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Do any of you guys use a lathe that was sold by Sears as a Craftsman 101 6" metal lathe? They were made by Atlas from about the mid 40's until around 74 I think. I just purchased one and was wondering what you guys thought of 'em. I haven't attached a motor yet but it seems to be a solid little machine. Sure looks cool! God Bless, Louis | ||
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They are good light duty machines. lube them well and don't try to over speed it. Here some info Atlas lathe www.KLStottlemyer.com Deport the Homeless and Give the Illegals citizenship. AT LEAST THE ILLEGALS WILL WORK | |||
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A LOT of rifles have been built on Atlas and South Bend lathes. I know of a lot of good target rifles that were built on such machines. ----------------------------------------------------- Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you yourself will be just like him. Proverbs 26-4 National Rifle Association Life Member | |||
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My first lathe I owned was a 6" Atlas. You can't do essentially any barrel work or such on that machine, too small. Good for making firing pins, springs, screws, etc. The Atlas machines that Rub Line was referring to for gunsmithing are the 10 and 12 inch Atlas. I have one of them, and they're about entry level for doing any real gunsmithing. The manual change gears are a pain to use. About a half hour of messing around every time you want to change pitch or feed rate. Makes you understand quickly why quick change was invented. Good machine to play with and decide if you want to buy a bigger one. dave | |||
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Yep, and at the price most sellers ask for an Atlas you could have a machine w/o all those shortcomings. | |||
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I know this will sound negative but a little background. I spent 5 years running toolroom, engine lathes turret lathes, VTLs and vertical boring mills. I bought one of the Atlas 6" with a 3 jaw check. It made me think I had a lathe right up to the time I first tried to turn a piece of steel. It really was only suited for cutting case rims and such. If you got it at a decent price it is good for reloading tools and such, It is not too useful for threading or any serious gun work. | |||
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Thanks for the replys guys. I already have a 12" X 36" lathe in the shop for the big stuff but ran across this one and thought it would look cool in the basement. Can't tell its ever been run. All the acessories, manuals, are still in boxes. I just gave $90 for it so I will play with it on the light stuff. Be good for my 10 year old to learn a little on. It was just to cute to pass up. God Bless, and Happy New Year! Louis | |||
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I agree with SSDAVE, I had one years ago and found all the issues mentioned as well as a rather restrictive spindle bore. Be patient and use it within its limitations and you will be ok. After you have used it awhile, make a list of what is awkward and then keep your eyes open for an upgrade. Good Luck! | |||
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I've one that I have had for fourty years,doesnn't get much use as I have a jet 13x40 gearhead lathe that has all the bells and whistles.Still use it occassionally when making screws. Frank | |||
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I learned and started with an Atlas 10x24 that I bought from the estate of the local tinker/inventor/gunsmith. He had it and an old horizontal mill inside his house. I learned much, made a lot of chips with that Atlas and sold it for more than I paid for it. I will tell you that when I got a new machine with a gear box and quick change tool holder it was like the weight of the world lifted off your shoulder. | |||
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For $90, why not? You can't touch a Unimat for that money. TomP Our country, right or wrong. When right, to be kept right, when wrong to be put right. Carl Schurz (1829 - 1906) | |||
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