Next project: Craftsman 101.07301 6" lathe

[LX Kid]

It would appear that you probably do. Your 3rd, 7th and 8th photos are all show the carriage in place on the bed and the lead screw installed. The only way that those photos could have been made without the half nuts and the half nut guide being present would be to remove the lead screw, remove the half nuts and guide, and reinstall the lead screw without the half nuts and guide being present.

Be advised that when Atlas changed (widened) the half nuts from M6-12 to M6-12A they also changed (widened) the guide from M6-13 to M6-13A, According to the two 618 parts lists, That happened between 1945 and 1950, So unless the old and the new half nuts are the same size, you should have bought a new guide with the new half nuts as they are not interchangeable.

Thanks for that info. I'll have to look into that as soon as I can. When I bought the lathe the broken half nuts were in a box with other junk. Last night I disassembled the 3-jaw, cleaned and lubed everything and it works nicely now. I still seem to think that I remember seeing the guide but can't locate it anywhere so maybe it was just my imagination. LoL

 

[LX Kid]

This afternoon I disassembled the headstock and found a couple of problems. The spindle shaft journals have solid bronze bushings in both ends with no slit adjustment or hole in them for lubrication. The pulleys have been shimmed with a steel shim on the shaft and still has a little wobble. Someone has run a small screw in the bull gear and locked up the pin. Problem is that the screw head is fouled and I'll have to make a slot in it so I can back it out. I wonder if there are "new" bronze bushings for the pulley.

UPDATE @10pm : I was wrong about the screw on the bull gear. It was just a short screw someone had put in there for no reason. The tiny allen head screw down at the bottom, for ball and spring, seems stripped. I forced the locking pin out and found it buggard so I cleaned it up with a small file. I also ordered a used 4-groove pulley off ebay and hope it better than the one I have.
'

 

[LX Kid]

Cleaned and painted the headstock and tailstock this morning. Have an issue with the tailstock spindle locking pieces. They are frozen in their holes and am thinking the only thing I could do is drill them out and replace them. (Hopeing new parts can be found.) The locking screw is still in so I would only be able to drill out the top one and maybe pound the bottom one thru the bottom. Should I remove the spindle oil fills out of the supports and drill oil holes thru the bronze bushings. Oil has no way of getting to the spindle and is probably why the 4-pulley bushings wore out and was necessary to add shim stock. In that area of the spindle you can see where it wore becasue someone had added steel shim stock instead of brass.

 

[wa5cab]

A spindle normally rotates or in a few cases has a part that rotates around it. The internally threaded part with a 1MT taper in the left end is called a ram.

AFAIK, all of the bushings used in the various Atlas lathes are sintered bronze, commonly called oilite after the company that first made them. None have an "oil hole" because they do not need one. And none that I know of are split or slitted for adjustment. In particular, the two bushings in the spindle 4-step cone pulley and gear have an oil plug screw in the bottom of one of the belt grooves. It is NOT supposed to be threaded all of the way through. This hole is between the two bushings. The owner was supposed to remove this screw about weekly and inject some SAE 20 ND oil. If these bushings wear, they should have been replaced, not shimmed. If new bushings are a loose fit on the spindle, the spindle should be replaced.

The standard way to remove the tailstock ram locks is to first soak them with penetrating oil and attempt to use a hollow receiver and hex nut to draw them out. If that doesn't work, remove the tailstock from the tailstock base and confirm that the hole goes all of the way through. If it does, press them out the bottom. The upper and lower locks are also used on the 10", both 12" and the mill. When last I checked they were still available new.

 

[LX Kid]

After 4 hours of assembly and disassembly trying to make shims for the spndle plulley, "there is something wrong!!!!!!" See that darn belt? Some jerk forgot to put the belt on! (I know who that jerk is too. LoL)

Also I have one extra part that I can't find where it goes. It's a tiny little set screw. I checked all over the headstock amd don't see any holes where it should go. Spoke too soon. The set screw is for the spindle locking collar.

Well tomorrow is another day. "I'm tired and my fingers hurt!" Someone please give me some cheeze to go with my "whine!"

 

[LX Kid]

I've looked all over the web and can't find a clamp nut guide. If someone could draw me a picture with dimensions I could probably mill one.

 

[LX Kid]

If these bushings wear, they should have been replaced, not shimmed. If new bushings are a loose fit on the spindle, the spindle should be replaced.
The standard way to remove the tailstock ram locks is to first soak them with penetrating oil and attempt to use a hollow receiver and hex nut to draw them out. If that doesn't work, remove the tailstock from the tailstock base and confirm that the hole goes all of the way through. If it does, press them out the bottom.

Well the headstock bearings now have a lube hole, needed or not, and the spindle pulley is shimmed nicely. The top ram lock is flanged on top and has to come out the top when working properly.

 

[LX Kid]

I went back out and tried to put the belt on and everything went South on me so I punched out the old bushings. I decided to try my hand at reaming out bronze bushings. I ordered oversize bushings from Amazon. If the used one is still not a good fit I'll lathe down the that area of the spindle by .005" to clean up the damage. Bore out the pulley bore, ream and lathe down the bushings to fit bore as well as reaming the bushings to fit the spindle. I'm still waiting for my used pulley to arrive.

 

[wa5cab]

I once had an architect working for me as an ME who also thought that "lathe" was a verb like "mill" is. It may be in some languages but not in English.
You should call Clausing and see whether or not they still have the four bushings that fit the spindle. If not, ask them to send you the drawings.

 

[LX Kid]

I once had an architect working for me as an ME who also thought that "lathe" was a verb like "mill" is. It may be in some languages but not in English.
You should call Clausing and see whether or not they still have the four bushings that fit the spindle. If not, ask them to send you the drawings.

That was a great idea! I called and they had several of the parts I needed. Two important ones were the tailstock spindle locks and the clamp nut guide. Thanks