at the teeth of the threads in the center of their length. Worn Acme threads are noticeably thinner where they are worn. Some Acme threaded rod stock will be accurate enough to make new threads from. The nuts,you will have to find on Ebay,where Atlas lathes are always being taken apart and sold as parts. They get more money out of a lathe that way.
I didn't realize they were made of Zamac but yes you can use http://www.harborfreight.com/8-piece-low-temperature-aluminum-welding-rods-44810.html .
I'd cut out a piece biger at the bach the the teeth your replacing. Make it big enough to have a little press. I'd also push everything into clay to hold it in place & help hold the tempture in. You need a propane tourch to weld it. You could probably get by with a butane tourch like this http://www.harborfreight.com/micro-torch-42101.html .
I'd cut out a piece biger at the bach the the teeth your replacing. Make it big enough to have a little press. I'd also push everything into clay to hold it in place & help hold the tempture in. You need a propane tourch to weld it. You could probably get by with a butane tourch like this http://www.harborfreight.com/micro-torch-42101.html .
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2011
- Messages
- 4,142
The best thing and the easiest thing to do is find the gears on Ebay.
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2011
- Messages
- 310
I'd vote for just buying the back gear, too. They are pretty cheap and plentiful on eBay. Yeah, you could repair the one you have, but it's not a job for a beginner. Get the lathe running with as little effort as possible so that you can start using it and learning. Save the broken back gear and down the road if you want to try repairing it, you can.
On the other hand, those handles can easily be made and would be a great learning project.
On the other hand, those handles can easily be made and would be a great learning project.
- Joined
- May 3, 2015
- Messages
- 26
A couple things I notice... the comment about "I've never done anything that complicated in my life"... I just went through mine, also my first lathe, and though not complicated, there are a lot of little parts on this guy, and while the parts manual is a great help, it's no step by step shop manual. Go slow, take lots of pictures. If you've ever rebuilt a carburetor you'll be fine.
The second is that one of your missing handles is in your back gear- that lever is actually from your compound wheel not lost.
As much as you may be lusting to get into that headstock, I'd start with all the other parts fist to get yourself accustomed to the type of 1930's engineering you'll be encountering- go through your tailstock first, then clean and rebuild the compound, then dive into the headstock, paying special attention the three spring loaded detent balls you don't want to lose- one is between the headstock casting and the round disk which holds the back gear lever, one is in the larger gear on engagement pin (not an issue until after you have removed the gear for cleaning and are disassembling it) and the third is in the casting of the headstock itself under the indexing pin. When you tap the indexing pin out to clean it, just be aware there is a spring loaded ball under there.
The second is that one of your missing handles is in your back gear- that lever is actually from your compound wheel not lost.
As much as you may be lusting to get into that headstock, I'd start with all the other parts fist to get yourself accustomed to the type of 1930's engineering you'll be encountering- go through your tailstock first, then clean and rebuild the compound, then dive into the headstock, paying special attention the three spring loaded detent balls you don't want to lose- one is between the headstock casting and the round disk which holds the back gear lever, one is in the larger gear on engagement pin (not an issue until after you have removed the gear for cleaning and are disassembling it) and the third is in the casting of the headstock itself under the indexing pin. When you tap the indexing pin out to clean it, just be aware there is a spring loaded ball under there.
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2014
- Messages
- 8,851