Making an Atlas (Craftsman) 12" Lathe from eBay spare Parts - Part 1

[@davidgagnon2849]

942 is a 42" bed and could be a 9" or 10" lathe. You'll notice other part numbers begin with 9 also, and can be used interchangeably with 9" or 10" Atlas lathes.

[@rpmunlimited397]

The Atlas Craftsman lathes are a good choice for home small shops. Professionals talk down about them, but they have some advantages that make then a good choice. One is almost any part can be replicated with the equipment you have in the shop. they are a flat way design, and you can recut the ways in a milling machine. I have two of these and i recut both on a rung fu type milling machine. If the lead screw is worn badly and most are in the normal area just past the chuck you can cut the shaft at the end of the threads on both ends, drill alignment dowel holes, and swap end for end. weld in place and now the worn part of the screw is on the tail stock end and almost never used threads are in the most used area. You can use the tailstock end of the bed for a master to scrape the carriage to get the warp out of it. I have had many apart and they all seem to bow up across the bed at the cross slide screw area. when reassembling the carriage add a inch wide brass or bronze wear strip under the carriage front and rear contact points. Usually, .010 thick works out. It tightens up the hand wheel to rack clearance and doubles the carriage to bed contact surface area for more ridged contact. Nice adaptation of different model parts

[@rogerhodges7656]

I admire your tenacity in trying to build one from scratch. I would have expected the parts to cost more that an assembled machine.

[@georgespangler1517]

I have 6 Atlas lathes, 2 - 12 inch with gear boxes and 3 - 6 inch and one 109,, bought all within 60 miles from me in good condition and I restored like new, have pretty much every attachment for them,, and then found my dream lathe 11 inch Logan 940,, all my Atlas lathes are for sale

[@undercoverhustler37]

2:15 had me running out to my shop to measure

[@davidgagnon2849]

A really cool undertaking Robert! I went a different direction. I bought an old Atlas QC42 lathe that was rusty and had been neglected and sitting in an open barn for who knows how long. So now I'm buys parts left and right on eBay to replace the old worn out ones. My lathe bed has .005" wear and I'm not sure if I'm not sure if I'm going to just live with it or get it machined. I'm looking forward to your other videos on this to see what you ended up doing with your .010" wear. New Subscriber!

[@ww321]

That's pretty cool. Back before 1994 I wanted a lathe like that. Ended up a guy owed me a bunch of money so I had him buy me a lathe instead. I did notice we have some common interests. Tools , telescopes and motorcycles.

[@markkoons7488]

Initially, I thought, "Oh, Brother..." about this project but ended up liking and subscribing. Since you mentioned a VFD you may not be using a two step motor pulley but if you are, what are the motor pulley diameters? Thank you.

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

Hi, Mark. I'm running the countershaft assembly from the 9" model. It has the two pulleys, 7 1/2" and 9 1/4" in diameter. I'm running it in the smaller diameter pulley which, coincidently gives me about a 1:1 between frequency and RPM on the VFD readout.

[@mattholden5]

@ Robert Adair I've been trying to figure out how to Frankenstein together good parts otherwise destined for the scrap heap for 3 years. This vid might be the genesis of a new era for home shops. We need a bigger work envelope than is commercially available, in a footprint that doesn't suit industry at large. Please continue this stream of consciousness, and more like it.

[@georgem.kokindajr.941]

Great videos! How about taking .010 off the bed on a surface grinder? Is that possible? Just wondering….

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

I think it’s worth a try. I have a surface grinder. It just doesn’t work yet, sadly.

[@ManofMode]

Interesting project. Very well done too since standardisation in the manufacturing process can be a relative term. 👍

[@kentdixon5716]

Love this video, I had the same idea, I thought if you did find an old used lathe, you would have to take it apart and go through it anyway, so maybe by the pieces, and go through it while your building it, thanks for posting, really enjoying it.

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

Thanks Kent.

[@SteveC38]

Nice Job, Bud.

[@jduryea558]

Nice video, good to see someone kinda cobbling one together. I have one that’s somewhat been cobbled over the years and I’m trying to find every reference I can for how they go together and what parts should look like

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

Hey, Thanks. I tried to capture what I used and what fit together when I did mine. There were really four versions - the 9", the 10/12" without the quick-change, the 10/12" with the quick change, and the 12" commercial. Areas where you can't mix-match: The lead screws and the headstock mounts (between the non and quick-change gearbox versions).

