Old Iron, My Atlantic Works Lathe

[Ian Parish]

Here are some pictures of the first Lathe I bought. I learned to turn on this monster. From what I can tell it is about 1870-1880's vintage.

It has an amazing and completely non standard 1 3/16' x 8 TPI threads on the spindle. This cause me to a lot of wonder and I could not find an adapter or a chuck to fit it. Without a chuck I could not turn bowls, or I thought I couldn't so I bought two more Lathes. I still have this one but am waiting to get a new shop before I put it onto service again. I have not really turned many bowls but I will some day. the taper in the headstock is MT2 or very close. Some of my MT2 drives wobble a bit too.

The sleave bearings on the head stock are a bit worn and caused me a bit of wobble, but not too bad. I also was using a motor that was too small and the starter capacitor on the motor started to go out.

I am flopping back and forth between selling this and keeping it. But I want it to go to someone who would really appreciate it, like a museum or something. BUT it is heavy so moving it around is not so easy.

I hope you like the picts, I can take more if you have specific detail questions.

[David E Keller]

That's pretty cool. I'm not mechanically inclined, so this would be wasted in my shop. I'll bet it's damn heavy, and that's a great quality for a lathe.

[Dennis Ford]

It looks real solid, if you are into home-made tools, the legs and bed would be an execellent beginning to a home-made lathe. The tail stock might be useful with a riser block under it.

[Gerold Griffin]

If you like antique tools keep it. Get a SuperNova chuck with a blank insert. Take both to a good machine shop and have them drill and tap the insert while it is mounted inside the chuck. As you use the lathe fix the problems that you run into as you can. Personaly, I think you got a jem there just needs some TLC. Let it go you may just regrete it later on. Just my 2 cents worth.

[Allen Neighbors]

If you like antique tools keep it. Get a SuperNova chuck with a blank insert. Take both to a good machine shop and have them drill and tap the insert while it is mounted inside the chuck. As you use the lathe fix the problems that you run into as you can. Personaly, I think you got a jem there just needs some TLC. Let it go you may just regrete it later on. Just my 2 cents worth.

DITTO! DITTO! DITTO! Great Lathe! Thanks for posting.:)

[Bernie Weishapl]

That is a cool lathe. Thanks for sharing.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Here are some pictures of the first Lathe I bought. I learned to turn on this monster. From what I can tell it is about 1870-1880's vintage.

It has an amazing and completely non standard 1 3/16' x 8 TPI threads on the spindle. This cause me to a lot of wonder and I could not find an adapter or a chuck to fit it. Without a chuck I could not turn bowls, or I thought I couldn't so I bought two more Lathes. I still have this one but am waiting to get a new shop before I put it onto service again. I have not really turned many bowls but I will some day. the taper in the headstock is MT2 or very close. Some of my MT2 drives wobble a bit too.

The sleave bearings on the head stock are a bit worn and caused me a bit of wobble, but not too bad. I also was using a motor that was too small and the starter capacitor on the motor started to go out.

I am flopping back and forth between selling this and keeping it. But I want it to go to someone who would really appreciate it, like a museum or something. BUT it is heavy so moving it around is not so easy.

I hope you like the picts, I can take more if you have specific detail questions.

Hi Ian, nice solid old lathe :cool:, the wear to the bearings can be resolved by shimming around the bearings, depending if they are 2 halves or one piece bearings, we would measure the shafts movement and shim with halve that thickness all around, though with halves, we filed or scraped the the seams where the two halves meet, down as much as was required, with one piece bearings if they had a split we sometimes had to open that up farther or if there was no split we'd cut a split diagonal so the bearing can become smaller and fit tight again.
I checked Oneway for the thread of your spindle, and they don't carry it as a standard insert for their Chucks, but they do custom threading for the ones they don't carry, and they carry one heck of a lot of different tread sizes, have a look if you like, A 1-800 Phone # there also for info for this.

http://www.oneway.ca/chucks/adaptors.htm

Also if the MT is a bit worn, you can get or maybe rent a MT reamer to cleanup that up to a good fit, most good machine shops do have them in their toolrooms, if you can't rent take the headstock there and have it done, it's not a difficult job to do.

Anyway with some TLC and elbow grease you'd have a lathe that will stand you off and with a VS motor you'd have all the conveniences of a new lathe :) :cool:,

[Matt Hutchinson]

Great lathe! I would love to see that baby in action. I just love the old machines!!

Thanks for sharing!

Hutch

P.S. What is it's swing and distance between centers?

[Ian Parish]

[QUOTE=Matt Hutchinson;

P.S. What is it's swing and distance between centers?[/QUOTE]

The Swing is 6.5 inches radius, or 13 diameter. One thing about that is the size of the tool rest base. It doesn't really show in the picture but it take up an inch or two of that 6.5 inches. And the way I built an adjustable bolt to hold it in place takes up even more.

The distance between centers, can be calculated by saying the bed is 6 feet long. The tail stock is about 14 inches long and the head stock piece about 18 inches long. If each of these were slide to the ends and or left hanging over a bit it would be something like 72-14-18 = 40 + or minus some.