What lathe?

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What are you guys thinking for a tool post? What supply shop have you had good luck with? I am out of the loop, but I have purchased from Shars before, but again its been a while. I found a wedge post with a few holders on Ebay new, but have seen mixed reviews. It has a lantern post on it now, which is alright but will be going a different direction for boring. Pardon my off and on absence with AS, I will be spending some minutes, hours, days, possibly weeks on practical machinist, excellent site!

If you are going with an import QC Post, take a good look at the Phase II.

Later
Dan
 
That is a 13x40" older Jet lathe (made in Taiwan, not China)................ All for $1400. The lathe had a 5hp 3 phase motor in it but I put a 3hp single phase for my shop power. ................................... I got my eye on a 2 axis CNC mill I just have to borrow a trailer and get there. What is your opinion of the Universal Kwik-Switch 200 tooling beside darn expensive since there is no import? It's on a 5hp Tree mill, big American iron.

It's not a lathe but I came home with this guy yesterday. ................

Shaun,

I assume you will not be trying to put a single phase on the mill. The rotary's work well just another switch at the beginning of the day.

I was just through Coralville a few hours ago. In last few weeks I think I have been there more than here. The IA City schools dumped some DAMMMM nice equipment a few weeks ago
 
If you are going with an import QC Post, take a good look at the Phase II.

Later
Dan

Yes, there are some great deals to be had on Phase II QCTP's and they are of pretty good quality. Once you have a decent toolpost you can buy more of the really cheap #2 style tool holders.
 
I would not put a DRO on a lathe. Waste of money in my opinion, as I've never seen one that both axis worked on for very long. Chips always find their way into one of the scales, and then you either spend a few hundred more on another scale, or have a single axis DRO. I'd much rather have a trav-a-dial.
 
I would not put a DRO on a lathe. Waste of money in my opinion, as I've never seen one that both axis worked on for very long. Chips always find their way into one of the scales, and then you either spend a few hundred more on another scale, or have a single axis DRO. I'd much rather have a trav-a-dial.

Can't agree there.

Cover the scales.

Got two scales, 3 readouts on the W&S 2A. 2 shifts of 10 hrs a day. Been there for ten years. Same scales. one over 6' long. Tons of material. 40 HP. Lots of cast iron.

Couldn't do with out it. Much more accurate than dials. Especially than the tiny ones on cheaper lathes.

End of rant.

And the Multifix tool holder will ruin you for all others.

Pricey......but worth it.

My $.02
 
“Nice” is relative. Atlas lathes can be craftsmans or clauseing, and the quality is worlds apart. You have to research the individual model to know its value and issues. Personally I would wait on something else if I had a grand to spend (actually selling my Logan 820 right now for $1100). Atlas lathes are notorious for bad wear points that are a bear to fix.

There is also the question of tooling. It’s easy to spend $1000 on the tools you need if the Lathe doesn’t come with them. Chucks and collets, tool posts and rests cost a premium if bought separately. Be patient and haggle.
 
Nice Is a broad word.
She wears her original Paint, I love the look of her.
But this girl is like 70 yrs old. She has some road rash on her but still has a few miles left on her.
I got her for 1000. They wanted 2000.
She is still tight but unfortunately someone thought Grease was better than oil So I’m tearing her down a little and cleaning all that crap out of her.
Someone put a vsd on her with reverse. I might pull that off and put her back to stock.
I have no patience.
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Well I have read a lot of replies, some good. some not so good. I had 42 years as a tool &die man.tolerances were
always .ooo1 and we mostly did carbide. my 2ct. make sure you can swing the largest diam you expect to do and
get something with a spindle I,d, of at least 1in. some of the machines mentioned only have 5/8 bore which you
most likely will find not to be large enough . we had Hardinge tool room lathes and Bridgeport mill.
Harding lathes will hold .0005 all day long with a experienced operator. what ever you get make sure you
a full saddle that rides the ways with power feed.
One more thing I would recommend if you are going to be boring with the machine is a set of EVEREDE BORING BARS,
because you can bore flat bottom hole with them and the will bore in a hole that is smaller than the bar itself.
I retired 20yr ago and I bought a grizzly gunsmith lathe and it does everything I need .
Wisewood
 
I went to tech for machine shop but hated doing it for a living.
I would not try to turn my backhoe spindles on it.
For turning a cylinder base and cutting the squish area I think it will work fine.
I can’t fit no more equipment in the detached garage so I needed a lathe I could get into the basement.
This fit my bill per say And I dident want to buy a Chinese cheap piece of rice.
These are The American Harbor Freight of the early days.
Im having a good time just giving her a good work over.
 
I had to switch to a brass hammer. I got too agressive with that particular dialing instrument.
That’s what they make thread files for. Somebody had no clue What a set screw was.
headstock done. Runs smooth.
 

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I have a old craftsman bench top lathe that I use often. Also have a 6’ lathe but find my self using the little one more. Picked it up on cL for 100$ bought it from a guy who’s dad was a machinist for General Electric. It came with enough bits, boring bars and ect.. to fill a 5 gallon pail
 
I wish I would have bought a Chinese piece of crapola. I crashed the carriage into the tail stock when I was interrupted by arguing kids.
It’s gonna cost like 200 bucks to replace these gears. They don’t have a shear pin on these things. Sellers think these parts are GOLD.
That did not stop me tho I got the 55 jug cut and the squish landed right on 20 the first try.image.jpgimage.jpgF64B2D78-826C-4124-8049-B8A8B84CAB11.jpeg
 
Your Atlas looks like a good solid lathe, I sure hope you can still get new gears for it.

Last summer I bought one of these (JET BD-920N) locally from a retired knife maker and it came with a couple of extra chucks etc.
It obviously is a small chinese lathe with a swing 9", distance center to center 20" but I am OK with that - one of my requirements was to have gearing for both, inch and metric threads.

Should not be too hard to resell later if I wanted something bigger but so far so good!

JET.jpg
JET Tools.jpg
 
I had a 6” atlas new, a 9” southbend, but always needed a bigger bore through spindle. Having two lathes wasn’t enough.
 
Anyone out there got a Hardinge HLVH lathe as I have one also
When a company set me up with a shop we got a new one.
Ran only Hardinge for small lathes.
The Bees Knees.
NOTHING is better to thread on in the manual world.
True within .000,020” when new. Well...... the worst you will get is .000,020”......lol
Amazing lathes.
One will be my retirement gift to me. Wonderful for revolver work.
 
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