Mystery Lathe

[Aaron Buys]

A local woodworker's widow is putting all his stuff up for auction. I sorted through the list and there is a lathe that will be auctioned off. The description calls it an "Atlas “MF” Mill" and it domes "w/75+ Bits and Cutters." I searched the net but couldn't come up with any info it. Does anybody know anything about these lathes?

[Bill Boehme]

I would guess that it is a combination wood and metal lathe. It is well made, but by today's standards, it lacks some features contained on modern lathes.

Bill

[Wes Bischel]

Aaron,

It looks like a Atlas Press woodworking lathe with a metal lathe compound and tailstock added. I say the headstock and bed are woodworking because of the lack of change gears and a backshaft. Also, there is no lead screw - though some metal lathes did not have them, I believe all Atlas metal lathes did.
Some links:
www.owwm.com
http://www.lathes.co.uk/atlas/index.html

FWIW,
Wes

[Reed Gray]

Looks like my first lathe, an Atlas with a 12 inch throw, and a 4 speed step pulley. I put a 1hp motor on it and a link belt. It worked fine until I got my PM. I think they were known more for their metal lathes than their wood lathes.
robo hippy

[Nancy Laird]

A local woodworker's widow is putting all his stuff up for auction. I sorted through the list and there is a lathe that will be auctioned off. The description calls it an "Atlas “MF” Mill" and it domes "w/75+ Bits and Cutters." I searched the net but couldn't come up with any info it. Does anybody know anything about these lathes?

Aaron, this looks suspiciously like the Atlas lathe that we inherited from my FIL. He bought it for about $35.00 in the early 50s (and that was big money for that time). We put a new tool rest on it about 8 years ago, and it runs like a champ. My hubby has turned a few things on it, but he likes flat work. I'm going to try it out before long.

Nancy

[Jim Underwood]

I've found info on the Atlas lathes over at the Old Woodworking Machinery site linked above. I think you can find out what you need there.

[Dave Mcintire]

This looks EXACTLY like the Milwaukee/Delta - later Delta - Later Rockwell lathes that were made years ago. I had one until recently and I know it was made in 1945. Mine was Milwaukee/Delta. The Atlas nameplate is interesting as I wonder if Atlas Press Co. sold the design. Many of these machines were in school shops. I'm sure there were thousands sold. They were pretty solid machines but had a generic problem with headstock bearings that necessitated a modification kit. Maybe your is OK. The cross slide is an accessory item sold by Delta to allow light (read very light) metal working on the machine. I wouldn't recommend trying much of anything serious with metal working on this machine as it is too light and much too fast for any but the smallest work.

I think these machines usually go for around $200 to $350 dollars in good shape (looks like yours is). The cross slide is hard to find and I see them on the big E occasionally for over $200.
You can have a lot of fun with this machine.

[Curt Fuller]

http://www.owwm.com/PhotoIndex/Images/25-A.jpg
This is an old Delta

http://www.owwm.com/PhotoIndex/Images/5066-A.jpg

This is an old Atlas

Both look a lot alike.

[Wes Bischel]

Dave, Curt,
Good call - looking at the bed legs and the tailstock - look like the Delta:

http://www.lathes.co.uk/delta/page2.html

Wonder why the Atlas tag is on it? Might be an interesting history there.

Wes

[Corey Hallagan]

We had an Atlas table saw in the junior high years ago. They looked just like the old rockwells that I have seen as well. I know that box maker Doug Stowe has an Atlas tablesaw in his shop that is his main saw and still uses it today.

Corey

[Kurt Aebi]

The manufacturer's label looks like Walker-Turner to me.

Anyway, a lot of old wood lathes had saddles available for light duty metal work and it looks like you've got one of them.

Have fun with it!