help getting lathe up and running?

[packrat]

putt-rite is that lathe a 10 inch.? If it is, and it looks like 10 inch lathe to me. I have the parts list for that lathe,
it could be of help putting it back together. I found the lathe manual {craftsman} also..email me [email protected]

 

[Putt-Rite]

I'd follow the idea above to mount the bed wherever you want it, try to get it level, and then start bolting things to it (finger tight) to see if everything is there. The only awkward thing is likely to be the belt between the spindle and the countershaft - if it's a normal endless belt, changing it with everything together will be a pain in the neck, so have look at it first or decide to use a T-link (split-able) belt. I guess I'd have a feel at the headstock bearings first too, and take any play out before going much further.

Once it's all together, folks here will advise on setting up jibs and seeing how true it turns.

Okay I'll get it bolted down and be back...give me a few days it's so humid here I hardly can get anything done...

One question, my bench has a 3/4 plywood top, I think it measures 2' x 4', will that be stiff enough or should I fab up a square tube frame for the bed to sit on?

 

[almega]

I had a stuck chuck on my "new" Logan and I was able to get it un-stuck without involving gears or wedging the shaft as follows: I managed to get the chuck unstuck by making a left hand threaded shaft to put through the head stock with nuts on both ends. I put a piece of 1-1/2 hex stock in the chuck and then I took very long breaker bars and a 3 pound hammer to it. I had soaked it good with Kroil for a week and after about 5-6 good whacks, it came loose with no damage. Now I keep anti-seize on the threads and have had no further issues.

For your bench top, you could double up the thickness with another piece of 3/4 to make it more rigid and that should be sufficient for your purposes. Just level everything up once the lathe bed is mounted.

Good luck. Looks like a fun project.

 

[RM-MN]

Okay I'll get it bolted down and be back...give me a few days it's so humid here I hardly can get anything done...

One question, my bench has a 3/4 plywood top, I think it measures 2' x 4', will that be stiff enough or should I fab up a square tube frame for the bed to sit on?

The plywood will be plenty stiff enough if you put it on a smooth concrete floor. Any time you raise it off the floor the plywood will need some support. How you support it is important. It could be wood (better for dampening vibration but not as ridgid) or steel (stiffer than wood but doesn't absorb vibration as well) or some other material. Where you support it is even more important. Look at the lathe and see where it will meet the plywood. Supports need to go under there.

 

[Aerostar55]

Yeh I need help with what to do first, then second...I want to do just one step at a time though.

Awfully hot and humid here in New England, so I'd probably only be able to do one step per day/session...

Oh good it looks like I can cut-and-paste here after all...

Every website is different...

here's where I quit working on it. I wanted to get the chuck off but it wouldn't budge. I'd read of people breaking gears by jamming them and using force to unscrew the chuck so I thought I'd better stop fooling with it so I don't break something, and never restarted working.

I do believe all the parts are there for it. The motor works. I have some mechaical abilities, poor spelling, woodworking skills, and can solder wires etc.

View attachment 103850

Great project! You will be happy with that lathe when you get it going. I had to Assemble and wire up my South Bend. Had to build a bench first but it was worth it!

 

[Putt-Rite]

I had forgotten I did make a double 3/4 plywood top for my bench and doubled up on the 2 x 4 frame too...

Picked up a length of 5/16 allthread, nuts, and washers to hold it down.

Hopefully I can get on it Monday or Wednesday (Tues is out, too busy).

 

[DJP]

Consider stiffening the bench with diagonal supports on the back legs or a full backing of plywood. It helps a lot.

 

[dkwflight]

Look up mrpete222 on youtube.
He has a whole lot of vids, some on the Atlas/ craftsman lathes.

 

[TSutrina]

Anybody want to help me get started with my lathe? It's a WWII vintage (far as I know) Craftsman model that I *think* was used for war production. I *think* that is.

I've been a member here for too long without starting a steam engine. I have a bucket foundry and have done a few pours, so can make chunks for turning.

I've had my lathe for ages but never turned it on. I have an extra set of gears for it. I need to do some assembling and stuff.

I'll post pics in a little bit.

You have an Atlas lathe. youtube trpete222 Tubalcain has a full series on this lath family rebuilding and using it. he has the 12 inch model but the 10 inch is almost identical Good luck

 

[Putt-Rite]

Okay I loosely bolted the bed to the bench. DJP recommended diagonals and I tired sliding the bench out but it is pretty dang heavy...here's a pic of the detail of the corners I use, a bit of allthread with a bit of broom handle dowel cut in half, pulls the corner right up tight...

A pic of a dial indicator I got on ebay a few years ago. I hope China never changes!

Okay so what do I do next?

 

[Baner]

Installing a lathe, if you hope to get accurate work from it, is not a trivial matter. A wooden bench can work, but is not the best option. When it comes to anything machine tools the more rigid and heavy the better.

To set the lathe bed properly it needs to be 'leveled'. This means installing the bed so the ways are perfectly flat. It is quite easy to twist the bed by haphazardly bolting it down. The major problem with a twisted lathe bed is that it will always cut a taper.

The tool to check twist is a Machinist level. If you do not have one you'll need to get one from somewhere. Hardware store levels are not accurate enough. The bed will also need to be cleaned and debured. A photo of the lathe bed condition would be a good place to start for further advice. Cleaning should be your first step.

