Atlas MHC Milling Machine Build: Part 1

I am building a new Atlas Milling Machine, This machine is being built from parts I have acquired over several years with the intent of eventually building a MH series mill which is the production mill which was offered by Atlas. This will also be used as a learning tool to show how we can fabricate many of the parts and fairly inexpensively purchase replacements to help make these machines affordable again for the home shop. Please leave any comments below. Enjoy
More about us here hillsgun.com
Below are links to a few of the items I use in the shop, any links which are not directly to our website such as Amazon links provide us with a small commision which helps support the channel:
Noga indicator base amzn.to/2X2jGWT
Vactra way oil (if you feel you have to have it) amzn.to/2ykn0Es
South Bend How To Run A Lathe Manual: amzn.to/2IjaUfb
AXA Quick Change Tool Post: amzn.to/2wHkDuo
Below are products which we build and offer thru our website.
Atlas 10" Lathe Index Pin hillsgun.com/product/atlascraftsman-10-42a-10-lathe-index-pin/
Atlas Lathe Tailstock Oil Dropper hillsgun.com/product/atlascraftsman-10-lathe-10d-260-tailstock-oil-dropper/
Atlas 10" Lathe Guard Knob hillsgun.com/product/atlascraftsman-10f-28-10%E2%80%B3-lathe-guard-knob/
Atlas Handwheel Handle hillsgun.com/product/atlascraftsman-9-104-handle/
Atlas Tailstock Locknut Handle hillsgun.com/product/atlascraftsman-9-42a-10-12-lathe-tailstock-locknut-handle/
Atlas Milling Machine Lock Handle hillsgun.com/product/atlas-milling-machine-m1-47-lock-handle/
Please bear in mind that these are my opinions and the techniques I have chosen to use in my shop for my projects. You are responsible for your own choices and I take no responsibility for how you might use any information presented here.
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Please watch: "Building A Grown Up Quorn Tool & Cutter Grinder: Part 1"
kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2LWnJuue8SZorc
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[@TheKnacklersWorkshop]

Hello Dan, This will be an interesting project... hats off to you for trying to make the Atlas machines more affordable... Take care. Paul,,

[@hillsgun]

Hi Paul; Thank you, I think I have a path for at least partial affordability. Dan.

[@robertjones3613]

Look forward to watching progress on this. Fair point re over the top prices by some sellers too.

[@hillsgun]

Thanks Robert, A lot of e-bay sellers are not going to be happy over my approach to parts🙂🙂. Dan

[@Just1GuyMetalworks]

Well, not sure if you need one, but I made a couple drive pulleys. I believe they are pn 9-428. Machined them out of ductile iron and I have one extra one. If that interests you 🙂.

[@hillsgun]

Thank you, but I beleive I have one, and I actually prefer the Zamak or at worst aluminum for the pulleys, I don't feel the need for the extra weight and mass for on the light machines like these. Dan.

[@johnprosser4560]

Been following with you atlas projects and slowly catching up with the older videos. Love your approach with these old hobby machines and the way you approach it. Curious about you pattern making, do you draft your own or do you have access to the old atlas patterns? Know i have reached out to clausing for several different atlas parts in the past that they no longer produce and they were happy to send me the drawings for them. Keep up the good work and totally agree about the Ebay overpriced game with these machines.

[@hillsgun]

Hi John: Thanks. I build my own patterns, Many of them are from Atlas drawings which are now basically public domain and are all over the internet. Clausing is very good about sharing the prints if it is a part that they no longer produce although in many instances I have found that they do not have many of the original prints. I also develop patterns from original parts and allow for shrink allowences depending on the material they are cast in, or will ultimatly be cast in but for most parts it is negligable and not an issue on these small machines.

[@davidvannatta1317]

can you post a list of parts available for the pacific 366 shotshell press and where they can be purchased.

[@hillsgun]

The main source is still Hornady, If you are refering to parts I build I have not offered any for sale yet as everything I have had time to produce is being used on presses I am rebuilding for customers, When and if I can get caught up with them I may offer some parts. Thanks, Dan.

[@turningpoint6643]

Yep I couldn't agree more about what the asking prices for the Atlas horizontal parts are today. I'm convinced we can blame the same deep pockets collector mentality that destroyed the muscle car hobby for the average person. Parts and accessory prices for the South Bend shapers are just as bad or worse.I've been slowly building up the parts to convert my MFB over to a MFC that uses the vertical arbor support assembly. Like you, I'm going to have to build some parts like the extended saddle feed screw bushing mount. I did manage to pick up an un-machined after market vertical support bar casting last year.And as you well know the prices on accessories like your dividing attachment are insane for what they really are. While some of these mills were set up like your going to do as light production machines during the war with various lever feeds, they sure aren't and were never designed as anything close to the older European watch making mills. And thanks for pointing out what that drilled and tapped hole is for on the L/H side of the machine base. I've always wondered what that was for.

[@hillsgun]

We are going to change some of those parts prices by changing the consumer mentality thru information. Some things we can't control the prices of because it may not be feasable to reproduce some of those parts, but the perception is that Atlas produced all of their own proprietary parts and the machines required their parts which is not true. They were designed as a low cost machine and in many instances it was more cost effective to use already available common parts rather than re invent the wheel. Examples are bearings and bushings which are still inexpensive common components. The feed screw mount for the overarm is easy, it is the same mount except instead of tapered it is a straight 1", The hex portion extends 1/2" from the face of the knee then goes to 1" round that is 2" long. The hole in the base has been on every casting I have ever seen which leads me to beleive the MH was planned from the beginning. Thanks, Dan.

[@turningpoint6643]

@@hillsgun Thanks for the feed screw mount dimensions Dan, those will definitely help.

[@hillsgun]

no problem at all