Newb with a rough Atlas 618

[SlippyRider]

Hello. I've recently purchased the Atlas 618 pictured here, along with all the accessories shown, except he change gears. I impulsively ordered them from eBay. I read somewhere that the Dunlap 109 and Atlas 618 change gears are the same, saw this 109 set for $55 and just bought 'em. Fortunately, it appears they are the same gears. Different part numbers cast into them, but same width and they mesh perfectly with the gears that came on the machine.


The compound tool slide suffered a boo-boo at some point. Looking into replacing that.

The back gear assembly appears to have a few extra screws in the shaft. Not sure what that's about. Maybe someone here knows?

I'll be disassembling and cleaning the whole unit, as i find time. I'm hoping to learn how to properly assess the condition of the various components, address any issues, replace what needs replaced, etc.

Any thoughts concerning getting the best bang for my buck in the refurbishing of this lathe and/or as relates to beginning to actually outfit it for a beginners use would be greatly appreciated.

Been bumbling around the site here for a bit. I have already benefited from, and would be excited and grateful for any further suggestions, comments or opinions from the forum members here. Thank you.

 

[OTmachine]

Headstock oiler missing and hole plugged. Possible bad bearing from lack of lubrication. Could make a new bolt on compound T-nut slot, milling off top and bolting on from bottom side. A bit of work ahead, but salvageable.

 

[SlippyRider]

In the pictures, It looks like dirt in the oiler hole, but I'm fairly sure it's felt, and it looks soaked with oil. Hopefully the oiler was just knocked off while being moved around in storage. Guess I won't know till I take it apart, really. This machine looks to have been used primarily by an adolescent cro-magnon, it's good to hear someone say it's worth fixing up.

 

[pontiac428]

It looks like it's all there. Not too bad of a project to clean up, and you will end up with a working lathe as a result.

You can certainly pick up a new compound (top slide) on eBay from someone parting out one of these plentiful lathes. The parts tend to be reasonable and widely available.

Despite their size and mass limitations, the Atlas lathes run and work just like the real thing; you can learn much of what you need to know for running any lathe on one.

 

[Asm109]

Put it together, lube it up and start making chips. Learn if this lathe will make the kind of things you want to make.
You might just learn its not the lathe for you and you can let it go down the road to the next owner while you find a better fit.
Of course, it might be perfect and then its worth the effort to cherry it out.

 

[SlippyRider]

I appreciate the encouragement, thank you.
My garage is a horrible mess and I've quite alot of work in cleaning and organizing before I begin the disassembly process with this lathe. I want a clean and orderly space dedicated to the task.

So far as the specific work I expect to do with this lathe; mostly I expect to be fabricating bushings, threaded fittings and the like. But I would be thrilled with any skill acquired in its competent use.

I'm sure it'll come in handy for many basic gunsmithing and VW diesel rabbit tasks.

 

[sdelivery]

I think you have a great project. Clean the pics out of it and keep it together. Make a list prioritize the list and attack one issue at a time.
Even the worst lathe can make a good part and any running lathe is better than no lathe.
This is the kind of lathe that you can find and afford parts and accessories.

 

[SlippyRider]

That's excellent! I had been thinking on building a lathe. My wife, for Father's day, bought me David Gingerys combined 7 book hard cover on building a machine shop from scrap. It is very interesting, got me thinking hard about starting casting too. I already cast my own bullets, so why not? Now I'm thinking, once I get a furnace fabbed up, my first casting project should be a set of 618 change gears.
I started leisurely shopping FB marketplace and found this lathe about a 20 minute drive away for $125. Figured, if nothing else, I could fiddle with it and learn something. Pretty sure i fell down the rabbit hole. I really did not anticipate the depth of complexity necessary in operating a lathe. I am finding myself undeterred and a bit obsessed now.

 

[Aaron_W]

As mentioned these lathes have quite a bit of support, parts can be fairly easily found on Ebay, and Clausing still offers some parts support, and can provide drawings where they don't have parts.

I have a Craftsman branded Atlas 6x18" and for the size I think it is a nice little lathe. It is basically a scaled down version of Atlas's larger lathes, so learning to run it will easily transfer to a larger lathe if you out grow it.

You can get 3D printed change gears fairly inexpensively, and if you have a 3D printer you might even be able to find the files to make your own. Apparently the plasic gears work well, and are a cheap option vs original cast metal.

I also found the 3D printed spindle lock quite useful for removing a stubborn chuck stuck on the spindle. It meshes with the back gear, but the printed plastic should fail before the gear reducing the chances of damage to your back gear.

Just one as an example, I am not advocating for this particular seller

Spindle lock


I have a lot of the Gingery books. I like the way he explains things. I find them useful, even if I never make one thing he has in the books, they are useful just for the way it makes you think about things.

 

[SlippyRider]

As mentioned these lathes have quite a bit of support, parts can be fairly easily found on Ebay, and Clausing still offers some parts support, and can provide drawings where they don't have parts.

I have a Craftsman branded Atlas 6x18" and for the size I think it is a nice little lathe. It is basically a scaled down version of Atlas's larger lathes, so learning to run it will easily transfer to a larger lathe if you out grow it.

You can get 3D printed change gears fairly inexpensively, and if you have a 3D printer you might even be able to find the files to make your own. Apparently the plasic gears work well, and are a cheap option vs original cast metal.

I also found the 3D printed spindle lock quite useful for removing a stubborn chuck stuck on the spindle. It meshes with the back gear, but the printed plastic should fail before the gear reducing the chances of damage to your back gear.

Just one as an example, I am not advocating for this particular seller

Spindle lock


I have a lot of the Gingery books. I like the way he explains things. I find them useful, even if I never make one thing he has in the books, they are useful just for the way it makes you think about things.

I was wondering about those spindle locks. They're very inexpensive, and if they help save a gear, it sounds like a no brainer.

I admire Gingery for his extreme DIY attitude.
Also, his books are seriously well written. There's a hint of philosophy in there, if you read between the lines. I was very pleasantly surprised when I cracked into them. Like you said, even if I never build anything in them, they're worth reading.