Please take your time and use the right tools to setup your lathe. Any help you need please ask. Lathes can be very frustrating to use if not setup properly.

Dave.

 

[DJP]

The bed may be true 'as is' as long as you don't over tighten the bolts to an uneven bench. I would go ahead with mounting and assembling the lathe to the bench. Check for a warped bed later as you can always add shims under the hold down bolts.

The most fun is getting it running and making chips. Later you can measure chuck run out or bed warp. That would be my approach to maximize enjoyment of the project. I like getting the big stuff done first as it confirms the the machine is worth investing more time.

 

[MRA]

I'd second that. It will eventually be really useful to get lots of detailed help in working out why it's as bad as it turns out to be (just a little, or very) - but you've got to get it together and make some scrap first, so as to get motivated to tighten the gibs / headstock bearings / align tailstock / cast a mighty solid concrete plinth to sit it on . Without trying it you won't get a feel for what errors you have to correct and what is their rank order, and if you're like me then as a result you'll do nothing and just sit and worry about it!

 

[Crawdad]

I'm more in the "get it level" camp. Once I get a machine together to the point of being able to make chips, it's really hard for me to tear it back down again to do things right. One of the more important things you can do to get a lathe to perform well is getting the bed straight and level. Sure, the more solid the bench the better, but it seems you've got what you've got, and in the vein of "going back is not going forward" I'd concentrate on completing the "bolting it down" step and then carry on.

Once you've got the bed bolted down, the other item that will bolt to the bench will be the motor mount. Here's a link to an Atlas Press publication on mounting the 10 inch lathe that gives the hole positions for mounting the motor mount to the bench http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/51/16811.pdf. That should help you get the holes drilled and the motor mount in place.

Bill

 

[Putt-Rite]

well okay yeah now I'm concerned about the bench...it is wood after all and will move with humidity and the seasons...my shed has 2 x 12 joists and 3/4 ply floor. I have the metal bench it came with. It was never bolted to a floor:



but I also have this, which I forgot about, I have so much junk. It has tabs on the bottom so it could be bolted to a concrete plinth:



I have a 1.75" maple table top I scrounged:



and 1.5 x 1.5 square tubing if y'all thought the maple top should sit on it for stiffness:



I just wiped the ways down with an oily rag. This is before,. I always keep it covered so sawdust doesn't get on it. :



I have more pics of the ways, they have little nicks along the edges in places, but I don't think that'll matter, they look all right to me.

 

[Putt-Rite]

Inclinometer vial, could maybe make a level with it, 4s accuracy:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Glass-Incl...264767?hash=item4b30cca37f:g:Nq4AAOSwUM5aNBUM

10s accuracy level, would need to make a tunable base for it:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1pcs-10s-2...230594?hash=item2827037802:g:zU8AAOSwEzxYWdJj

A free or cheap way to check ways for twist. I even have an Al tube, used to be a shower rod. I don't need to concern myself with this just yet, as I think the bench needs to be settled on:



The manual, which packrat was so kind to send me, states it should go on a minimum 1-5/8 maple glued up top, so I'm good there.

 

[DJP]

It's my understanding that these old lathes were used on board ships and in the back of trucks for repairs in the field during the wars. I don't think that fussing with level should be top priority. The bench that you have with steel frame looks like a sewing machine work station. If you bolt the feet to a concrete floor it should be stiff enough.

On the other hand if you want to level the bed and remove any twist during assembly enjoy the project journey. Have fun.

 

[Baner]

People seem to confuse lathe leveling with being 'level'. It has nothing to do with 'level'. In this context level is the term used to describe twist. This is why lathes can be installed on ships or trucks. Or consider slant bed CNC lathes. Or vertical lathes.

The maple table top attached to any of those benches should be sufficient.

You'll have to decide whether to throw the lathe together or set it up properly so that the people here can give you the advice you need.

Dave.

 

[MRA]

Yes - the only advantage of getting it level is that it is then easy to use an accurate spirit level to check for twist along the bed.

One advantage of *not* having your base board level (I levelled my bed off it using shims) is that if you end up adding a coolant pump, the stuff will flow along to somewhere you can pick it up from! A first for me - the sum of random errors in my set up was such that the coolant flowed to the most convenient place to recycle it, rather than down the back of the bench somewhere inaccessible.

Along these lines - cleanup is a massive pain in the a*** (in my view) with any lathe, and the easier you make it the cleaner you'll be able to keep things. I have a big stainless sheet which slides over the bench top, cut in slots to avoid the lathe feet and with a lip on the front edge. With wooden runners screwed on in strategic places it handles the coolant return problem as I mentioned above, and I can pull it out like a drawer and scrape the swarf off it down to one end (where I even made a shute on the wall, down to my scrap bin).

Maybe you're a lot tidier than I am, and this won't be necessary!

 

[MRA]

Oh, another thing. So long as the feet on your bench don't vibrate and lose contact with the floor, screwing it down won't add to its rigidity (it will vibrate a bit anyway, even if the feet are stationary). My bench has a shelf low down, on which are piled all sorts of drawers full of the scrap I make things out of. The whole thing is very heavy indeed, and there was no gain in bolting things down hard.

(The health and safety people at work made us bolt our big machines down. The only way one of them was going over, is if someone drove a fork-lift at it full-tilt...)