[@georgespangler1517]

How much did you end up spending? I know I started buying vintage lathes 4 years ago and there worth 4 times what I paid already. I have 2 mills also a Sheldon horizontal and a grizzly vertical, l learned very fast vintage is still the best way to buy,

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

Way, way too much. Cost breakdown is in the description. Just under $3k when it was all said and done and that doesn't include the stand or ancillary stuff. I've used it enough I feel I've gotten my $3k back but I would have bought a different lathe had I known how much money it would ultimately cost. At least I was able to make an interesting video from the ordeal.

[@georgespangler1517]

@@RobertAdairWorkshop l kind of figured that much,, believe it are not I'm 3k in for 6 Atlas lathes and Alot of assessor's

[@sky173]

Interesting way of acquiring a lathe (and a lot of work). I'd be curious what you paid for all these odd-ball parts to do this. Current eBay prices are insane. Nice work regardless.

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

I've never added it up, but in the interest of science, I just did. $2997.15 in 2021 dollars. Ooof. I've added a cost breakdown to the description if you're curious. Quick change gearbox was rediculously expensive compared to everything else. Those go for big money.

[@russmoore3021]

Very informative video, Hard to find a good Atlas lathe in my area. This maybe the direction I need to take.

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

Thanks Russ.

[@fairstnaimelastenaime1346]

I've wanted to do this because the desirable big ones sell for crazy money even in bad shape, and might as well get a grizzly, etc. That's great to have a cool (handy) neighbor, esp. if the only machine your dad has is a bench grinder and about as handy as taylor swift on meth.

[@theeddies]

Interesting project Robert. What was that Triumph in the background? The cylinders are familiar but that bottom end looked odd. Best! Eddie

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

Hey, Eddie. That’s the back half of a BSA B31 and an Enfield 500 engine on the table. There’s an A10 tank somewhere in there too. They are part of a custom build that I need to get started.

[@theeddies]

@@RobertAdairWorkshop Oh its an Enfield, that what threw me. I guess my eyes are going. Good deal, I have a BSA 441 Victor that I need to get started on as well, lol. Best!

[@tomhendricks316]

Really good video thanks!

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

I watched your Atlas lathe headstock alignment video a dozen times to figure out how to modify my bed for the Commercial headstock. Couldn't have done it without you.

[@tomhendricks316]

@@RobertAdairWorkshop Great. I'm glad someone is benefitting. 😊

[@Mad.Man.Marine]

Hey Robert. Interesting last name. You don’t see many people with that last name. It’s the same as mine and spelled the same as mine. Be interested to know if we are related somewhere down the line.

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

Hello, Mad Man Marine. My family is from southern Colorado. My great, great grandparents came out here from Missouri in the 1880's.

[@williamandrews1683]

Use the surface grinder to true the bed.

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

Yeah, that's what I plan to do. Once the surface grinder works. I need to build up some experience with it first, though. Any tips on how to do the full length of the bed?

[@georgespangler1517]

My advice is don't pull the gear box apart was one of hardest things I've had to do putting mine back together was pure hell, the gear box gear's are all steel and not zmac like all the other lathe gear's,

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

That's good advice. I did it earlier this year, though. The intermediate shaft had worn quite an groove in the housing bearing surface. Ended up making new shafts and boring out the housing for bronze bushings. Works like a charm now but took a lot of ingenuity to do it with the tools I have and to get the right parts. Given how much these quick change gearboxes are going for on eBay, I figured it was worth doing right.

[@clutch5sp989]

Oh me oh my....I'm doing this same exact thing right now. Thought there was going to be quite the option on Egay for parts. I WAS WRONG ! The snakes & weasels know these parts are scarce and will gouge you into bankruptcy debt. They strip em down to every nut & bolt so to charge you more for a this or a that. NEVER can find an entire assy for a fair price like a carriage compound. The power feed parts in the apron will set you way back...Is it all worth it? NO....buy one that has all the parts good or bad and replace worn parts as you can trying to make them yourself.

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

You are spot on!

[@Self_Evident]

I haven't finished watching the video yet, so maybe you covered this point, but if you had shimmed up the headstock first, like you plan to do anyway, it probably would have appreciably reduced the amount of material that needed to be removed from the ways for that gear in the headstock. Now, I realize that my idea may not be very helpful to you at this point, but I thought I'd add it to the overall body of human knowledge for future generations... :)

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

I didn't really expand on that much in the video. It didn't require any shimming to make everything fit together, despite the bed thickness differences. But that's a good point. Moving the headstock upward 1/8" could have saved hours of Dremel work.

[@MrEFHATCH1990]

Assembled from ebay!? either you're very patient or this lathe cost $4 million dollars.

[@RobertAdairWorkshop]

Yes, both! :|